NATIONAL GOVERNMENT NEWS
NOTES OF GENERAL INTEREST
TAFT IS OFF TO PANAMA.
LUMBER CUT GAINS
Increase tor Whole Country
Cent in Year,
34 Per Leaves
on Cruisar Tennessee
V>ait of Inspection,
•or
Charleston, 8. C. —- President Taft
has sailed for the isthmus of Panama
to get in personal touch with condi
tions along the big canal.
President
Taft visited the isthmus just before
hie inauguration in !9«>9. but since
then various executive and engineer
ing problems have arisen, and congress
must soon frame l<^{i»lation as to rates
of toll, form of guvernmcnL the regu
lation of the sale of coal, the disposi
tion of the Panama railroad ami many
other things. The president expects
to make various recommendation» re
garding the canal at the coming short
session of congrers.
Mr. Taft sailed on the armored
i
cruiser Tennessee, with the cruiser
Montana as convoy,
While officially
known as cruisers, these vessels have
the general proportions of the battle
ships of a few yean ago, although they
could not stand up very long against a
modern DreadnaughU
Both cruisers have a S|x*vd of 22
knots and will make the trip to Coion
in four days. Mr. Taft expects to tie
on the isthmus four days and ie due
back in Charh-ton November 22. He
will stop over a few hours in Richmond
on the 23d.
President Taft's xpecial squadron is
under the command of Rear Admiral
Staunton, with the Tennessee as flag
ship.
Admiral
Staunton, Captain
Quimby, of the Montana, and Rear
Admiral
Ford,
Commanding
the
Charleston navy yard, were at the de
l»*t i L
■
arrived.
The members of his party
were driven to the home of Mayo»
Rhett for breakfast Later the presi
dent reviewed groups of while and col
ore*I school children.
Mr. Taft went aboard the Tenne»»«*
launch at the custom house wharf,
As he made his way up the »(«rtxiard
gangway of the big gray cruiser his
flag was run up and he was received
with a ruffle of drums a blare of trum
pets ami all the ceremonies accorded
the commander in chief of the Ameri
can armed forces.
The president is making a purely
business trip to Panama and accom
panied only by his brother, Charles P.
Taft, Secretary Norton, two aides, a
physician and a stenographer.
Washington Th«* lumber cut in the
United States during the calendar year
1909 was 44.585 million feet, board
measure, as against 33,324 millionjfeet
in 1 890, and 40,256 million feat in
1907. This was an increase of 34,2
per cent over 1907. The output of lath
and shingles during 1909 was 3,712
million and 14.945 million respective
ly. The increase in the production of
lath in 19«9 over 1908 was 24.3 per
eant and over 1907 1.3 per cent, while
the corresponding increases for shing
les were 23.4 per cent and 26.4 par
cenL
This information appears in a pre
liminary comparative report covering
1909, 1908 and 1907, which was trans
mitted to Census Director Durand by
M.
Chief
Statistician
William
Steuart.
The substantial increase over the
two preceding years wax general,
of the individual atatea showing a de-
creased cuL The figures show a < con-
spicuous increase in the cut of the
Southeastern states, including all thoae
on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from
Viriginia to Texas ami Kentucky and
Tennessee.
The proportion of the total lumber
cut of the country contributed by New
York and the New England states did
not vary materially during the three
years, being 9 per cent in 1907, 9.6
per cent tn 1908 and 7.5 per cent in
1909.
Although the wood pulp industry
continues to make heavy and in *
ing draft upon the supply of spruce,
thia tree still practically shares with
white pine the place of first impor
(anew anong ths lumber titobers of
this re-ion. In 1909 it» contribution
to the total lumber cut of thia group of
states was 28.8 per cent, while that
of white pine was 31.1 per cent.
The relative importance of the Lake
V
"
eons in —in lumber production continues
to decrease steadily, as the supply of
white pine stumpage grows lea».
The Pacific Coast states, with an
output of 28.3 per cent larger in 1909
than in 1908, and 2.2 per cent greater
than in 1907, nevertheless, contributed
a smaller proportion of the total cut of
the country in 1909 than in either of
the preceding years, the per cent for
1909 being 15.5, for 1908 16.2, and for
1907 16.8. Douglas fir was far in the
lead, as lumber material in these
states during the three years, the pro
duction from thia species constituting
68.1 per cent in 1907, 66.1 per cent in
1908, and 68.5 in 1909. It contribut
ed 79 2 per cent of the total production
in Washington in 1909, and 82.2 per
cent in Oregon, while redwood formed
45.6 per cent of the total output of
California.
