LEXINGTON WHEATFIELD
S. A. THOMAS, Publisher
LEXINGTON OREGON
NEWS OF THE WEEK
In a Condensed Form lor Our
Busy Headers.
A Resume of the Less Important but
Not Less Interesting Events
of the Past Week.
Russian terrorists continue to pick
off their enemies.
President Roosevelt is anxious to
prosecute Harriman.
Root has warned the Central Ameri
can states to stop war.
Trains are running from Portland to
San Francisco via Ogden.
Major Goethals has been formally
appointed on the. canal commission.
Senator Burton has been released
from jail and promises to publish his
side of the story.
The East and South is suffering from
extreme heat, the thermometer regis
tering 90 in many places.
In a battle between Nicaraguan and
Hondurian troops 1,000 Salvadoreans
were killed while assisting Honduras.
Boats between San Francisco and
Portland are sailing with every berth
rilled and many unable to get passage.
The whole of Moldavia has been rav
aged by rebel peasants. Several hun
dred people have been killed or injured
and 10,000 are homeless, having been
burned out. Jews aie the worst suffer
ers. Hudson Maxim, inventor of high
explosives, has invented a new fuse for
shells which promises to revolutionize
armor for warships. Mr. Maxim also
declares that Japan could be in posses
sion of the entire Pacific slope before
we were ready for war and that we are
practically as defenseless as China.
The Transvaal will abolish Chinese
labor.
Roumanian peasants are renewing
the rioting.
Seven alienists have declared Thaw
permanently insane.
S. A. D. Puter is proving a strcng
witness against Hermann.
Nicatragua claimB a decisive victory
ever Honduras and Salvador.
American marines and sailors have
been landed to guard Honduras ports.
There seems to be good prospects fcr
land law reform by the next congress.
The San Fianciscc grand jury is
learning more about the bribery by the
Pacicfi States Telephone company.
Senator Cullom, of Illinois, says
Hairiman deserves to go to jail, and
Governor Deneen is believed to contem
plate prosecution.
Under the name of United Churches,
the Congregational," United Brethren
and Methodist Protestant churches in
14 states will foim one large organiz
ation. Some of the Southern etates
have refused to join.
Rockefeller says railroads are over
capitalized. Stockmen are to be prosecuted if they
trespass on forest reserves.
The government continues to pile up
evidence against Hermann.
A strike of longshoremen at Ham
burg, Germany, has tied up all ship
ping. Roosevelt will propose check on over
capitalization of railroads and will soon
declare his policy.
Roumanian peasants have begun a
crusade against Jews and are driving
them into Austria.
The Colorado legislature hus passed
a railway commission law. Reciprocal
demurrage is also provided for.
Premier Stolypin, of Russia, will
propose many concessions of liberty to
the douma, including free speech and
press, but that body was warned not to
go to extremes or it will be dissolved.
Trainmen on all roads west of Chi
cago have voted to strike if not given
the increase in wages asked. Most of
the roads will, it is believed, refuse to
grant the advance and trouble is looked
for.
Salvador has joined Honduras against
Nicaragua.
A New Mexico grand jury has indict
ed bIx corporation employes for land
fraud.
President Ripley, of the Santa Fe.,
says Roosevelt is to blame for the anti
railroad agitation.
The fisheries agreement between the
United States and Great Britain is be
ing discussed by the house of commons.
Germany and Austria are said to
have changed front and now favor dis
cussion of disarmament at The Hague
peace conference.
FARMS UNDERWATER.
Sacramento River Never Known to
Be So High Before. '
Sacramento, Cal., March 22. From
all down-river points come alarming
news that the Sacramento river is higlr
er than ever known, and that the sit
uation all along the levees is appalling.
There is aheady suffering and every
able-bodied man is assisting in the fight
against the water that is pouring into
the bleaches and inundating thousands
of acres of the finest farming land in
the state.
