OREGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST
MONEY IN K3TATOES.
Grand Ronde Farmers Market Big
Crops at Good Prices.
La Grande Farmers who planted
potatoes hint spring are reaping a boun
tiful harvest in tho Grund Hondo val
ley, Tlio gross income fromthlH year's
crop 1h placed at $50,000 on tho output
of potatoes from tliis valley. It is es
timated that 100 earn will ho necessary
to ship tills season's crop. These fig
ures aro computed on tho hasls of 1,000
acres with an average yield of 00 sacks
to the acre. This has been tho yield
on unlrrigated lands on tho "Sand
ridgo" section, and tho estimate Is con
Hcrvat ive. More than half of tho entire
potatoo acreage of tho valley is In the
vicinity of Imblcn and Allcel.
Fields that have produced 00 sacks to
tho acre and very many tracts have
lono better than that give a net re
turn of $27.50 per acre. The, gross re
ceipts from an aero at tho present price
of 05 cents per sack amounts to $110.
One of tho prominent growers figures
tho cost of production per acre at
.$11.50, as follows: Cultivating, $!!;
digging, and sacking, $3; sacks, $3;
need, $1 ; hauling, $1 .50.
The heaviest yield so far- reported is
that of A. J. Nurby, of Cove, who has
well red ,'!00 sacks from an acre. At the j
present market price, Mr. Surby's in-'
come for an aero is $105, of which
about $18.;j.50 is net. A six-acre field
on the. Oregon Hed Apple company's
ground, north of La (irande, gives a
yield of 200 sacks per acre. These po
tatoes are grown entirely without irri
gation, and on account of their superior
quality are rated 10 cents higher than
the open market.
Tho returns from tho six acres will
be $000. The patch was planted as a
.matter of getting the ground iif suitable
condition for cultivation.
Col. Hofer Tells His Hopes.
University of Oregon, Eugene Col
onel Ifofer, of Salem, addressed the as
sembly at the university. Ho was full
-of enthusiasm over the development of
the state of Oregon, and predicted that
the growth would be marvelous if there
were two competing railroads in the
state. lie was of the opinion if these
two railroads enter the state, that Coos
bay would see the terminus on one and
that country would shortly develop a
city of 150,000, and Portland would be
the other center for tho end of the rail
road system. ' Two such thriving cities
would be of great benefit to the state.
Benson Announces Changes.
Salem In addition to the appoint
ment of Walter Drennan, to succeed F.
T. Wrigbtman as head of the corpora
tion department, Secretary of State
elect F. W. Benson has announced that
S. A. Kozer will be promoted to chief
clerk to succeed F. K. Lovell, and that
Kozer will be succeeded by II. II. Cor
ey, of Baker City. Kozer is now audit
ing clerk. Tho remainder of the ollice
force of Secretary of State Dunbar will
be regained until after the session of the
legislature. There will be no change
in the force of janitors until after the
legislature.
Eager tor a New County.
Hood River At a big mass meeting
held here for the purpose of ascertain
ing public feeling in regard to the
movement to create a new county, to
be known as Cascade county,- the senti
ment was unanimous and committees
will bo appointed to circulate petitions
to be presented to the next legislature
with that object in view. A number of
prominent men here spoke on the ques
tion, and statistics were presented
-which show that the new county can be
governed more economically than the
.same treritory is under present condi
tions. Big Option on Timber Lands.
Atsoria An option covering the sale
-of 9,040 acres of timber lands, 3,200
.acres being located in the northern
part of Tillamook county and 5,840
.acres in the southern part of Clatsop
county, at $2(5 per acre, has been filed
for record in the county clerk's office.
"The lands belong to A. W. Priest and
the option for 30 days was given to R.
V. Jones and R. F. Fox, of Portland,
and sold by them to Godfrey von Platen.
Races for the Land Office.
North Bend The announcement by
-the land department that contest filings
would be received in a number of In
dian allotment claims has caused many
horse races from points in Curry county
to the land office in Roseburg. It is
alleged only such Indians and half
breeds as belong to tribes or live' on
reservations are entitled to allotment
claims.
Much Wheat at Weston.'
Weston It is estimated that about a
quarter of a million bushels of wheat
are stored in the warehouses in this vi
cinity. The local market has been
dull, awaiting a solution of the car sit
uation. It is thought that nearly five
sixths of the crop is still in the hands
of the growers.
COAL MINE OPENED.
Company Finds Eighteen-Foot Vein
Near Ashland.
Ashland There la no little interest
and enthusiasm in thfs section of the
state over the opening up of what ap
pears to bo permanent coal deposits.
