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VOL. I. IIOULTON, COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON, rillDAY, FEBHUAUY 24, 1905. NO. 44.
COLUMBIA
ii ir
NEWS OF THE VEEK
In a Ccntocd Form Icr Our
Esy Readers.
UAFFENINOS OF TWO CONTINENTS
A Return of th Lsis Important but
Not Loll lntsrstlng Events
of tho Past Wtk.
A great battle ii impending In Man
churcla. Senator Mitchell will endeavor to
lav hi trial In April.
A Ufa saving station la to m estab
lished at Nome, Alaska.
1 learnt will 1 an Independent candl
lu (or mayor of New York.
Tho (antral ( Grand Duke Kerglus
will be private (or (ear o( terrorists.
The government ha txgun a thor
Migh investigation ol the beef trust.
King Alfonso, of Ppain, I to marry
I'rlncfM Victoria, of Ptui-sia, daughter
( KaWr Wllhelro.
Japan haa a strong fleet in the Indian
c an awaiting the arrival of the Hue
ian I'-altic squadron.
Kantaa will extend the investigation
if the Standard Oil to all the trusts
and other state offer all.
Two trainmen ana two women were
wriuuidy hurt in a wreck on the North
rn Pacific near Plain, Mont,
Chines junkmen have confessed to
having murdered a German and
French attache an 1 one other Kurojxaa
while they were attempting to em-ap
from Tort Arthur last August.
The eenate haa ratified the treaty l
tween pratleally all nation lor the ex
emption o( hp!tal ship in time o
war (mm the pavment of all duliea
and taxes Imposed (or the benefit o( the
enine.
Fire destroyed two piers and two
- steamer at Boston.
I'Uh wilt spend
I-wl and Clark (air.
130,000 at the
The Cody, Wyoming, bank robbcra
have lieen caught in Utah.
Pennsylvania oil men will build
large refining plant in Kansas.
All Panama canal commissioners took
' (era m Panama railroad director.
Kuaaian university atudenta have de
manded refortna and auapended study
The president promise a thorough
Investigation of the Standard Oil com
pany.
Threatening letter, sent to the cm
have canned martial law to be pro-
i-laimed at Tsarskoe-Helo.
llie inaian appropriation Mil, aa re
ported to llie senate, will contain no
provision (or church ihcoolH. '
Kumnan cavalry made a raid arouml
the flunk and rear of the Japanese
rmy and drove in all small pnrtiea
Four men were killed and 14 others
Injured by an exploding boiler at tli
Provident Coal company, St. Claim
ville, Ohio.
The Oregon hind fraud trials are t
lie pof)tMiied until June. Attorney
I leney expects more indictments w he
tho grand jury recoveries in April.
Nan Patterson Is seriously ill with
tOUHilltlM.
The powers have refused to allow
Jreece to annex Crete
A report from Colon says that city is
now free from yellow fever.
Three minor Russian ofllcials have
been murdered or assaulted by terror
lots.
Russian terrorist have threatened
the lives of nearly all of tho imperia
family.
Tho government has just contracted
for (10,000 tons of coal to be delivered
t Cavite, Philippine islands.
i he United Mates iJolton Duck cor
poration in 1904 made a Burplus of
9160,085, after paying interest on
bonds.
Two membera of the Panama cana!
commission are on their way home to
make recommendations to the cana
committee of congress (or changes in
tho plans.
New York society women intend to
build tho Colony club on Madison ave
nue, New York, (or women exclusively.
' Special Attorney Heney has arrivod
in Washington and will make a report
on the Oregon land fraud cases and as
eist in the Hyde-Dlmond land fraud
cases in California before the supreme
court of the United States.
The czar, is said to have docided to
offer peace.
... France will build a warship of the
largest type to take the place of the one
recently wrecked.
OOINOS IN CONQRE8S.
Wednesday, February 16.
The senate totlay continued hut could
not conclude, consideration of the bill
a I i a t ..
mating appropriations nr tin eupporx
the government of the District of
Columbia.