Special dispatches to the Union from
Freeport, Couitland, Walnut Grove
and Franklin state that the river has
reached the highest stage ever recorded,
and it is predicted that the tenible
scenes witnessed during the tremen
dous floods of 1904 will be surpassed.
Standing on the levee neat Courtland
one may see for 60 miles to the south
east across an unbroken sea of water
which extends clear to Stockton.
Thousands of catt'e are being shelter
ed on top of the levees, as there is nc
other place for them, and if the water
does not fall soon an indescribable con
dition of disaster is considered inevit
able. This morning the J blockade on the
Southern Pacific lines was made com
plete, when the line to the East was
made helpless by a washout of 200 feet
of track at Applegate, but during the
afternoon the situation changed for the
better when, with the report that the
Applegate washout had been repaired,
came another stating that it was ex
pected the track would soon be open
through to Stockton.
A trestle was placed in the gap at
the Applegate washout this afternoon
and more trains were dispatched East.
One of these, a Portland train, will be
sent to Utah and via the Oregon Short
Line. The Placerville line is in full
commission again, but no trains are
operated on the Marysville branch fur
ther than Wheatland.
On the Portland line no trains are
running beyond Redding, the tracks be
ing out at Keswick, Campbell and Ken
nett, and it is not expected that travel
can be resumed beyond Redding for at
least ten days.
ADDITIONAL TRAIN SERVICE.
Canadian Pacific to Enter Portland
on O. R. & N. Tracks.
Portland, March 22. Canadian Pa
cific trains will be running into Port
land May 1 .
Contracts were signed up here yes
terday by traffic- officials of the Cana
dian road with R. B. Miller, general
freight agent for the Oregon Railroad
& Navigation company, allowing the
use of the tracks from Spokane to Port
land. The Canadian Pacific now reach
es Spokane by the Spokane Interna
tional railway from the C. P. R.'s
main line at the Canadian boundary.
Freight service from Portland to all
points in Canada, as well as to the At
lantic seaboard, will be started May 1
by the new traffic arrangement. Pas
senger trains will be put on at a later
date. Through passenger sprvice is
promised from Portland to St. Paul.
The use of the O. R. & N. tracks by
Canadian Pacific equipment was ar
ranged for recently at a conference be
tween President G. M. Bosworth, of
the Canadian line and Traffic Director
J. C. Stubbs, of the Harriman system.
This meeting was held in Chicago a
short time ago.
Historic Fort Swept Away.
San Francisco, March 22. It is re
ported here that all reclamaion districts
in Sutter county have been flooded.
Near Meiidian the water is in the sec
ond stories of the houses. Many fam
ilies are said to be in want. Effcits
will be made to send them relief.
Probably all the stock in these districts
has been drowned. The people of Yuba
county district, above Marysville, are
reported safe.
Near Tudor a break has occurred
close to an Indian mound which was
situated near the old iron fort brought
from the East in sections by General
John A. Sutter in the days before gold
was discovered. Tiie fort is repoited
to have been swept away.
More Steel Men Strike at Hammond.
Hammond, Ind., March, 22. The
strike situation at East Chicago was
intensified today when 3,500 men em
plosed by the Inland Steel company,
walked out. The reason for the walk
out was the demand of the laborers for
an increase of 25c per day. Six hun
dred men struck yesterday at the Inter
state Steel company and 1,200 at the
Republic Iron & Steel company, and
the walkout today brings the total
number of strikers up to more than 5,
000 men. Some rioting occurred today
and one of the strikers was beaten.
Giving Away Sage Money.
New York, March 22. Announce
ment wae made today that Mrs. Russell
Sage has donated $150,000 to the
American Seamen's Friend society, to
be used by that body in the erection of
a proposed sailors' home and institute.
Mrs. Sage has also given $75,000 to the
Syrian Protestant college, of Beirut,
Syria.