Coal croppings have been discovered for
30 or 40 miles along the Cascades from
the state lino northward, but no depos
its of Hiiflicient extent to justify devel
opment have been found in the pros
pecting heretofore. Some lime ago the
company that is opening the Blue Lead
copper mines in this section, after se
curing leases on a considerable area of
land, began prospecting on the Furrey
place on tho east Side of Bear creek,
alo.tt seven miles from Ashland.
They began by running two tunnels
into the mountain. One of these is
now 270 and the other 240 leet into the
mountain, and an 18-foot vein of coal
has been opened up. The coal has
been tested and appears to be of excel
lent quality. The tunnels are seven
feet square and run parellel 70 feet
apart. They are well timbered and
tire being connected by cross cuts every
75 feet, for ventilation and to extract
the coal. They extend into the moun
tain from the west to tho east on a 7
per cent incline.
About 25 men are being employed
and the work is beinir pushed night and
day. Other crews are employed in
building coal bins, scales, grizzlies and
screens for sorting tho coal.
To Improve Federal Property.
Salem Francis W. Grant, sunerin
tendon t of construction of public build-:
ings of the United States Treasury d !
partment, has been in the city to in-1
spect tno plans, look over uie grounds ,
and draft prospective plans, specifica- j
tions and make estimates upon the
proposed improvement of the grounds,
surrounding the Federal building in
this city, which have remained in an
unfinished condition ever since the j
erection of the building, three years
ago, and for which improvement con
gress has appropriated a fund of $10,
000. Pin Faith to Cherries.
La Grande Cherries, of the ship
ping varieties, have proven one of the
most profitable products of the Grand
Ronde valley, and for that reason there
will be many new cherry orchards put
out in the spring. George Thomas, of
Cove, will plant 1,000 trees. Mr.
Thomas is one of the most extensive
cherry growers in the valley, and now
has about 20 acres of cherry orchard in
full bearing. During the past season
these trees yielded at the rate of $325
per acre.
PORTLAND MARKETS.
Wheat Club, G4c; bluestem, 67c;
valley, OGc; red, 61c.
Oats No. 1 white, $24.5025.50;
gray, $23.5024.
Barley Feed, $21.50 per ton; brew
ing, $22.50; rolled, $23.
Rye $1.401.45 per cwt.
Corn Whole, $25.50; cracked,
$26.50 per ton.
Hay Valley timothy, No. 1, $11
12 per ton; Eastern Oregon timothy,
$1416; clover, $78; cheat, $7.50
8.50; grain hay, $7.508.50; alfalfa,
$11.50; vetch hay, $77.50.
Fruits Apples, common to choice,
5075c per box; choice to fancy, $1
2.50; grapes, 60c$1.25 per crate;
pears, 75c$1.25; cranberries, $10
12.50 per barrel; quinces, $11.25 per
box; persimmons, $1.50 per box.
Vegetables Cabbage, per
pound; cauliflower, $1.25 per dozen;
celery, 7585c per dozen; lettuce,
had, 20c per dozen; onions, 1012)c
perdizen; pumpkins, ljcper pound;
spinach, 45c per pound; tomatoes,
3050c per box; parsley, 1015c ;
squash, a per pound; turnips,
90c$l per sack; carrots, 90c$l per
sack; beets, $1.251.50 per sack;
horseradish, 910c per pound; sweet
potatoes, 22c per pound.
Onions Oregon, 75c$l per hun
dred. Potatoes Oregon Burbanks, fancy,
7085c; common, 6070c.
Butter Fancy creamery, 2527Jc
per pound.
Eggs Oregon ranch, 3537c doz.
Poultry Average old hens, 10llc
per pound ; mixed chickens, 10llc;
spring, 10llc; old roosters, 910c;
dressed chickens, 13 14c; turkeys,
live, 17)c; turkeys, dressed, choice,
2021c; gee3e, live, 10c; ducks,
1416c.
Veal Dressed, 5-8Jc per pound.
Beef Dressed bulls, l2c per
pound; cows, 45c; country steers,
55c.
Mutton Dressed, fancy, 89c per
pound; ordinary, 67c.
Pork Dressed, 68)c per pound.
Hops 1906, choice, 1415c; prime,
1213c; medium, 1012c per pound.
Wool Eastern Oregon average best,
1318c per pound, according to shrink
age; valley, 2021c, according to fine
ness; mohair, choice, 2C28c.
ORIGIN OP THANKSGIVING DAY.
In 1031 the United States was a tiny babe In English long clothes; and
it happened that there wan a great scarcity of food In that little colony that
had settled on Massachusetts bay they were tnreatened with famine. The
prospect grew dark and ominous; the people were brave; but their anxiety
grew very keen for all that, and they knew not where to turn for earthly aid.
