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About The owl. (Beaverton, Or.) 1912-191? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1912)
f SERIAL STORY J FLYING MERCURY By Eleanor M. Ingram Author- of "The Oame and the Candle" Uluatrattona By- RJY WALTERS (Ooayrlskt, V BabO-MarrlU 00.) 8YN0P8I8. Th ator orr opena on Long laland, near Kw York city, when Mini Kmllv Ffl f rrencn. a reiauva or Ethan t rrencn kianufacturer of tha celebrated "Mor lury" automobile, loaea her way. The ear haa atopped and har coualn, Dluk Ffrench, la too muddled with drink to llrect It a-rlght. They meet another car Khlch la run by a professional racer named Ieatrana;e. The latter flxea up :h Ffrench car and nlrecta Mlaa f f rench how to -proceed homeward. Ethan Ffrench haa disinherited hla aon, who baa dlaappeared. He Informs Emily plainly that he would like to have her marry Ilck, who la a good-natured but Irresponsible fellow. It appears that a partner of Ethan Kfrench wanting an ex pert to race with the "Mon-ury" at auto Ivents, haa engeaed Testrange, and at lha Ffrench factory Emily encounters the roung man. They refer pleasantly to fhelr meeting when Dick conies along and recognises the young rac'er. Dick likes the way Iestrange Ignores their first tieetlng when he appeared to a dlsad rantage. Lestrange tells Kmlly that he stU try to educate her Indifferent cousin u an automobile expert. CHAPTER V. There was a change In the Ffrench affair, a lightening of the atmos phere, a vague quickening and Btlr of healthful cheer In the days that fol lowed. The somber master of the bouie met It In Bailey' undisguised latlon and pride when they discussed the successful business now taxing the factory's resources, met It yet again In Emily's pretty gaiety and content. But most strikingly was he confronted with an alteration In Dick. It was only a week after his first morning ride with Lestrange, that Dick electrified the company at din ner, by turning down the glass at his piste. "I've cut out claret, and that sort of thing," he announced. "It's bad for the nerves." His three companions looked up In complete astonishment. It was Satur day night and by ancient custom Bai ley was dining at the bouse. "What has happened to you? Have you been attending a revival meet ing?" the young man's uncle Inquired with sarcasm. "It's bad for the nerves," repeated Dick. "There Isn't any reason why 1 shouldn't like to do anything other fellows do. Leg that Is, none of the men who drive cars ever touch that tuff, and look at their nerve." Mr. Ffrench contemplated him with the Irritation usually produced by the display of ostentatious virtue, but found no comment. Kmlly gazed at Ibe table, her red mouth curving In spite of all effort at seriousness. "Vou'r right, Mr. Dick." said Bai ley dryly. "Stick to it." And Dick Btuck, without as much as a single lapse. Ffrenchwood saw comparatively little of him, as time weut on, the village and factory much. He lost some weight, and ac quired a coat of reddish tan. Emily watched and admired In si lence. She had not Been Lestrange again, but It seemed to her that his Influence overlay all the life of both house and factory. Sometimes this showed so plainly that she believed Mr. Ffrench must see, must feel the silent force at work. But either he did not see or chose to Ignore. And Dick was incautious. "I'm going to buy one of our road sters myself," he stated one day. "Can I have It at cost?" Mr. Ffrench felt for his plnce nes. "You? Why do you not use the limousine?" "Because I don't want to go around In a box driven by a chauffeur. I want a classy car to run myself. I've been driving some of the stripped ears, lately, and I like it." "I will give you a car, If you want one," answered his uncle, quite kind ly. "Go select any you prefer." "Thank you." Dick sat up. beaming. "But I'll have to wait my turn, we've orders ahead now. Lestrange says I've no right to come lu and make some other fellow wait." Mr. Ffrench slowly stiffened. "We do not require lessons In ethics from this l.etitrange." was the cold re buke. "I shall telephone Bailey to send up jour car st once." Rupert brought the sixty horse-power roadster to the door, three hours later. And Emily appreciated that I. strange was dim reel an well as com pt'lllng. when she found the Mack eyed young mechanician was detailed to accompany Dick's maiden trips; which duty was fulfilled. Incidentally, with the fine tact of a Kichelieu. In May there was a still greater ac cession of work at the factory. In ad dition, the (list of June was to open with a twenty four hour race at Beach traik. end Lvstrange was entered for It. Excitement was In the air; Dick came in the house only lo eat and sleep. 