SCHMITZ WEAKENING
Offered Terms to Heney Which
Are Promptly Rejected.
COMPLETE SURRENDER EXPECTED
Heney as Dictator of the City Will
Impeach and Remove
the Mayor. ,
San Francisco, March 23. This was
by far the most sensational day in the
local graft situation. Mayor Schmitz
sent an emissary to Assistant District
Attorney Heney and Detective Burns
and asked for terms. When no pro
posals were forthcoming the agents of
the mayor made a definite proposition.
They offered a confession from the
mayor for complete immunity and his
continuance in office until the expira
tion of his term on January 1 of next
year. The offer was rejected with more
speed than it was made and the negoti
ations came to a quick end. The may
or's emissaries are expected to return.
It is not thought that they seriously be
lieved that the prosecution would con
sent to the continuance of Schmitz in
office. But it was simply to create a
point on which they could yield in
future negotiations.
Second only in importance to the
overtures from the mayor were the rev
elation that 13 indictments had been
voted against Abraham K. Detwiler, a
capitalist from Ohio, who visited the
Pacific coast last April in the interest
of the Home Telephone company.
Plans for the future government of
the city were evolved today by Mr.
Heney. District Attorney Langdon and
Rudolph Spreckels. With graft reach
ing into almost every branch of the citj
affairs, the functions of government
have broken down completely. Instead
of an organized form of administration,
Francis J. Heney is practically dictator
of the city and county of San Francisco.
The people 'are ton ter t to let him and
his associates work out the problem.
The plan is to keep the boodling super
vispors in office for a time. They will
obey Mr. Heney 'b orders. Of this there
is no doubt. Should they refuse, indict
ment, trial and conviction and im
prisonment would follow.
While the supervisors remain in office
summary impeachment proceedings will
be brought against the mayor, and he
will be removed by a judge of the Su
perior court after a hearing, which will
not occupy more than a few hours.
Schmitz will be given a chance to reiign
to avoid dismissal.
After the ejection of Schmitz from
the office the board of supervisors will
be ordered to elect as his successor
some man to be chosen by Mr. Heney,
probably District Attorney Langdon.
After the new mayor assumes office, Mr.
Heney will order the 16 boodling su
pervisors to resign and they will resign.
FIGHT FOR PHILIPPINES
Senator Stone Says We Must If We
Fight Japan.
Kansas City, March 23. United
States Senator William A. Stone, in
the course ol a speech here last night at
the monthly dinner of the Knife and
Fork club, said:
"If we are to have serious trouble
with any nation, it will be with Japan.
Japan wants the Philippines. I am
not sure whether it would not be test
for all concerned if she should get
them, but one thing is certain, and
that ia, she will never get them with
our consent. But we may have trouble
in keeping them.
"Japan would seize the archipelago,
and in a week. We could only send
over a big enough fleet to wipe Japan
fiomthesea. That would be a huge
and costly task."
Trovn Otf Express Car.
Palestine. Tex.. March 23. As train
No. 4 of the International Great North
ern, north bound, was leaving Elkhart,
12 miles below here, last night, Ex
press Messenger Winstey Womack of
the Pacific Express company, was at
tacked and thrown out of the car. He
was not miseed from the train until
Palestine was reached and a little later
a telephone message was received from
him at Elkhart, stating that he had
been assaulted by robbers. The safe
in the car was open when the train
reached Palestine.
Great Fire In Navy-Yard.
Penealcola. Fla.. March 23. Fire
last night destroyed building No. 1 at
the Pensacoln navy yard, entailing a
loss of $175,000. In addition to this
loss the machinery and equipment for
the gunboats Gloucester and and Isle
de Luzon were destroyed.
AFTER BIG ONES.
Mayor Schmiiz and Boss Ruef May
Go Free if They Tell All.
San Francisco, March 20. Following
the wholesale confession of members of
the board of supervisors before the
grand jury yesterday, there was a
scramble today of bribetakers and
bribegivers to get from under. The
rush to Heney'e office began with dawn
and continued far into the night.
