OREGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST
MAY BE DISSOLVED.
Five Thousand Oregon Incorporations
Are Delinquent.
Salem Two months hence 5,000 Or
egon corporations will be dissolved by
proclamation of the governor unless
they comply with the terms of the cor
poration license law before that time
expires. Many of these concerns hold
real property or negotiable paper, and
all will lose their power of transacting
business from the date of dissolution.
More than that, any person who shall
exercise or attempt to exercise the cor
porate powers after dissolution has
teen proclaimed will be liable to a fine
of (1,000 and imprisonment for one
year. The law is plain and compre
hensive in its terms, and will operate
to suspend the powers of delinquent
corporations unlesB they comply with
the requirements.
These 5,000 corporations referred to
are concerns which have not in any
manner complied with the corporation
license tax law. There are 10,000 cor
porations listed on the books of the
eecrotary of state, and of these 3,000
have complied with the law. Some
have already g ne out of existence, but
there remains on the list a large num
ber of corporations which, though not
doing a very active business, hold
property rights which they must pro
tect. Because the corporations have
not been doing an active business and
are merely holding property, the offi
cers of the company have neglected to
comply with the law, and thereby re
tain their corporate powers. When
they have been dissolved by proclama
tion of the governor, they will no long
er have power to execute a deed, col
lect a debt or enforce any right in the
courts of the state. .
Defines Rights of Vyater Company.
Salem Attorney General Crawford,
in response to a request from Secretary
Brown, of the State Land board, holds
that the Deschutes Irrigation & Power
company has no right to charge interest
on lands sold to settlers previous to
the "date of reclamation," as fixed by
the Carey desert land act ; that is, the
date of approval by the secretary of the
interior of the work done by the com
pany to reclaim the land. This ap
proval ia to be given when the state
engineer, certifies that the land has
been reclaimed, which, in this case,
has not been done, and will not be
done for some time yet.
Alfalfa Lands Are Soaked.
Milton Now that the fruit and veg
etable crops have Jaeen harvested there
will be no further use for water for ir
rigating purposes on lands under culti
vation. The water is flowing down the
ditches to the Hudson bay district,
where it is used to good advantage on
' the alfalfa lands for winter irrigation,
which proves beneficial to the early
crop. The water overflowea the land,
which is thoroughly soaked, holding
the moisture until the crop gets a good
start in the spring. This system of
winter irrigation is recognized by the
alfalfa growers as an important feature
In this business. '
Governor Refused to Sign.
Salem For the first time in the his
tory of Oregon, deeds to state lands
have been issued without the signature
of the governor. Governor Chamber
lain refused to sign the deeds conveying
10,000 acres of state school lands to
various holders of certificates of sale,
which certificates the Marion county
grand jury reported as having been
fraudulently obtained. , Secretary of
State Dunbar and State Treasurer
Moore signed the deeds, and, in the
opinion of Attorney General Crawford,
these two signatures will be sufficient
to convey title.
Hop Farmers Not Alarmed.
Woodburn Hopgrowers in this sec
tion are not despondent over the reign
ing low prices, and believe that, if
they are financially able to hold on,
the tone of the market will be made
more encouraging in a few weeks.
Some think an effort is being made to
corner hops, and that in time there
will be quite a jump upward in prices.
The first sales here this season have
been made, Johnson Bros, having sold
to Tooze & Page 80 bales at cents,
and Collinson Bors. 60 bales to Wil
, liam Brown, of Salem, at 8 cents.
Sash and Door Factory.
Astoria Work has,been commenced
on the construction-of a new sash and
door factory for the Clatsop Mill corn
any. The building is to be 30x200 feet
and one story high. The machinery
was ordered some weeks ago from Osh
kosh, Wis., and has already been ship
ped. It is expected to arrive so that
the factory can be in operation by the
first of the'eoming vear.
Irrigation in Baker County.
Baker City Work has begun on two
irrigation ditches in Baker county,
which, when completed, will carry
water from the Powder river and Birch
creek and will render productive thous
ands of acres near Baker City and
Huntington, respectively. ,
PUT ON THE KNXIQUS SEAT, ,
Eastern Oregon People Fearful of
Timber Investigations.
