WILLING TO BE GOOD
Railroads Hold O'Jt Olive Branch
to Commerce Commission.
ALL BIG ROADS OF ONE MIND
Death Knell to Illegal Practices Will
Be Sounded at St. Paul Meet
ing Within Few Days.
Chicago, Dec. 23. The railroad in
ten its of the entire country have decid
ed to hold oat the olive branch to the
government and join'handa with the
Interstate Commerce commission to se
cure a rigid enforcement of law. To
this end two moves have been begun,
one embracing all the railroads east o'
Chicago and St. Louis, and the other
taking in all railroads weBt of the same
points.
The Eastern movement was begun
several weens ago, and the commission
has been asked to meet a committee of
railway men in a conference regarding
the situation in the East. The West
ern movement is of more recent date
and J. C. Stubbs, traffic mnager of the
Harriman lines, is in charge of it.
Yesterday Mr. Stubbs wired the Inter
state Commerce commission asking for
an early conference between that body
and a committee representing every
Western railroad, to discuss plana for a
joint effort to prevent further violations
of the laws governing transportation.
It is expected a date will be set before
the close of the year, and the conference
is likely to take place in St. Paul next
Friday, when the commission has a
hearing in that city.
The railroads insist they are in earn
est and tnat, if the commission is in
sympathy with the move, it means the
death knell of the freight rebate, the
secret rate or "midnight tariff" of pref
erential rates, of arrangements with in
dustrial railroads, of the payment of
unlawful commissions, and, in short,
the end of everything which comes
within the purview of the interstate
commerce act or tbe Elkins amend
ment. ALL RAILROAD BIDS REJECTED.
Government Will Again Orr'er.Con
cessions in Philippines.
Washington, Dec. 23 All the bids
for concessionary contracts or grants, for
the construction of railroads in 'the
Philippine islands, recently submitted
' to tbe bureau of insular affairs, were
today rejected because of the departures
from the terms of the circular calling
for proposals. Secretary Taft, after a
number of conferences with Governor
"Wright and Mr Forbes, of the Philip
pine commission, and Colon il Edwards,
chief of the insular bureau, today de
cided to re-advertise the proposals, and
January 20, at 10 a. m., has been fixed
as the date for the opening of new bids.
The terms will be modified in some
particulars.
Where bidders propose to construct
the road without guarantee they will
be limited in their bids only by the
terms of the Philippine government
railroads acts of 1902 and 1903. But
where bidders wish to take advantage
ol a guarantee of a certain interest on
their investment, they can vary from
the original invitation to bid only in
point of t ime or on the cost of construc
tion per mile as affected by contractors'
profits.
ALL RUSSIA PARALYZfeD.
Empire Tied Up by General Strike
and Food Is Scarce.
, St. Petersburg, Dec 23. With the
' strike in force throughout tbe entire
empire, conditions are again becomng
more and more alarming. While it is
certain that the strike leaders are ab
solutely opposed to violence, it begins
to look as though they would be unable
to control the forces. Famine is the
one thing to be feared, inasmuch as tbe
supplies of food within the city have
been heavily drawn upon during, the
last 30 days, and now that all the out
put of the foodstuffs ' is at an Tend,
prices are beginning to advance and the
- common people must certainly suffer.,
French bhip on Voyage.
Paris, Dec. 23. A cruiser detached
from ,the French squadron at Saigon,
: French Indo-Chinaj is now proceeding
to Shanghai. The officials here say
this is a measure of precaution, as no
French interests have as yet been dis
turbed. The recent disturbances oc
curred in the international concession,
which is separated from the French
concession. An official dispatch from
from Pekin today Fays an imperial
. edict just, issued, following energetic
protests oh the part of foreign minis
ters, promises to end the trouble.
Troops to Suppress Revolt!
Paris, Dec. 23. The St. Petersburg
'. correspondent of the Petit Parisien, in
a dispatch dated yesterday, says that
the government is preparing to sup
press the revolt along the Baltic.
INSURGENTS RULE ON BALTIC.
Gunners Refuse to. Fire and Ships
Cannot Be Trusted.
Chicago, Dec. 18. The Daily News
correspondent sends the following from
St. Petersburg:
Expectation of the downfall of the
government continues to grow in this
city. Insurgents still hold Riga, Reval
and other Baltic towns. The garrisons
in these provinces are insufficient to
put down the armed rebels and the ar
tillerymen refuse to fire on them.