It was the wont of those early pilgrims to turn to God In times of need and
the elders decided that a special day he set alldo for fasting and prayer. Be
fore the day arrived, however, their long expected boot hove In sight and the
day set aside for fasting and praying wus transformed Into one of cheer ; good
dinners and hearty thanksgivings prevailed. This was the first general
Thanksgiving of which we have any record; it was by no means the last;
from that day to this successive Governors and Presidents have set apart
many different days for special Thanksgiving for some propitious event in
State or county.
After the Revolutionary War was successfully ended Washington ap
pointed a Thanksgiving day that was universally observed with the greatest
rejoicing, as we may well believe, and after our own sad Civil War was
almost ended President Lincoln proclaimed another of similar sort Many
hearts were full of grief then, yet there was much to be thankful for.
For over a century now the States of New England have set apart a
day In the autumn for giving thanks to God for the many blessings of the
year. It gradually came to sewn a very pleasant, appropriate custom, and
one Stats after another sdoirted it, until now, for many years past, the
President Iihs Issued a proclamation for a day of public thanksgiving through
out the Union. This day Is one of our legal holidays, a day that rich and
poor alike can spend as they will. We all welcome It with delight, and It Is
a day peculiar to America only.
Peter bad scarcely closed Ms eyes
Hefore his hair bfgan to rtne,
For who should be perched on his bed
Hut Barnyard Turkey, tierce and rod I
"l'eter," be roared, "I saw to day
You looked at me as if to say :
'Aha I You are so fat and fine
On Thanksgiving I'll make you miner
Iion't say you didn't, for I know
Your greedy nature makes you so.'
"Oh, sir," cried Peter, "that must be
Some other lad that looks like me;
I am not greedy: sir, at all ;
In fact my appetite Is small. ,
"Fibber!" cried Barnyard Turkey. "What I
Shall I destroy you on the spott
Did I not sue you do your best
To eat my brolber, leg and breast.
Till you were stuffed so full with hlra
It almost made my senses awim?
Hut now things are the other way,
There'll be no more Thanksgiving Day,
We gobblers have It in our view
To turn about and gobble you."
With that he puffed and puffed until
lie grew as big as any hill
So big the walls Just burst apart,
And Peter woke up with a start.
With trembling voice be slj?hed : "Oh, dear!
Turkey is bad for me, I fear,"
"Great Thanksgiving weather we'll be
having, I'm thinking," remarked Mr.
Wheeler as be came In to supper. "It's
snowing hard, and the wind is coming
up."
"Oh, goody," exclaimed Martha in high
glee. "What's Thanksgiving without
Bnow?"
The next morning it was still snowing,
and the wind was buiily piling up great
white drifts. "'Twon't be a pleasure
trip to go to the village with the milk,"
said Mr. Wheeler, as ha prepared to
start, "but I s'pose I've got to." He
found the traveling sven worse than he
expected ; it was very late when he reach
ed the village, and he did not return home
till nearly dark. Not being a robust man,
he was completely exhausted from his ex
ertions, and during the night became 111.
"Whatever shall we do?" Mrs. Wheeler
asked Martha despairingly. "We must
have the doctor, and how to get the milk
to town is a problem. And Thanksgiving
Day, too !"
"Oh, I'll go." volunteered Martha,
cheerfully. "I'll tell Dr. Brown to come
right up, and then I'll peddle the milk
I've been with father so many times that
I know all the customers."
Martha bundled herself up, put on her
mother's rubber boots, and two pairs of
mittens, and set out. "Old Billy mint
think I'm pretty heavy," she laughed, s
she drove out of the yard with the milk
cart.
Getting to the village, two miles away,
was not an easy matter for a girl not
yet sixteen. The roads were not broken
out, and badly drifted. The milk cam
bumped Into each other with great force,
and Martha had several narrow escapes
from an upsetting. But finally, Grsfton
was reached, and Martha drove through
the almost deserted streets to Dr. Brown's
house.
When she had stated her errand, the
doctor promised to go to her father im
mediately, and urged her to come in and
rest.
"Oh, no, I can't," exclaimed Martha.
"I've got all the milk to peddle, and I'm
very late already. People need their milk
for dinner, and the babies will be crying
for it, too.'S
Martha set out on her rounds. When
she opened the door of Mrs. Judson, her
first customer, that lady started as though
she saw a ghost.
"Mercy sakes, child," she cried, catch
ing her by the arm and seating her In a
chair by the store. "How on earth did
you get here? I'm mighty glad to see
you. There gin t a milkman been around
yet. Where's yonr pa?"
"Hes sick and eouldnl eome, and I
thought foTlif ecmldn't get along without
milk on Thanksgiving Day, anyway. How
much do you want?"
"I'll take five quarts," answered Mrs.
Judaon, her heart aching for tired Mar
tha. "I'm going to pay you double price
for it, too, for you've earned it. You're
th only milkman's had gumption enough
to get around, so far.".