The greater part of tho volunteer
army was turned away, but a few who
were able to throw new light on some
of the bribery scandals wore allowed to
pour forth their tales of degradation.
It may be stated at the outset in pos
itive terms that District Attorney Lang
don and Assistant District Attorney
Heney will grant immunity to those
supervisors who have confessed. It
may also be stated that every member
of the original board, with possibly two
exceptions, have confessed.
With equal positiveness it may be
stated thatjthe ultimate object of the
prosecution is not the conviction of
Mayor Schmitz and Abe Ruef. If
Schmitz and Ruef will reveal the full
details jf their nefarious transactions
and make conviction of the millionaire
bribegivers doubly sure, they will eith
er be pardoned after conviction or will
be allowed to go free.
Should they refuse to confess th evi
dence at hand will be used against
them, and it is sufficient to send them
both to jail for the rest of their lives.
Convictions can be obtained against
Ruef which will result in a total pen
alty of 300 years. Each time Ruef
birbed a supervisor he laid the founda
tion for a , fresh indictment, and he
biibed 15 of them time and time again.
AMERICANS IN PERIL.
Nicaraguans Threaten to Loot Cap
tured Cities of Honduras.
Puerto Cortez, Honduars, March 16,
via New Orleans, March 20. A turn of
sinister significance was given to the
Central American war today by the
finding on the persons of captured Ni
caraguan soldiers proclamations prom
ising them loot of the first cities which
they can capture in both Honduras and
Salvador.
Americans in Puerto Cortez are anx
ious, because American residents are
the principal property holders of most
of the llonduran cities. Any doubt as
to the completeness of such a loot is
dispelled not only by the wording of
the proclamations, but by the experi
ence had in 1894 by some of the per
sons not living at Puerto Cortez, who
were present at the looting of Cholu
teca, Honduras.
LOST BRIDGES STOP TRAFFIC.
Child'Drowned in Creek Fruit Crop
MayJBe Ruined.
San Jose,' Cal., March 20. More
damage has been done by floods in the
creeks in the last 24 hours than in the
past 15 years. The washing out of
bridges, notably the Southern Pacific
on the Almaden branch, will stop all
traffic from San Jose to Los Gatos by
way of Campbell for weeks. The dam
age in the vicinity of the latter town
will reach many thousand dollars.
Fruit farmers generally are of the
opinion that there will be light crops
this year, if some do not prove utter
failures. . The rains are believed to
have washed out much of the pollen,
which will prevent the blooms matur
ing into fruit.
At San Martin, Harold Bole, the 5
year old son of a well known rancher,
fell into the swollen Lagas creek and
was drowned. At Santa Clara several
families were driven from their homes
by the overflow of the Guadaloupe
creek.
Unwilling to Prosecute Fencers.
Cheyenne, Wyo., March 20. The
announcement was made today that B.
M. Auhserman, of Evanston, recently
appointed United States district attor
ney for Wyoming by President Roose
velt, had declined to qualify for the
office caused surprise in local political
circles. It is repoited here that the
intention of the administration to in
sist upon criminal rather than civil
prosecutions in the cases of illegal fenc
ing of the public range had a bearing
upon the decision of Mr. Ausherman.
A new selection will be made.,
More Floods in Ohio Valley
Pittsburg, March 20. The Mononga-
hela, Allegheny and Ohio riveisare ris
ing rapidly on account of heavy rains
throughout Western 1 Pennsylvania.
Many small streams in this vicinity are
already overflowing their banks. Fore
caster Penny forecasts a 24-foot rise by
tomorrcw noon.
Suit for Kingston Insurance.
Kingston, March 20. The first suit
against the insurance companies to re
cover for losses sustained In the earth
quake was filed yesterday. The York
shire company is the defendant. Other
companies will soon be sued.
