Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Lexington wheatfield. (Lexington, Or.) 1905-19?? | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1905)
LEXINGTON WHEATFIELD S. A. THOMAS, Publbbcr LEXINGTON., OREGON NEWS OFTHE WEEK In a Condensed Form for Our Busy Readers. A Resume of the Less Important but Not Less Interesting Events of the Past Week. The powers may allow Auistria to Beize Macedonia. A fierce gale in Chicago did much damage to property.j A fresh mutiny has broken out on the Russian Black sea fleet More graft is being exposed in the insurance inquiry at New York. Bulgaria is anxious to invade Mace donia, but is restrained by the powers. Russian employers have united to fight the strikers, who have nearly ruined them. Helena shippers have organized to fight rate discrimination and may form a state association. The cashier of the Hayti, Missouri, bank has disappeared with $18,000 of the institution's money. A large colony of Boers is to locate in Venezuela. A grant of over a mil lion acres of land has been made by President Castro. The president has appointed H. J. Hagerman, of Roswell, N. M., as gov ernor of New Mexico, to take effect Janaary 1, the expiration of Governor Otero's term. Four prisoners in the Jefferson, Mis souri, penitentiary, made a desperate attempt to escape. Two guards were killed, a third seriously" wounded, and the prison gates blown up with nitro glycerine. The conv'cts were captured after a fight in which one was killed and one wounded. Balfour will resign as premier of Great Britain. Missouri is continuing its fight against the Standard Oil. Fire in a coal barge at London de stroyed 2,000 tons of coal. The government's case in the second trial of Burton is completed. ' Japan is working to raise. Togo's sunken flagship, the Mikasa. The allied fleets of the powers is preparing to seize Turkish ports. Spain will spend $4,200,000 for the purchase of rapid fire field guns. A Nebraska man has been fined $50 and costs for making a cigarette. Four Berlin banks have organized a bank to do business in Turkey and Egypt. . Ambassador Reid ' has contributed $500 to the fund for Egnland's unem ployed. Ohio Democrats plan to .control both houses of the legislature by unseating Republicans. Another national strike of coal min ers is imminent. Should it occur, 300,000 men will be affected. Lieutenant General Chaffee has re itred from active service. He is suc ceeded as chief of staff by Major Gen eral John C. Bates. Acting Public Printer Ricketts has forbidden the making of handbooks on the racse among employes of his office, under pain of dismissal. Witte is seriously ill. Iowa is fighting a trust of fire insur ance companies. " The British army ia to have a gene ral staff at its head. Twenty-four Russian provinces are in a state of anarchy. The cruiser Minneapolis is said to be aground off the French coast. New York courts are unearthing the perpetrators of election frauds. Two men held up a South Denver bank in broad daylight and secured $2,000. The board of construction of the Navy department wants larger battle ships built. Postmaster General Cortelyou asks $193,000,000 to run his department until June, 1907. Liberal leaders of the zemstvo con gress will support Witte as the only refuge from anarchy. The soft coal operators have perfect ed an organization and will resist de mands of miners for an increase in pay. The senate committee on interstate commerce is badly divided on the rate question, and it is probable two reports will be submitted. An extra session of the Wisconsin legislature will meet December 4 to consider a communication from the governor relative to the United States ienatorahip and the governorship. BE GENEROUS TO PHILIPPINES. New ork Board of Trade Wants Restrictions Removed. New York, Nov. 24. Resolutions favoring abolishing American duties on Philippine products and repeal of the new law to regulate shipping between this country and the Philippines were adopted today by the New York Board of Trade. The resolutions read in part: "If the islands are our wards, they are not part of the United States and we should not make the mistake that what is good for the United States is good for the Philippines. Intense de sire is evinced in the Philippines for the removal of our duties on their pro ducts and, insofar as such abolition would benefit them, we should gener ously grant them that advantage." In urging upon congress the repeal of the shipping act, which will become operative on July 1, 1906, the resolu tions declare that the act will reduce the facilities for commerce between the United States and the Philippines and materially enhance the cost of produce from the United States or of American manufactures imported into the Phil ippines. The resolutions continue: "There are no American ships in the trade between the Philippines and the Atlantic ports, and there .would not be enough American tonnage to carry 425,000 bales of flour annually import ed at these ports. A great deal of it would have to come via the Pacific ports and over transcontinental rail roads, and this unnatural route affords the only competition to check the ex horbitant rates to Atlantic ports made." SMOOT WILL NOT RESIGN. No Action on Senator's Case Likely Before January. Washington, Nov. 24. Senator Reed Smoot, who arrived here this evening, says most emphatically that