OREGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST j
NOT SO BAD AS PAINTED.
Most Crops In Pendleton Section Are
Turning Out Well.
Pendleton Investigation of the con
dition of growing wheat in various
partB of Umatilla county shows the
damage sustained in the March cold
spell was slight. Instead of many
thousand acres to reseed, as at first re
ported, not more than 2,000 acres in
the entire county have been reseeded.
Many farmers secured seed wheat and
vitrol, in many instances paying fancy
prices for blues tern, which was scarce,
only to find that their grain was not in
jured or only slightly. The only sec
tion where there was any loss was the
northwestern part, where the soil is
light and there was comparatively no
snowfall. The scare was due to the
fact that tVe tops of the grain in some
placeB was frozen, but this is consider
ed a benefit instead of an injury by
many, as they say that it has caused
the grain to stool out more than other
wise. The fruit is also coming out nicely
and the damage will not be nearly bo
great as was feared. The peaches suf
fered most, but there will be a partial
crop and unless a later frost occurs
there will he a full crop of all other va
rieties of fruit.
- TWO CENTS AN ACRE.
Estimate for Coming Year by Secre
tary of Waterusers' Association.
Klamath Falls Secretary Applegate,
of the Klamath Waterusers' association,
in his annual report to the stockhold
ers' meeting here, April 7, stated that
fie receipts of the association to March
31, 1900, were $6,728.66, while dis
bursements were $6,851.20, leaving a
deficit of $122.54. Principal expense
was filing and recording deeds, etc.,
$1,405 20; salary of attorney, $1,500;
salary of secretary, $1,200, and direct
ors' per diem and expenses, $603.19.
He estimates expenses for the coming
year at $3,000. As there are about
150,000 acres subscribed to the associa
tion, the assessment per acre will only
be about 2 cents. There are about 20,
000 acres of private land under the
project as yet unsubscribed.
Favors Spelling Reform.
Salem State Superintendent Acker
man is a firm believer in the reformed
spelling, so much talked about by An
drew Carnegie. He says that there is
only one way to bring about. the refor
mation speedily and effectively, and
that was for the newspapers of the
country to agree to adopt the new mode
of spelling. Should this be done, Mr.
Ackerraan says that the country at large
will accept the new form and forget the
old inside of one year. He said that
the National Educational association
had adopted the new form.
, Initiative Printing Bill.
Salem There has been much specu
lation as to the probable expense en
tailed upon the state by the initiative
measures which have been proposed for
the people's adoption at the June elec
tion this year, hence the following fig
ures, obtained from the secretary of
state, will be of interest showing the
amount thus expended: Paper, $1,
017; Sprinting, $3,472; binding, $1,
610; total, $6,099.
Postpone Booth-Kelley Indemnity Bill.
Salem Governor Chamberlain has
wired Senators Fulton and Gearin to
have the senate postpone action on the
Booth-Kelly Lumber company's indem
nity bill, authorizing the company to
select lands in lieu of its holdings in
the Klamath Indian reservation, nntil
a copy of the bill is received and the
matter investigated by state lan 1 au
thorities. Curry Healthiest County.
Wedderburn Curry county is one of
the healthiest in Oregon. This county
bpasts only one physician, showing that
it is a desirable place to live, even if
it is off the map of homeseekers. No
epidemic of any kind ever visits this
place, and the physician is not often
needecT.
Discovers Black Diamond.
Wedderburn While panning in the
creek near Langlois, this county, W. E.
Eliott discovered a black diamond.
The stone is as large as a kernel of
corn, and has all characteristics of the
diamond. It shines at night and is an
excellent glass cutter.
Money for School Fund.
Salem Receipts of the State Land
board from sile of public school lands,
deferred payments and interest on loans
amounted to $27,636.65 for March.
This Bum has been paid to the state
treasurer to he added to the permanent
school fund. v
REALLOT WENAHA RESERVE.
Sheepmen Jubilant Over Confirmation
of Reconsideration.