Baker City A government agent has
been quietly looking over the timber
lands in Western Baker and Eastern
Grant counties and a great many
"prominent" citizens are on the un
easy seat. While it has been earnestly
maintained that there no land frauds
In Baker county, yet the questions ask
ed by this government official are said
to have fairly startled the men being
questioned. The agent was very anxi
ous to learn of men who, according to
the records and files, own and are sup
posed to be living on certain claims,
but who are absolutely unknown to the
people living in that district, and no
trace of thein can be found. Nothing
whatever remains except the names on
the plats and records. '
It is well known that certain syndi
cates have secured control of nearly all
the valuable timber lands of the Blue
mountain range, in Baker and Grant
counties. It was this condition of
affairs that was being investigated.
The timber region is largely in Grant
county.
Mines in Baker Busy.
Baker City One' hundred men are
now at work at the United Elkhorn
mines 16 miles west of this city and 50
teams are busy hauling concentrates
from the mill up the mountain to the
railroad station in Baker City, for ship
ment to the Sumpter smelter. There
is much excitement in the copper dis
trict east of Baker and many strangers
are here looking over properties which
are rapidly coming on the market, in
view of the proposed railroad building
which will begin in a few months.
Government Testing Plant.
University of Oregon, Eugene Work
men are engaged in the construction of
a building on the campus to receive
the government stone and timber test
ing plant, for which the state of Oregon
appropriated (5,000 at the last session
of the legislature. The building is lo
cated just north of the gymnasium and
a little to the rear of the Engineering
hall, is 30 feet wide and 40 feet long
and has solid foundations of cement
and masonry to support the heavy test
ing machinery. s
Work America's Sole Cobalt Mine.
Baker City The 8tandard mine,
Quartzburg district, 60 miles southwest
of here, is said to be the only produc
ing cobalt mine in America, and is one
of the wonders of the world. During
the past 18 months the property has
been developed under Superintendent
N. F. Heath so that ore can now be
worked. Specifications for the mill
plant are in the hands of Engineer N.
C. Bonnevie, in Denver. Forty-two
men are at work, and excavations are
in progress. Bids for the plant close
November 80. -
. PORTLAND MARKETS.
Wheat Club, 7374c per bushel:
bluestem, 7577c; valley, 7475c;
red, 6970.
Oats No. 1 white feed, $26.50;
gray, $25.50 per ton.
Barley Feed, $21.5022 per ton;
brewing,$2222.50; rolled, $22.5023.
Eye $1.40(31.45 per cental.
Hay Eastern Oregon timothy, $14
15 per ton ; valley timothy, $1112;
clover, $89; grain hay, $89.
Fruits Apples, $11.50 per box;
huckleberrieB, 7c per pound; pears,
$1.251.50 per box; grapes, , fi0c
$1.50 per box;' Concords, 15c per bas
ket; quinces, $1 per box.
Vegetables Beans, wax, 1012c per
pound; cabbage, lc per poand; cauli
flower, 85 90c per dozen; celery, 75c
per dozen ; corn, 50c per sack ; cucum
bers, 1015c per dozen; pumpkins,
lc per pound; radishes, 25c per
dozen; tomatoes, 3040c perorate;
squash, lc per pound; turnips, 90c
fl per sack; carrots, 6575c per
sack; beets, 85c$l per sack. '
Onions Oregon yellow Danvers, $1
1.25 per Back.
Potatoes Fancy, 75c per sack ; ordi
nary, 5560c; Merced sweets, Backs,
Butter Fancy creamery, 2530c per
pound.
Eggs' Oregon ranch. 30(332c per
dozen.
Poultry Average old hens. 10c
per pound; young roosters, 910c;
springs, 10c; dressed chick
ens, 1214c; turkeys, live, 17c;
geese, live, 89c; ducks, 14lrjc,
Hops Oregon, 1905, choice, 8
11c pr pound; olds, 7)J0c.
Wool Eastern Oregon, average best,
1921c;, lower grades down to 15c, ac
cording to shrinkage; valley,' 2527c
per pound ; mohair, choice, 80c.
Beef Dressed bulls, l2c per
pound; cows, 34c; country steers,
44Kc. - ,
Veal Dressed, 37Kc per pound.
