The river press. [volume], August 24, 1910, Image 1

About The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
The River Press.
Vol. XXX.
Port Benton, Montana, Wednesday, August 24 1 1910.
No. 44
FLEE FROM FOREST FIRES.
Residents of Western Montana Towns
Seek Safety.
Missoula , Aug. 22.— The general
fire situation in this district As far as
•early reports show, is still dlscourag*
ing. No word can be obtained from
any point on the Coeur d'Alene line
further west than St. Regis. Intermit
tent communication which was In ef
fect with Wallace early this morning,
was later entirely cut off and fears are
entertained that the fires have again
broken out in that place. Saltese is
still safe but surrounded by walls of
flames. The Northern Pacific officials'
special is still at Saltese, but cannot
be moved as bridges are burned on
either side.
A report was received by Manager
Pavey of the Rocky Mountain Bell
Telephone company at 11 o'clock this
morning from St. Regis advising that
the wind was blowing a gale directly
from the fire zone to the town. The
report declares there is little chance
for the old town now as the flames are
circling and will soon come in from
at least two sides. At the time the re
port was received, the Blackfoot Lum
ber company had 150 men fighting the
fire but the hope of overcoming the
flames seems a forlorn one. While the
greater force is attempting to subdue
the fire another smaller crew is engag
ed carrying out all of the company's
books and clerical property from the
office to a place of safety.
A late report from Hamilton receiv
ed by the Bell Telephone company
tells of a big fire with a wide frontage
which is raging seven miles west of
the town and men are being secured to
fight the on-coming torrent of flame.
The Northern Pacific officials are
making a desperate effort to push their
trains through as far as possible and
will send passengers as far west as
Plains. Farther than that no trains
can be operated on account of the bad
condition of the wooden trestles and
bridges on the Cabinet cutoff. A
bridge 955 feet in length is burned out
at Tuscor and others have been ren
dered unsafe by the fire.
The towns of Rivulet, Superior and
Iron Mountain have been abandoned
this morning and the Iron Mountain
Mining company's properties located
near Iron Mountain caught fire early
today and were completely destroyed.
Some minor personal casualties are
reported.
A relief train is to be started out of
Saltese over the Milwaukee railway
this morning for Borax carrying a
large searching party which will try
to find a company of soldiers unac
counted for since Saturday morning.
Many Dead In Forest Fires.
Spokane , Aug. 22.— Twenty persons
are known to be dead as a result of
the forest fires within a radius of 150
miles of Wallace. The death list for
the entire fire-swept district of north
ern Idaho is certain to reach 100 and
probably more. It is impossible
at the present time to make an ac
curate reckoning of the missing.
From Wallace come reports that the
town of Burke is in flames and certain
of destruction. The fire rangers in
that territory are so exhausted that
no effective battle against the flames
can be made. The 300 residents of the
town are in flight toward Wallace.
The negro soldiers of the 25th infan
try, who have done heroic service and
saved many lives and much property
in the vicinity of Wallace, are now
resting, having been engaged in con
tinuous battle against the flames from
4 o'clock Saturday afternoon until
early today.
Forest Ranger Gulaski reports to
Supervisor Weigle that six of his men
are dead, five having been smothered
in the War Eagle tunnel, where the
entire crew took refuge. Ranger Bell
reports twelve dead, three perman
ently blinded and thirteen with broken
legs.
Would Make Law Odious.
Chicago , Aug. 22. —Plans for ren
dering odious the administration's
railroad bill, which became effective
today, are believed to have been
agreed upon by the principal railroad
systems of the country. One of the
methods, it is alleged, will be a cut in
the wages of employes, which will
force them in self protection to vote
for congressional candidates approved
by the railroads as not inimical to
their interests. The great army of
railway workmen is no small factor
in the result of the elections.
Rumors of general and widespread
reductions in wages are now heard in
railway circles all over the west. It
is likely that concerted action will not
be taken until fall, when the dwindl
ing earnings from grain shipments
will begin to reduce the income of the
railroads. That the railroads are
intent upon a general and sweeping
increase in freight rates has already
been made evident.'
Accused of Big Graft.
