; K í LAIDLAW CHRONICLE VOl.,. I . AI M. AW, I NEWS OF THE WEEK In a Condensed Form lor Our busy Readers. HAPPENINGS OF TWO CONTINENTS A Resume o f the Less Important but Not Less Interesting Events f o f the Past Week. Railroads have voluntarily reduced grain rates in Minnesota. The governor of Warsaw has been seriously injured by a bomb. Activity of the police frustrated a plan to assassinate King Alfonso. It is said tlie sultan of Turkey has decided to recognize Leishman as an ambassador. Many immigrants who would be re fused admittance at a port of entry are being smuggled in through Mexico. Bookbinders in the government printing cffici threaten to strike on account ol the action of a foreman to ward the men. A Han Francisco woman refugee feels greatly insulted because she was given a pair of No. 8 stockings when she wears No. 3 shoes. The Chilean disaster will be a hard blow to English insurance companies, as they carry more South American risks tiian any others. Union printers at their recent inter national convention decided to erect a new building at their Colorado Springs home to he used by the wives of aged inmates. Police in all parts of the Rusiian empire are tlroding the minister of ^the Interior with resignations since the re vival of terrorism directled especially against these officers. A massacre of Jews is expected in Warsaw, Russia. A cave-in at Clincnport, tombed 50 miners. Va, en Rooeevelt is said to have declared for Canon for president. COUNTY, OH EC JON, FU I D A Y , A l l i l ST 24, 1906. VALPAR AISO A WRECK. MOB IS SUPREM E. Loss of Life and Property Are Heavy, Though Statements Conflict. Russian Terrorists Wreak Vengeance on Hated Police. There~continues to be confusion of statements as to the ma *nitude of the disaster at Yalpaiaieo caused by the earthquake shocks which began Thurs day. August 16, and continued at fre quent intervals throughont that and the next two days. iiispatclies from Valparaiso to the Associated Press dat ed August 19 state that a moderate es timate of the fatalities is 2,000, and that the property loss may be as high as $250,000,000, which latter is as great as the loss sustained by San Fran cisco in consequence of the earthquake and tire which devastated tnat city last April. A refugee who has arrived at Santia go places the known dead at 100 and other messages indicate that the first reports of damage and casualties were greatly exaggerated. Dispatches to the State department at Washington place the fatalities at about 500. These conflicting state ments cannot at this time he adjusted. It is evident that even yet confusion and panic prevail at Valparaiso and until order is restored it will he impos sible to ascertain with accuracy the lose of life and property. The dwellings in the city have been practically abandoned b? the inhab itántp, who are existing as best they can in the plazas and streets 6f the city and in the hills adjacent to it, without shelter from stoim and sun, and fam ine confronting them. Food is already scarce and high. Water for drinking purposes is lacking and disease is feared. The government is doing all it can to bring in relief. The crippling of the railroads into Valparaiso constitutes a serious factor in the situation, as for an indefinite period relief supplies can only he ordered through other means of transportation, the seaboard affording the best of these. At Santiago many of the best public and private buildings were wrecked. The loss of life there is augmented by the panic which seized the people, many of whom threw themselves from balconies of their homes. The destruc tive force of the earthquake was exper ienced over a large extent of the coun try, many towns sustaining serious damage. St. Petersburg, Aug. 15. — Advices received from Llbau state that the riot ous demonstrations that began there Saturday night etil 1 continue and that the Hooligan element absolutely holds away in the city, the police being pow erless to check it. Law abiding citizens are unable to traverse the streets and a reign of robbery ami rapine is in pro gress that will not be checked until troops are sent to aid the police. So far all appeals to the government at St. Petersburg have fallen appar ently upon deaf ears and this fact has emboldened the disturbing element to add murder to its other crimes. Five storekeepers have Fieen murdered dur ing the past 12 hours and hundreds of shops have been looted. The rioters raided the alcohol depot, and after filling themselves up on the fiery fluid, paraded the streets, shouting threats against the Jews and factory owners and storekeepers. Three police officers have been mur dered since Tuesday morning, the Ter rorists apparently having seized upon the confusion as offering a magnificent opportunity to eliminate the hated members of the police who Fiave been active in working against them. There is one regiment of infantry in the local * barracks at Libau, but it is mutinous and the officers some days ago took from the men all their am munition, aB it was feared that they in tended to mutiny. EXTEND A LA S K A CABLE. Labor leaders have declared war on Cannon’ s candidacy for re-election to Government Requires Duplex System Congress. and Branch South. Portland police are looking for Paul Washington, Aug. 20.