Pendleton There is Joy among
sheepmen of Umatilla county over the
news that tlie Wenaha reserve will be
redivided, for it is understood that the
allotment is to be made again. Sev
eral days ago J. E. Smith received a
letter from Ranger J. M, Smilz, invit
ing the Oregon men to meet at Walla
Walla April 27 to consult regarding the
division pi the reserve. It was sup
posed that the meeting would be mere
ly to hear complaints, and that little
or no good would result to the Oregon
sheepmen. However, Dan P. Smythe,
secretary of the Umatilla county asso
ciation, has been informed that the
reserve was to be redivided.
When the Wenaha reserve was first
allotted among stockmen peveral
months ago Oregon men complained
bitterly because in making the divis
ion the Oregon part of the reserve had
been practically given over to Washing
ton growers, thus cutting off many
Umatilla county men from their sum
mer ranges.
There is a general belief that a more
equitable division will be made this
time, as the Umatilla county men will
be on hand to assert their rights.
Perry Gould, president of the Uma
tilla county association, has called a
meeting of that body April 26, at which
time a line of action will be agreed
upon.
Oregon's Boundary Dispute.
Salem Attorney General Crawford
and State Engineer Lewis, after visiting
Astoria to look up evidence in the
boundary line suit pending between
Oregon and Washington before the
United States Supreme court, are more
thoroughly convinced than ever that
Oregon is in the right. Mr. Lewis con
tends that congress must have been
guided in fixing the boundary line by
the latest government surveys of the
mouth of the Columbia river. By stip
ulation, oral evidence will be taken be
fore a notary.
Land and Lot System To Be Used.
Astoria County Assessor Cornelius
has decided to use the land and lot sys
tem in preparing the 1906 assessment
roll in place of segregating the proper
ty under the names of the various own
ers, as baa been the custom heretofore.
Mr. Cornelius believes the new system
will result in a great saving to the
county.
Governor Would Sign Protest.
Salem Governor Chamberlain says
that he does not think the United
States quartermaeter's office should be
moved from Portland to Seattle, be
cause Portland was the more central
point. The governor expresses willing
ness to join in a protest to the secretary
of war against the proposed change.
PORTLAND MARKETS,
Wheat Club, 68c; bluestem, 68
69c; red, 66c; valley, 68c.
Oats No. 1 white feed, $27.50;
gray, $27 per ton.
Barley Feed, $23.50(3)24 per ton;
brewing, $2424.60; rolled, $24 50
25.50.
Hay Eastern Oregon timothy,
choice, $1718 per ton; common, $13
14; valley timothy, $89; clover,
$7.508; cheat, $67; grain hay,
$7(3)8; alfalfa. $12.
Apples $22.75 per box.
Vegetables Asparaorus, 812 Jc
per pound; cabbage, 2c per pound;
cauliflower, $2 25 per crate; celery, 75
90c per dozen; head lettuce, 25c per
dozen; onions, 40c per dozen; radishes,
2025c per dozen; rhubarb, $11.25
per box; spinach, $1 per box; parsley,
25c; turnips, $11.25 per sack; car
rots, 6575c per sack; beets, 85c$l
per sack.
Onions No. 1, 7090c per sack;
No. 2, nominal.
Potatoes Fancy graded Burbanks,
65c per hundred; ordinary, 5055c;
new California, 5c per pound.
Butter Fancy creamery, 2022c
per pound.
Eggs Oregon ranch, 1616)c per
dozen.
Poultry Average old hens,'1813c
per pound; mixed chickens, 1213c;
broilers, 2530c; young roosters, 12
13c; old roosters, 10t,' ll Jc ; dress
ed chickens, 1314c; turkeys, live, 16
17c; turkeys, dressed, choice, 20
21c; geese, live, 88Kc; geese, dress
ed. 10llc; ducks, I719c.
Hops Oregon, 1905, 710c; olds,
57c.
Wool Eastern Oregon average best,
1520c; valley, 24026c per pound;
mohair, choice, 25 29c.
Veal Dressed, 37c per pound.