CHICAGO, Aug. 19.—Three former
officers of the Illinois Central Rail
road company were arrested today in
connection with the alleged huge
frauds by means of which the railroad
asserts it was defrauded out of 91,
500,000. The men arrested are:
Frank B. Harriman, former general
manager of the road.
Charles L. Ewing, former manager
of lines north of the Ohio river.
John K. Taylor, formerly general
storekeeper of thejroad.
The warranta were «worn to by
President Rarahan of the railroad
concerned. They charge the three
men with conspiracy to cheat and de
fraud the railroad by false pretenses
and with operating a confidence game.
Harriman and Ewing were taken to
the Harrison street police station.
Their bonds of 910,000 each were
signed by a professional bondsman.
FRIGHTFUL FOREST FIRES.
Town of Wallace, Idaho, Destroyed
and Others In Danger.
Spokane , Aug. 21.— At 1 o'clock
Wallace, Idaho, is a solid mass of
flames and the whole town is doomed.
A wall of flames from the forest fires
raging outside the town all afternoon,
fanned by the high winds, swept over
the hill Into the city shortly after 8
o'clock, and at 10:15 the whole east
side was totally destroyed.
The fire chief ordered all Inhabitants
of the city out. Women and children
are running, screaming hysterically,
through the streets toward the trains
assembled to hurry them away to safe
ty.
All rolling stock of the railway was
ordered removed from yards by the
higher officials and a special bearing
the complete fire equipment from Spo
kane was dispatched to the scene.
The loss Is already millions. The
fire-fighters were driven back by the
intense heat. Their hands and faces
were burned to blisters and their
clothes scorched and smoking and
they were compelled to flee with the
others to the north and west. The
buildings burned like timber.
At 6 o'clock Mayor Walter Hanson
ordered every available man out to
backfire up the hillsides around the
town, threatening imprisonment for
all who refused. As the flames drew
closer to the telephone office the girls
fled with a hasty cry to the Spokane
office that the town was a fire.
At 3 o'clock in the afternoon the
demand of the people for trains to
leave the town became so great that
both the Oregon Railway & Naviga
tion company and the Northern Pacific
made up special trains which left at
sundown, bearing hundreds of women
and children, with their valuables.
The Oregon Railway & Navigation
train pulled down the Coeur d'Alene
valley to Osborne, out of all possible
danger, while the Northern Pacific
train proceeded toward Missoula.
Others who did not wait for the trains
or who desired to carry more of their
household goods than they could take
by that means, secured every availa
ble vehicle or started on foot for Os
borne.
At midnight many of the principal
buildings had been destroyed and the
last message from the stricken city
before communication was cut off was
that there seemed to be no hope for
any of the structures. Wallace, 125
miles west of Missoula, is densely
built in a small cup-shaped basin, the
only exits being three narrow can
yons. These are now hemmed in by
fire.
Inspect Milk River Project.
Glasgow , Aug. 18.— The board of
United States army engineers arrived
at Glasgow this morning. Five au*
tomobiles bore the party over the
south end of the Milk river project,
who were shown where the government
eanal would terminate. The party is
traveling in the special train of Presi
dent Louis W. Hill and a number of
lesser officials of the Great Northern.
United States Senators Carter and
Dixon are with the party.
Senator Dixon intimated that the
Milk river project will receive ap
proximately 92,000,000 for its comple
tion. The engineers left for the west
at 9:30 o'clock and will make a short
stop at Tampico to visit the Lohr
Bros.' farm, these brothers being the
best farmers along the Great North
ern says President L. W. Hill. The
board will proceed thence to Dodson
dam and to Great Falls. Senator
Carter was sick with tonsilltis and
unable to leave his berth while here.
THE SONG OF
COUNTRY.
THE
mi\f
$5
MAP
CUOUÜ
m
HO*
ORY
1/t/
AM
m
v.?:
m
liS'
fmi
îvi
CORK
MA
».
"tut*
y
Ï*Â
Mi
m
'A.Z.
PL
SOMf
WATK
"O
o°
o
'HOW DRY I AM, HOW DRY I AM!
WESTERN CONSERVATION.
Conference of Governors Adopted
Platform On Important Issue.
