The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-01-15


The JOURNAL thanks its friends
among the newspapers of the state for
their kindly expressions of good will
on the occasion of it's eleventh birth
day, and wishes them all few years
of prosperity and profit, by way OF a
change.
THE legislature is now in session
and is being flooded under deluge OF
new bills. Chas. E. Cline, one of the
brightest populist members of the last
legislature was elected speaker of the
house. The balloting for Senator
does not begin until next Tuesday.
A GREAT many inquiries are con-
stantly made in regard to the size of
Cuba. Cuba is $50 miles long, which
is two and half times as long as Iowa
from the Mississippi to the Missouri
and it is from 80 to $50 miles wide.
The area of Cuba, together with q
number of the adjacent islands proper
ly belonging to it is given as little
more than $4,000 square miles, which
means that in area it is about three
fourths the size of Iowa.
THE fifth state legislature organized
Monday afternoon, and selected it's
corps of employees. At this time
practically no active work has been
done, but now that the inaugural ball
and festivities are over there will be
nothing to take the attention of the
legislators, except the senatorship,
and there is considerable hard work
being done in interest of the various
candidates, although it is too early to
hazard guess as to Squire's successor.
X
WAsHINGToN's presidential electors
met at Olympia last Monday and
promptly cast their four votes for
William. ]. Bryan. but when it came
to electing the one to bear the returns
to Washington, for $500 mileage when
the cost is about one-quarter that sum,
the fun commenced. Each balloted
for himself and could not decide, so
they selected an outsider, Chas. Fen
ton, of Spokane. The two populists
voted for Watson and the democrats
for Sewall for vice president.
**a
The Skagit Valley Herald, of Mt.
Vernon, has been consolidated with
the Old reliable Skagit News, under
the management of Bro. Harrison, one
of the few old time newspaper men of
the state who still remain in harness.
The newspaper business, perhaps more
so than most other fields, has been
crowded and few healthy combina-
tons OF that sort would leave some
thing of profit for the other newspa-
pers. Mt. Vernon was taxed to sup
port four newspapers. The News
under Bro. Harrison, has been all that
the name implies, a newsy paper.
Success to the compromising.
A SEATTLE clothier has hit upon a
new advertising scheme to get rid of
his odds aud ends. He gave notice of
public distribution and about $500
congregated In front of his store Sat-
urday afternoon to see the fun. As
agreed about $500 worth of clothing
hats, etc., were thrown from the ton
d the 3-story building, and gathered
n by the crowd. The scheme was q
success, and although there was great
'crambling, most OF the garments, pot
through the scrimmage without preat
iamage, and many deserving peonle
got . supply.
THIS week the old state off;cars
gathered up their impedimentn and
lied out OF the MeKenny building at
olympia yielding up their comfortable
quarters to their successors. Against
he Retiring officers nothing can he
'harged, they were excellent officials
md obeyed the laws as they found
ate decreed their time was nm re
ne systems were too cumbersome and
expensive, as framed by the people IN
heir extravagant ideas of a few wears
go, the Legislature is now in sessio.o
nd can modify or discard them. 80
ne hgsnt of experience rnay dict Alto
1Cv. McGraw, as the head Of the sta 70
administration, turns. his duties r.
5ov. Rogers, and We believe Ills record
AIKEN altogether, is as c.editable as
hat which any executive of the state
ar territory has left behind. He has
made some mistakes, in the estimation
'f some people, but he certainly de-
'erves the cred'.,s for good administra-
'ioD, and we trust his successor will
cave 2 rec' ord as satisfying to the peo-