Strikes of railroad workers and crews
of steamships prevent the forwarding
of troops and ammunition to the revolt
ed provinces.
Though the government has been
urged to dispatch a fleet to the Baltic
ports Admiral Birileff hesitates to make
any move, fearing that his sailors will
join the rebellion.
Dispatches received from Manchuria
today report the situation of the army
as desperate. Many officers are in hid
ing from their own troops, fearing for
their lives. The men are burning and
pillaging everything within their
reach, while , tbe civil population has
fled. Revolutionary proclamations
have been posted about in tbe barracks
afid in the streets. Dissensions among
tbe chief officers seriously complicate
matters. The soldiers accuse the com
missaries of stealing large quantities of
supplies and have burned their houses.
WORK DONE ON IRRIGATION.
Great Amount of Construction Done
b' Reclamation Service.
Washington, Dec. 18. A resume of
tne work performed by the Reclama
tion service to date shows that 77 miles
of main canal, 64 miles of distributing
system and 186 miles of ditches have
been constructed, including dams, head
works, etc. Tunnels having a total
length of three and one-half miles have
been driven, including more than a
mile of the great Gunnison tunnel.
More than 250 miles of telephone lines
have been installed and are in opera
tion; 126 miles of wagon road, many
miles of which were cut out of solid
rock in almost inaccessible canyons, 147
bridges and 50 office and other build
ings have been constructed.
The works above mentioned have
called for the excavation of 9,350,000
oubic yards of rock and earth, the lay
ing of 70,000 cubic yards of concrete,
12,000 cubic yards of riprap, 150,000
linear feet of sheet piling and 10,000
(eet of bearing piles have been driven.
There have been purchased 130,000
pounds of railroad iron, 250,000
pounds of structural steel, 600,000
pounds of cast iron, 1,750,000 feet of
lumber, and 78,000 barrels of cement.
The government has erected a cement
mill at a cost of more than $100,000,
which has already turned out 15,000
barrels of cement, and is now furnish
ing about 800 barrels a day. The saw
mills operated by Uncle Sam have cut
2,880,000 feet of lumber from the gov
ernment reserves.
Hold up train.
Safes of North Coast Limited Rifled
Near North Yakima.
North Yakima, Dec. 18. Overland
Ijmited No. 1, due here at 2:50 o'clock
p. in., but running almost five hours
late, was held up at Hillside, in tbe
Yakima canyon, 11 miles north of this
place, at 7:15 Saturday evening. The
express car was dynamited, two safes
blown open and all contents of value
taken.
From a good source it is learned that
there was little currency in the safes on
the limited at the time of tbe holdup.
lbe main contents consisted of drafts,
etc-
City .Marshal Curren has ordered the
arrest of every stranger seen in North
Yakima who comes anywhere near an
swering the description given of the
holdup men. Up to midnight last
night there have been four arersts
One man was arrested by Officer Lane
who aswered the description perfectly.
He was taken off a passenirer coach on
a train coming from the scene of the
holdup, and was wet to the skin. It is
thought he may be one of the men.
It is thought possible the bandits
may have crossed the Columbia and be
headed for British Columbia.
; High Price , for Portrait.
; London, Die. 18 The famous Whist
ler portrait of tbe late Sir Henry Irving
as King Philip II of Spain, was sold at
auction today among the remainder of
the actor's effects Tor $25,200. Sarg
ent's portrait of Ellen Trry in the
character of Lady Macbeth realized $6,
800. The Whistler ' picture goes to
America. The name of the purchaser
of "The Whistler" was carefully with
held by the representative of a firm of
books Hers of London, who bid it in.
It isumo'ed, however, that J. Pier
pont Morgan was the actual purchaser.
' ; Finds Millions In Ground.
Winnepeir. Man ' Den' 18 A
Blum.of Boston, principal owner of the
kaurentine mine in the'Manitou dis
trict. 200 miles east of hnra. Viaa nn.
earthed walls of gold that assay $400,-'
000 to the ton. There are millions in
sight. It is the richest discovery mm
made in gold mining. , He spent ten
years off and on in the district and haa
made much money.
11 I I .. I Ml II
OKEGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST
GUIDE TO ELECTIONS.