In the Swayn trial a number o( wit
neaitoa were examined lor the purpose
o( aacertainlng 1( the Judge waa In the
habit of traveling on passe.
The question of what the policy of
the government should be with reaper!
to the upbuilding of the navy waa again
threaded out In the houae today. At
tho time of adjournment the navy ap
propriation bill waa atiu under cotiaid
eratlon. Thursday, February 18-
Aside from two hours apent in mo-
tine buainesa the senate today gave its
entire attention to the Hwayne impeach-
ment trial. Two and a half hours of
the time given to that case waa spent
behind closed doors.
Before taking .op the naval bill,
which occr-pied the greater part of ita
time, the houae today entered an em
hatlc protest against the action of tho
senate in amending the agricultural
bill. After considering the naval bill
(or the most of the day it waa laid aside
and several bills of minor importance
were passed.
Friday, February 17.
The bouse today re Jected all changes
n the original statehood bill by send
ng It to conference without taking any
action on it.
j na senate, today passed a bill appro
priating $9,940,000 for the District o(
Columbia, and the diplomatic and con
sular appropriation bill carrying (j2,
150.000.
Only one hour was spent today on
the owayne imcachment trial.
Saturday, February 18.
After an hour spent as a court of im
peachmcnt the senate today took up the
apjMilntment of a conference committee
on the statehood bill. The matter was
finally Ntponed until Monday, when
the special order of the day, the eu
logies upon the character of tho late
Fcntaor Quay, was entered upon.
The house passed the pension appro
priatlon bill, carrying 1138,285,200.
The District of Columbia appropriation
bill was sent to conference, a bill w
passed to prohibit interstate transpor
tation of insect pests, carrying w 1th it a
One and imprisonment.
Monday, February 20.
1 he nouse passed llie naval appro
priation-bill carrying a total of $U9,
014,3511. The provision (or two battle
bit as reported by tho committee on
naval affairs was retained.
Whether the aenate conferees on tho
statehood bill shall represent the party
that defeated Joint statehood (or An
aona and New Mexico or the party that
(ought for the retention of that pro vis
ion was debated at length today, but no
decision was reached.
The Swayne trial was taken up at 2
o clock. Two witnesses were exam
ined. Alter the provisions of tho Flor
ida statutes relating to suits of eject
ment or disqualification of judges had
been read it was announced that the
cano ol the bouse managers was con
eluded. The preliminary statement
for Sway no was not finished when the
court adjourned for the day.
Tuesday,- February 21.
(Ml A 1 . I .
i lie nouso uxiay passed me rinnp-
pine lanu bill, practicably as it came
from the committee. The river and
harbor appropriation bill was then
taken up but it was soon laid aside and
several measures were passed, the most
important of which was tho authoma
tion given the secretary o( war to return
to the several states the Union and Con
federate bnttlefhigs.
The .senate committee Unlay reported
that it would bo impossible to act on
the railroad rate bill at this session
without ignoring the railroads. Con
sidcratlon of tho Indian appropriatoin
bin was iegun. A short time was
given to the defense of Judge Swayne,
and the somite Itcgan tho consideration
of tho bill for the government of the
isthmian canal xone.
Will Have Action on Rates.
Washington, Feb. 17. Representa
tive TownHund, of Michigan, one of the
authors of the Esch-Townsend freight
rate bill, had a talk with the president
today regarding the prospects for the
enactment of the measure Into law.
Townsend expressed the opinion that
there was a chance (or the passage of
the bill. After his talk with the presi
dent, Mr. Townsend said that in the
event no legislation on the rate ques
tion waa enacted at) this session, an
extra session of congress would be
called by the president. '
Caatro Defies Unci Sam.,
PariB, Feb. 17, A semi-official die-
patch from Caracas, Venezuela, says
that under the pressure of President
Castro, the court has ordered the ee-
quostration of tile landed property of
the American Asphalt company. Tho
decision in the case has caused excite-
I ment among Americans at Caracas.
BIANY MINERS DEAD
nnm MMfW.Aj tm-lA In
U I U UiiC liiUiUilU LUU.uwwJ 14
A!uwuin3 Elc8.