-- Commercial Htensland, president of the wrecked receipts from the Alaskan cable and Chicago bank. telegraph lines amounted to $24,000 in The president has appointed James July, which is $2,000 in excess of the S. Harlan, of Chicago, a member of the amount collected by the United States in any previous month. The official Interstate Commerce commission. During the fiscal year just ended our dispatches sent during the month would have coat $12,000 had they been exports to Porto Rico, Hawaii and paid for at the commercial rates. This Alaska increased about 20 per cent. rapid increase in the demands upon Russian terrorists continne the the Alaskan cable and telegraph system slaughter of police. The government will be met by the government by the has begun wholesales arrests and exile. duplexing of tiie cables. The cableehip Burnside, which is to A tidal wave is reported from the Hawaiian islands. TLe general height install the duplexing apparatus at the was five feet and but little damage was Alaskan end of the cable, will probably leave Seattle about September 15. It done. will carry 200 miles of new cable, The Valparaiso earthquake will com- which has just been shipped from New p’e e the bankruptcy of many insurance York for the extension of the cable ser companies which lost heavily in Han vice south of Ketchikan. This exten Francisco. sion will be effected by tapping the line The First National hank of Chelsea, from Sitka to Juneau at Cape Fanehaw. Mages., has been closed by the bank From that point a branch line will be examiner because too much money was extended down to Wrangel, then to Hadley, on Prince of Wales island, loaned to its president. and then to Ketchikan, which is only The murder of policemen in Poland about 60 miles from Port Simpson, the continues. English town which is to be the ter Japanese gcods have supplpuitcd all minus of the Grand Trunk Pacific rail way. others in Corea. It is believed that this additional Many officers are involved in a .navy 200 miles of cable will result in a great scandal at San Francisco. increase in cable receipts, as the Fed Another Chicago bank has failed as a eral system taps a country which is result of Htensland’ s crimes. rich in mines and fisheries and already Ex-United States Senator Turner, of has many large canning factories, Washington, is mentioned as Bryan’ s which stand greatly in need of daily communication with the United States. running mate. In case the cable ship does not encoun France has resolved to make no con ter ibad weather, the line will probably cessions to the Catholics and may con be completed before November 1. Cap fiscate churches. tain Henry W. Stamford, of the Signal A member of the late Russian parlia corps, will direci the laying of the new ment has been arrested as a leader of cable. agrarian disorders. Byerly Gets Good Job. R. B. Brawn, of Zanesville, OLio, New York, Aug. 20.— Samuel Pyer- has been elected commander-in-chief of ly , the young clerk employed by the the National G. A . R. American Express company, who re Diego Mendoza, ex-Colombian minis cently gained noteriety by his bill for ter to the United States, declare that $5,800,000 of the Panama canal bonds, President Reyes is a traitor. has become vice president of a new bond A second grand jury has been called campany, under the name of the Abram Mr. Byerly at Chiago to inquire into recent rebates White Bond company. made about $25,000 by disposing of hie gfiven the Standard Oil company. allotment of Panama bonds. After The Milwaukee Avenue State bank, «losing up the deal, Byerly sailed for of Chicago, has delcarae 1 a 20 per cent t.'urope, and is now establishing dividend for depositors. More will be branches and European connections for paid later. VW' new firm. Secretary Root has arrived at Buenas Execute Naval Mutineers. Ayres. St. Petersburg, Aug. 20.— Seventeen Mad Mullah has received a dijBaetrous of the sailoars of the cruiser Pamyat defeat. Azova, who mutinied August 2, and an Negotiations looking to a Russo Jap agitator were exeented at Reval today. anese fishing treaty have been com Twelve o tte r sailors were sentenced to menced. hard labor ior periods varying from six It is likely that the War department to ten years, 13 were diafted to the dis will conren.rate all colored troop« at ciplinary battalions, 15 were condemned to various disciplinary penalties sn l 34 one post. wer^acquitted. Three civilians impli- Many Republican state conrentions cited in the mutiny ere handed over to are declaring in favor of Rooeevelt for the civil authorities for trial.