, 1884-02-21
PickingS.

SiCksnSSs
The new tariff bill proposes to re
duce the duties on wool from 10 and
II cents per pound to S cents and 90
cents respectively on wools of the
first and second classes, while the low
grade woods. which now pay y cents
and cents respectfully, are cut down
to 2 and 1 cents per pound. This in
addition to the reduction of last year
Portsmouth, O., is under water,
three fourths of it to the house tops.
| All the merchants lose heavily, and
| half the citizens lCse all their house
hold goods. The river has dropped
two inches. Supplies are coming in
and famine is being averted. A
hundred and twenty DWELLING houses
have been carried out into the river
and over 80 more swept from their
sites.
Inventors are not little interest
ed in the French prize of $4,000,
instituted by the degree of June Ii,
1882, in favor of the discovery of any
process which shall enable electricity
to be applied economically in one of
the following directions, as already
published, viz; as a source of heat of
light, of chemical action, of mechan
ical power as means of TIE trans
mission of intelligence or of the treat
ment of disease.
The steam colliers are having hard
luck. The Tacoma, the Mississippi.
and now the Umatilia, all gone.
How many more are to be lost before
masters learn that y little care is nee
essary, and particularly that it
would be prudent TO keep few miles
off the ceast? 1t would aeem that
this would be simple enough, in view
of the fact that there is an expanse
of seven to ten thousand miles of sea
water on that side Of them. Oregon
ian.
The English Journals continue the
discussion of the questions raised by
THE Bitter Cry of Outcast london"
and which are making their way into
politics Many plans for the anchor
alton of THO condition of the poor
and the laboring classes are present
ed, some practical and some otherwise,
while several projects are already
we'll advanced One lady has made
herself very useful by securing the
agency of a rich householder She
collects his rents, controls the tuFbu-
lent city tenants, s,superintends repairs,
and pays over the income to the land
lord This income, however, is sized
by agreement; it cannot exceed per
cent. All abovp. THIS is put into per-
manent improvement of the premises.
under this noble womGn's direct SUI
pervision- The results are marvel
Gus. Were such a system generally
pursued, many nests of city pauper-
ism would fGde away, and the Yilest
quarters would become in course Of
years both neat and healthful.
Mr.T. F.Oakes,y::c resident of the
Northern Pacific ruIIroad, recently
contradicted the report that Jay
Gould and Russell Sage were to
enter the directory of the Oregon and
Franscontinental company. He said
that there We're many important
tarffic arrangements under considera-
ton, but at present they were not for
publication. As soon as he is settled
in his Iew position, and familiarizes
himself with the details of the road
and its workings these questions viii
be disposed of as they may appear.
He could say nothing in regard to
the proposed lease of the Oregon rail
way and Navigation Company by the
Northern Pacific DECISIVE steDs
We're being taken to secure Tie Asiatic
and India trade, and the Northern
Pacific expected 10 secure a large
traffic from these sources In refer
ence to the rumors heretofore noted
of a reconstruction of fhe western
department of the road, Mr.. Oakes
said there was nothing IN them.
Odell will simply look after the
western end of the road, as at pres
ent, and Mr.. Buckley has not, nor.
will he resign. Mr.. Oakes stated that
he was going to ST Paul to locate
permanently, and assume the man
agement of the Northern Pacific
| Tacoma NeTs. .
There is little probability that the
salmon catch of the present year will
be equal to that of last. ! Ii may,
indeed. be taken for granted that it
will not. Cannery men are not max
ing preparations equal to the work cf
last year, and on good authority we
hear that their intentionis not to do
so. The apparatus in servieetlast
year, both nets and boats, will be
considerably reduced Last year
there were 1916 boats in service On
the river. This year the number will
be reduced one-t third. There will be
corresponding reduction of other fish
! ing gear. Much less twine will be
woven into nets. 1t is safe to say
| that the uew nets made this wear
/. will not be more than sixty per cent
| of those made last, and, though old
nets will be used as far as available,
l. yet few or none of them can be de-
pended on for good service through
the season though with repairs some
of them will be made 10 answer for a
time. Even If the run of fish should
be fair, not much more than 100000
cases are to be expected from the
coming seasons work. There has
been no formal agreement among the
canneTy men on these points, and yet
it may be stated that there is Il tacit
understanding in accord with the
above OregonidIi-
Just received ,ot OF Renton coal at