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.