Salt Lake , Aug. 19. —The confer
ence of governors of the Rocky moun
tain and Pacific coast states called to
consider a proper representation at
the conservation congress to meet at
St. Paul September 5, adjourned to
day after the adoption of the resolu
tion reciting that inasmuch as assur
ances had been given that a full and
free discussion of the subject of con
servation could be had, the Pacific
coast and Rocky mountain states
would cordially take part In the con
vention and delegates would be ap
pointed in such force as wonld im
press upon the convention the sincer
ity and justice of the demanda to be
presented by the western states, which
were most affected by the national
conservation policies and laws.
These demands were set forth in the
following platform of principles:
1—That in legislatively solving the
problems of conservation the national
congress adhere to the doctrine of
Abraham Lincoln that the public lands
are an important national possession,
held in trust for the maturing states.
2—That state government, no less
beneficiently than national govern
ment, is capable of devising and ad
ministering laws for the conservation
of public property: and that the na
tional and state governments should
legislatively co-operate to the end that
within a reasonable period of time the
state governments be conceded the full
and complete administration of such
conservation laws as may be found
adaptable to the varying conditions
of the several states.
3—That the experience of the conser
vation states demonstrates that dispo
sitions of public property under exist
ing national conservation laws and
regulations' have tended to intrench
monopolies and interests menacing the
common welfare; and the modifica
tions of such laws and regulations
should be protected by the conserva
tion congress.
4—That the elimination from the
national forest reserves of all home
stead and untimbered grazing lands
Is immediately expedient.
5—That the use and control of all
water power Inheres right In the states
within restrictions insuring perpetual
freedom from monopoly.
6—That the privilege of American
citizens to seek and develop mineral
wealth wherever it may be found
should be fully amplified and secured
by laws.
7—That the idea of deriving federal
revenue from the physical resources
of the states Is repugnant to that ad
justment of constitutional powers
which guarantees the perpetuity of the
union.
A resolution was also passed en
dorsing the Panama-Pacific interna
tional exposition at San Francisco in
1915 and pledging support thereto.
Will Open Crow Lands.
Washington , Aug. 18.— The in
terior department is preparing for
President Taft's signature to a pro
clamation opening to entry about
700,000 acres of grazing land on the
Crow Indian reservation, being the
undisposed portion of the ceded lands
opened under the act of 1904.
Under that law reservation lands
were to be sold at a minimum price
of 94 .50 per acre, and any lands un
NOBODY KN0W8 HOW DRY I AM."
—McCutcheon In Chicago Tribun«.
disposed of after five yèars, were to
bo reappraised and sold by the order
of the president. These remaining
lands probably will be sold under
sealed bids or at public auction, but
it is not yet determined whether the
minimum price will be fixed at $1 or
$2.50 per acre.
When this is agreed upon the proc
lamation will be forwarded to the
president for his signature.
Funds For Montana Militia.
Washington , Aug. 18.— The war
department today announced an al
lotment of $21,775 to the militia of
Montana, being its apportionment of
the $4.000,000 appropriated by con
gress last session. Of this amount
$8,802 is for arms and equipment;
$2,^34 for rifle practice; $3,896 for
ammunition, and Î6,l..>2 for supplies.
The enlisted strength of the Montana
militia is reported to the departmant
as (394 men.
More Troops For Fire Districts.
Washington , August 19.— Forest
fires in Montana are spreading and
ten additional companies of troops
are needed to meet the situation ac
cording to a joint telegram received
today by the interior department and
forest service by their field agents.
Supervisor Logan of the Glacier
national forest, and Supervisors
Haines and Bunker of the Flathead
and Blackfoot national forests, re
spectively reported that the old fires
are practically under control, but new
ones are constantly appearing and
more troops are needed to meet the
emergency. They ask that four com
panies be sent to the Glacier park and
three companies each to the Flathead
and Blackfoot forests.
Chief Clerk UcKcr of the interior
department, who is in the Glacier na
tional park assisting in the fighting
of fires, today telegraphed Acting
Secretary Pierce that he believed the
fire situation could be met and the
liâmes kept under control with addi
tional troops, but that the conflagra
tion could not be entirely arrested
until the advent of rain.
Alleged Wool Thieves Arrested.