Mutton Dressed, fancy, 6)7c per
pound; ordinary, 45c; lambs, 7
7c.
Pork Dressed, 67&c per pound.
V MANY NOW DESERT.
Army Is Little Considered in Time of
" Peace by Americans.
Washington, Oct. 81. Major Gen
eral F. C. Ainsworth, the military seo-(
retary, in Lis annual report, devotes
much ...attention to desertions from the
army.' '"Those who know how the can-1
teen came to be abolished," he says,
''are not hopeful of its restoration;
there is no likelihood of any such in
crease in the soldiers' pay as will offset
the greater inducement offered in civil
pursuits; the comforts and even luxur
ies that are furnished to enlisted men
in our service are even now criticised
by some as being not only extravagant
but injurious in their effect on men
whose real business is to fight and
march, encumbered with few comforts
and no luxuries; and the discipline
and instruction to which the soldier is
now subjected are not likely to be re
laxed in future.
"Our people have little real interest
in the army in time of peace, and from
the earliest day of the republic have
been accustomed to look upon it as a
more or less unnecessary institution.
Enlistments in the army in time of
peace is not uncommonly regarded as
evidence of worthlessness on the part
of the recruit.
"It is safe to predict that'desertions
from the army will continue to be ex
cessive until there shall have been a
radical change of public sentiment to
ward the army and until the deserter
shall come to be regarded as the crim
inal that he is, to be ostracized and
hunted down as relentlessly as any
other transgressor of the laws."
BURST MAIN CAUSES DEATH.
Many Families Made Homeless and
Much Property Destroyed.
Chicago, Oct. 31. Three lives were
lost, property valued at $150,000 was
destroyed, scores of families were made
homeless and freight traffic on the
Nickel Plate railroad was delayed Tor
several hours as the result of the
breaking of a water main at Eighteenth
and Clark streets today.
The fatalities resulted indirectly
from the bursting of the water pipe,
which flooded the immediate neighbor
hood for several blocks, 'damaging a
number of business houses. Two of
the persons who lost their lives were
overcome by gas in the Illinois tunnel
at Eighteenth street and Armour ave
nue, whilt attempting to ascertain if
the flood had damaged the property of
the company. The other death was
the result of a Bhock to an invalid, who
awoke and found her room flooded with
water.
So great was the' force of the water
that all the business houses and homes
on Clark street from Sixteenth to
Twentieth street, and those on La Salle
street were flooded. The tracks of the
Lake and Michigan Southern railway,
between Seventh and . Eighteenth
streets- were undermined, and the
foundation caved in. Several freight
cars were overturned and their contents
damaged.
BIG RANCH CUT UP.
Chehalis County Will . Have Additions
to Population.
Aberdeen, Wash., Oct. 81. The sale
of the "Blockhouse" Smith ranch, near
Oakville, in this, county, for $25,000,
calls attention once more to the activ
ity in farm lands in this vicinity. It is
an indication that lumber is notf to be
altogether the ruling passion. The sale
of this ranch follows in the wake of
several others which have been re
corded in the past month or six weeks
quite as important.
The Smith ranch comprises over 800
acres and was settled upon as far back
as 1854 by the man from whom it takes
its name. Smith is a quaint character
and prides himself on the nickname of
"Blockhouse." This cognomen was
the result of his having built a block
house on his ranch for protection
against Indians.
It is understood the ranch is to be
cut up into small farms and disposed
of to first comers. In connection with
the sale of big ranches, it is important
to note that logged-off lands are show
ing a steady Bale in various parts of the
county for colonization purposes. It is
also interesting to the people of this
section to know that an Eastern farmer
has purchased a large tract of land near
this city for the raising of Angora goats.
Great Increase In Trade.
Washington, Oct. 31. A bulletin is
sued by the Bureau of Statistics of the
Department of Commerce and Labor
estimated that the foreign commerce of
the United States for the calendar year
1905 will amount to more than $1,000,
000. For the nine months ended in
September the imports of materials for
use in manufacturing amount to $422,
000,000, and the exports of manufac
tures to $424,000,000. Manufactured
materials imported in the nine months
of 1905 were practically twice as great
in value as in 1890.
Japanese Leaving Manchuria.