« a third term. Peasants in Southern Russia are rav aging the country and the troops refuse to fire on them. A plot to assassinate the president of Cuba was discovered just in time to frustrate the plans. The powers are expected to make strong representations to Greece. The trouble is over the barberous acta of Greek marauders in M.ictdoaa. (KOOK Functions for Root All Off. Santiago de Chile, Aug. 20.— One third of the city of Valparaiso was de stroyed and 500 livee were lost by the earthquake, (piillota, Vino del M ir and Limache are completely destroyed The functions arranged for the enter tainment of Secretary of State Root will be abandoned on account of the uni versal mourning in Chile, HOP C RO P INJURED. Drouth and Poor Cultivation Will Put Extensive System Planned for Grand Ronde and Indian Valleys. Yield Below 120,000 Bales. La Grande— Two big irrigation sys The long continued drouth and the poor cultivation in mary sections are tems, which will covor the entire Grand beginning to tell on the Oregon hop Konde and Indian va'leys and a portion crop. Last year the state produced of land in Wallowa countv, are being about 112,000 hales.. It is beginning projected by local companies. TFie organization to Fie known as the to look now as if this figure would not be exceeded this year, notwithstanding Grand Ronde Water .ompany, is a cor an increase in acreage of about 10 per poration which will promote a $2,000,- cent. Estimates made by reliable 000 irrigation project and hesidee furn dealers of the coming crop range all the ishing water for irrigation on a large way from 100,000 to 120,000 bales. At scale, the company expects to provide one time in the spring it was thought power for lighting where it is wanted. about 140,000 bales would he produced, The water will be taken from the Big but two months with practically no Miwam, which forms the boundary be rajnfall anywhere in the hop belt has tween Union and Wallowa counties. had a telling effect on the vines. Scan The preliminary surveys for the big ty cultivation in many of the yards has canal were made last year, and at the caused even more damage than the dry present time the engineers are engaged spell. Prices were so low last year that in making the final s irveys and doing some of the growers lost heart and neg the cross sectioning. The canal will take the water through lected to cultivate their properties. They will be rewarded this year with a deep canyon. Its head is in section less than half the production of their 35, township 3 south; range 42 east. neighbors who attended to this import After cutting through the high divide ant matter. An immense quantity of in township 1 north, tange 41 east, it hops was sold on contract in the epring will be an easy matter to cover the In at the bare cost of production, and dian valley country and swing into the these sellers, almost without exception, Grand Ronde. TFie main canal to tne divide will he 34 miles long. The failed to cultivate their yards. It is estimated that up to the present lateral distributing canals as planned time about 80,000 hales of the coming will be 60 miles in length. crop are tied up by contracts. A l The promoters estimate that it will though the crop will fall short of early take four months’ time for the large expectations, it will still furnish em force of engineers nov, at work to com FIR ST INSURANCE TRIAL. ployment for all the pickers that can plete the final survey. Construction be secured. It will be what the grow work will he commenced as soon as the Test Case Upon Earthquake Clause ers call a “ top crop,” and will he easy survey is finished. Set for Trial. to pick. ----------r — San Francisco, Aug. 15.— The first of Teachers Scarce in Lane. the insurance cases involving the earth Much Hay in Tillamook. Eugene— The regular quarterly exam quake clause was set for trial today by Tillamook— Tillamook had another ination for teachers’ certificates was Superior Judge Hebbard. The case is bumper hay crop this year, and with held in this city last week by County fine weather the past montl» it has been Superintendent W. B. Dillard, assisted that of the Rosenthal Shoe company against the Williamsburg City Fire In harvested in good shape. Most every by Professor M. H . Arnold, Professor The attorney for F»arn in the county is filled to its full I). C. BaugFiman and W. G. Martin. surance company. capacity, and there will be an abund There were 01 applicants for county the insurance people asked that the ance of feed next winter for the dairy certificate and several for state papers. case be not set for trial until opportu nity could he given the judges mutual herds, with the pjobability that it will This is a smaller class than the