A MI8FIT INDEPENDENCE.
fop sold that indupcudcnce woo the
greatest tiling he knew, "
And when my daddy says a thing It's
gcnonilly true.
It helps a miin to triumph for the right
and send hit foes
Up whore the grunt Bnlt river is, up
where the woodbine grows.
But woo Is me that It should bo;
It didn't work thut wny with me,
And this Is how it was, you see:
On July Fourth when I got up I'd net
tled in my mind '
That I'd be just the freest of the Inde
pendent kind;
I'd have my way all through the day, uo
matter what should bap,
And that Is why face down I He across
my daddy's lap,
And that Is why I cry, "Oh, my!" as he
lays on the strap.
Ho told me jiiHt at breakfast time to
help him feed the cows,
And when I said I wouldn't we'd the
prettiest of rows.
But I was firm, for I was free,
Just as he said I ought to be,
"And then I skipped. Ah, woe Is me!
I stayed away the livelong day,
And then there was the deuce to pay,
For when I got back home that night
My daddy's1 wrath was out of sight
He wouldn't hear a word from me '
About the, glories of the free,
But simply put me on his knee
And gave It to me one, two, three
From which I judge that while it's clear
That independence has no peer
For nations fond of liberties,
It doesn't do for families,
Else pop has gone and changed his mind
Or mine was not the proper kind.
Harper's Bazar.
A DILEMMA OF
THE FOURTH
Six boys, aged about 14 and 13, bad
formed a club called The President's
Own. Originally, the club room had
been the upper story of a brick stable,
And the boys had secured the use of it
free of rent.
For several weeks the club had been
saving money for a glorious Fourth of
July celebration. Sky rockets, Roman
-candles and even flower bankets were to
be bought with the ten dollars and thirty
two cents they had collected for this pur
pose and were to be set oft! from a huge
rock above the village, where all could
see the display.
James Porter, the keeper of the largest
grocery in Uie village, went to New
York for the fireworks which the Presi
dent's Own had ordered ; the weekly pa
per announced the pyrotechnic treat In
etore for Dogberry, and all was in trim
for the most patriotic Fourth the little
town had ever known.
The Fourth was due on Saturday and
all Friday the President's Own fidgeted
through their lesson, and 4 o'clock had
no more than sounded than they ran pell
mell to the club room, where they had
agreed to meet, six strong.
. "I saw Jim Porter this afternoon,"
announced Maxwell Fenn, a leader of the
club, "and he said he hnd our fireworks
all right. Suppose we go right away
and get them."
"That's the idea," said Alfred War
ren, leading the way. "Come on. There's
no time to spare."
The boys started whistling and doing a
double shuffle down the path, when Clar
ence Richmond called out, "Who's got the
money for the 'technics?"
"That's so!" answered the rest, stop
ping short. "Guess we'd better go back
end get It, If you've forgotten It."
Upon this The President's Own wheeled
and returned to the club room, moving In
a body on the closet, where the money
was hoarded in an old leather wallet. The
closet was well lighted by the window
opposite, and the boys searched every
nook and corner without finding the wal
let. "Where did you keep it, anyway?"
was demanded of Maxwell Fenn.
"I didn't keep It anywhere ; I gave It to
Clarence," growled Maxwell.
"I know where I kept it well enough,"
retorted Clarence. "I kept It right up
here on this shelf under the baseball caps,
but it ain't there now; that's sure
enough."
The President's Own groaned. Again
end again they fumbled among the caps
on the shelf, and among the bats, golf
clubs and tennis racquets on the floor of
the closet. The money was not to be
found and they turned away looking into
one another's faces for explanation, but
finding none. ' . ,
. "What's to be done how?" asked Clar
ence. "You ought to know."
"Well, I don't." . , .
"Say ! How'd It do to say nothing
Tout it to-night and to-morrow we can
look again," suggested Alfred.
"Agreed!" cried the others, so they
filed out of the club room, locking" it
with the greatest care, and disbanding,
to go home with very sober faces and
gloomy hearts.