Of the total production of lumber in
1909 soft woods supplied 33.875 mil
lion feet, or 76 per cent, while hard
woods contributed 10.693 million feet,
or 24 per cent.
Soft woods contrib
uted 1 per cent less of the total pro
duction in 1909 than in 1908 and 1907,
in each of which years they formed 77
per cent of the total.
ESKIMOS DISCREDIT COOK.
Missiooar rl Get
Tsrsa Story
Wanderings in Arctic.
of
Chicago Dr. Frederick A. Cook is
further discredited in a special cable
dispat th to the Chicago Daily News
from its correspondent in Copenhag
en, Denmark.
The story is the first publication of
Knud Raamusaen, the Danish explorer, -
as aent by him to his wife in Copen
hagen, and now given out by her.
Contained in the story are purported
statements of Cook's two Eskimo com
panions In the Polar quest, Itukvauk
and Apilak,
in which they confirm
Commander Robert E. Peary's charge
that Cook traveled in a circle and
never even approached the Pole.
Rasmussen, in the story, is quoted
as saying he did not himself interview
the man. but that their statement»
were taken by the Rev. Gustav Ol»en
•nd Kateket Sechmann Roscbach, mis
• ionariea.
The dispatch to the Daily News
•ays:
“Already in 19"9 when I was on an
expedition to Greenland,” writes Ras-
muaaen, “ there existed grave doubts
as to whether Dr. Cook really had
reached the Pole, so I determined to
find out from his two Eskimo compan
ion«, I secured
their
statements
through the missionaries. "
Thia is the story of the Eskimos, •»
given in the dispatch:
“We traveled from Annatook with
eight sledges in company with Dr.
Cook, at the first sunshine, February.
From there to Ellsmore we slept
only once on the ice. ,!t took four days
to cross Ellsmore land.
Eighteen
days out our companions left us. We
then had gone only about 12 English
miles from land.
“The ice was fine and there was no
reason to stop, for anyone who wanted
to go on could do so.
The 19th day
Dr. Cook took observations with an
instrument he held in his hand and we
then changed our course westward.
“We left here a lot of food for men
ami dogs and one of ua went ahead to
examine the ice. He reported it in
good shape which it was, but Dr. Cook
looked at it and said it was bad.
“On they way back we stopped at
open water near the land. We stopped
one <iay and went over to Ringnas is
land before the
snow had melted
(April).
“One day I (Apilak) came upon Dr.
Cook sitting down and drawing a map.
I balked at it ami asked him . ’Whose
route arc you drawing?’
” '.My own,’ replied Dr. Cook.
“But that was a lie, because he
drew the map a long way out at sea.
where he hail never been.
“We
: =
to sh-xit beat* 00 the
ice, until we had enough for the dogs.
We do not know how many nights we
slept on this part of the journey. The
•mall riven had only begun to break
when we reached Hell's Gate.
“Here as Dr. Cook directed, we left
our dogs behind, although they were
fat from the bear meaL
We had
crossed the great sound ami had to
push our boat along the ice.
"Dr Cook said:
'We will reach
human beings (Baffinsland) within two
days.’
“We had slept twice when he looked
ahead and said he saw a tent, but it
was only a atone.
We kept hunting
for human beings s long time. Then \
we came to an island on which eider
birds were resting. We followed the
land past Cape Sparbo and when our
provisions were nearly gone we re
turned toward Cape Zs-ddon, where we
arranged for wintering.
"It was yet twilight the whole night
• nd wo built a house of peat and stone,
just as we do st home.
We caught
walrus, musk ox and bear for winter.
It was a fine autumn and we had made
provisions for the winter. During the
dark time we were inside most of the
time making clothes ”
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND
PROGRESS OF OUR DOME STATE
BURNED AREAS RESEEDED.
TAXABLE LAND »9,600.000.
Forest Service Meo Plant Larch and
Pine Near Bear Creek.
Bei'ton County Richer by »2.000.000
Than Year Ago.
Wallowa Local officers of the For
est service have begun to plant 45
acres of an old burn««! area on the
headwaters of Bear creek to European
larch and Scotch pine. They are using
the seed-spot method. In ail over 3(8)
acre« have Ixvn planted in the Wal
lowa national forest this year, Imt all
but the Bear Creek burn are in areas
burned over this year.
The Bear Creek turn, whh is seve
ral years old. is on the watershed of
Wallowa's water supply and as it has
not reforest«! from natural sources,
the forest s**rvice has resorted to arti
ficial means to better protect the store
house for the city's summer supply of
water. The method used consists of
digging seed spots six feet apart each
way and planting the tree seeds. While
the loss of s«-d in this manner is a very
large percentage, it is considered one
of the most economical ways of refor
esting burned over areas.