aver not be all used before the next crop is age, and Superintendent Dillard thinks ly to arrange with the insurance com He said that harvested. The dairy business in T ill there will he a scarcity of teachers in panies for a test case. the insurance companies would demand amook iB increasing every year, and the the county this fall. Several outlying a jury trial in each case, and unless dairymen are very prosperous, as they districts were unable to secure teachers do not have to buy mill feed for their for the spring term, and the outlook proper arrangements were made for a test case the courts would be occupied cows, hut grow enough on their farms, for the fall term seems even worse. for years in hearing insurance litiga and this with the green pasture keeps tion. the cows in good condition. State Loses $',0 0 0 ,00 0 . The attorney for the plaintiff declar Salem— That, the school fund ed that there were points of fact in this T o Meet at Hood River. would be $i,0o0li>iK)1ieiter off if the connection that could not be settled by Feudleton— Judge S. A. Lowell, pres purchasers of school sections in the a test case. The court then asked the ident of the Oregon Irrigation associa Blue mountain forest reserve could be insurance attorney if he waived a jury tion, has set October 11 and 12 as the induced or compelled to relinquish trial, and was answered, “ No.” The date for the holding of this year’ s con their claims to the land, is the conclu judge then asked, “ Do you demand a vention of the association. Hood sion reached by State l^and Agent Os jury trial?” but could not get a direct River is to be the place of meeting. wald West, after a careful examination. answer. By holding the convention on the above The land was bought from the state at The attorney for the shoe company dates the meeting will take place dur $1.25 per acre. If the state now had then announced that to save time he ing the biennial fruit fair, which is to it, it could he used as base and would would formally demand a jury trial. be held at Hood River during October. bring $7.50 per acre. The case was set for August 27. Arrangements for the holding of the convention are now being made by the Fortune in Five Years. people of Hood River, and it is expect HAD PREPARED FOR FLIG H T. Baker C ity—The largest land deal ed that a large delegation will he pres made in Baker county in a quarter of a ent from Eastern Oregon. century was closed a few days ago when Stensland Took House Furnishings Earl F. Cranston sold 720 acres in and a Woman With Him. Dynamite MakeS Hay Grow. Powder valley within ten miles of Bak Chicago, Aug. 15.— Testimony indi Pendleton — J. B. McDill. superin er City, to Brown, Phillips & Geddes, tendent of the county poor farm, has owners of the Baker Packing company, cating that extensive preparations for harvested the second crop of alfalfa, for $35,000, reserving this year’s crop flight were made by Paul Stensland, and the yield will amount to about 180 estimated in value at $5,000. Five president of the Milwaukee Avenue tons. A portion of the land on this years ago this land was bought from State bulk, and tHat a woman entered place was underlaid with a I ’m >stone the government at $2 an acre and was into these preparations, were secured by Assistant Slate's Attorney Olsen to crust about a foot beneath the surface, a sage brush desert. day, through the cross examination of which detracted from the strength of Miss Allen McCracken, housekeeper for the soil. Breaking up with dynamite PO R TLA N D M AR K E TS. Stensland. It was learned that Stens was tried as an experiment upon some land took with him in trunks and boxes of the land, and has proved successful. Wheat— Club, 68@69c; bluestem, sheets and ottier bedding, towels, win The limestone crust beneath the surface 70@71c; valley, 71@72c; red, 66@67c. dow curtains, carpets, rugs and a silver prevents the crops from taking deep Oats— No. 1 white feed, $26; gray, dinner set. Some of this is said to root, or the soil from retaining moist $25 per ton; new crop, $22 per ton. have been traced to Baraboo, Wisconsin. ure. ________ Barley— Feed, $23 per ton; brew The large trunk that is being traced ing, $23.50; roiled, $24@24.50. is said to be three feet high and bound State Aids Pendleton Fair. Rye— $1.50 per cwt. with iron. TFie Fiox traced to Wiscon Penditton—President Leon Cohen, of Hay— Valley timothy, No. 1,$11@ the District Fair association, has re 12.50 per ton; clover, $7@7.50; cheat, sin weighed 375 pounds when it was placed on an express wagon at the ceived word from Salem that the formal $6.50; grain hay, $7; alfalfa, $10. Stensland home on the day of the application for $1,500 appropriation Fruits — Apples, common, 50@75c had been favorably acted upon and the per box: fancy, $1 26@2; apricots, flight. Telegrams have Fieen sent all money was available. The