The much-anticipated Fourth was a
sunny, delightful day, and the President's
Own convened early at the club room, as
they bad agreed. A second search, how
ever, was as disappointing as the first
had been, and a heavy-hearted six stood
about the club table, tapping abstracted
ly upon it.
"It's hard on old Porter, too," ob
served one of them. . t
"Oh, his flreworks'll keep til! next
year, when we'll be ablei to buy them,"
aid, another,
Looking the door, the boys walked
slowly down the main street, looking at
other boys' fireworks. Thus they whlled
away the day as best they could till 4
o'clock. Wandering dejectedly along a
side street, they came face to face with
Oen. Bradbury, the summer cottager of
whom all Dogberry was so proud, ,
"Halloo, boys!" he cried. "A glori
ous day for your celebration. Hear you
are to give us something fine to-night."
Glancing hastily from one to another,
the boys blurted out, "That's all up now ;
the mon's lost somehow !"
"What! How?" the general demanded,
sympathetically, much surprised.
"We don't know," answered Clarence.
"The men about the stable might have
stolen It," and then he stopped, flushing
at the realization that he bad uninten
tionally expressed the boys' suspicions.
"See here, my lads, don't be so quick
to blume someone till you're sure ! Sup
pose you come up to my house this even
ing, and If there are any fireworks to be
fdund In the town we'll send them off."
"We will," said the President's Own
heartily, then added hesitatingly, "Jim
Porter's got some fireworks, sir. We
were going to take them, but "
"Oh, yes ! I understand," laughed the
general, and he turned on to the main'
street and hurried to the pyrotechnic sup
plying Porter.
Half-past 7 o'clock that evening found
the President's 0wn assembled upon the
terrace of the general, helping hlra to
adjust the most elaborate fireworks dis
play that the little village had ever
dreamed of.
The general's pretty daughter and
housekeeper now left her seat on the
JOHN HANCOCK.
THOS. JEFFERSON.
piazza and, joining the President's Own
on the terrace, Invited them to the din
ing room to complete their celebration,
there. This invitation produced a lively
whispering among the boys of the club,
and they followed their host and hostess
to the dining room. Before partaking of
the tempting refreshments, Maxwell Fenn
rose to moke a little speech.
"It has been unanimously decided,
Gen. Bradbury," he said, "that you shall
be asked to become a member of the
President's Own. The club has now ex
isted two years, and this is the first occa
sion upon which we have extended the
right hand of fellowship to a fellow not
our own age. We shall be glad to have
you' belong." '
With cheeks very red, he sat down and
dug deep into his mound of Ice cream.
"Thank you, my boys," answered the
general, waving his glass of lemonade.
"I am highly honored and shall be very
pleased to become what might be termed
a sleeping partner of the President's
Own." ' ,
The cheers that followed this pithy ac
ceptance were only quieted when Miss
Bradbury held, up her dainty hand and
asked for a moment's attention.
"My father," she said, "has told me
of the club's pecuniary loss, and I have
thought that If they would be so good
as to allow me to visit their club room,
that well " and she stopped and look
ed up at her father as If he were to com
plete her meaning.
"Do come! ,We shall be glad to show
you our room," the boys cried in one
voice. - . , .
So that Is how it happened that the
next Monday afternoon, -after school
hours, Miss Bradbury was escorted by
her father to the club room of the Presi
dent's Own, and she seemed much Inte'r
ested In all she saw.
"See what a nice, big closet the club
has," said the general, pointing to a door
which was ajar, disclosing the parapher
nalia of athletic boys.
"May I look Inside Just once?" she
asked, exchanging a glance with her
father. i '
"Oh, do I" they answered.
And it was then that, reaching up to
the shelf on which the baseball caps were
tossed, the girl felt. under them and drew
out the lost wallet, Its contents undis
turbed: ; ! ' , . (
The President's Own stared at Miss'
Bradbury as I' she were a' magician, but
she only smiled and told them that she
had mistrusted that It was there ever
since her father had told her about its
Iobs.