1 lie day before the race, Mr Ffrench walked Into the room where his niece was reading. "I want to see Bailey." he laid briefly. Do you wish to drive me down to the factory, or shall I have Anderson bring around the limou sine?" "Please let us drive," she exclaimed, rising with alacrity. "I have not been to the factory for months." "Very good. You are looking well, Emily, of late." Surprised, a soft color swept the face she turned to him. "I am well. Dear, I think we are all better this spring." "Perhaps," said Ethan Ffrench. His bitter gray eyes passed deliberately over the large room with all Its traces of a family life extending back to pre- Colonlal times, but he said no more It was an exquisite morning, too vir ginal for June, too richly warm for May. When the two exchanged the sunny road for the fctory office, a north room none too light. It was a moment before their dazzled eyes per ceived no one was present. This was Bailey's private office, and its owner had passed into the room beyond. "I will wait," conceded Mr. Ffrench, dismissing the boy who had ushered them In. "Sit down, Emily; Bailey will return directly, no doubt." But Emily had already sat down, for she knew the voice speaking beyond the half-open door, and that the long prevented jneetlng was now Immi nent. 'It will not do," Lestrange was stat ing definitely. "It should be rein forced." 'It's always been strong enough," Bailey's slower tones objected. "For years. It's not a thing likely to break." Not likely to break? Look at last year's record, Mr. Bailey, and tell me that. A broken steering-knuckle killed Brook in Indiana, another sent Little to the hospital In Massachusetts, the same thing wrecked the leader at the last Beach race and dashed him through the fence. Do you know what It means to the driver of a machine hurling Itself along the narrow verge of destruction, when the steering- wheel suddenly turns useless In his grasp? Can you feel the sick helpless ness, the confronting of death, the compressed second before the crash? Is It worth while to risk it for a bit of costless steel?" The clear realism of the picture forced a pause, filled by the dull roar and throb through the machinery crowded building. They were not our cars that broke. any of them," Bailey insisted. Not our cars, no. But the steering- knuckle of my own machine broke un der my hands last March, on the road, and If I had been on a curve Instead of a straight stretch there would have been a wreck. As It was, I brought her to a stop In the ditch. There Is no other thing that may not leave a fighting chance after it breaks but this leaves absolutely none. I know, you both know, that the steer ing-wheel Is the only weapon In the driver's grasp. If it falls him, he goes out and his mechanician with him." Emily paled, shrinking. She re membered the road under the maples and Lestrange's laughing face as he leaned breathless across his useless wheel. That was what It had meant then, the lightly treated episode! "You'd better fix it like he wants it," advised Dick's disturbed tones "Remember, he's got to drive the car Friday and Saturday, Bailey, not us." "It's not alone for my racer I'm speaking, but for every car that leaves the shop," Lontrange caught him up "I'm not flinching; I've driven the car before and I will again. It may hold for ever, that part, but I've tested it and It's a weak point take the warn ing for what it's worth." There was a movement as If he rose with the last word. Emily laid Met It Yet Again In Emily's Pretty Gaiety and Content. l or hand on the arm of the chair, turning her excited dark eyes on her uncle. Surely If ever Mr. Ffrench was to meet his manager, this was the mo ment ; when l.etrange's ringing argu ment was still in their ears, his splen did force of earnestness still vibrant In the atmosphere. And suddenly she wanted them to meet, passionately anted Ethan Ffrench' liking for this man. "V'nclc." she began. "Uncle " Hut it was not Lestrange's light step that halted on the threshold. "Why. I didn't know" exclaimed Bailey. "Excuse me. Mr. Ffrench. they didn't tell me you were down." lie glanced over his shoulder; as he nilled shut the door Emily fancied the aeaid an echo, as if the to young men left the next room. Bitterly dls appointed, she sank back. "That was your manager with youT" Mr. Ffrench frigidly