Beef Dressed bulls, 3c per pound;
cows, 45c; country steers,
Mutton Dressed, fancy, 99Jc per
pound; ordinary, 45cj lambs, with
pelt on, 10llc.
Pork Dressed, 68c per pound.
TRADE WITH ISLAND OF CUBA.
Imports and Exports for 1905 Far
Exceed Any Previous Year.
Washington, April 10.- A report is
sued by the department of Commerce
and Labor on the Cuban trade Bays:
Cuba ranks second in importance in
the trade relations of the United States
with other American countries. The
total trade of the United States with
the principal countries of America in
the calendar year of 1905 was: Can
ada, $203,000,000; Cuba, $125,000,
000; Brazil, $111,000,000; Mexico,
$92,000,000, Argentina, $39,000,000.
The value of merchandise imported in
to the United States from Cuba in the
calendar year 1905, according to figures
prepared by the department of Com
merce and Labor, was $95,857,858,
against $57,228,2291 in 1903, $31,747,
229 in 1900 and $16,233,456 in 1897,
in which year our imports from Cuba
touched the lowest point in the last
half century. The exports from the
United States to Cuba aggregated $44,
569,812, against $23,504,417 in 1903,
$26,934,524 in 1900 and $7,296,613 in
1896, in which year they were smaller
than in any preceeding year in the last
half century. In both imports and ex
ports the figures of the year 1905 are
arger than those of any earlier year in
our trade with Cuba.
Sugar and' molasses, tobacco, cigars
and fruits are the principal articles
forming the imports into the United
States from-Cuba. The value of sugar
imports in 1905 was over $72,000,000;
molasses, $1,097,153; leaf tobacco,
$11,879,938; cigars, $3,855,820; fruits,
$1,236,028 (of which all but $5,803
represented the value of bananas), and
iron ores, $1,537,890.
SWEPT BY TIDAL WAVE.
About ISO Lives and Much Property
Lost In South Seas.
San Francisco, April 10. The steam
er Mariposa arrived today from Tahiti,
bringing additional particulars of the
storm which swept the Society and oth
er South Sea islands last February.
According to the latest estimates about
150 lives were lost and the property
damage amounted to $1,500,000.
Among the Mariposa's passengers were
B. Chalee, C. Brown and J. Harris,
members of the crew of the British ship
County of Rogburgh, Captain J. Leslie,
which went ashore during the hurri
cane at Tokarva, in the Paumolee group
of islands. Out of her crew of 24, ten
lives were lost.
Other vessels lost during the storm
were the french echooner Tahtienne,
53 tons, with Captain Dexter and eight
of her crew, and the French schooner
Touture, 28 tons, with all on board.
The French schooner Hituimi, 19 tons,
went ashore at Monihi. Her crew was
saved. The French schooner Morurora,
37 tons, went aBhore at Tikehou, but
the crew was saved.
The French schooner Eimeo, 150
tons, is overdue and it is supposed that
she is lost with all on board off Tike
hou. Thirty even cutterB of 12 to 15
tons were also lost in the storm.
NEW JERSEY FOREST FIRE.
State Was About to Purchase Large
Trat for Reservoir.
Egg Harbor City, N. J., April 10.
A forest and swamp fire was started
here early this morning and in the
course of a few hours assumed threaten
ing dimensions. The fire's origin is
unknown.' It started a short distance
from the home of Congressman John J.
Garriott and did considerable damage
High winds fanned the flames into a
roaring furnace and drove it in a west
arly direction toward the towns of
Weymouth and West Egg Harbor. The
village of Carmentown was completely
encircled and several buildings destroy
ed. A path over a mile wide and over
four miles long was covered by the
flames. Thousands of acres of valuable
timber which the state of New Jersey
was about to purchase as 'a forest re
serve were destroyed, making a tract of
25,000 acres almost worthless.
Bold Diamond Thieves.
New Orleans, La., April 10. That
he was robbed of diamonds valued at
$5,000 at the muzzle of a revolver in a
store in a crowded street is the story
told to the police by L. Moss, a jeweler.