"A woman's fingers," she added, "are
much better' for finding things than a
boy's that is, the boys of The President's
Own," and she smiled archly at them.
The club did not argire the point. It
whistled, stamped, cheered, apologized for
the racket, and Immediately voted the
charming 'girl the one and only feminine
member of The President's Own. De
troit Free Press.
NOTHIW DOIN' Off THE FOURTH.
Jnlr 2 Wan the Date on Which In
dependence Wm Declared.
The government has published a book
showing that the Fourth of July ought
to come on the 2d of the month. The
book Is entitled "The Story of the Dec
laration of Independence," and the author
is Col. Wm. 'H. Michael, who has chargo
of that historic document and the price
less archives which go with it. The brief
account given in the preface of the adop
tion of the Declaration of Independence
shows that Congress passed the resolu
tion on July 2. That Is really the date
on which a majority of the people's rep
resentatives formally and legally express
ed their intent.
According to the journal of that Con
gress, the original of which is on file,
nothing actually happened on the Fourth
of July. On the Oth of July the vote, by
States, was made unanimous by the ad
dition of New York, which had not be
fore been authorized to take this course.
BICHABD HENRY LEE.
JOHN AnAMS.
So this date might be celebrated if it
were desired to commemorate the date of
the complete adoption of the resolution
If it were desired to commemorate the
day when the declaration was siened.
Aug. 2 might be selected, as on that day
the members of Congress began to attach
their signatures to the formally drafted
document.
By an error In the journal a note was
made on the 19th of July to this effect :
"Ordered that the declaration (passed on
the fourth) be fairly engrossed on parch
ment, with the title and style of "The
Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen
United States Of America." It Is evi
dent that the journal should have read
"passed on the 2d," for that was the day
when Richard Henry Lee's resolution
commanded a majority of the votes. On
that day the resolution received the votes
of all of New England, New Jersey,
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and
Georgia. South Carolina and Pennsyl
vania voted against it. The Delaware
vote was evenly divided; the New York
delegates were uninstructed. and refrain
ed from voting. The next day, July 3,
Ca?sar Rodney of Delaware came eighty
miles on horseback, as hard as the beast
could go, to add his vote for independence,
and thus Delaware was swung into line.
It was several days later that Pennsyl
vania and New York came wabbling
along.
The first celebration of Independence
day was at Philadelphia, on July 8, when
the sheriff of that city read a copy of
the original declaration, passed on the 2d.
The man who drafted the resolution pass
ed on the 2d of July, which consisted of
a short paragraph sufficient to voice the
sentiment of each State for or against
the proposed war for Independence, was
Richard Henry Lee. The man who sup
ported the resolution on the floor, and
led in the debate which preceded the vote,
was John Adams. The man who after
ward drafted the formal declaration, to
the outside world, embodying the senti
ment of the Lee resolution, was Thos.
Jefferson. The man who presided over
the convention where the resolution was
adopted was John Hancock.''
The Unexpected.
He bought a huge cracker as big as a rail,
To be useiat poor Tabhy's expense.
The cat ran Away with the fur off her tall,
While Willie flew over the fence.
. . Judge. '
OREGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST j
SHEEPMEN KICK AT TOLLS.
Hate to Pay Tax for Driving Across
Umatilla Reserve.
Pendleton Three thousand sheep
are now on their way across the Urn
atflla Indian reservation, being the
first to pay the required tax and
cross with a permit. The band be
longs to Joe Connelly, and the ex
pense incurred by the toll will be
close to $100. When the Indians,
under the direction and supervision
of O. C. Edwards, the agent, last
year put a tax on livestock driven
across the reservation there was
much dissatisfaction among the
sheepmen, who drove their flocks
around instead of across. All the
sheepmen, both last year and this,
with the exception of Mr. Connelly,
have taken their sheep on a circuit
ous and difficult route around the
reservation.