fair is to Fie $1.25@1 35; grapes, $1.76@2 per crate; over the world to trainmen to look for held here in September and $1,500 peaches, 75c@$l; pears, $2; plums, the big trunk. Another warrant charging Cashier was appropriated by the legislature for fancy, 50@75c per box; common, 50@ cash prizes for educational, agricul 75c; blackberries, 506c per pound; Hering with forcing a note for $10,000 in the name of Marius S. Kirby was is tural, fiorticuitural and stock exhibits. crab apples, 75c per box. sued today. In addition $250 worth of printed matt Melons — Cantaloupes, $2 @ 3 per ter for advertising purposes will be crate; watermelons, l@ % lc per pound. Car Service Stopped. turned out by the state printing office. Vegetables — Beans, 5 0 7 c; cabbage, New York, Aug. 15.— Following the 102c per pound; celery, 85c@$l per Coke for Takilma Smelter. dozen; corn, 15@20c per dozen; cu arrest tonight of three division inspec Grants Pass — The first load of coke cumbers, 40 @ 60c per Fiox; egg plant, tors of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit for the Takilma smelter has left here. 10c per pound; lettuce, head, 25c per company on charges of assault, the Captain J. M. Melntire, who has ttie dozen; onions, 10 @ 12 4 c per dozen; company shut off entirely all of its contract for Fiauling , states that he has peas, 4(<$5c; bell peppers, 12 4 0 1 5 c ; surface lines leading to Coney island, been offered more teams than he can radishes, 10O15c per dozen; rhubarb, taking the position that tliis was the use, as the teamsters would rather 202 4 c per pound; spinach, 203c per only way to stop the rioting which has haul coke and matte than lumber. pound; tomatoes, 60090c per box; been in progress since Sunday morning From now on until the rains put a stop parsley, 25c; squash, $1.25 per crate; at the points where a tecond fare was to hauling the big freight teams will turnips, 90cO$l per ea*-k; carrots,$10 demanded Ly the company’ s empioyes. be kept busy taking coke to tlie smelter 1.25 per sack ; beets, $1.2501*50 per The elevated and express trains to the seashore were augmented. The in and returning with matte. It takes five sack. days to make a round trip. Onions— New, 1 4 0 1 4 C P©r pound. spectors were releaeed on Fiail. Potatoes— Old BurFianks, nominal; Come From the Antipodes. Large Deal in Sheep. new potatoes, Oregon, 75090c. San Francisco, Aug. 17.—The cry Pendleton— One of tiie largest and Butter— Fancy creamery, 2 0 0 2 2 4 c for labor sent out from San Francisco most important sheep deals that lias per pound. been consumated in this locality for Eggs— Oregon ranch, 21022c per has been heard around the world. Forty skilled mechanics arrived yester some time took place recently when A. dozen. Smythe & 8ons, of Arlington, sold to Poultry— Average old hens, 13023 4 c day from Australia, where they were C. Oxman, the well known Chicago per pound; mixed chickens, 124 @ 13c; paid $3 a day. They will receive at buver, 18,000 head of mutton sheep at springs, 14c; turkeys, live, 16022c; least twice that ja y Fiere. Every day $3 50 a head, which is the maximum turkeys, dressed, choice, 200224 c; sees rapid progress in the work of re habilitation. Already $400,000 has price. The amount involved in the geese, live, 8 0 10c; ducks, 11013c. transaction is $*13.000. Smythe A Sons Hops—Oregon, 1905, nominal, 13c; Fieen sahecrihed to construct the Young will winter over about 25,000 head tiie olds, nominal, 10c; 1906 contracts, 16 Men’ s Christian association building, and $100,000 more is assured. coming winter. 0 1 "c per pound. Wool— Eastern Oregon average best, Wants Cement Factory Site. Freight Tunnels Under Chicago. 16020c per pound, according to shrink Oregon City— The Oregon City Fioard age, valley, 20022c, according to fine Chicago, Aug. 15.— The freight bores of trade is in correspondence with a ce ness; mohair, choice, 28 0 30c per of the Illinois Tunnel company will ment manufacturer of Kansas City, pound. carry merchandise of all kinds in car Mo., who is looking for a location on load lots for the first time today. This Veal— Dressed, 5 4 @ * c per pound. the Coast with a view to establishing a Beef— Dressed bulls, 3c per pound; movement will mark the practical com plant. He represents that the plant cows, 4 4 @ ,e> 4 c I country steers, 5 0 r»c. pletion of the Illinois Tunnel company’ s Mutton— Dressed fancy, 703c per system of underground freight railroads, will employ more than 250 men, with a monthly payroll of about $25,000. pound; ordinary, 506c; lambs, fancy, construction of which was Fiegun five An effort will Fie made to secure the 8 ^8 4 c. yearn ago, and which lias cost its own factory for this city. Pork— Dressed, 7<a8%c per pound. ers aFiout $30,000,003 NO. SLAUGHTER POLICE Reds Throughout Poland Start Attack on Enemies. WARSAW IS CENTER OF TROUBLE Slaughter in Polish Capital Calls Forth Effective Volleys— Police Meet Simultaneous Assaults. 