Boston , Aug. 19. —Two more ar
rests were made today In connection
with the alleged wholesale theftB of
wool from the Boston and Maine rail
road and various Massachusetts wool
en mills. The men arrested, Edward
Parkins and John Ross, are team
sters. If is alleged the wool will ag
gregate 50,000 pounds.
Cities Show Growth.
Washington , Aug. 18.— The popu
lation of Milwaukee is 373,857, an
increase of 88,542, or 31 per cent as
compared with 285,313 in 1900.
The population of Des Moines, Iowa,
is 86,368, an increase of 24,229, or 39
per cent as compared with 62,139 in
1900.
Davenport, Iowa, shows 43,029, an
increase of 7,774, or 22.1 per cent as
compared with 35,254 in 1900.
Woolen Mills Are Busy.
Providence , R. I., Aug. 18.— The
thousands of operatives in Olney ville,
the largest woolen mills center in
Rhode Island, were notified today
that the mills of the American Wool
en company, which have been on a
four and five days' schedule for sev
eral months, will run on full time.
The river mills have opened after be
ing closed for three weeks.
j JURORS WERE APPROACHED.
The Illinois Bribery Scandal Develops
Court Sensation.
Chicago , Aug. 17.— Declaring that
practically all of them had been "ap
proached" in connection with the trial
of Lee O'Neil Browne, Judge Kerston
yesterday dismissed a panel of 75 ve
niremen who had been subpoenaed in
the work of selecting a jury. Judge
Kersten pronounced the situation "de
plorable."
The veniremen were immediately
taken to the office of State Attorney
Wayman, where Judge Kersten asked
each man by name If he had been
called upon by anyone in connection
with his possible service as a juror.
Nearly all answered in the affirmative.
They weere instructed to report in
court for further investigation.
It is possible that they will be re
lieved of further duty in the case and
the laborious process of selecting
others begun all over again. An
other possibility is that the case may
be taken to another county if it is
found impossible to get an impartial
jury here.
The first trial Browne charged with
bribing State Representative White
to vote for Lorimer for United States
senator resulted In a disagreement,
four for acquittal against eight for
conviction. The work of selecting a
new jury for the retrial began three
weeks ago.
No Deadhead Telegrams.
New York , Aug. 17.— Under a fed
eral law taking effect today, It Is un
lawful for any telegraph company to
issue franks for the transmission of
telegrams to any persons except offl
cials, agents, employes and their
families, of common carriers, and a
few other classes specifically mention
ed in the act.
All complimentary, business and
half-rate franks held by persons oth
er than those excepted by law become
null and void today and will be taken
up by the companies and cancelled
whenever presented. The law affects
both the Western Union and the Post
al companies. It is understood that
many men of prominence, including
several congressmen, »re deprived of
their telegraph franks by the new law.
Woolen Mills Form Merger.
New York , Aug. 17. —A great mer
ger of woolen mills to include over a
score of factories with a total capital
ization of $25,000,000, is being organ
ized by New York capitalists. The
mills included are located in Massa
chusetts, Rbode Island, Utica and
Syracuse, N. Y., Philadelphia and
New Jersey. The combination is be
ing underwritten from this city and
the headquarters of the new company
will be located here. A selling com
pany will distribute the product of the
mills direct to the retailers, elimin
ating the middleman and jobber.
Great Airship Flight.
Deal , Eng., Aug. 17. —With every
prospect of success in completing the
aerial trip from Paris to London,
which since the crossing of the Eng
lish channel by Bleriot and others
has been the great aim of the bird men,
Moirfsant, the young Spanish aviator,
descended near here today, having
accomplished the flight from Paris to
Calais and the journey across the
channel to Deal with an ease and bril
liancy rarely surpassed.
He is now preparing to continue the
trip to London, the completion of
which will bring the cup and prize of
fered by a London newspaper for the
course and the proceeds of the Gra
ham E. White, which the unsuccess
ful competitor in the London-Man
chester flight generously offered as a
prize for the Paris to London competi
tion.
Fall of Manila Celebrated.
Manila , Aug. 17.—American resi
dents and not a few natives joined
Saturday in the celebration of the 12th
anniversary of the fall of Manila and
the hoisting of the American flag over
the city. The Philippine department
of the United Spanish War veterans
held its annual reunion today and the
veterans were given a banquet.