Inquired. "Yes; be went upstairs to see bow the new drill is acting." Bailey pulled out a handkerchief and rubbed his brow. "Excuse me. It's warm. Yes, be wants me to strengthen a knuckle he'a spoken considerable about It. I guess he's right; better too much than too little " "I do not see that follows. I should imagine that you understood building chassis better than this racing driver. You had best consult outside experts in construction before making change." "Uncle!" Emily cried. ' i nere s a iwenty-rour nour race starts tomorrow night," Bailey ug- gested uneasily. "It s easy fixed, and we might be wrong." "Wo have always made them this way?" "Yes. but " "Consult experts, then. I do not like your manager's tone; he is too as suming. Now let me see those pa pers." Emily's parasol slipped to the floor with a sharp crash as she stood up, quite pale and shaken. "Uncle, Mr. Lestrange knows," she appealed. "You heard him say what would happen please, please let It be filed." Amazed, Mr. Ffrench looked at her. his face setting. "You forget your dignity," he re torted In displeasure. "This is mere "I I Would Rather Be Outdoors." childishness, Emily. Men will be con sulted more competent to decide than this Lestrange. That will do." From one to the other she gazed, then turned away. I will wait out In the cart," she said. "I I would rather be outdoors." Dick Ffrench was up-stalrs, stand ing with Lestrange In one of the nar row aisles between lines of grimly ef ficient machines that bit or cut their way through the steel and aluminum red to them, when Rupert came to him with a folded visiting card. "Miss Ffrench sent it," was the ex planation. "She's sitting out In her horse-motor car, and she called me off the track to ask me to demean myself by acting like a messenger boy. All right?" ah right, said Dick, running an astonished eyo over the card. "No answer?" "No answer." men ill hurry back to my em broidery. I'm several laps behind In my work already." See here, lestrange," Dick began, as the mechanician departed, sitting down on a railing beside a machine steadily engaged in notching steel disks into gear-wheels. "Don't do that!" Lestrange exclaim ed sharply. "Get up, Ffrench." "It's safe enough." "It s nothing of the kind. The least slip" "Oh, well, he reluctantly rose, "If you're going to get fussy. Read what Emily sent up." Lestrange accepted the card with faint flicker of expression. "Dick, uncle Is making the steering- knuckle wait for expert opinion," the legend ran, In pencil. "Have Mr. Bai ley strengthen Mr. Lestranget car. anyhow. Do not let him race so." Near them two men were engaged in babbitting bearings, passing ladle fuls of molten metal carelessly back and forth, and splashing hissing drop over the floor; at them Lestranga gazed in silence, after reading, the card still In his hand. (TO PE CONTINUED.) Golf and a Prince. Mrs. R. 11. Barlow, the golf cham pion, said at a recent luncheon at the Bellevue-Stratford In Philadelphia: 'Golf has Its humors, and this struck me particularly In a conversa tion at a golf club that I once had with a Persian prince. "The prince, as he sat on the club piazza watching the various cham pions drive off, drawled: 1 don't see very much In golf. No object Is to be gained by the deposit ing of a w hite ball in a subterranean cavity; and if any object were to be gained, the shortest and surest meth od would surely be to carry the ball in the hand from cavity to cavity. "I laughed. " 'But, rrlnee.' I said, 'th difficulty of getting the ball into the cavities, a you call them. Is what constitute the attraction of the game.' The difficulty constitutes the at traction, ek?" The prince frowned. Well.' he went on. 'It would be more difficult to shave with a coal &ovl than a razor, but I dont think maay men are tempted on that account t remove their beard each morml&f la that way." GREEKS JOIN IN PEACE MOVE Held Out to Keep Turkey From Gaining: By Respite. London Greece has officially an nounced that she would participate in the peace negotiations. It is expected both from Sofia and Athens that Greece held out from the armistice in agreement with the allies to prevent Turkey from profiting from the armistice to improve her military positions. An unconfirmed report from Athens says the Greeks are continuing their operations against Janina, but else where orders have been received cease hostilities. Reports are current that arrange ments had been made for revictualing the besieged garrisons appear to have been incorrect. Provisioning