8t. Petersburg, Aug. 16.— Acting apparently with a definite plan ami a. a signal the terrorists and revolution ists today inaugurated a carnival of murderous attacks with bomhs and re volvers on the police and troops in va rious cities in Poland, echoes of which are heard from Samara, Ufa, Yalta, K iev and even far away Chita, where the acting chief of polite was slain al most on his own doorstep. The revolutionist campaign flamed out with special virulence at Warsaw, where over a score were killed in the stieets, an 1 many more weie wounded. Among the killed, according to the lat est official advices, were two sergeants of police, eight patrolmen, three gen darmes, five soldiers, a Hebrew merch ant and a woman. The returns are not all in. Policemen and soldiers were shot down like rabbitB in the streets. Their aesailante, who traveled in email hands, alus-st all escaped among the terrorized hut sympathetic populace. The only considerable capture was a band oi three men who had invaded a grog shop and killed a soldier. These were taken by a passing patrol. Bombs were employed in an attack on the police station at Warsaw, where a sergeant, two patrolmen and a sol dier were wounded. Other Polish cities singled out by the terrorists were Lodz, where six sol diers, three patrolmen and the wife of a police captain were wounded by the explosion of bombs in the police station and two soldiers and two terrorists killed in the streets; Kadom, where a bomb was thrown in the police station, killing the wife and child oi the police captain; Votelavsk, where a captain was slain, and Plock, where at a given signal the policemen on all the posts were simultaneously attacked and sev- eral of them wounded. On account of the agrarian disorders, especially several attacks on post trains, the railway between Samara and Zla toust, which was already carrying guards on ail its trains, was today placed under martial law. Two of these attacks occurred today near Ufa, revolutionists in each case flagging the train, bursting open the doors of the cars with bombs and rilling the reg istered pouches. The booty in one case amounted to (15,000; in the other caBe the amount is not known. FIR ST PURCH ASE OF SILVER. Shaw Buys 50,000 Ounces at 60.62 Cents an Ounce. Washington, Aug. 16.— Pursuant to the announcement of the secretary ot the treasurer that he drsirel to receive tenders of silver yesterday, four bids were made to Director Roberts of the mint. The bidB were opened yesterday after noon, and after being submitted to Secretary Shaw, it was announced that the government hail purchased 50.000 ounces of stiver, 999 fine, at 66.62 cents an ounce. It is not the custom to announce the name of the individual or corporation through whom the silver is obtained. It is expected the government will re quire from 50,000 to 100,000 ounces of silver a week for an indefinite time. It is the purpose, therefore, of Secretary Shaw and Director Roberts to receive bids Wednesday ot each week until further no ice. Bodies Hurled a Mile. El Paeo, Tex.. Aug. 16.— It is report ed here that between 90 and 51) Mexican laborers and bystanders were killed tliis afternoon at 4:90 in Chihnaha, Mexico, by the explosion of a carload of dvna mite on the Mexican Central railroad. The car waB being transferred for trans- portatirn to the Robinson mine at Santa Knlalia. Bodies and pieces of human Hesli were hurled into the air and pick ed up a mile distant. Windows we e broken in almost every house in town and many walls were cracked. Several Americans are reported killed. Strikers Charged With Rioting. San Francisco, Aug. 16.— A number of former trackla}ers of the United Railway company, who are oil a strike, after following a number of cars which they supposed were carrying nonunion workmen, hoarded a car on Devisidaro street and attacked two men. They dragged them from the car and marched them down to Fillmore street, where they were met by two policemen. A fight ensiled. The policemen dispersed the crowd and returned the men. Gives Up Polar Trip. Ixindon, Ang. 16.