EXPLOSION OF OUST TEE CAUSE
Dataila of Caut of Explosion Will
Likely Never Be Known Reliaf
Hurried to Scene.
Birmingham, Ala., Feb. 21. By an
explosion In the Virginia mine, about
18 miles southwest o( Birmingham, at
4 o'clock this afternoon, between 110
and 135 union miners are entombed
and it is believed tho entire number
suffered an awful death. Scores of
vigorous rescuers are at work digging
into tho mine to relieve their (riends
and comrades in the inside. -
The explosion is believed to have
been cauxed by an accumulation of
dust, although the mine has heretofore
been noted (or being entirely (reo from
dust. It is also believeed that, as the
entire quota lias probably been killed,
the details o( the cause of the disaster
will never be known.
The camp is almost isolated from the
rest of the world, there is no telephone
station at Virginia, and the only wire
running to the place is a dispatcher's
wire of the Birmingham Mineral rail
way, on which Virginia is located.
Details of the disaster were slow to
come in. .
The class of miners employed waa
the best in the district, and all be
longed to the United Mine workers of
America. Since the strike baa been on
in the Birmingham district, many of
the most industrious and thrifty miners
ol I'ratt City and other important min
Ing points have removed to the Vir
ginia mines, so maiine mmea were
Detng worked to their full capacity by
the most skilled miners in tho comtnu
nity.
iieuci trains witn surgeons and
workmen were distched from both
Birmingham and Bessemer aa soon as
the news of the disaster was learned
They began the work of succor in earn
est and at midnight had not dug hall
way through the mass of debris. It
is
thought tt will bo 10 o'clock tomor
row before the interior of the stopo
reached.
is
ine slopes are wen arranged and
there has never been the least trouble
in the mines before. -They are owned
by the Alabama Steel & Wire company
but are leased and operated by Keid
Co.
EXTRA SESSION ON RA1 E LAW.
Will
Be Called in October. Earlier
Action Being Impossible.
Washington, Feb. 21. President
Boose veil, who for weeks has been
hopeful that some definite action might
bo taken at the present session o( con
grews on the railroad rate question
practially haa relinquished the idea of
securing legislation on the subject this
winter. It is reasonably certain that
he w ill not call an extraordinary i
sion oi congress to meei m tne spring,
but unless he changes his mind, he will
call congress together, prolwbly next
October.
Representatives Esch and Townsend
joint authors of the rate bill whk
paused the house, had a talk with the
president today. Thev , outlined the
rate situation and conditions as the
found it. They agreed with him that
the prospect (or the enactment o( rnte
legislation at this session was remote
1 ti f .ii a. lit . .
iney inuicaieu mat u no action whs
taken at this session, the subject woul
bo considered thoroughly during th
coining Hummer witn ine idea ol pre
senung a measure at tne next session
which, very likely, would contain some
additional features.
Will Confer on Irrigation.
Wanhington, Feb. 21. A conference
of reclamation engineers has been called
to meet at Klamath Falls, Arpil 1. to
consider plans and estimates (or the
Klamath irrigation project. At that
meeting it is hoped final plans may be
made lor buying out owners ol the
small canals, including the rights of
the Klamath Canal , company. The
government is willing to pay this com
pany $100,000 to get out of the wav.
The company demands more, but it is
believed kwill eventually accept this
figure.
Can't Comnel Judara to Act.
Washington. Feb. 21. The ch of
the Caledonian Coal comnanv vs. Itoi.
jamin F. Baker, judge of the Supreme
court of New Mexico, to compel him to
take cognizance of an action against
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe rail-
rood was decided by the Supreme cowrt
of the United States todav against the
company. '
TERMS OF PEACE.