To Experiment In Beets.
Denver , Aug. 17.—According to
William A. Orton, in charge of the
beet sugar investigation bureau of the
department of agriculture, who has
just arrived here, the government will
establish a station in the Arkansas
valley for experimental purposes, with
a view of teaching farmers the best
method of increasing the percentage
of sugar in their beets.
Indians Were Swindled.
Sulphur , Okla., Aug. 17.—Details
of a scheme by which "land grabbers"
organized systematically to enrich
themselves at the expense of minor
Indians were related at the congres*
slonal investigation into Indiaç land
affairs today. In one instance it was
asserted that the cost of disposing of
the property of one 18-year-old Indian
was $2,075 more than the property
brought, and the conditions which per
mitted this and similar deals were de
clared to be a "disgrace to Okla
homa."
New Railroad Law In Effect.
Washington , Aug. 18.—At mid
night the new railroad law became
effective. Immediately upon the pas
sage of the act, sixty days ago, sec
tions of the law relating to the sus
pension of rates went into effect.
Since that time the interstate com
merce commission has been operating
under the law.
In a conference held by the commis
sion with the representatives of the
telephone and telegraph companies,
the companies expressed a desire to
do all in their power to facilitate the
work of the commission. Hereafter
telegraph and telephone companies
must file reports with the commission
concerning their business just as rail
roads do now. The officers were also
informed that hereafter no franks
could be legally used, except as gov
erned by the anti-pass provision of
the Hepburn act, which is comprehen
sively In effect.
The long and short haul provision
of the recently enacted law while it be
comes effective at once, actually will
not be operative for six months as
that time is allowed for the carriers to
adjust their tariffs.
PRIZES AT STATE FAIR.
Liberal Premiums Offered For Vari»
ous Farm Products.
Helena , Aug. 18.—It seems safe to
predict that the prizes offered by Jas.
J. Hill for dry farm products at the
forthcoming Montana state fair, Sep
tember 26 to October 1, inclusive, will
create one of the keenest, though
good-natured, rivalaries known to the
Treasure state, so varied are the of
ferings of the railway magnate. In
fact, the prizes offered by Mr. Hill
Include not only everything raised in
Montana, but there are collective gifts
as well, such as for the best county
exhibit, the greatest individual dis
play and the most presentable offer
ing from Montana experiment sta
tions.
To make his donation complete, Mr.
Hill has likewise included prizes for
fruits grown without irrigation. The
prizes offered by Mr. Hill aggregate
several thousand dollars and are, in
fact, quite on a parity with those made
for displays at the recent Omaha ex
position.
First, second and third prizes have
been offered by him for the best dis
plays of threshed grains and seeds as
follows:
Red and white fall wheat, red and
white spring wheat, macaroni wheat,
fall rye, barley, two-rowed, six-rowed
and hulless; oats, peas, beans, flax,
corn of several varieties, alfalfa, tim
othy, brome, orchard grass and millet
seed.
Similar purses have been hung up
for the best displays of forage crops
and sheaf exhibits.
Tampered With Jury.
Chicago , Aug. 18.—Judge Kersten,
in whose court L?e O'Neill Browne is
being retried on a charge of obtaining
votes for Senator Lorimer, was com
pelled to dismiss six more veniremen
today. This makes 111 veniremen dis
missed from the last three panels on
their own statements that they had
been "approached" on their services
as jurors.
"I don't know who is tampering
with the veniremen, " said the oourt.
"I don't take sides, but some one is
doing corrupt work. I sincerely hope
we will find out the guilty persons and
that they will be brought to the bar of
justice. They are making a travesty
of the administration of the law."
The court's remarks were addressed
to the lawyers and veniremen gener
ally.
Homeseekers Coming West.
St. Paul , Aug. 17.—The annual
fall movement of homeseekers began
today, and will continue until snow is
on the ground. From present in
dications it is evident that the number
of settlers to northwestern states will
be larger from Minnesota to the ooast.
About one thousand homeseekers
passed through St. Paul today. The
usual excursion rates will be in effect
every first and second Tuesday of each
month. Those passing through here
today are from Indiana, Illinois,
Iowa and other states in the middle
west.