Everywhere Martha went she was
greeted with exclamations of surprise
and delight. In nearly every instance
she was voluntarily paid extra for the
milk.
"I'll bless you to the last day I live,"
cried Mrs. Morton, when Martha clumped
into her kitchen with the milk can. "The
baby's been crying for milk all morning
and I didn't have a mite to give him."
When Martha came to the house where
her last customer, Mibs Webster, a maid
en lady, lived alone on a side street, ahe
was surprised to see -that snow had not
yet been removed from the doorstep. All
wa very quiet, and Miss Webster could
be neither seen nor heard. Martha bang
ed the door, stamped her feet and rattled
the milk can to attract attention. Then
she felt sure something must be wrong,
and set out to Investigate. She opened
the door leading from the sitting room
into the hall. There lay Miss Webster
unconscious, with a look of agony on her
face. Martha felt a strong impulse to
run. She conquered the feeling, got her
milk can and dashed some of the icy
cold liquid over Miss Webster's face, and
at length she opened her eyes. The poor
lady was too dazed to talk, but only moan'
ed about her foot. Martha tried her best
to assist her up, but found it impossible
So she made her as comfortable as she
could, and started for help.
In the next house an Irish family lived.
Mrs. Mulcahy caught sight of the milk
cart.
"And is it milk ye've got?" she asked
joyously. "The saints be good to ye.
child, for bringing it. I'll take three
quarts, if ye please."
"She's a foine lady," said Mrs. Mul
cahy when Martha stated her errand,
"and faith, darling, it's meself would be
glad to do something, but Timmy's got
the measles, and my man ain't home,
neither, so what kin I do, at all, at all?"
Martha conelaJed to go directly for
the doctor. Fortunately Dr. Brown had
just returned from the Wheeler farm.
Leaving the milk cart at the barn, Mar
tha got into the doctor's sleigh, and they
drove back to Miss Webster's. Her ankle
was broken, as Martha had guessed, and
she assisted the doctor while he set the
fracture. When he had finished, he said:
"Now, little girl, just stay here a while
longer till I can get somebody to come
UNCLE SAM'S BOUNTEOUS THANKSGIVING.
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and take care of our patient, and then
we'll go home and thankfully eat our din
ner." No Thanksgiving dinner had ever tasty
ed so good to Martha before, though she
missed her parents. The doctor insisted
upon heaping her plate at every oppor
tunity. Late in the afternoon Martha drove
home, tired but happy. Her father was
comfortable, and was quite as much in
terested as her mother in listening to the
narrative of her experienc.
But Martha's Thanksgiving surprises
were not all ended. A few days later her
father, who had nearly recovered, came
home one morning and gave her a huge
bundle.
"Miss Webster told me to give that to
you," he said. "It's good and heavy,
whatever It is." The bundle proved to
contain a mammoth turkey. Around its
neck was tied a blue ribbon to which a
card was attached bearing the words:
"For Miss Martha Wheeler, with the
compliments of those whom she made
happy on Thanksgiving. Look at my
heart."
Martha was nearly overcome by this
gift, but she proceeded to investigate the
meaning of the card's last sentence. The
inside of the turkey proved to be neatly
lined with white paper and contained a
dainty box, inside which reposed a beau
tiful watch, suitably inscribed.
"Why, mamma," exclaimed Martha,
"we'll .have a second Thanksgiving day
now, won't we? That wind and snow
brought me good fortune, though I didn't
think it was very nice then." Farm Life.
Not Sent in Vain.
urn
Widow Gobbler Yes, Dr. Quack, my
dear husband devoted his life to char
itable purposes; he was served at a
Thanksgiving dinner for the poor!
Filling for a Turkey.
Plain bread filling is always nice. It
would require at least one loaf of stale
bread and one-fourth pound of butter.
It should be three days old at the very
least. Reduce it to fine crumbs, salt
and pepper to the taste. Use no water,
milk or baking powder. There Is mois
ture enough from the turkey. If you
wish to add oysters drain all the liquor
off them, see there are no shells, roll iu,
bread crumbs and drop them in through
the dressing. There should be about one
and one-half pints of large oysters.
Befors putting the turkey In the oven,
brush it all over with soft butter and
put it in breast down. Place the turkey
on a rack over a pan containing two
cups of hot water. It is well to have for
basting also a pint of hot water on the
stove In which are three level table
spoons of butter. At first turn on full
heat, then reduce the heat roasting the
last hour and a half with slow heat.
Lacking in Respect- ,
"I have a great respect for gray hair,"
said the humorous boarder as he raised
his eyes from his plate.
"That's very creditable of you, Mr.
Jellaby," said the landlady.
"But I have no respect," said the hu
morous boarder, "for gray feathers!"
And h tapped viciously on the tough
fragment of turkey that lay before
him. Cleveland Plain Dealer.
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