They Have B,tn Practically Agreed
Upon by Japan and Russia.
f?t. Petersburg, Feb. 22. Despite
the official denials, the Publisher,'
'resa correiondent Is in a position to
state tliat the czar and bis advisers
iave of late not only discussed the
juration of peace with Japan, but Lave
also practically airreed upon certain
terms, which are acceptable to the em
peror, and, it la alleged, are almost
lent leal with those which hare been
submitted by the Japanese Kovernment
to Kussia, through the agency of the
ierman emperor. It la still denied
that such terms were submitted, but it
nevertheless true that they have
reached the hands o( the czar.
The terms acceptable to both nations,
.rl hMi.li...ll awwwul a In Ik.
place Korea under Japanese suzerainty
and cede Port Arthur and tho Liao
Tung peninsula to Japan.
ladivostok, under the stipulations,
is to be declared a neutral and open
port in place of Port Arthur, the neu
tralization of which Japan would not
agree to. This feature, lit is stated.
roved one of the most objectionable to
tussia, as it waa hoped that the dis
armament of Port Arthur and ita trans
formation into a purely commercial
port, open to all nationa, would end the
vexing Manchurian question.
The Lantern Chinese railway is to be
placed under a neutral international
administration, and, in order to pro
vide some sort of safeguard (or future
eace in Manchuria, that country, as
far north as Harbin, is to be restored
as an integral part of China.
The main difficulty in the way of
bringing about immediate peace seems
to be the question of indemnity. It is
known that Japan will insist upon a
considerable money payment, and Rus
sia is not willing to submit to that con
dition. The difficulty, however, is by
no means insuperable, but if it should
prove to be serious obstacle, the czar
will perhaps be willing to risk another
battle in the hope of gaining a victory
which may make the .Japanese more
amenable to the Russian arguments.
LIFE IN ONLY ONE.
Blackened and Mangled Corpses Re
moved from Alabama Mine.
Birmingham, Ala., Feb. 22. The
scene at tho Virginia mine this after
noon, where a terrific afterdamp explo
sion yesterday afternoon imprisoned
116 men 700 feet below the surface,
waa the most gruesome and harrowing
that baa ever been witnessed in this
section of Alabama. Of the miners
who entered the mines yesterday after
noon, so (ar only 50 bodies have been
recovered. The recovery already o( so
many dead bodies precludes the idea
that any living men remain among the
unfortunates still in the mine. The
corpses are (rightfully mangled and
disfigured and identification is . almost
impossible.
Out of the 50 bodies recovered up to
this time, one waa ' found about 4
o'clock which waa barely alive. The
body was carefully taken from the mine
and heroic methods fesorted to to bring
the man to consciousness. He is still
alive, but scant hope is held out (or
his recovery.
FAVOR COAST SHIPYARDS.
Humphrey Pleads for Differential on
Naval Contracts.
Washington, Feb. 21. An earnest
effort is being made by coongressmen
(rom'the Pacific coast to have inserted
in the naval appropriation bill a pro
vision for a 4 per cent differential in
favor of shipyards on the West coast in
the contract price for warships con
structed in these yards. Representa
tive Humphrey, of Washington, today
strongly urged the president to advo
cate such a differential. K adopted,
the differential would increase the cost
to the governmnt of a battleship con
structd on the Pacific coast about $150,
000. This sum, Humphrey explained,
would not be in the form of additional
profit to the constructing company, as
tho shipment from tho East of neces
sary material entering into the vessels
would amount to $11)5,000.
Railroads Are Tied Up.
St. Petersburg, Feb. 22. The rail
road strike situation is reported to be
growing worse in- the southwest, and
private advices are to show the exist
ence of a reign of terror in liniB and
tho Caucasus generally. Many mur
ders by Tartars and Armenians are re
ported. Communication has been al
most cut off, even the telegraphers
striking, the few who are still at their
keys being kept there with pistols at
their heads. The situation in Poland
along the Austrian border is also caus
ing great uneasiness.
Investigate Texas Oil Also.
Houston, Tex., Feb. 22. A petition
is being circulated here asking Con
gressman Pickney to request President
Roosevelt to include the Texas oil fields
:M 1. : . . : : -t . i. o. j i t: i I
operations in Kansas.
OREGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST
IN THE LEGISLATURE. 1
Salem, Feb. 15 The Cascade coun
ty bill la only a memory. The com
mittee having it in charge in the aenate
reported favorably la thmorning and a
vote was called for. The result waa 18
against and 11 for.
Employes of state institutions will
be paid monthly hereafter ii the gov
ernor does not veto tho bill passed by
the aenate.
The house bill providing for a com
mission to examine tho subject of
assessment, taxation and collection ot
taxea waa passed by the aenate.
W ife beater, are to receive punish
ment up to 20 lashes according to the
senate bill passed by the bouse.
County and city boards of health are
created by a bill wWch haa passed both
house.
The committee having the Jayne lo
cal option bill in hand is still wrest
ling with tho measure and doe not ex
pect to report before Friday.
It appear probable that the bill ap
propriating $70,000 for new deaf
muto school building, passed by the
houae this afternoon, will go through
tho aenate, as many in that body
(avor it.
According to joint resolution the leg
islaturo will adjourn Friday without
day. The work will be well cleared
off by that time, aay President Kuyken
dall and Speaker Mills. No official
notice will be taken of the develop
ments in the case of Senator Mitchell
and an adjourned session will not be
held next winter nor the present session
prolonged unless something unforeseen
should happen in the next two days
Forty-eight bills were passed by the
house today and eight (ailed. In the
senate 16 bills were passed, besides 15
charter bills, and seven were indefi
nitely postponed. The governor today
signed 14 bills.
Salem, Feb. 16. The bill exempting
mining corporations producing less than
$1,000 a year from the corporation tax
was passed by the senate today.
A bill was passed tonight creating
the office of t state engineer, to be ap
pointed ty i govtrmr. Commence
ment of Suits are authorized to condemn
property where the government may
wish to begin construction of irrigation
systems. An appropriation of $5,000
la also made by the bill.
Two hours' work are in eight in the
house for tomorrow, but 70 bills are
before the senate, besides the Jayne
local option bill, which will require
considerable time.
The bill taxing sheep driven in from
other states haa been passed by both
houses. The yearly pasturage tax is
placed at 20 cents per head, and when
sheep are driven through the state
the tax is 5 cents per head for each
county traversed.
The bill prohibiting the sale of liquor
to females nnder 21 years, and forbid
ding proprietors of saloons to permit
such females in their establishments
haa passed both houses.
Beth houses held sessions tonight.
..In the house 39 bills were passed,
and six were indefinitely postponed.
The senate passed 22.
Salem, Feb. 17. At 8 o'clock to
night the 23d bienial session of the
Oregon legislature ended and the law
makers were adjourned without day,
after 40 days' labor. ' .
The punishment of wife-beaters by
whipping was authorized; small min
ing corporations were exempted from
the corporation tax ; railroads are com
polled to make connections with each
other and transfer cars at reasonable
rates, and several fishing .laws were
enacted for the purpose of guarding
against the taking of fish on spawning
grounds.
The total appropriations o( the legis
lature aggregate something over $2,
000,000, of which $500,000 is for the
state insane asylum.
After six weeks of turmoil the Jayne
local option bill was indefinitely post
poned by-the senate.
Other measures defeated were to
make gambling a felony; to abolish ri
parian rights ; to amend census law so
as to make it more applicable to pres
ent needs, and to create a mining bu
reau. Thirteen bills were on third
reading in the senate at the time of ad
journment and received no attention
from the upper house.
Governor Chamberlain will, be kept
busy for the next (our or five days scan
ning the many bills which were passed
at the close of the session.
A compromise was effected by the
governor and the legislature whereby
Lane County Teachers' Results.
Eugene Out of a class of 85 appli
cants for teachers' certificates at the
recent - examinations conducted by
County Superintendent Dillard, 61
were granted the papers, the superin
tendent and assistants having just com
pleted marking and grading the papers.
Of those who passed the examination,
13 were granted first-grade certificates,
26 second-grade, 46 third-grade and
one primary certificate. Eleven per
sons took the examination for state cer
tificates, and the papers have been sent
to State Superintendent Ackerman.
the emergency clause was left off the
general appropriation bill and it was
signed by the chief executive. He had
already written tho veto when tho
change was made.