there is no foundation for the story that he in tends to resign from the senate, and he is at a loss to understand the source of the report. He is surprised to learn that the senate committee will reopen his case and give further hearings, but has no objection to that course. He furthermore declares his willingness to abide by any decision which the senate may make when it comes to a vote on his case. It will probably be late in January before the committee on privileges and elections makes a report on the case. Hearings cannot be resumed before the first week in January. After their con clusion the committee will take some time to digest the great mass of testi mony and it will be remarkable if it can report in January. Once the case goes to the senate it will receive prompt consideration, as it is a matter of the highest privilege and will be dis posed of before legislative matters can receive consideration. It is expected the debate will occupy several weeks. ELKINS PROPOUNDS IDEAS. Offers Suggestions for Federal Reg ulation of Railroads, Washington, Nov. 24. The senate committee on interstate commerce to day continued the discussion of meas ures relative to amending, the railway regulations. Many ideas were ex changed, but there were no develop ments of importance. Senator Elkins, chairman of the committee, occupied much of the session in making sugges tions and discussing propositions which he thought ought to be incorporated in any bill that may be reported. These suggestions were numerous and would mean a lengthy measure aside from regulation' provisions. Mr. Elkins did not bring forward the pooling proposition, ' but intends to present it later in, some modified form, so that there may be freer traffic be tween railroads. One particlar point made by him looked to compelling trunk lines to afford better facilities to lateral lines and small roads which are compelled to use big roads to reach a market. The better management of the private car lines so as to meet the demands of shippers and amendment of the laws bearing on terminal compa nies and termnial charges also were suggested. Says Castro is Only Bluffing' Paris, Nov. 24. Inquiry at the For eign office today brought out the state ment that the report that France ac cedes to President Castro's request to indicate what portions of the Venezuel an note to Mr. Taigny, the French charge d'affaires, are offensive, is in correct. The officials say the president has heretofore been completely inform ed regarding the offensive features of the note and therefore the report that France will give further explanations is characterized as "a bluff intended to delay and confuse the situation." Japan's New Big Gun Factory. Victocria, B. C, Nov. 24. An im mense gun factory, with 20 large build ings, covering 83 acres, is being estab lished on the Surnida river, near Tokio, by the Japanese military authorities, where 4,000 men will be employed in making heavy ordnance. REFUSES TO CHANGE Hitchcock Admits California Has Share in Klamath. BUT CHARGES ALL TO OREGON Fulton's Plea for Umatilla Irrigation Falls on Deaf Ears Secretary Denounces Malheur. Washington, Not. 25. Secretary Hitchcock is now convinced of the in terstate character of the Klamath irri gation project and acknowledges that California is to benefit by the work in contemplation fully as much as Ore gon, but he is not willing to change his order charging the entire allotment to the state of Oregon. . When Senator Fulton again took up the matter of the Umatilla project with the secretary, he found Hitchcock hold ing the same views he voiced on the occasion of his previous visits, contend ing that O Agon's 51 per cent reserve fund has been ' appropriated and ex plaining thai there are no funds avail able for construction of the Umatilla project Mr. Fulton maintains that, even if the secretary adheres to his determina tion to charge the entire cost of the Klamath work to Oregon, there is yet enough money in the reclamation fund to the credit of Oregon to build the Umatilla project.- On June 30 last Oregon's restricted fund was practically $2,500,000. Deducting $2,000,000 al lotted for Klamath, there was yet $500,000 left, and it is Mr. Fulton's contention that since July 1, 1905, enough money has been received from disposal of public lands in Oregon to make the other $500,000 necessary for the Umatilla project. The secretary is unable to state how much money Ore gon has contributed to the fund since July, but will advise the senator when he ascertains the facts. Notwithstanding that he denominates the Malheur project a "steal," and al ludes to the operation of the wagon road people as a "graft," the secretary will not formally set aside this project, though admitting that he will not con struct it. Nor will he permit the Mal heur allotment to be used in part for the Umatilla project. He says Oregon has had her full 'share of reclamation money outside of the Malheur project, and is not entitled to the benefit of the money which is now credited to that project, but which is not being used. TRY TO DAM SALTON SEA. Lerge Force Working to Save Rail road From Desxruction. Los Angeles, Nov. 25. Two hun dred men, divided into day and night shifts, 20 teams hauling brush and sand, two piledrivers thumping away almost incessantly, two sternwheel steamers carrying construction material and commissary stores from