will not begin until the peace conference has been inaugurated The Bulgarian organ, Mir, in an edi torial dilates on the advantages to Turkey of a good understanding with Bulgaria. It declares that Turkey salvation lies not in continuing the war, but in seeking a rapprochement with Bulgaria. LARGE RIVER WORK URGED Poindexter Points Out Need of Aid to Transportation Facilities. Washington, D. C. Senator Poin dexter, of Washington, in an address here before the National Rivers and Harbors congress, said the time had come for the development of every re source in this country, and emphasize! waterway development as one of the country's most important needs. Senator Poindexter said the railways need waterway transportation aid, not to have competition, but because the rail lines could not handle the traffic. He spoke also of the importance of carrying through to completion river improvement work on which largi sums already had been spent, so the returns on the investment would not be delayed. Harold E. McCormick, vice-president of the International Harvester com pany, expresses the opinion that, as with the Panama canal, a large bond issue should be created for the purpose of improving on a large scale the wa terways of the country. HUGE OVEN MAY SERVE NEW YORK BREAD LINE Spokane The oven that baked 2,250 pies per hour during the recent fifth national apple show may be taken to New York to cook food for the bread lines." Lew S. Hurtig of Spokane, originator of the 75 foot oven, is not only negotiating with New York people- for its installation there, where he claims it can do in one hour work which now requires six but he has organized a company and will cook bread "by the mile" at San Francisco in 1915. The oven has been patented. It is built of bricks, is 75 feet long and three feet square. Heat is supplied by high pressure gaa pipes, the pies or other articles being carried from end to end on an endless chain The journey requires one and a half minutes, Tobacco Trust Accused. New York Rudolph Epstein, one of the several Brooklyn tobacco jobbers who say they were forced out of busi ness by the American Tobacco com pany, testified to the tactics employed by the trust to crush competition. He is a witness in the suit for $300,000 brought by John A. Locker against the American company under the Sher man law. He declared that A. T. Benheim, representing the trust, called a meet ing of jobbers in 1904 and told them the American Tobacco company in tended to form a combine of all job bers on New York, each member to receive 1000 shares of preferred stock in a company to be known as the Metropolitan Tobacco company. Epstein said when he refused to join Benheim warned him that he would be driven out of business.' He said that the American company refused to sell goods to him and after a time he was forced to close up. Youths Steal 20 Autos. Chicago r our young men ranging in age from 16 to 21 years confessed to the police of Melrose Park, a su burb, that they have committed at least 50 robberies during the past 12 months and carried away loot, the ag gregate value of which is placed at $23,000. Among the property stolen by the quartet are 20 automobiles and many diamonds. The youths gave their names as James Brong, Leonard Tartorello, Charles Garnett and John Ragone. During the past few weeks robberies have occurred nightly. Merit System Is Upheld. Milwaukee, Wis. "Fill all the gov ernment offices on the merit system through careful original selections and careful promotion, and no civil servant will have any patrons to serve. Re quire all civil servants to abstain from partisan political activity and there will be no office-holders' management of nominations or election," said Pres ident Eliot, of the National Civil Serv ice Reform league, in his address at the annua meeting in Milwaukee. Trees Evidence of Wreck. Manitowoc, Wis. Mute evidence tending to show that the schooner Roee Simmons lies at the bottom of Lake Michigan off Two Rivers Point, 22 miles north of this citv. was brought here bv fishermen who found entangled in their nets several Christ mas tree tops, presumably part of the schooner cargo. 