The rule made last year requires
a toll of 3 cents a head on sheep, 5
cents on horses and 10 cents on cat
tle. In addition the owner must give
a bond for damages and, pay an In
dian policeman to act as escort, to
see that no grazing is allowed along
the route.
That the toll of 3 cents is wholly
unjust is held by the sheepmen. Ac
cording to them they have no objec
tion to paying an Indian policeman
to accompany them and to giving the
bond for damages, but they look up
on the toll as pure graft on the part
of the Indians.
Archie .Mason to Build Aey Dike
Klamath Falls Archie Mason, of
the firm Mason, Davis & Co., has
been advised by William Hood, chief
engineer of the Southern Pacific
Company, that his bid on the con
struction of the dike across the Kla
math marsh had been accepted, and
that he was expected to begin work
at once. This is a good piece of news
for this section as it means the early
completion of the California-Northeastern
Railway to this city. Mrt
Mason expects to have two large
steam dredges in operation by July
10, and states that he will complete
the contract by the first of the year.
The contract embraces a dike or
grade about six miles long across the
Ady swamp lands. The fact that
Mr. Mason has undertaken construc
tion of the dike gives assurance that
the railroad will reach this city dur
ing the summer ofc 1908.
Law Weak at Vital Point.
Salem An inquiry received by the !
state railroad commission from a rail
road telegraph operator calls attention
to the fact that the act of the last legis
lature regulating the hours of labor of
railroad employes was very loosely
drawn. Though the law forbids the
employment of telegraph operators
more than 14 consecutive hours, there
is nothing to prevent their being work
ed 23 hours out of 24 if they be given
an hour's rest at the end of 14 hours.
Trainmen are protected in this respect,
but telegraphers are not.
Adams Wheat Crop is Good.
Adams The prospect for a banner
yield of wheat in this locality was
never any more promising than at the
present time,. The fall wheat in most 1
Instances was put in at just the right
time and got a good start and while
the spring wheat came on slowly on ac
count of the backward season the late
rain has now insured a good crop, and
the acreage is considerably larger than
a year ago. The same report comes
from the Weston and Athena district,
which is the center of the great Walla
Walla valley wheat belt.
' Factory Employes Protected.
Oregon City Deputy State Com
missioner of Labor and Inspector of
Factories and Workshops C. . Henry
Gram, of Portland, have made an in
spection of the factories in this city.
He visited the huee nlant of the Wil
lamette Pulp & Paper Company,'
where he made a close examination, ,
and declared the protection afforded
the lives of the employes was first
class, aa was also the fire protection.
Mr. Gram is president of the State
Federation of Labor.
Construction Starts Soon.
Drain Every Indication points
toward an early opening of construc
tion work on the Oregon Western
Railroad from here to Coos Bay.
Concrete abutments for the steel
bridges on the "Y" across Elk Creek
are being built and all the steel for
the two bridges is now in the yards
in South Drain. At the tunnels the
machinery is being put in shape and
everything will be ready for work In
ten days.
Mill Assessment Shows Increase.
Aberdeen County Assessor" Car
ter says that the total value of the
mills of Grays Harbor, exclusive of
shingle mills,, as shown by the re
turns is (896,020. -The personal as
sessment property of Chehalis county
will show a 10 per cent increase over
the assessment cf two"' years ago.
Only personal property Is assessed
this year. , "
WHEAT NOT SPOILED.
Clackamas County Crops ard Looking
Well Large Abpie Crop.
Oregon City The farmers of
Clackamas county are encouraged
over crop conditions, and believe
that the yield will be large, espec
ially in wheat. The aphis, which did
so much damage? last year, has not
appeared, and the recent rains have
been very beneficial. Last year the
aphis prevented much of the wheat
from heading, and the loss to the
farmers was heavy. Reports from
outlying districts are very satisfac
tory, and in the eastern and south
ern portions of the, county there will
be good crops. George H. Gregory,
of Molalla, one of the few teasel
growers of the Pacific Coast, says
the crop this year cannot be excelled.