Yuma these forces under Superintendent J. Tolin are engaged in the Herculean task of building a 600 foot dam across the west channel of the Colorado river four miles below Yuma, by which the California Development company hopes to bring Salton sea to a standstill and eventually restore the Salton Sink to a dry bed of evaporation of the flood wtaers that have wreaked ffuch havoc there. If the dam is a success, the Southern Pacific railway in lime will be able to abandon its 16 miles of shoofly track east of Salton, and resume its main line. If the dam is a failure, 40 miles and perhaps more of shoofly may have to be built, the whole "Imperial coun try may be deprived of its supply of canal water, and the Colorado river may be diverted through the River Padronea into Volcano lake, thence to find its way northward through the new river into the Salton Sea. What this would mean may be conjectured from the damage already done by the flooding of the great sink. Congress Will Investigate Expense. Washington, Nov. 25. It was stated at the War department today that while congress would be asked to appropriate a total of $16',000,000 to meet ihe needs of the Panama canal work to June 30 next, it is not ex pected that congress will appropriate it in a lump sum. The canal officials expect that congress will pass a bill making available a portion of this amount to meet the immediate wants because, congress would probably in vestigate to learn how the money thus far expended has been used. Hyde-Dimond Case Postponed. Washington, Nov. 25. The hearing by the Criminal court on the demurrer filed in the Hyde-Dimond case, In which fraudulent land transactions on the Pacific coast are charged, which was set for today, was postponed for two weeks. WOLVERTON NAMED. President Appoints Him Federal Judge for Oregon. Washington, Nov. 22. Judge Charles E. Wolverton, of Albany, now sitting on the Oregon Supreme bench, was yeserday appointed United States District judge for Oregon to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Judge Bellinger and the subsequent declina tion ol W. W. Cotton, to whom the office was tendered. Jui'ge Wolverton's commission, after being signed by the president and attorney general, was forwarded to him yesterday, and it is presumed that he will, upon its re ceipt, promptly take the oath and en ter upon his new duties at Portland. Hia appointment, coming at this time, will require reappointment when con gress convenes, and hia nomination will be sent to the senate the first week of the session, but thia will not inter ere with hia duties. He will be con firmed. Judge Wolverton owes this appoint ment very largely to President Roose velt. While he was strongly indorsed by Circuit Judge Gilbert and by prom inent members of the Oregon bar, and while he waa on Senator Fulton'a list, and was highly regarded by Attorney General Moody, ha indorsement was no stronger than those of several other candidates. The appointment of Wolverton was hastened by a request recently made by District Attorney Heney. Mr. Heney will return to Portland very soon, and is anxious to resume and conclude the land trials. He found that no other district judge was available for service at Portland at this time, it being im possible for Judge Hunt or Judge De Haven to leave his court in the imme diate future. On this suggestion the attorney general took the matter up with the president, who then hastened the appointment. FOUNDERS ON ROCKS. Unknown Steamer Goes Down Off Coast of Nova Scotia. Halifax, N. 8., Nov. 22. The vio lent storm which swept the coast of Nova Scotia the latter part of last week apparently has claimed another victim. A two-masted steamer is thought to have gone to the bottom on Thursday afternoon off Beaver harbor on the east coast of the province, 55 miles off Hali fax. Her identity has not been estab lished, and, so far as can be ascer tained, not one of her crew survived. . News of the disaster, which is one of the strongest in shipping records, was brought to Halifax tonight by the' steamer Kilkeel, commanded by Cap tain Allan from Port Hastings, Cape Breton, with a cargo of coal. The Kilkeen, on Thursday morning, ran into a gale. Heading into Beaver har bor at 10 o'clock, Captain Allan ob served behind him another steamer with two masts and heavily laden ap proaching. The gale was then blowing at a terrific rate and the sea was break ing heavily on the numerous shoals which stud that coast. When the Kilke'en reached the haven the unknown steamer passed west of Horse island, near the harbor entrance, which hid her hull. Suddenly a great cloud of steam or smoke shot upward and, when it cleared away, the masts of the incoming steamer bad vanished. PANAMA MAY HAVE REVOLT. Liberals Threaten to Make Trouble if Elections Are Not Fair. Washington, Nov. 22. Information was received here tonight which indi cates that serious political disturbances have broken out in Panam and a revo lution is not impossible. These ad vices were chiefly unofficial, but they caused a feeling of uneasiness and ap prehension in all circles here. Senor Obaldia, the minister from Panama, received some information, but it was of such a vague and uncer tain nature that he could not under stand the. real situation. He was en tirely without official dispatches and did not believe anything serious had occurred. When Secretary Taft was