1 OREGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST" General News of the Industrial and Educational Development and Progress of Rural Communities, Public Institutions, Etc, PLAN IS TO BLOCK HILL LINE Harriman Interests Rush Survey Up McKenzie Valley. Eugene Intention of the Harriman interests to forestall the Hill peopl in the building of a railroad up the McKenzie Valley is evidenced by the copy of a resolution of the board directors of the Oregon & California Railroad company, filed with the sec retary of state and with the Lane county clerk. This resolution authorizes the con struction of a trifle over 24 miles of railroad from a point on the Natron Klamath cut-off, a few miles east of Springfied, up the McKenzie Valley to Martin's rapids, where the Oregon Power company is doing the prelimi nary work on a hydro-electric project, The action of the Harriman inter ests came rather as a surprise here, as it was definitely known that Portland. Eugene & Eastern surveyors had been at work all summer checking up on old surveys made when Al Welch first planned the Portland, Eugene & East em system, and it had been understood that an electric line was to be built, In fact, President Strahorn, of the Portland, Eugene & Eastern, has made announcement that his company was considering the building of this line, but at that time had no detinue news to give out. The Oregon Electric, since it has acquired water power rights at Clear Lake, capable of developing 33,000 horsepower, was also popularly sup posed to be planning the construction of a railroad up the McKenzie, and thence to a junction with the Oregon Trunk east of the Three Sisters. FIRST EQUAL SUFFRAGE VOTE Oregon Women Take Prominent Part in City Elections. Oregon City Mrs. Kate Newton first woman candidate lor mayor in the state, lost by 836 votes. Linn E, Jones going in easily. there were 1182 votes cast. Powder puffs, mir rors and umbrellas were left in booths Albany Complete new city charter adopted; E. A. Johnson elected to council, although name did not. appear on ballot. Women cast 194 votes or 28 per cent of number cast. Newport "Drys" win 237 to 191 $10,000 bond issue for water system carries. Women defy rain to vote. Gladstone All election officials are women; Mrs. Minda Church elected city treasurer over male opponent by 25 votes. Tillamook Wets win by eight votes. Women cast half of votes, favoring "dry" candidates for mayor. Mayor Harter s election may be contested. Oxygen Explosive Is Made. Astoria "On Thanksgiving day, 1912, we began the commercial manu tacture or oxygen explosives at our Oregon plant." such was the word contained in a letter received by Frank Patton, cash ier of the Astoria Savings bank, from E. E. Hoffman, president of the Gov ernment standard Powders company, which is establishing a powder factory at Woods Landing, near the eastern line of Clatsop county. While the manufacture of powder has been Btarted, the construction work is not yet completed and several weeks will necessarily elapse before the plant will be in full operation. As the new mill will utilize by-products that have heretofore been regarded as worthless, its establishment is pre dieted to provide a market for large quantities of material now thrown away. Rich Oil Strike Is Expected. Portland Oil within 30 days is the expectation of the Central Oregon Oil & Gas company, which is sinking its first well in its properties in Harney county about 18 miles south of Burns. J. C. Turney, president of the com pany, who was in Portland this week, from Burns, made this prediction. Should the expected success come upon the enterprise, a pipeline from the Harney County fields to Portland to deliver the product will soon be projected. This has been under con sideration since the preliminary sur veys of the fields were begun in 1909 and the engineers of the company de clare it to be a perfectly feasible plan. 1 he project was begun following the iscovery in the wells of the Pacific Livestock company of unmistakable igns of oil and gas, when the drill had reached a depth of only 6690 feet. Coos Bay Canning Finished. Marshfield The salmon canning season on Coos Bay and the Coquille river has closed. On the latter water way the co-operative cannery put up about 7000 cases of salmon, and did not have as good a season as usual. In Marshfield, the Tallant cannery had about the most successful season of any of the plants of the county, and turned out about 15,000 cases. The salmon brought to the fishermen of the county quite a large sum of money. and many received employment both as fishermen and in the canning plants. Monster Radish Grown. Eugene The monster radish of the season has appeared at London, and J. N. Hogue is the owner. It weighs 18i pounds and is 25 inches in cir- cumference and 25) inches in length, and thi is gospel truth, since Rev. J. H. Moore vouches for the measure- menta. . CROOK