Tokio, Oct. 81. The evacuation of
Manchuria by the Japanese is being
actively carried on, and troops are ar
riving daily at various ports. General
Kurokl is expected here by the middle
of November.
DEMANDS
GRANTED
Russians Free to Speak, Think,
friteand Meet.
COUNT WITTE IS FIRST PREMIER
Manifesto Shows Complete Abdica
tion of Autocratic Power Em
peror Bows to Inevitable.
St. Petersburg, Oct. 31. "I am sure
the American people, who understand
what freedom is, and the American
press, which voices the wishes of the
people, will rejoice with the friendly
Russian nation at this moment, when
the Russian people have received from
his imperial majesty the promises and
the guarantees of freedom, and will
join in the hope that the Russian
people will wisely aid in the realization
of those liberties by co-operating with
the government for their peaceful in
troduction. Only thus will it be possi
ble to secure the full benefits of the
freedom conferred upon the people."
Count Witte, Russia's first premier,
last night sent the above message to
the American people through the Asso
ciated Press. He had just arrived at
his residence on Kammeniovroy Pros
pect from Peterhof, where in the Alex
ander palace the emperor two hours be
fore had given his final approval to a
manifesto and to a program which will
forever end the rule of absolutism exer
cised by him and his ancestors for 300
years.
A simple perusal of the manifesto
shows how complete is the emperor's
abdication . of his autocratic power.
The very style of the document is clear
and direct and devoid of verbose, vague
and bombastic phraseology which here
tofore has characterized hii majesty's
manifestos. It not only betrays the
real authorship, but shows that the
emperor has at last irrevocably bowed
to the inevitable. He does not even
conceal the fact that the discontent and
agitation of his subjects has driven him
to take the step and practically yields
everything civil liberty, the inviola
bility of person and liberty of con
science,' speech and assembly. He not
only converts the farcical imperial dou
ma, with only consultative power, into
an absolute legislative assembly, with
out the assent of which no measure
shall become law, and before which all
governmental authorities must answer,
but promises eventually universal suf
frage. ,
HANDICAP TO OVERCOME.
Hard Fight Required to Secure Ap
, proprlation for Columbia.
Washintgon, Oct. 81. In view of
the attitude assumed by Secretary Taft
and the fact that there will be no river
and harbor bill this winter, it seems
absolutely certain that no appropria
tion can te secured for, the mouth of
the Columbia river at the coming ses
sion it Oregon has but one representa
tive in congress, and, even if the other
three places should be filled by new
men, the chance of securing the much
needed appropriation would still be
remote.
Army engineers who recognize the
importance of pushing work on the
Columbia river bar, and who have
every confidence that the project now
under way will provide a channel deep
enough to meet, all the immediate de
mands of Portland's commerce, are
anxious that an appropriation shall be
made this winter. They want at least
$1,250,000; unless they get it, they
admit that work will have to be sus
pended without securing a 40-foot
depth, and, furthermore, discontinu
ance of work while the jetty remains
unfinished means retrogression and
waste, which will ultimately increase
the cost of the project beyond the orig
inal estimate. These engineers are fully
cognizant of the need of early com
pletion of the jetty, they realize the
necessity of a deep channel across the
bar to accommodate rapidly growing
commerce.
Express Company Robbed.
Helena, Mont., Oct. 81. The con
tents of a $25,000 express package sent
from Hamilton, Mont., to New York
are missing, and detectives are - trying
to discover what became of the money.
The money was shipped by Charles F.
Kelley to N. W. Harris & Co. for in
vestment. Instead of receiving the se
curities he had purchased, Kelley was
dumbfounded to receive a letter stating
that the contents of the package, upon
receipt by the New York firm, consist
ed of newspaper clippings. The seals,
however, were intact.
German Fleet to the Rescue.
Berlin, Oct. 31. The German cruis
er Luebeck and ten torpedo boats put
to sea today from Kiel for an unknown
destination, giving rise to a rumor
that they are bound for St. Petersburg
to bring the Russian empress and he
children to be the guests of Prince and
Princess Henry of Prussia. No official
confirmation can be had.
NO APPROPRIATION.
Taft Will Not Recommend Money tor
Bar or Celilo Canal.
