f I OREGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST 100 STAMPS AT GOLD COIN. Extensive Preparations Made to Con tinue Operationst Baker City Dr. T. II. White, one of the three owners of the Gold Coin mine, has just returned from Portland, where be arranged for the addition of 100 BtampB to their ten-stamp mill al ready in operation, and purchased a new hoist to ba shipped to the mine at once. The machinery will all be made in Portland. Since the favorable decision in the injunction case by the Circuit court, given the other day, the mine will be in full operation the balance of the winter, Managing Owner James A. Panting, of the Gold Hill mine, in the Durkee camp, 20 miles southeast of Baker City, is here and reports that he has had a full force of men at work retimbering eome of the tunnels and slopes, and that he has cut the main ledge ten feet wider on the lower levels. In .doing this work he struck another stream of water in the mine, which will give him a sufficient supply to irrigate another 100 acres of the home ranch. He Bays the recent heavy snow storm will bene fit both farming and mining interests. No Longer Superintendent. Salem David E. Baxter, who was appointed county superintendent of ecliools in November by the county court of Wheeler county, is out of office. The county superintendent died, and the county court appointed Mr. Baxter to fill the vacancy. At torney General Crawford held that the appointment was for the unexpired term, and that Baxter would hold office until 1908. Recently it was discovered that Baxter did not hold a first-grade certificate, and again a question came up as to Baxter's eligibility to hold the office. This time the attorney general held that unless Baxter could show a certificate as required by law, the office was vacant. The court notified Baxter to produce his certificate or give up the office. He resigned. Many Men at Opp Mine. Grants Pass At the Opp mine, near Jacksonville, about 60 men are at work in and around the mine. All the ma chinery, even the sawmill, is operated by electricity. The company owns 240 acres covered with timber, and all the lumber for building purposes at the mine and the timbers used in the mine are cut by the sawmill. This is the first sawmill in this part of the state to be operated by electricity. All the main tunnels and drifts at the Opp mine are lighted by electricity. The company has just finished installing an air compressor and power drills. Meat for New Railroad. Arlington Henry O. Busey has purchased a half interest in the meat business here from C. C. Clark. Al though the contract has been let to a large Canadian firm to furnish the fresh meat for all the contractors of the Northern Pacific railroad now being built down the north bank of the Co lumbia river, this Arlington firm is providing the meat for the railroad men for 25 -miles east and 20 miles west of Arlington. Several hundred dollars each week come into the coffers of this town for meat alone. Contract Let for Ties. Elgin Another large contract for ties for the Wallowa extension has been let by the O" R. & N. Co. to George Edwards, of Spokane. Mr. Kd wardB is equipping two camps and hir ing men to commence work at once. His contract calls for 20,000 ties to be delivered by June. He has the privil ege of accepting another contract for 30,000 more, if he so desires. 1 To Build Railway. Salem Articles of incorporation have been filed with the secretary of state for the United Railways company. The incorporators are W. D. Larrabee, M. H. French and, J. White Eveans. The road is to run from some point in Portland to Peak, in Washington coun ty. The capital stock is $5,000, divid ed into 50 shares of $100. Oregon Firms Dissolved. Salem Governor Chamberlain has issued a proclamation, as required by law, dissolving about 5,000 corpora tions that have not complied with the provisions of the corporation license tax law. Most! of the companies have al ready gone out of business. Subscribe Many Acres. Echo More than 6,000 acres of land lave been subscribed to the Umatilla Waterusers' association. The executive committee has met and signed the arti cles of incorporation and the papers have been forwarded to the secretary of state. State Loans $61,200. Salem The State Land board has approved 44 farm loans amounting to $61,200. The money loaned belongs to the state school fund and drawl 6 per cent interest. LAND TRADE IN DISPUTE. Deal Involving 4,000,000 Feet ot Lumber In Court. Baker City A land trade between Stoddard Bros, and Henry Hewitt -is occupying public attention. Hewitt filed an action at law against the Stod dards, asking $2,852 damages, because he alleges the defendants in that action cut sawlogs on his property. The Stod dard Brothers have come back with a crossbill in equity, alleging that they traded Hewitt a quarter section of land for a like amount of property in this county. Under the agreement, they say, they were to build a railroad spur onto the land and cut the timber thereon, and Hewitt was also to cut immediately the timber on the land they traded him. The party securing more than $1,900, 000 feet of good sawlogs was to put up the difference to the other. They ask that Hewitt be forced to comply, as they have been under expense iu build ing the railroad spur. Visit Excites Speculation. Baker City It is reported on good authority that George L. Thayer, of Walla