COUNTY WINS PRIZE Eastern Oregon Has Best Forage Exhibit at Minneapolis. Washington, D. C. Crook county, Oregon, secured the Northern Pacific railway's silver cup offered for the best display of forage plants exhibited at the recent Northwestern Land Pro ducts exposition at Minneapolis. The display at the exposition was made by the Prineville Commercial club jointly with the Oregon and West ern Colonization company. The forage plants in this display consisted of various bundles of alfalfa, field peas, mammoth and medium clo ver, wild peas, brome grass, red top, wheat grass, vetch, sweet clover, fili gree, timothy and wild rye. The al falfa was of the first cutting and measured seven feet in length. Sev eral heads of the timothy were 14 inches long, while a bundle of the wild rye measured 111 feet in height. This forage was raised in the inter ior of Oregon from ten to 30 miles distant from Redmond, a station on the new Oregon Trunk railway, an affiliated line of the Northern Pacific road. OREGON IS RICH IN SHEEP More Than 2,000,000 Animals In Eastern Part of State. Salem There are 2,225,000 sheep in Eastern Oregon. There are sheep on 6318 farms in Oregon, or on 14 per cent of all the farms in the state. These are figures shown in the report of the State Board of Sheep commis sioners which has just been received here. Oregon, states the report, stands sixth in the sheep producing states. There are 10,000 people directly in terested in handling Oregon sheep and 40,000 people, more or less dependent on the industry. It is estimated that . one man is required to handle 400 sheep, making a total of 45,562 people intimately connected with the indus try. A total of $2,265,000 is paid to la bor for the cost of caring for the sheep and the annual income from the sheep is estimated at $8,000,000. Sheep and equipment are valued at $23, 407,000. NEW ROAD MEASURE URGED Lane County Grange Will Work for Road Patrol. Springfield At the last meeting of the Pomona grange of Lane county a resolution to be presented to the county commissioners, asking them to take under advisement the suggestion of a county road patrol, was unani mously adopted and a committee ap pointed to present it to the court. The resolution says "that experi ence in several American states dem. onstrates that a systematic road pa trol, by sections, for road repair work wherever needed at the time when it is needed and when it can be done most economically, is the only satisfactory method of keeping roads in usable con dition, and the county court would seem, under the law, to have full power to adopt and put in practice a patrol system, sectioning the road therefor and placing in charge of each section some person, whether super visor or other employe, whose duty it shall be to inspect his section of road at frequent intervals and make repairs which may be called for at any time." More Livestock Is Plea. If the Northwest continues to in crease its livestock production as it has shown a tendency to do in the last few years the price of meat is certain to decline, believes J. Odgen Armour, head of the big Chicago packing houses bearing his name, who was on a pleasure visit to Oregon. r armers have neglected the live stock department of their business," said Mr. Armour, "and that, with the natural increase in population and the constant increase in demand, has cre ated a constant demand for meats with which the supply has been hard pressed to keep pace. VV ith more attention to the live stock end of farming there should be greatly .increased production in the next few years and a resultant down ward tendency of the market." School Children's Fair Organized. Orenco B. W. Barnes, county su perintendent-elect; S. S. Duncan, su perintendent of Yamhill county; W. Macey, president of Yamhill county school fair association, and M. Mc Donald, president of the Oregon Nur sery coumpany, were the speakers at an enthusiastic meeting here recently to organize the Orenco School Chil dren's Fair association. Fifty adults have already joined and 80 of the school children. All are enthusiastic and a splendid fair next year will no doubt be the result. Work to Begin on Tunnel. Gardiner A second bargeload of railroad material for Porter Bros., railroad contractors, has been towed into the Lmpqua river. The material was loaded at Yaquina, and consists of cars, donkey engines and oil. It is expected that dirt will begin to fly at the site of the big tunnel between Gardiner and Coos Bay, on the Eugene- Coos Bay railroad, very soon.