The work is under the direction of
Supervisor H. W. Harris, and six men
are employed.
Corvallis The tax roll of Benton
County for 1910 is made up and will
soon lx* turrnxi over to the proper offi.
cals. The figures show the total taxa
ble property in the county is 39,500,-
000.
The total amount for 1909 was 37,-
500,000, an increase of over 32,000,•
Ooo. This inervas»' comea from an In
crease in the assessment of railroad
timber ami
speculative
holdings.
These properties heretofore have been
assessed a very low figure ami in some
places were never aa»es»>sl. The sev
eral items as shown are as follows:
Tillable land. 32.249.900; non tilla
ble land, 34.002,976; farm Improve
ments, 3356,375; town lota, 31,191,-
545; improvements on town lots, 3466,-
075; machinery, etc., 367,060; mer
chandise, etc., 3184,365; shares of
stock, 351,540;
farm implements,
■ hold furniture, 378.-
905; horses and mules, 3166,870; cat
tle, 360.130; sheep ami goats, 313,188;
«wine, 33,845; dogs. 31,075; total,
I».960,514. Railroads and public util
ities. 3540,
Grand total, 39.500,514.
WAY TO IMPROVE ROADS.
What is Known at ' Splitlog
Being Introduced.
Drag''
Portland The Pacific Highway asso
ciation Is sending out information in
regard to the operation ami construc
tion of the “King Drag" or "Split
Log Drag" for the immediate improve
ment of road conditions on the Pacific
Coast
Thia information has been
sent to every county commissioner in
the counties of the state of California,
Oregon and Washington, through which
the proposed Pacific highway will pass,
in order to |«t this inexpensive meth
od of road improvement into wider
fields, not alone for the Pacific High
way but for general thoroughfares.
Great encouragemnet is living con
stantly afforded the Pacific Highway
association in this endeavor to (letter
the road conditions, «•specially by the
Seattle Automobile club, which at Its
last meeting voted to affiliate ami
financially assist the P. H. A.
RAILROADS RUN A( LOSS.
Pacific
A Eastern
Report
Deficit of »15.400.
Shows
Salem Deficit in railroad operatinn
is shown by the annual report of the
Pacific Eastern which has just tieen
flU-d with the state railroad commis
sion. The Income account am! operat
ing revenue show a deficit, net, of
315,400.23. The total operating reve
nues are reported as 39,557.69.
D. M. Rohibrough. of Aurora, haa
complained to the commission that he
shipped an emigrant ear from Burley,
Idaho, to Newberg, Or., ami he was
told the charge would be 3128, but
when the car arrlvixl he was charged
3198, he alleges, He asks the commis-
»1 ■■ t., I. t. rn. l.>- if h. nl: t.e 1 i-i'.ltid
for an overcharge in this case.
Thomas A. Jenson, of Portland, com
plains that he shipped a piano from
Railroad Reaches Butte Falls
Watertown, 8. D., to Portland ami
Cottage Grove The Pacific A East w I. l-..irrf.'>l
I fl r till-
pi!.'»' t.
ern railroad has reach«! Butte Falls. This raU, he asserts, is an outrage.
The last bridge waa croaaed Sunday
and work will be rapid from this time
PORTLAND MARK! I S.
on until the line is ready for use to the
timber city.
The mad is planning to Inaugurate
Wheat
Track prices: Bluestcm.
a regular train service to Butte Falla 776i.78e; club, 75c; red Russian, 73c;
POWERS MAY LOSE SEAT.
as early as possible. In all probabil valley, 78c; 40-fold, 76c.
ity an excursion will lie run in the
Barley Fetal, 32ooi 20.50 per ton.
near future, giving all an opportunity
Kentucky Democratic Delegation to
Millstuffs Bran, 325 per ton; mid
of Inspecting the new iine.
Ask Congress to Act.
dlings, 333; shorts, 327; rolled barley,
The Pacinc & Eastern belongs to the 324U7 25.
Louisville
Reports which were
Hill people and consists of 30 miles
Hay Track prices: Timothy, Wil
freely circulated here are that there
of standard track between Medford anil lamette valley, 319<>i.2O per ton; Kaat-
is a movement Uruler way to have the
Butte Falls. The line is surveyed and em Oregon, 321o:22; alfalfa, new, 315
nine Democratic representatives of the
ready for grading from Butte Falls to (<t 16; grain hay, 31 4.