Walla, engineer for the North western Gas & Electric company, who has been in this vicinity for the past few days, has been investigating a pro ject for a mammoth reservoir at the Rock creek power plant, which at pres ent furnishes the current for Baker City's lights. This reservoir would be used to furnish power for the plant during the dry season. Another; report states a project is under consideration to cut Baker City off the Rock creek circuit, and that the company will ue that plant for power for the mines and Bourne alone, and will use the plant being installed in South Baker to fur nish power for this city. Pays $35,000 for Store. Eugene The largest price paid for any one piece of Eugene real estate in many years was when F. E. Dunn, a dry goods merchant, purchased from J. H. McClung the two story brick block and the lot on which it stands at Eighth and Willamette streets for $35,000 Ti-e building is 70 by 120 feet and is occupied by a dry goods store, a book store and a drug store on the lower floor, and offices on the upper floor. " It was built about four years ago by Mr. McClung. Mr. Dunn will move his stock of goods into the building. i 1 Sawmill Closes Down. ' Albany The big sawmills of the Curtiss Lumber company, at Mill City, on the Corvallis & Eastern railroad, has shut down for a few days. It was stated the mills needed overhauling. and the deep' snow in some portions of the Cascade mountains has interfered somewhat with the logging operations of the company and a shortage is the result. This condition is not expected to prevail very long. PORTLAND MARKETS. Wheat Club, 70 71c; bluestem, 72 73c; red, 6768c; valley, 73c Oats No. 1 white feed, $27.50 28.50; gray, $2728 per ton. Barley Feed, $23.5024 per ton brewing, $23.5024; rolled, $2425. Buckwheat $2.50 per cental. Hay Eastern Oregon timothy $13.50(314 00 per ton: vallev timothv 910; clovar, 7.508; cheat, $7.00 8.00; grain hay, $78. Fruits Apples, 75c$l per box choice, $1.251.50; fancy, $22 50 pears, $1.251.50 per box; cranber ries, $1313.50 per barrel. , Vegetables BeanB, 20c per pound cabbage, 2jc per pound; cauli flower, $2 per crate: celerv. $3 per crate; bell peppers. 85c per pound pumpkins, lc per pound; sprouts 6 7c per pound; squash, ljli per pound; turnips. 90c(c6l per sack carrots, 65 75c per Back; beets, 85c $1 per Back. Onions Oregon, No. 1, $11.15 per sac; jno. 2, 7080c. Potatoes Fancv eraded Burbanks 7075c per hundred; ordinary, 50 ouc; sweet potatoes, z2c per pound. Butter Fancy creamery, 21&Z2 per pound. Eggs Oregon ranch, 2727c per UUOCUl Poultry Average old hens, 12 18c per pound; springs, 1213c; mixed chickens, ll12c; broilers, 1315c; dressed chickens, 1415c; turkeys, live,1516c; turkeys, dressed, choice, 1720c; geese, live, 911; geese, dressed, 1214c; ducks, 16 17c. Hops Oregon, 1905, choice, 10llc per pound; prime, me dium, 78c; olds, 57c. Wool Eastern Oregon average best, 1621c per pound; valley, 2426c; mohair, choice, 30c. Beef Dressed bulls, 22Jc per pound; cows, Z is country steers, 45c. Veal Dressed, 88)c per pound. Mutton Dressed, fancy, 78c; ordinary, 45c; lambs, 77c. Pork Dreseedi 67c per pound. GIVEN FREE HAND. France Assures United States She Respects Monroe Doctrine. Washington, Jan. 23. Convinced of the sincerity of the assurances received from France regarding her loyalty to the Monroe doctrine and all that it in volves, the Washington government has given the Paris government a free hand in the execution of the program for the solution of the Venezuelan prob lem. The conference on this phase of the question occurred some tirre ago, and M. Jusserand, the French ambas sador, has final assurances that the efforts of France to obtain diplomatic treatment for her charge d'affaires at Caracas will not be interrupted at Washington as in any violative of the Monrore doctrine. The first move in the execution of the French program may be expected at any time, but on tbia point the French government is observing the strictest secrecy. M. Taigny, the retiring French charge, who, it is believed, is now at Curacoa, will come to this country on his way home, and on his arrival at New York he will find an invitation from the French ambassador at Wash ington to spend several days here in conference with M. Jusserand, on whom the burden of an important phase of the Venezuelan negotiation naturally falls, that he may have the benefit of the facts about the situation. It is not unlikely that M. Taigny will also see Secretary Root. The whereabouts of the French ships remain a mystery so far as the officials of the State department and French embassy are concerned, it is said. It is assumed, however, that they are daily in touch with the ministry of marine at Paris, and are awaiting an opportunity to take such action . as their instructions may provide for. Great interest is felt in diplomatic circles here about the exact nature of a sentence found objectionable in the note of President Castro to M. Taigny. EUROPEAN CROPS IN DANGER. Weather is Unseasonably Warm and Excessively Humid. Washington, Jan. 23. The foreign crop report, for December shows that over large areas of Europe the prevail ing characteristics were unseasonably warm weather and excessive humidity Crops lightly, sown have germinated finely and entered ou the winter in strong, healthy condition.. Late sowing of crops, in Europe, however, were un usually extensive, and eome anxiety is