Explanation of Complicated Primary
System by Secretary Dunbar.
Salem Tbe adoption of the direct
primary law has given Oregon such a
complicated system of elections that not
even the accomplished politician can
carry in his mind all the details of the
proceedings leading ip to the general
election of state, district and county
officers. One of the most difficult
things to ascertain and remember is the
dates upon which the various steps in
the nomination and election of officers
must be taken. In fact, the ordinary
citizen cannot figure out the dates if
be has the statute before bim, for the
language varies and different methods
of computing time must be adopted.
The following list contains all tbe
dates of interest to the voter and the
candidate for offices as figured out by
Secretary of State Dunbar:
Registration
Registration books opened by county
clerks Tuesday, January 2.
Registration books closed tor primary
election April 10, 5 p. m.
Registration books opened after pri
mary election, April 25.
Registration books closed for general
election, May 15, 5 p. m.
Iniative petitions
Number of signers required to initiate
laws or amendments, 7,483.
Last day for filing initiative peti
tions, February 3.
Last day for filing pamphlets oppos
ing measures, February 5.
Direct primary eleetion
County clerks give notice of primary
election not later than March 21.
Last day for filing petitions for plac
ing names on ballot for state, congres
sional and district officers, March 30.
Last day for filing petitions for
county offices, April 4.
Date of primary election, April 30.
Canvassing votes of primary election
for state offices, May 5. '
General election
Last day for filing certificates of
nomination for state offices by sssembly
of electors, April 19.
Last day for filing nominating peti
tions for state offices, May 4.
Last day for filing certificates of
nomination for county offices by assem
bly of electors, May 4.
Last day for filing nominating peti
tions for county office, May 19.
General election, June 4.
It should be explained that petitions
for nominations for district offices, such
as circuit judge, district attorney, joint
senator and joint representative must
be filed in the office of the secretary of
state, and not with county clerks.
ORGANIZE SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
State Library Commission Passes an
Important Resolution,
Salem The State Library commis
sion, composed of Governor Chamber
lain, W. B. Avers. President Campbell,
of the State University ; Miss Isom,
librarian ( the Portland library, and
State Superintendent of Schools Acker-
man, met in bi-monthy session last
week, and Miss Marvin, the secretary,
submitted an elaborate report dealing
with the work of the commission from
its organization to date, and with the
methods to bfl employed in the organ
isation of local ilbraries.
With regard to school libraries, the
commission decided to ask for bids for
all school libraries to be submitted
next June. A rule was adopted by the
commission prohibiting schools from
purchasing dictionaries, sets of supple
mentary readers and general encyclope
dias with money belonging to their li
brary funds.
Miss Marvin reports that several
cities in the state would soon employ
trained librarians to look after their li
braries. Buys Chlttim Trees.
Eugene Realizing that the supply
of chittim bark (Cascara Seerada will
be exhausted in this part of the state
within a few year", Dr. L. W. Brown
recently contracted for 1.000 snronta
of tbe chittim tree, which' he will set
out op his farm southwest of this city
The pprouts, when planted, grow very
rapidly, and it will not b5 very many
years until they are large : enough to
peel the bark from. Jhe last load of
the young trees on the contract has
been delivered and in tbe early spring
he wili plant them.
Surveying Wectd Road;
Klamath Falls Some excitement was
caused in Klamath Falls recently by
me arrival oi Engineer D. D. Griffiths
with a crew of a dozen railroad engin
eers and . surveyors and the announce
ment went forth that they were the ad
vance guard of tbe California North
eastern Railroad company, successor to
the Weed Railroad company, which is
to receive a bonus of $100,000 to build
a railroad into the town.
Fruit Men Meet at La Grande.
La Grande The next flnnnxl moat
ing of the Northwestern- Fruitgrowers'
association will be held in La Grande
January 8 5.
SERVICE IMPROVED.
Southern Pacific Arranges New West
Side Time Card.
Portland Requests for better freight
service on the Southern Pacific between
Portland and Corvallis have been fruit
ful, for the company has arranged a
supplementary timecard which will
give that territory a daily freight in
each direction instead of a tri-weekly
service.