While the prune crop in many sec
tions will be short, there is a fine
prospect for a large crop of apples.
The strawberry crop is still being
harvested, and Wilson berries sold
for $1 per crate in the local mar
kets Saturday. Indications are bright
for a large crop of cherries, and very
few have been spoiled by the rains so
far this season.
Trout Plaated Near Astoria.
Astoria A shipment of 2,000
brook trout and 12,000 rainbow
trout has been received from the
government hatchery on the Clack
amas river. The brook trout were
planted in streams near Forts Co
lumbia and Stevens, while the rain
bow trout were planted in streams
tributary to upper Young's River and
running through property owned by
Dr. Vaughn and C. V. Brown of this
city. Messrs. Vaughn and Brown,
will prohibit fishing in the streams
;for three years, will feed the young
fish for a time, and will also fence
off with wire screens the portions of '
'the streams where the fry were
planted.
Crude Oil for Track.
Pendleton The oiling of the O.
, R. & N. Co.'s roadbed between here
and Spokane is now on in earnest. A
I trial run has been made under the
direction of M. J. Buckley. The road
that ia being oiled is considered by
travelers to be the dustiest and most
disagreeable road to travel in , the
Northwest. The route lies through,
alkali dust and sand for many miles
and all passengers alighting from the
Spokane train are covered with a
white coating. The dust, coupled
with the heat of the summer months,
makes travel on thia road anything
but a pleasure.
Heavy Wheat Yield Certain.
Condon About an inch and a half
of rain has fallen here and the
ground is soaked deeper than ever
before at this time of the year. A
big yield of fall grain is absolutely
assured and many of the wheat men
are expecting from 25 to 40 bushels
to the acre, which will be the largest
yield in the history of the country.
PORTLAND MARKETS.
Wheat Club, 86cj bluestem, 88
89c; valley, 86c; red, S'l
Oats No. 1 white, $27.5028.50;
gray, nominal.
Barley Feed, $21.5022 per ton;
brewing, nominal; rolled, $23.50
24.50.
Corn Whole, $28; cracked, $29 per
ton.
Hav Vallev tmothv. No. 1. 11718
per ton ; Eastern Oregon timothy, $21
23; clover, $9; cheat, $910; grain
hay, $910; alfalfa, $1314.
Fruits Strawberries, $1.502 per
crate; cherries," 65 75c per box;
apples, $33.50 per box; apricots,
$1.251.65 per crate; plums, $1.65
per box.
Vegetables Turnips, $2 per sack;
carrots, $2.50 per sack; beets, $2.50
perEack; asparagus, lOo per pound;
beans, 78o per pound; cabbage,
2c per pound; corn, 3550o per
Arwan fintiimliowi 7fn ruin Iniran i
tuce. bead, 25c per dozen; onions, 15
20o per dozen? peas, 2$4o per
pound; radishes, 20c per dozen: rhu
barb, 3o per pound; tomatoes, $3.50
4 per crate.
Potatoes Oregon, $2.753.25 sack;
new potatoes, 34c per pound.
Butter Fancy creamey, 22)25o
per pound. , . '
Poultry Average old ; hens, llo
per pound; mixed chickens, 10c;
spring fryers and broilers, 1415o; old
roosters, 9c; dressed chickpns, 16
17c; turkeys, live, 10 12c; turkeys,
dressed, choice, nominal; geese, live,
pound, 710c; young ducks, 1314o;
old ducks, lUc. ..
Eggs Candled, 2324o per dozen.
Veal Dressed, 547o per pound.
Beel Dressed bulls, Z 4o per
pound; cows, 66c; country steers,
67c.
Mutton Dressed, fancy, 9c pe:
pound; ordinary, 57c; spring lamb?,
1010c.
Pork Dressed, 68)c per pound.
Hops 68c per pound, according to
quality.
Wool Eaetern Oregon average best,
1622o per pound, according to shrink
age; vauey, zjzzc, according to fine
ness; mohair, cnoice Z93Uo per
pound.