Successful Train Holdup
Yekaterinoslav, Russia, March 20.
Ten armed men held up a train on the
outskirts of this town today and secured
$7,500 in cash, with which they made
their escape.
SCOPE IS WIDENING
Millionaire Wall Street Magnates
Implicated With Ruef.
INDICTMENTS ISSUE IN SHEAVES
Heney and Burns Assert That 1 hey
Have Only Begun Ruef Ex
pected to Confess.
San Francisco, March 21. Sixty-five
indictments were filed by tho grand
jury today against Abe .Ruef and 10
against T. V. Ilalsey, of the Pacific
States Telephone company. They all
charge bribery. Assistant District At
torney Heney and Federal Agent Burns
assert that it is only a beginning.
The total amount represented in the
indictments is $218,750. When to this
is added the amount which went to
Ruef and Schmitz, the total will reach
$1,000,01)0 in five deals exposed today.
There are more deals of which the
public has small conception. They in
clude not only local magnates, but men
who have mansions in New York, who
have trafficked for special private gains
in San Francisco for their corporations.
It is understood that a power in Wall
street who recently testified before the
Interstate Commerce commission will
be given an opportunity to defend him
self. Tonight Ruef and Schmitz are abject
and forlorn. The entire board of su
pervisors lias confessed. Schmitz is
ready to do the same. Ruef is awak
ening rapidly. By the end of next
week tiie indictments which will con
front him will bo mountain high. By
that time it is expected that Ruef will
offer to confess.
PUTER TELLS STORY.
Admits of Deals With Hermann to
Steal Land.
Washington, March 21. Oregon con
victs occupied the limelight in the trial
of Binger Hermann today, while men
under indictment played minor roles.
S. A. D. Puter, the government's
heavyweight witness, was put on the
stand this afternoon and began the
narration of his relations witli Her
mann in connection with land opera
tions that have subsequently tuined
out to be fraudulent.
Puter was preceded by Dan W. Tarp
ley, who told in considerable detail the
manner in which he, Horace G. Mc
Kinley and F. P. Mays attempted to
"get rich quick" through the absoro-
tion of land in the Blue mountain for
est reserve.
The stories told by Puter and Tarp
ley did not throw any new light on
either the Blue mountain or the 11-7
land fraud cases, which were threshed
out in Portland. But the stories of
both men were retold today to show
their relations with Hermann and to
aid the government in its efforts to
show Hermann's motive for destroying
the fateful letterpress copybooks.
STREETS ARE FLOODED.
All Business in Stockton Suspended
by High Water.
Stockton, Cal., March 21. Water is
running through the streets of this city
like a millrace, In some places it is
six feet deep, while in others it varies
from one to three feet, the latter being
the mean average. All business is sus
pended, as most of the business houses
are flooded and the people in many
parts of the city are afraid to leae
their homes.
No portion of the town escaped.
Main, the principal business street of
the city, is the high point, and even
here the water averages nearly a foot in
depth. All the cellars and many of the
first floors of the business houses were
submerged and the loss in the city
alone will run into hundrede of thous
ands of dollars.
Roadbed Torn Up by Slide.
Ashland, Or., March 21. The con
tinued rains of the past four days have
badly demoralized the main Portland
San Francisco line of the Southern Pa
cific for a distance of 50 miles through
the upper Sacramento canyon region in
Northern California. The country
most severely affected lies between Sis
son on the north and Redding on the
south. In this section the Sacramento
river, has played havoc with the rail
road roadbed at various points, while
at other places slides of serious propor
tions have added to the difficulties.
State Will Pay Their Fare.
Concord, N. H., March 21. A bill
forbidding state officers to use or solicit
free passes on the railroads passed both
houses of the legislature today under
suspension of the rules, following a re
port from the judiciary committee.
By the bill the governor is authorized
to contract for railroad transportation
for members of the legislature and;
house cf congress as needed.