Simultaneously with the inaugura
tion of the new train, the St. Joseph-
Lafayette cut-on is opened, and this
means the eight and one-half miles of
track between Lafayette, and Whiteson,
on the Yamhill division, will not be
used to any extent and ma? be aband
oned entirely.
The principal advantage in the new
passenger time schedule will be that
residents of Dayton and Newberg can
ride into McMinnville, thi county seat,
and return home the same day, as the
trains will be operated via Dayton and
McMinnville.
There are no stations on the Yamhill
line between Lafayette and Whiteson,
and but two spurs, so it is figured no
particular ham will result if that por
tion of the road is torn up. The deter
mination of the Southern Pacific to
place a daily freight train on the route
pleases shippers, both in Portland and
along the West Side division For
some time a strong effort has been
made by the shippers of McMinnville,
Dayton, Forest Grove and Hillsboro to
secure a better service, but this could
not be satistactorily arranged until the
cut-off was completed, which coat $43,
647.
Good Library at Asylum.
Salem The lack of a supply of good
books for the prisoners at the state pen
itentiary formed the subject of comment
in the report of Secretary Cornelia Mar
vin to the Oregon Library commission.
What is true of the prison is true also
of other state institutions, and Miss
Marvin is loading a movement to - pro
vide the state's charges with guod read
ing matter. At the insane asylum a
large library was found, but it is used
by comparatively few patients. Miss
Marvin remarks upon the fact that the
insane asylum has a large library of
unusually good books without great
ubs, while across the way, at the prison,
there is nothing to be used and a great
demand.
Weyerhauser Road for Lumber.
Klamath Falls Following tbe defi
nite announcement that the Klamath
Lake railroad interests have been pur
chased by the Weyerhaeuser Lumber
company it is announced that the Wey
erhaeuser people do not contemplate
building to this city, but will only aim
to use tbe road as an outlet for the
large timber interest they hold in this
part of the country. They will remodel
the roadbed, cutting out the switch
back in getting from the Klamath river
bottom to Pokegama, by driving a long
tunnel. . ,
PORTLAND MARKETS.
Wheat Club, 7071c; bluestem, 72
73c; red, 6667c; valley, 72c per
bushel.
Oats No. 1 white feed, $27 j gray,
$26.50 per ton.
Barley Feed, $2222.50 per ton;
brewing, $22.5023 ; rolled, $2323.50.
Rye $1.60 per cental.
Hay Eastern Oregon timothy,
$14 5015.50 per ton; valley timothy,
$1112; clover, $89; cheat, $8.50
9.50; grain hay, $89.
. Fruits Apples, $11.50 per box;
pears, $1.251.60 per box.
Vegetables Beans, wax, 12c per
pound; cabbage, Hc per pound;
cauliflower, $1.25 per dozen; celery, 45
75c per dozen; cicumbers, 600c
per dozen; peppers, 6e per pound;
pumpkins, le per pound; sprouts,
7c per pound; euasb, ? leper pound;
turnips, 90c$l per sack, carrots, 65
75c per sack; beets, 85c$l per sack.
Onions Oregon, $101.25 per sack.
Potatoes Fancy graded Burbanks,
65 75c per sack; ordinary, 55 60c per
sack ; Merced sweets, sacks, $1.90;
crates, $2.16.
Butter Fancy creamery, 27430c
per pound.
Eggs Oregon ranch, 3133c per
dozen.
Poultry Average old hens. 10(3 11c
per pound; young roosters, 9c; springs,
10llc; broilers, 1213c; dressed
chickens, 12128c; turkeys, live, 16
17c; turkeys, dressed, choice, 18
21c; geese, live, 910c: ducks, 15c.
Hops Oregon, 1905, choice, 10
11 s prime, 8)9c; medium, 86;
olds. 67c.
Wool Eastern Oregon, average best,
1621c; valley, 2426c; mohair,
cLoice, 30c per pound.
3eef Dressed bulls, l2c per
pound ;,cow8, 34cj country steers,
44o.
Veal Dressed, 3 8c per pound,
z Mutton Dresoed, farcy, 66cper
pound; ordinary, 45c; lambs, 7
7Kc
Pork Dressed, 67o per pound.
JHE BIRDS' NEW WAYS.
Instances Where They Changed Hab
it to Meet New Condition.