Moss said that while at work in his
store, with hundreds of people passing,
late last night, two men entered and
asked to look at some diamond rings
and brooches. . After several traya had
been put out, Mosg says one of the men
shoved a revolver in his face and the
other took the jewels and escaped into
the crowded street.
Cruiser Ready for Trial Spin.
Rockland, Me., April 10. The new
cruiser Washington, which has just
been completed for the United States
government, arrived there today and
anchored outside the breakwater in
readiness for her speed trials, which
will take place off this port during the
week. The Washington's contract calls
for a minimum speed of 22 knots per
hour,
ALL OF ONE OPINION
House Committee Unanimously
Favors Jetty Bill.
ITS PASSAGE IS NOW ASSURED
Statements of Langfitt Remove All
Doubts Amendments Will Be
Shut Out by Rules.
Washington, April 14. The house
committee on rivers and harbors today
voted unanimously to favorably report
the bill appropriating $400,000 for con
tinuing the construction of the jetty at
the mouth of the Columbia river, Rep
resentative Jones was directed to make
the report.
This action was taken after Major
Langfitt had submitted to the commit'
tee his charts and drawings explained
in these dispatches yesterday. The
showing made was so strong a& to con
vince every member of the committee
of the advisability of immediatly mak
ing this appropriation. The committee
reported the Jones bill, which is iden
tical in every respect with Senator
Fulton's bill that passed the senate
several weeks ago, because several
members believed appropriation bills
should originate in the house. Once
the house passes the Jones bill, the
senate will readily pass it, inasmuch as
it is identical with the Fulton bill pre
viously passed by that body.
There ia every reason to believe this
bill will soon pass the house. The re
port will be printed immediately, and
some time today Mr. Fulton and
Mr. Jones will call on the speaker to
get him to agree to let the bill be
called up for consideration and vote.
Mr. Jones believes he will be allowed
to call the bill up under suspension of
the rules on Monday. If he can do this
be will successfully shut off all amend
ments and probably secure prompt
passage of the bill. If the bill is not
brought up Monday, Mr. Jones will
ask unanimous consent for its consider
ation at an early date. Ia that event
the bill will not be subject to amend'
ments.
THREE AGAINST ONE.
Great Britain, France and Russia Unite
Against Germany.
St. Petersburg, April 14. Great
Britain has begun vigorously to press
negotiations for an Anglo-Russian en
tente, with the purpose of completing
the triple alliance of Great Britain,
France and Russia against Germany,
which has long been the aim of British
policy. The development at the Alge
ciras conference, where Great Britain,
France and Russia acted in unison, and
the participation of English bankers in
the big Russian loan furnish a practi
cal and favorable moment, and Great
Britain is striking while the iron is
hot.
Besides, the British government has
recently given Russia proof of her de
sire to settle outstanding difficult es by
inducing English bankers, not to take
the Persian loan, on the ground that
it might be regarded as prejudicial to
Russian interests.
BOTH MEN ARE CONVICTED.
Gaynor and Greene May Get Sentence
of 17 Years.
Savannah, Ga., April 14. Benjamin
D. Greene and John F. Gaynor were
found guilty of conspiracy against the
government for presenting false claims
and embezzlement in the Federal court
for the Southern jurisdiction of Georgia
yesterday and Judge Emery Speer will
paBS sentence upon them.
The defendants were found guilty,
with no recommendation, on each of
the indictments. The verdict was re
turned a few minutes before 2 o'clock
after the jury had been out three and
a half hours.
The maximum sentence that the
court may impose is an aggregate term
of 17 years in the penitentiary and a
fine of $575,000, the amount of the al
leged embexJement.
Durnovo Will Soon Fall.
St. Petersburg, April 14. Appear
ances indicate that, Premier Witte hav
ing the better of the fight with Minis
ter of the Interior Durnovo, the down
fall of the latter ia only a question of a
few days The government today au
thor zed the holding on May 4 of a
caucus of Constitutional Democratic
rieglesates to the national parliament.
Minister Durnovo has been compelled
officially to warn the governors of pro
vinces to exercise greater care in em
ployment of troops and police in re
pressive measures.