Kentucky delegation make a concerted
a point on the main line of the Oregon
Corn - Whole, 331; craelted, 332 ton.
effort to have Caleb Powers ousted
Trunk coming down the Deschutes
Oats White. 327<<128 per ton.
from his seat as representative of the
country.
Poultry Hens, 17«; springs, 15c;
Eleventh Kentucky
district.
Con
ducks, white, 16c; geese, 11c; tur
gress, It is reported, will be asked to
100,000 Arras Will Be Reclaimed
keys, live, 20c; drcMed,
23<«(26c;
deny Powers his seat on the ground
Crescent Actual work of reclaiming squat«, 32 per down.
that ho ha» thrice been convicted of
several thousand acres of land near
Eggs Oregon ranch, candled, 40c;
felony and has not been acquitted by a
Crescent will be inaugurated early in current receipts, 38c; Eastern, 30<a32c
jury. Governor Willson's pardon, it is
the spring. All the necessary survey per doten.
contended, does not have the same ef
ing has been completed.
Butter City creamery, solid pack,
fect as an acquittal on the charge of
Some 100,000 acres of land will be 36c per [xiund; prints. 876137)4«; out
complicity in the Goebel assassination.
irrigated with water to lie taken from side creamery, 856t36c; liuttcr fat,
OIL LANDS NEAR COAL.
Crescent and Fish lakes. The project, 36c; country store butter, 24ni 25c.
Deposits in Alaska Believed to Be
it is understood, is fathered by the
Holiday Silver May Be M.nted.
Pork Fancy, 126112
p«»r pound.
E »tensive.
Hunter Land company, of Portland,
Veal Fancy, 85 to 125 pounds, 12’,
Washington Treasury officials msy
who own about half of the land affect 6/. 13c per pound.
Seattle President Taft’s order with have to change their minds, after all,
ed. The rest will be watered in con
drawing Alaska oil lands from settle and order the mints to click off a mil
Apples King, 40ril,75c per
box;
junction with the government reclam Wolf River, 75c6r 3l; Waxen, M5c«u
ment was not unexpected, being in line lion bright silver coins for the Christ
ation service.
About 100 miles of 31 25; Baldwin, 75crn3L25; Northern
with the administration's policy of mas holidays. It has been customary
canal will
r*d. All th« land( 'Spy, 75< :3125, Snow, 31.2'. ■( 1.50,
restoring all Alaska coal lands to the to do so for many years, but as the
lies west of Crescent, and it now is Spitxenberg,
public domain and letting congress treasury has on hand about 122,000,000
Germany's Budget Grows.
3l.25r<:2; Winter Ba
cover«! for the moat part, with black nanas, 3l.756l3.50.
legislate for their disposal.
The oil in g'xxl coins, even though they are
Berlin The Nord Deutsche Allge- pine. The country is said to have
lands are in or near the coal fields. not bright and shiny, it had been de
Green Fruits Pears, 31.25622 per
miene Zeitung ’prints the details of great promise as a dairying region.
Gushers were tapped in the Katalla cided, in the interest of economy, that
box; grapes, 3LI5«>il.25; 17 '■»c per
the budget for 1912, showing expend-
coal fields and coal claims now cover I no new ones would lie turned out But
basket; cranberries, 3 m .50 i < i 9 per bar
: itures of 2.924,9-15,136 marks, approx
One Tossnl-Growcr Loft.
the oil land.
rel; quinces, Hiol.25 per box; hucklo-
the wsil of protest which is said to imately 3 12,975,545.
The estimate;
Clarence Cunningham, who located 1 have originated with the small boy has
Oregon City With the sale of the berriea, 6oi 8c per [xiund; pe rsimmons,
includes for the army 1209.941,844. an
the famous group of coal claims that I gathered momentum. The indignation
Samuel E. Gregory farm, at Carus, 31.85 per liox.
increase of 120,214,155,
of which
figured so prominently in the attacks , of the demands of the merchants hss
there remains only one teasel grower
Vegetables
Beans, lOoillc per
amount 11,976,124 is for additions to
on Secretary Ballinger, went to Alaska j grown and the subtreasuries have been
He ie George pound; cabbage, ’,frilc; cauliflower,
the peace footing. The navy estimate In Clackamas county.
to prospect for oil, ami Indians showed besieged with demands for new mon-
40c«i3l per doten; celery, SOtuHOc;
' is 3112,639,849, an increase of 34.128,- E. Gregory, at Molalla.
him the enormously rich coal areas. I ey until all the assistant treasurers are
Gregory
brothers
came
here
15
years
pumpkins,
ho 1 *4» ;x*r pound; sprouts,
482. The tadget requires a loan of
The oil deposits of Alaska have not yet calling for help.