felt concerning them. In Great Britain the winter wheat area has been extended. The acreage, however, is still believed to be dimin ished, as compared with last year. The growing crops have an improved ap pearance. ' In France tke wheat area is the aver age. ' v In Germany weather conditions were unfavorable and there was no marked improvement. In Roumania the area under whet is 25 per cent short of last year. The 1905 crop is now estimated at from 50, 000,000 to 55,000,000 bushels. The bulk of it is said to be out of condition, hence no important export movement to north of Europe points is expected until spring. No important definite news regarding the condition of winter sown cereals in Russia are reaching the outside world WHERE DID THE MONEY GO? Colorado Propounds Searching Ques tions to insurance Companies. Denver, Jan. 23. All of the 222 in Burance companies doing business in this state have been asked, through their bead officials, to make oath to re plies to a list of questions compiled by the Colorado Insurance department Some of the questions asked are whether money has ever been contrib uted to campagm funds, particularly during the last six years, and if so whether or not it is proposed to cen tinue the practice, and also if the item "legal expenses" in the report of 1905 included contribution to funds for cam paign purposes or to influence leglBla tion. Trade with the Netherlands. Washington, Jan. 23. According to a report of the bureau of statistics of the department of Agriculture exports for the fiscal year 1905 amounted to $73,000,000 and our imports $22,000, 000 from the Netherlands, Our ex ports to Belgium in the same year were $28,000,000 and our imports from that country $26,000,000; The Netherlands and Belgium rank next to the - United Kingdom, Germany and France in im portance as markets for products of the United States. Copper exports to the Netherlands aggregated $20,000,000. Drydock Dewey Spoken. Washington, Jan. 23. The drydock Dewey, on the way to the Philippines, has again been heard from. The com mandant of the coaling station at San Juan, P. R, reports that the Dewey was spoken Friday night by the cruiser Maryland. The Dewey was in latitude 27.52 north and longitude 48.29 west She was traveling four knots an hour AH were well. TROOPS MUTINY Seize Heavy Guns and Capture Fortress at Vladivostok. WORSE THAN FORMER TROUBLE Desperate Battle Between Loyal and Rebellious Troops Machine Guns Turned on Latter. St. Petersburg, Jan. 27. That there has been a renewal of the mutiny at Vladivostok was confirmed , by a dis patch from that city filed Thursday and received here late tonight. The dispatch indicates that the mutiny, which began last Monday, had not been subdued, and that the situation was far more serious than was the outbreak in November, as the mutineers in elude both sailors and artillerists, who are in possession of the battery and are well armed with rifles and machine guns, as well as having heavy fortress guns. General Mitschenko, who has been sent to deal with the mutineers, the dispatch adds, has no easy task, as the Cossacks given him are ill suited for capturing a fortified position. He de clares that the promises of immediate transportation home for the men, with which the government ended the for mer revolt, are now scarcely effective. The mutiny is due to the reserve men, who are thoroughly undisciplined and are clamoring for their immediate transportation home. ALL SIBERIA IN REVOLT, Arsenal ' Sacked, and Pitched Battle Fought in Fortress. St. Petersburg Jan.. 27. Reports from Trans-Bafkaf districts say that the Cossacks have joined the peasantry and expelled officials from office, forming a revolutionary government of their own Estates are being ransacked everywhere in the district. General Linievitch has telegraphed the Czar that sailors in Vladivostok have broken into mutiny and attacked and wounded the commander of the fortress. The outbreak was caused by the countermanding of an order to send them back to Europe, .. . , Sailors invaded the armory, seized a quantity of rifles, occupied the battery and demanded the release of prisoners. when Commander Selivalow '. remon strated. The mutineers opened fire on the commander and. his loyal guards and a general fight ensued, in which the commander and others were wound' ed. A determined effort was made to suppress the mutineers, in which, .there was more firing and a determined bat tle was soon raging. . . In the fighting it ia said there were 200 killed and many others wounded. Cossacks have been sent to restore order. IMPROVE TAX SYSTEM. Moroccan Conference to Draw. Up Rules Harmony Apparent. Algeciras, Jan. 27. Spain at today's session of the Moroccan conference pre sented the draft of a convention provid ing for a better return of taxation in Morocco, and also for the creation of new revenues. The conference aftar some discussion expressed the opinion that nothing should te proposed for Morocco which may modify the basis of the present organization of the country or be in contradiction of the habits of the Moroccan people regarding land taxation . The conference decided that the work of drawing up the new rules shall be entrusted to the same committee which examined the question of the control of the trade in contraband arms, with the addition of Belgian, Russian and Mo roccan members. Herr von Radowitz, head of the Ger man