Among tbe familiar examples of the
changes in the habits of birds which -have
resulted from association with
mankind are those of the chimney
swift, or popularly named chimney
"swallow," says Forest and Stream,
which formerly nested in hollows of
trees and now in all settled regions . -
uses the chimneys of houses, and the
barn and cave swallows, the former
originally nesting in caves and now
building on the beams and rafters of
barns, and the latter, once a cliff
dweller, now attaching its curious
mud tenement under the shelter of
tbe eaves of barns and dwellings. In
a series of Interesting notes in the
Auk on the changes in the habits of
birds, George F. Brenlnger records
having observed in Mexico the old
and tbe new way of swallow nesting.
In the ancient town of Tuxpan he
found numerous instances of barn
swallows nesting in the living rooms,
and in the unsettled portion of tbe
State of Chihuahua, a hundred miles
back from the railroad, on one of tbe
large haciendas a region devoid of
the time-honored adobes barn swal
lows still nested on the rocks.
Mr. Brenlnger notes other changes
in the nesting habits due to tbe re
moval of large timber. There is, for
example, the Lucy's warbler, which
normally nests in natural cavities in
the trunks of trees, most commonly
In the mesqulte; but in the vicinity of
Tucson, where the larger trees have
been cut away, the warblers have in
some Instances had recourse to build
ing their nests in the abandoned nests
of other species, in one case in tbe
hole in a bank of earth, and most cu
rious of all among the small limbs of
a mesqulte tree.
In timbered countries the flickers
cut holes in the trunks oT trees for
their nests. In some sections where
the large trees have been removed
and the flickers have no longer such
nesting sites, they have taken to the
telegraph poles. "Along the railroad
between Benson and Blsbee, Ariz.,"
writes Mr. Brenlnger, "the telegraph
poles and fence posts show evidence
of the work of woodpeckers, all by
tbe Texan woodpecker. Throughout
this region trees are few. and the
woodpeckers are forced to use any
thing that is dead and large enough
to permit of a nesting cavity being
excavated in it. Dead stalks of the
century plant are often used. About
Phoenix, Ariz., this woodpecker is
common, timber suited to their needs
is still in abundance, and the poles
along the railroads and elsewhere are
untouched. In some parts of Mexico
the work of woodpeckers on telegraph
poles has reached the stage of a nui
sance and a source of much outlay of
money to keep the line in repair. Over
a piece of road running between San
Luis Potosl and Tmnpico the nuisance
has become so great that the manage
ment has threatened to dip the poles
in a solution of creosote."
HOME HINTS AND HELPS.
Bill 7 Furnished These Ont-of-the-
Ordinary- Ones.
If your hands are badly chapped,
wet them In warm water, rub them all
over with Indlun meal, then put on a
coat of glycerine and keep them lu
your pockets for ten days. If you
have no pockets convenient, Insert
them lu the pocket of a friend.
An excellent liniment for toothache
or neuralgia is made of sassafras, oil
of organum and a half-ounce of tinc
ture of capsicum, with half a pint of
alcohol. Soak nine yards of red flan
nel lu this mixture, wrap it around
the head and then insert the head In
a haystack till death comes to your
relief.
To remove scars or scratches from
the limbs of a piano, bathe the limb
in a solution of tepid water and tinc
ture of sweet oil. Then apply a strip
of court piaster, and put the piano
out on the lawn for the children to
play horse with. ,
To soften water for household pur
poses, put in an ounce of quicklime lu
a certain quantity of water. If it is
not sufficient, use less water or more
quicklime. Should the immediate lime
continue to remain deliberate, lay tbe
water down on a stone and pound It
with a baseball club.
To give relief to a burn, apply the
white of an egg. The yolk of the egg
may be eaten or placed on the shirt
bosom, according to the taste of the
person. If the burn should occur on
a lady, she may omit the last instruc
tion. To wash black silk stockings, pre
pare a tub of lather, composed of te
pid rain water and white soap, with
a little ammonia. Then stand in the
tub till dinner Is ready. Roll in a
cloth to dry. Do not wring, but press
the water out. This will necessitate
the removal of the stockings.
To clean ceilings that have been
smoked by kerosene lamps, or the fra
grance from fried salt pork, remove
the ceiling, wash thoroughly with bo
rax, turpentine and rain water, then
hang on the clothes line to dry. Af
terward pulverize and spread over the
pie plant bed for spring wear.