, 1888-01-05

This country is young yet Gen
eral S. w, Smith has just died in
Philadelphia. He was member of
Thomas Jefferson's Cabinet.
A wool famine still exists in Pen
dleton. The .. r. & n. company
has failed. so far to leave cars at the
mountain stations in order that an
abundance of wool could be brought
TO town.
The operations of San Francisco
opium rin6, it is stated, have been
transferred from San Francisco to
Victoria, b. g., and thus far but little
headway has been made in capturing
the stuff that the United States Off
GERS know Is being daily smuggled
into the country.
The owners OF the great ranch De
Los AlmOs, of 14,000 acres of farm
ing and fruit land, in Santa Barbara
county, Cal, announce that the place
will be sold about tho 18th of Jan
uary. 1t is known as the finest ranch
IN Southern California. An offor Of
S75O,OOO was recently refused
In the casos of Montana and Wash
ington, enabling acts will doubtless
be passed In accordance with Spring
er's programme, but in the case of
Dakota the situation is somewhat
more complicated. 1t is freely
charged that the democrats have
kept Dakota out to get rid of her
electoral vote, and that they propose
to admit her after the presidential
election as one entire state to deprive
the republicans of two states.
Senator Hoar of Massachusetts, has
introduced a bill that will give all
the hair Drained paragraphs in the
country q chance to whack at him.
The bill asks for 100000 to survey a
railroad from Spokane TO harbor on
Behring'S sea in order TO facilitate
traffic with Asia. George Francis
Train who was called lunatie for ad-
vocating a transcoRtinental railway
system, has also been attacked for
endorsing an all around the world
scheme of railways of which the
Hoar bill is link
1t has been for some months the
opinion of military men in Europe
that war could not long be postponed,
and although events have up to this
time so shaped themselves that there
has been no actual conflict, it is still
felt that trouble is brewing. From
present indications the attack will
come, if at all, from Russia, and if
the blow is directed at Austria, it
will be Impossible to avoid complica-
ting Germany, whose interests will
impel her to check if possible the
power of the Muscovite.
The people have recently voted in
favor of i division, and the south
Dakotau5 hsve already formed a pro-
VIslonal government and elected two
senators, ono Of whom Is IN Washing
ton. They argue that the territory
Is too large, territoriaIly, to continue
as one state, being 400 miles square
larger than any other state in the
Union, except Texas and California.
Such state, they say, would be de-
prlyed practically of the advantages
OF local seIfgovernment The pOD
ulation Is more than adequate for
two states, being 100000 for south
ditu -JOsOOO iOI hDIbu DAKOTA.
The S. f. Alta says of the OREGON
and California railroad: The rail
road is the most stupendous con-
struction in the world. Its compile
ton IS victory for civil engineering
the like OF which will not be dupli-
Gated above ground. Those who
would rival it future must find their
field under the sea and under the
land. Having cOnquested and passed
the mountains between the two states,
this railway now becomes indispensi-
bic to the commerce Of each. But
aside from its value as s commercial
highway, it is the most important
military road in the Union. The
cost Of it, expended in forts and
great guns, would not have prepared
one-tenth the protection against an
exterior enemy which 1t makes avail
able. When the Federal Govern
ment decided to promote it by =
grant of lands, it wisely reserved the
right, as ! condition Of tho grant, to
take the road in any time Of nccess
ity and run it without charge 10 4
military highway.