mission, and M. Revoil, chief of the French delegation, had a long pri vate meeting ' today. Although the re sults were not disclosed, the meeting produced a distinct feeling of optimism among the delegates. Germany Fears Socialists. Berlin, Jan. 27 Several members of the Prussian house of lords today in terpellated Chancellor von Buelow regarding the government's proposed line of action against the . Socialists. They asked whether the government thought the existing legislation ade quate for opposing the Social Demo cratic plans which are hostile to the Fatherland. Count Eulenberg, in sup porting the interpellation, predicted an open struggle with the Socialists. If the Socialists were let alone, he said, the downfall of the empire muBt follow. Investigate Abuse of Chinese. Washington, Jan. 27. Senator Till man has introduced a resolution di recting the committee on immigration to investigate charges of ill treatment of Chinese aliens traveling in the United States by officers o! the immi gration service. CONTROL THE CASH. Senators Want Hand in the Allotment of Reclamation Funds. Washington, Jan. 22. The senate committee on irrigation today discussed the proposition to amend the national irrigation law by placing the distribu tion of the reclamation fund in the hands of congress, instead of the secre tary of the interior, as at present. Strong sentiment in favor of the change developed. Several senators on the committee believe it unwise to permit the secretary of the interior to have undisputed control of this fund, now aggregating $32,000,000. No bill for this purpose was pending, but probably such a bill will be introduced and passed this session. The discussion today was incident to a debate on Heyburn's 'townsite bill. which authorizes the withdrawal ef land for townsite purposes on govern ment irrigation tracts, and provided that money derived from the salo of town lots shall be turned into the re clamation fund for expenditure on town improvements. This bill was referred to a sub-committee for report. The committee also crave attention today to Fulton's bill authorizing the condemnation of land needed as part of national irrigation projects. No, action was taken, but members expressed the opinion that such a law would be un constitutional. This bill was drawn particularly with a view to enabling tne government to acquire private land under the Malheur irrigation project. It will be acted upon later. SLAY WORKMEN IN THREES. How Soldiers Strike Terror Enraged , . Reds Plan Reprisals. St. Petersburg, Jan. 22. It is be lieved that workmen employed in the government works are being shot after brief trials by courts martial. It is re ported tbat the victims selected for slaughter are led out three at a time , and executed before the. eyes of their comrades, who are awaiting their turn to face the soldiers. As soon as one batch has been dispatched, three other prisoners are lined up in the same spot and shot. Firing has been heard at the scenes' of execution, continuing without cessation. The military has also resorted to, beaang girls brutally as a means of punishment. :. Stories of the cruelties that are being practiced have become noised about, and they have entirely inflamed the revolutionists, who are planning re prisals.; i i A '. In the south of Russia there is a great congestion of grain, as it has been accumulated for some time, and there is no means of transporting it, as the authorities are too busy with their campaign of repression against the re volutionists to think of the administra tion of every day affairs. BUDS SWELL IN CHICAGO. Warmest Winter Day in History May Injure Growing Things. Chicago, Jan. 22. Something has gone wrong with the weather machine. All residents of this city are willing to swear to this fact. The mercury reached 63 at 4 p. m. today, breaking all records since New Year's day of 1876, when it stood at 65 above. Gar deners at the parks and along the boulevards have become greatly wor ried The mild rains, light snows and general springlike weather of the past two weeks have brought the sap into motion and budB are beginning to swell. Maple trees are said to be aa far advanced as they should be on March 1, and many of the more or less delicate vines are well along toward the spring rejuvenation. Now that a cold wave is predicted for tomorrow, with a drop of nearly 40 degrees, great fears are expressed lest all vegetation now started may. Buffer such a set-back aa will cause great loss in the floral and shrubbery display of the many miles of park and boulevards in the spring. All States Should Act. New York, Jan. 22. A general de cision that insurance reforms should be inaugurated immediately by state legislatures throughout, the country was arrived at by the insurance com missioners of several states who con ferred with the New York legislative committee which investigated the mat ter. Conferences between this com mittee and the state commissioners have covered a period of two days. Senator Armstrong, chairman of the New York committee, said that there would probably be no more conferences. Cruiser Denver to Watch Castro. Washington, Jan. 22. The protected cruiser Denver, which has been tempo rarily detached from the fifth division of the Atlantic fleet, has sailed from Oulebra tor San Juan. The Denver will be detained in West Indian waters for the present, awaiting the turn o events in Venesuela.