Troops Leaving Pekin.
Tientsin, April 14. Three hundred
Russian troops arrived from Pekin this
morning and 1,100 Japanese troops are
expected April 16. The remainder of
the German troops will embark today.
WORST SEEMS OVER
Ashes From Mount Vesuvius Are
Much Finer.
COUNTRY LIKE SAHARA DESERT
Distress Among Tens of Thousands
of Fugitives Appalling Help
Badly Needed.
Naples, April 12. The whole of the
Vesuvius district, as far as Naples, Ca
serta and Castellamare, is one vast 8a
haran desert. Reports tonight from
all sides state that the fall of ashes ia
not so heavy as it has been for the last
few days, and the aehea are much finer,
and from this it is argued that the
prospects are much brighter.
The blockade of local traffic contin
ues, but service on the main lines of
railway has been re-established, al
though greatly disarranged by the in
describable confusion in the stations
where foreigners, not fully understand
ing the situation, inveigh against the
delays and discomforts to which they
have been subjected.
This has been a disquieting day in
Naples. The people, alarmed by what
has happened, have deserted their
shops, and the manufactories are nearly
all closed. The crowds are in a tem
per for any excess. It would only re
quired spark to start a conflagration.
The distress among the tens of thou
sands of refugees ia appalling. The
government has forwarded supplies of
food and money, several of the Italian
cities have done the same, and private
citizens are contributing money for the
assistance of the sufferers. More help
is needed.
REVISE EXCLUSION LAW.
New Bill Intended to Remove Griev
ances of Chinese.
Washington, April 12. Representa
tive Denby, of Michigan, introduced a
bill today, making extensive revision
of the Chinese exclusion act. It ex
tends the operation of this act ten years
and incorporates the recommendation
of Commissioner General Sargent for
American inspectors in China under
the supervision of the Immigration ser
vice and for the re-reg'stration of Chi
nese now in this country.
The bill is not intended to modify
the basic principle policy of excluding
Chinese laborers, but accoiding to Mr.
Denby is an attempt to find A compro
mise which shall harmonize difference s
with China.
It permits Chinese residents of this
country to go and come under proper
regulation in regard to return certifi
cates, etc. It repeals the provision of
existinn laws permitting Chinese labor
ers to leave the United States and sub
sequently return only in case they have
wives or families or debts due to them
in the United States, and which limits,
'heir right of return to one year.
It admits Chinese applicants for the
writ of habeas corpus to bail, a privi
lege now denied. It provides that any
Chinaman resident in the United
States, may receive a return certificate
on exhibition of his certificate of regis
tration or original certificate of entry
and proof of his identity.
It repeals the provision of the exist
ing law placing the burden of proof
upon a Chinese arrested for being un
lawfully in the United States to show
his right to be here.
It repeals specifically the provision
in the law of 1892, already held un
constitutional, that Chinese found un
lawfully in the United States shall be
imprisoned at hard labor for one year
and then deported.
It enlarges the exempt class beyond
those mentioned in the treaty of 1880
to include accountants, bookkeepers,
bankers, members of the learned pro
fessions, editors or members of other
ilassps not falling within the category
of laborers, but it also provides that it
shall be unlawful for any Chinese per
son entering the United States as a
member of an exempt class to work for
gain aa a laborer.
Rails Blown From Under Train.
Pittsburg, Kan., April 12. An un
successful attempt to wreck the pouth
bonnd St. Louis & San Francisco pas
senger train, known as the "Meteor,"
was made last night at a point between
Turk and Scammon, pouth of Pittsburg.
Dynamite had been placed on the track.
The train, running nearly 60 miles an
hour, struck the explosive and caused
an explosion that tore out three feet of
the track. The high rate of speed at
which the train was moving carried it
over the break without damage to the
cars or injury to anyone.
Traveling Will Be Expensive.
Chicago, April 12. The Central Pas
senger association has decided to in
crease the summer tourist rates which
prevail every season to the Atlantic
coast resorts. On an average the ra'es
will be raised about 15 per cent.