The New York 324,438,982 to balance the expendi sgo, and George Gregory Imught the 7<<l8c; squash, l'ull%c; tomatoes, 50oQ
been thoroughly prospected, but are treasurer came to Washington to in
tures as against 347,962,290 borrowed teasel farm of J. N. Sawtell, at Mo 60c per box; carrots, 3ku. 1.26 hun
believed to be extensive.
lalla. 8. E. Gregory has just dis dred; parsnips, 316r.l.2B; turnips, 31.
form Trea»urcr McClung ami George to balance the present budget.
In the sandstone and shale txxls of Roberta, director of the mint, that
posed of his ranch, 57 acres, with the
Onions Oregon, buying price, 31.10
the Yukon and Koyukuk valley, heavy j banks in New York are being almost
buildings and 25 acres of timber, to per hundred.
Poisoned Wins Kills.
seepage of oil has been noted, but no I mobbed by merchants who want bright
Noah Christner, of Eugene, for 3150
Hops —1910 crop, 12«:14c; 1909,
Vancouver, B. C. Four Frenchmen per acre. The other 120 acres were nominal, olds, nominal.
effort has been made to Segregate the new coins to give out to their eustom-
engaged in a drinking bout In a house purchased by Herman Smith, of Au
land, from the government domain for j era during the holiday season.
Wool Eastern Oregon, 116(17« per
, in the Fairview section of Vancouver. rora. for 390 an acre. The new own ;iound; valley, 17«. 19c; mohair, choice,
exploitation.
Their port wine disagreed with them, ers will not attempt teasel raising, but 326X38.
A lake covered with oil haa been
Mint Will Be Closed Permanently.
and when the police were called to the will confine their labors to general
discovered within the region about 300
Cattle Beef steers, good to choice,
Washington — George E. Roberta, house after midnight they found one farming.
miles mirth of Kotxebue sound, and it
35.2574 6.65; fair to medium, 34 5060
is believed that good gushers could director of the New Orleans mint, man lying dead beside a table on which
Mr. Gregory will go to the Palouse 6; choice spayed heifers, 34.60<» j 5;
be found here at shallow depth.
said that the mint would be abandoned was a half-emptied bottle of port that country, in Washington, where he be good to choice beef cows, 34.26« 4.70;
is
thought
to
contain
strychnine.
Two
for the preeenL
When operations
lieves opportunities
for successful medium to good beef cows, 33.5Oe:4;
may be resumed there is not known. others were almost dead from the teasel growcring are better than here. common beef rows, 32« 3.50; Isilla,
Towns Show Big Growth.
effects of the liquor ami were taken to
33.50« 4; stags, good to choice, 14fifi
Washington — The population of “There is not enough work to keep all
a hospital, where they are critically
Coos County Dry.
4.50; calves, light, 376:7.50; heavy.
Youngstown, Ohio, is 79,066, an in the mints in operation.” said Mr.
'
ill.
The
fourth
man
had
disappeared
i
Marshfield Complete returns show 33.7574,5.
crease of 34,181 or 76.2 per cent over Roberta. “It is with difficulty that
and the police are seeking him.
three are kept working.”
that Coos county haa gone dry by 23
Hog» Top, 39,25749.60; fair to me
44,885 in 1900.
votes. It is held by the wet faction dium, 39(4 9.25.
KI Paso, Tex., 39,279, an increase
■Fratile' ie Rsmsmbsrsd.
Loa Angelas Has 310.198.
that th«. Marshfield charter is such that
Sheep Best valley wethers. 33.257 i 0
of 23,373 or 146.9 per cent over 15,906
New York—The following telegram the city can continue the saloona re 3 50; fair to good wethers. 3374 3.25;
Washington The population of Loa
in 1900.
Canton. III., 10,453 compared with Angeles, Cal. is 319,198, as compared ' waa receievd at Tammany hall from a gardless of the county, but others beat yearling wrthers, 34.25704 76;
“Roose claim that thia matter must be decided best valley ewea, >36x3.50; lamba,
6,564 in 1900.
with 102,479, as announced by the cen Democrat in Oyster Bay:
East Chicago, Ind., 19,008, cotn- sus bureau. Thia is an increase sines velt’s own district: Dix, 218; Stim in court. This is the first time the choice mountain, 35.2574 5.50; choice
county ever went dry.
valley, 34.764(5.
son, 158. Beaten to a fratals. “
pared with 3,411 in 1900.
1900 of 267,199, or 21.5 per cent.
i
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