— A dispatch from Christiania to the Daily Mail says that private letter« received theie from Spitsbergen state that owing to the late- ness of the season Walter Wellman, chief of the Chicsgn Record-Herald Arctic expedition, has abandoned the project of ballooning to the north pole this year. 42, INSURANCE M O NEY HELPS. Rebuilding Operations in San Fran cisco Begin With Vigor. San Francisco, Aug. 14. — The re building of Han Francisco has begun in earnes*. There is little talk, there is little boasting, but there is a vast amount of work. It may be observed on every hand. It has suddenly grown to large proportions, due to increase 1 payments by the insurance companies. These payments now total 150,000,000 — enough to wariant a decided step in advance in reconstruction. But still the $50,000,000 represents only 20 cents on the dollar ol the amount due he policy holders of the city. The thirty days’ grace allowed by law, after the three months allotted for the filing of proofs of loss, have elapsed and the insurance corporations must now pay or fiatly refuse. The $50,000,000 has not been paid with the same cheerfulness with which the premiums were collected, in fact, it is noi an exaggeration to say that a very large part of the amount has been “ wrung” from the companies. It is still a question as to the sum which the policy holders will collect in the end. It is organization that has car ried them to the point already attained, and it will be organization that will carry them further. There is very lit tle single handed fighting against the companies. Most of the individual suits filed are test cases to determine the validity of certain doubtful clauses and to decide how far the “ earthquake clause” will prevail. The policy hold ers have been merged into a gigantic organization, wbicn has employed a corps of lawyers and will either foice the companies to do the “ square thing” or else announce their pi rddity to the world. DOES N O T C O V E T TA SK . Nicholas Declines Post o f Command er o f Russian Army. St. Petersburg, Aug. 14. — Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaievitch, the Associated Press is informed by a mem ber of his entourage, has declined to accept the post of commander in chief of all the troops of the empire, “ where martial law exists,” which was ten dered to him Augugt 4. Whether this was decided before or after ths attempt on the life of the grand d ike st Kratnoye-Selo on August 10 is not known, but the ostensible reason is that Grand Duke Nicholas be lieves that su :h a post should not be given to a grand duke, but merely a military man. He advocates the ap pointment of General Linievitch, form erly comrnadner in chief of the Man churian army, bat the emperor has not finally decided the matter. The activity of the Terrorists in the provinces included, beside the usual harvest of assassinations in Warsaw, an attempt on the life of General Ka- ratelieff, chief of the gendarmerie of Kamara province, and the wounding of Captain of Police Ivanoff, of Libau, by a youth who fired thrice at him on the street. W ILL T A L K IRRIG ATIO N. Expert Engineers Meet in Conference at Boise September 3. Washington, Aug. 14. — The fourth annual conference of the engineers of tli« United States Reclamation service will be held at Boise, Idaho, Septem ber 3 to 8, the fonrteenth irrigation congress also being in session at Boise at that time. This conference is in continuation of the general policy of holding annually a meeting of the principal engineers of the Reclamation service for the purpose of discussing matters of administration and economics of work. The bringing together of these engineers anil prom inent citizens of the West makes possi ble an interchange of views and a dis cussion of data leading to results of very great value in the furtherance of the purposes of the reclamation act. Each of the engineers, experts and specialists in the various lines will sub mit a brief paper embracing some point of general interest, such aB detailed methods of cost, keeping, of designing, construction, maintenance, or opera tion. Owing to I tie advanced condition of many of tiie irrigation projects now under construction it is expected that this conference will he of more than usual interest and importance. O ffer for Cunard Liners. London, Aug. 14.— The Standard this morning states that tiie directors of the- Cunard line on Saturday received a d< - putation from the Hungarian govern ment offering terms to the company for the acquisition of the emigrant trade between Kinme and New York. The proposals involve the purshase of the Cunsrd steamships Slavonia, Ultonis and Uarpathia, for over $250,000, and a payment of an indemnity for the an nulment of the contract between the Cunard line ami the Hungarian govern ment, which still has seven years. Sultan Not in Danger. Constantinople, Aug. 14 — Officials inform callers at the palace that the sultan was suffering from the effects of t chill during the past week, but thst he hss now completely recovered. His phjsicians, however, advised hia majes ty not to risk exposure to the open air, and lienee the abandonment of the sel- amlik Friday. The local press is for bidden to publish anything concerning the state ol the sultan's hesllb or of the stiandonment of the selamlik. Are Granted Hearings. Washington, Ang. 14.— In order that the food manufacturers of the country may have opportunity to make sugges tions concerning regulations for the en forcement of the new 'pure food law, hearings will lie hsld at the department of Agriculture from September 17 to 23,