Washington, Oct. 80. Secretary
Taft, in his estimates this ' year, will
not recommend anv appropriation for
completing jetty work at the mouth of
me oommDia river, nor will ne ask for
an appropriation to continue the con
struction of The Dalles-Celilo canal..
Army engineers who have been advised
of the secretary's attitude are of the
opinion that, unless some special legis
lation is enacted making appropriations
ior tnese projects, worn will have to be
suspended befoie another mer and
harbor bill can pass, something that is
deplored by the engineers as much as
it will be by the people of the Nortn-
Mr. Taft is not discriminating against
the Columbia river in refusing to ask
for an appropriation this winter, for hn
has decided to recommend no appropri
ations for river and harbor works.
Those projects known as continuing
contracts will be cared ior in the sun
dry civil bill without any recommend
ation on the Part of the War danart-
ment. but. unfortunately for the Co
lumbia river, neither the bar project
nor the Celilo canal is in this class.
Had Oregon full rettresantatinn in
congress this winter, a good strong del
egation, it mignt be possible, with the
aid of the delegations from Washington
and Idaho, to have the bar project
made a continuing contract and thereby
provide means for getting annual ap
propriations until the work is complet
ed. But with only one representative
in Washington and no repesentation in
the house, where such legislation usu
ally originates, this accomplishment ia
considered impossible.
WITHOUT A HEAD.
Czar Vacillates While Russian Revo
lution Grows.
St. Petersburg. Oct. 30. While th
day passed quietly without bloodshed
in the Russian capital, and while the
city is outwardly calm, today's devel
opments all indicate that a crisis is
imminent. Although the streets are
filled with troops, and reinforcements
are now pouring in from Finland, the
government seems utterly powerless to
cope with the situation, and many calm
observers seem seriously tobelieve that
the present regime is tottering to its
tan.
Differences have developed between
Count Witte and General Trepoff, and
while the precious moments pass, the
emperor, surrounded by the imperial
family, remains shut up at Peterhoff ,
seemingly still hesitating as to what
course to pursue. - " -
The situation cannot well be exaggei
ated. With the present indecision of
the emperor, the government has
neither a head nor a policy to meet the
crisis, and things seem to be drifting
toward anarchy. The revolutionists
openly declare that the government haa
ceased to exist and that nothing re
mains to his majesty except to abdi
cate. With a firm head at the helm,
however; all might quickly be changed.
Representatives of the Associated
Press drove through all sections of the
city today. Troops were everywhere
in evidence, as if to overawe the peo
ple, but although there were many ru
mors of bloody collisions, none of them
could be authenticated.' There were
great crowds of workmen in the indus
trial quarters, but they were orderly.
WHERE MUCH MONEY GOES.
Buildings Are Full of Useless Gov
ernment Printing.
Washington, Oct. 30. In his testi
mony before the joint printing commit
tee today, Foreman Brewer, of the
Senate folding room, said that there
were 475,000 uncalled for publications
stored in bis department. Amzi
Smith, who has been in the Senate
document room for 30 years, said that
the supply of documents there haa
quadrupled during his incumbency, but
there are not too many to meet the de
mand. .
J. R. Halverson, superintendent of
the House folding room, testified that
there are no fewer than 1,000,000 doc
uments stored, including 200,000 bound
volumes of the Congressional record.
Sergeant-at-Arms Ransdell, of the sen
ate, Btated that the senate documents
are stored in an abandoned car barn,
and that it is almost full.
Datto All No More.
Manila, Oct. 30. Troops under Cap
tain Frank R. McCoy, of the Third cav
alry, has surprised the Datto Ali,
head of the Moro , insurgents of the
island of Mindanao, who has been on
the war path for some time past, and
killed him, together with his son and
ten followers. Forty-three, wounded
Moros were made prisoners, and many
arms and a large quantity of ammuni
tion were captured. Three enlisted
men of the Twenty-second infantry
were killed and two wounded during
the engagement.
Decrease In Pension Roll.
Washington, Oct. 30. The Pension
bureau reports a loss of 2,003 Civil
war pensioners by death during Sep
tember. "The net decrease of pension
ers was 941, leaving a total of 996,270
on the pension rolls September ?0.