The senate today passed 49 bills and
disposed of 19 otherwise. In the house
four bills were passed and five killed or
indefinitely postponed.
MANY GIVE UP CLAIMS.
Relinquishments Order of tho Day In
Southern Oregon. .
Grants Pass Since the recent inves
tigations and indictments following the
probing of Oregon land frauds, there
has been a general skirmish on. the part
of many holders of timber claims in
Southern Oregon to relinquish their
rights and sell improvements to the
government. A number who located
as homesteaders, and who feel they are
not living up to tho requirements of -the
law, desire to secure relinquish
ments on homesteads, and file on the
claims in the regular way (or purchase.
The relinquishments are far more
general in the matter of homestead en
tries than any other. . In years past -
claims were taken up as homesteads by .
the simple act of building a pen and
roof for a house and camping for a few
months on the property durjng the
summer, more as an outing -than for
any other purpose. These people now
realize that slack methods will not be
tolerated in the future, and that the
claims are liable to be lost altogether
unless they are either "homesteaded"
in the real sense of the word, or filed
on and bought as claims.
There are a number of cruisers in
this section, with headquarters in
Grants Pass, and these report that the
land fraud cases have not put a quietus
on the locating business, as might be
supposed, though the class of men now
locating aredifferent entirely fromjthat
of formerly, as the present locators are
men who desire the claims themselves,
and not (or speculative purposes.
Homesteaders find no trouble in relin
quishing and selling their -rights to
these. -
HEAVY DAMAGE TO FALL WHEAT
Many Farmers Expect to Reseed the
Frozen Fields.
Pendleton Fanners coming in from
the north and northwestern part of the
county believe that tho fall sown wheat
will be a total loss, as the snow has
been blown from the hills and piled in
the hollows and has left the fields bare.
Some are so sure of the freeze that they
are in the city buying drills to reseed
their fields as soon as the weather per
mits.
In the northwestern part of the coun
ty, west of Adams and north of Echo,
in the low lands where the soil is light
very little snow fell and as the ground
was exceedingly dry the freeze will be
more severe. In the vicinity of Athena,
and Weston, where the snow was deep
er and did not blow off, the wheat is
considered safe and will not have to be
reseeded.
Lost Mail Sack Found. .
Grants Pass After remaining in the
mud and water at the bottom of Wil
liams creek (or almost a year, a mail
pouch that was swept from the Grants
Pass-Williams valley stage during a
trip of the freshet of 11 months ago,
has been recovered.' The pouch con
tained letters and parcels of the first
class, and has been forwarded by Poet
master Harmon, of this city, to the
superintendent of the Pacific coast
mail service at San Francisco. The
pouch was still in good condition when
uncovered.
Eastern Oregon Farmers' Institute.
La Grande A farmers' institute for
Eastern Oregon will be held at Sum
merville, in the Grand Ronde, 18 n i ts
N)iit of La Grande, beginning March B
and continuing two or three days. It
will be conducted by the professors of
the Oregon Agricultural college. Lect
ures will be delivered on agriculture,
horticulture, livestock and kindred top
ics. Union county will put forth all
efforts for the entertainment of all
Eastern Oregon visitors on this occa
sion. PORTLAND MARKETS.
Wheat Walla Walla, 87c; blue
stem, 94c; valley, 87c per bushel.
Oats No. 1. white, $1.35 1.40;
gray, $1.401.45 per cental.
Hay Timothy, $1416 per ton;
clover, $1112; grain, $1112; cheat,
$1213. . . ,
Eggs Oregon ranch, 2222c per
dozen.
Butter Fancy creamery 27j32c.
Potatoes Oregon fancy, 7585c;
common, 6065c.
Apples 4-tier Baldwins, $1.25 ; .
Spitzenbergs, $1.252.
Hops Choice, 25 26c per pound.
Wool Valley, 19?20c per pound;
Eastern Oregon, 1217c; mohair, 25(1
26c per pound for choice.