in Panama the Liberal party, which antagonizes the government, presented a memorial to . him asking that it be guaranteed fair treatment in the approaching elec tions and saying that bloodshed would follow any infringement of the Liberal rights. Officials here say the Liberal leaders are men of high standing and education. . , Peasants Spread Terror. Borisoglyebsk, Russia, Nov. 22. Many panic stricken, persons are seek ing refuge here from the peasants, who are taking possession of the estates, re moving the grain, burning the build ings and ordering the proprietors to re linquish their rights and depart, under penalty of death. The excitement has assumed such dimensions that the vice governor has ordered the troops to de sist from making arrests. In encount ers with marching bands of peasants, the troops have killed 100 and wound ed many more. Canada May Investigate Too. Victoria, B. C, Nov. 22. An Otta wa special Bays Senator Domville will move at the next session for an insur ance investigation in Canada. ' UMATILLA PROJECT Fulton Endeavors to Obtain Ap proval of Hitchcock. HOLDS OREGON TO THE LIMIT Did Not Know Half Klamath Tract Was In California nil Sena tor Told Him. Washington, Nov. 23. Senator Ful ton had a conference with Secretary Hitchcock today on Oregon irrigation . matters. He was advised, as previous ly stated in these dispatches, that the secretary will not think of building the Malheur project under existing condi tions, but was surprised to find the sec retary unwilling to make any allotment for the Umatilla project. After some argument, the senator obtained a con ditional promise from the secretary which, if fulfilled, will meun early adoption and construction of the Uma tilla project. At the outset the secretary stated that he had already allotted $2,000, 000, to the Klamath project, which he had charged up to Oregon. This amount is within $465,000 of Oregon's restricted fund; in other words, ia within that amount of 51 per cent of Oregon's contribution to the reclama tion fund. The secretary, under the law, is obliged to expend this 51 per cent in Oregon, but he clearly showed to the senator that he ia unwilling to give Oregon more than its 51 per cent. The senator told the secretary that thn Klamath is not entirely an Oregon pro ject. He pointed out that about half the land under that project lies in Cal ifornia, and further stated that Kla math trade, after the project is built, will go largely to California. He there fore insists that it is unjust to build the Kalamath project entirely with Oregon funds, and demands that the $2,000,000 allotment should be divided, and at least half of it charged to Cali fornia. If this is done, the secretary will have $1,500,000 for immediate ex penditure in Oregon, and only $1,000, 000 is asked for the Umatilla project. The secretary said he did not know that the Klamath project included Cal ifornia as well as Oregon land. He had supposed it was entirely an Oregon project. He added that he could not allot $1,000,000 for the Umatilla pro ject unless it could be shown that the whole Klamath tract is not in Oregon. This, of course, ia easy of demonstra tion, and Mr. Fulton will tomorrow ob tain from the Reclamation service maps and letters showing the interstate char acter of the Klamath project. Backed up by these papers, he will reopen the case with Mr. Hitchcock, and is hope ful that the Umatlila project may then be authorized. No mention was made today of any engineering or other flawB in the Umatilla project, and it is as sumed that nothing prevents its con struction save "lack of funds," the original excuse, which has subsequent ly been denied. JAPAN'S GrtEAT NEW NAVY. Will Build Many Huge Battleships of High Speed. Victoria, B. C, Nov. 23. The Jap anese admiralty has entered upon an elaborate scheme of naval expansion which is expected to be approved at the coming session of the diet. According to news by the Shawmut today, admir alty officials Bay Japan's best ships are beginning to be out of date, and larger ehips with much heavier armament and higher speed will be built. The Jiji Shimpo says the battlPBhip of the future navy of Japan will dis place 22,000 tons and have an arma ment of 14 12-inch guns and a speed of 20 knots, while the future cruisers will displace 15,000 tons and have a Bpeed of 25 knots, but no official announce ment has been made in this regard. The five submarines recently added, built in America in sections, gave such success that the squadron will be in creased. Plan to Save the Buffalo. New Yor, Nov. 23. To prevent the extinction of the buffalo, prominent naturalists and men interested in zoo logical matters have planned to organ ize an association to be known as the American Bison society. The society will hold ita first meeting in this city next month. William T. Hornady, di rector of the New York Zoological park, who is one of the promoters of the new society, recently talked with President Roosevelt regarding a plan to establish another government herd in the West, and offered the government 15 head. Beyond Control of Troops. Kursk, Russia, Nov. 23 The agrar ian disorders in the district of Subzha have assumed such violence that the troops arve unable to cope with them. The whole northern half of the district is in the hands of peasant rioters, who are pillaging the estates and burning the harvested crops.