The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-12
STATE NEWS.


The last Oregon legislature was
pretty well roasted in the state grange
at Oregon City Thursday, says the Al
bany Herald When bt came time to
consider the report of the committee con-
demning the extravagances tof the legis-
lature, Judge Boise, of Salem, and
Judge Hare, of HilIsboro, both made
addresses showing the Unconstitutional
ity Of MANY Of the appropriations. On
the subject of wagon roads, the report
recommended a system of grading and
dltching not especially new, and II
urged with vigor the Vital Importance OF
improving country highways. 1t was
shown that the power necessary Ito move
a ton on a Level railroad is eight pounds;
on the best wagon road 50 pounds; on
an ordinary wagon road, 20 pounds; and
on bad roads, 400 pounds or more: that
is, the rolling friction is equal to many
pounds in each case An ordinary team
will pull 400 pounds all day. 1t requires GO
pounds more power to draw a ton up
a 8 per cent grade on an ordinary road,
The weight Of the average farm wagon
is 1000 pounds. From these and several
tables Of similar 1lcts II was specifically
shown how the farmers would be the
gamers by the system OF good roads.
MaryhfeCd ought to be ashamed that
a grocer finds it profitable to advertise
"best brands of eastern hams, bacon, but
ter and eggs.
We clip the above from an Oregon ex-
change. So should the balance of Oregon
be ashamed. But If the people of the
Willamette valley had these products to
ship to Coos county they would have to
send them around by San Francisco.
That coast country does business mostly
with California's metropolis. Portland
ought to be ashamed to allow this state
of affairs Ito exist.-ISalem Statesman.
Portland ought to be ashamed, too, to
allow the extensive trade Of big Sec
ton of Oregon east Of the Cascades in
klamath and Lake counties to go to San
Francisco year in and year out without
making an effort to secure it.-Ashland
Tldings.
County Clerk Kelsay, who recently
planted several thousand apple trees in
his orchard near The Dalles, says the
Times Mountaineer, has experienced con-
siderable difficulty in exterminating a tre-
mendous colony of digger squirrels which
have been waxing fat on his industry.
Between the rows of trees Mr.. Kelsay
planted corn, and this the insatiabie
rodents have almost entirely uprooted, be-
sides nipping the bark off many trees,
quite a number of which they destroyed.
Poisoned wheat has had fatal effect
upon the squirrels, however, and within
a week or two they Will have been COM
pletely wiped out.
''The state Of Oregon contains moSa
than 25,000,000 acres of arabic land. The
Willamette valley alone contains 5,0OO, 900
acres. The whole arabic area is greater
than the one-half of the entire area of the
six New England states. over 100000
(or about one-slXth of the whole state)
are covered with forests, the greater por-
tion as magnificent and valuable as any
in the world of like species, the balance
of the state being mountain, grazing and
desert lands, the latter of which can be
nearly aid made highly productive by ir-
rlgation."
The U. S. land office at Lakevlew is in
receipt of a letter from the honorable
commissioner of the general land office
that may be of interest to timber culture
claimants. That portion referripg to the
final proof Of elght-year claimants is as
follows: "By reference to circular of
Dec. 3, 1889 @ L. d. 672) you will find that
notice of publication to make final proof
Is not required in cases where entry was
made prior to September Is, 1887 This
only applies to e4ght-year' proof"
Rev. ]. L. Parrish, one of the last sur
viving of the early Methodist missionary
pioneers of Oregon, and a man widely
known over the state, died at his home
at Salem Friday morning last, aged SS
years and months. He had been prom
inent in Oregon for fifty-fve years, land
ing in this state in 1910.
Lake county's wool clip this year, ac-
cordlng to the Lake County Examiner,
will be considerably over 1000, 900 pounds.
Several sheep men sheared as high as
10000 pounds. If this million pounds of
wool could be sold at fair figure, the
sheepmen of Lake county would be ON
their feet again.