The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-10-08

about 81 $50, while we can only expect
in return about $6,45O, or in the same
ratio. This illustrates the beauties OF
the new methods of taxation, in which
we get the worst of it.
SPAIN is now in the throes of a po-
litical upheaval. a new ministry is be-
ing formed and Weyler will probably
be recalled from Cuba. This country
is beginning 10 take an interest in the
Cuban question and the general inn
preston is that Spain is ready to give
up her fight for the island and with
draw as gracefully as possible.
Hon. NEAL Dow, the great Maine LEM
perance and prohibitionist and father
Of the prohibition law of Maine, died
last Saturday at the advanced age of
SO years. His ability and vigor re-
NAMED with him until the end when
ninety years old he delivered as strong
an address as those which character
lied his active career a half century
before.
THE jury has convicted Walter Irv-
ing of murder in the second degree for
the killing OF Finley Garrison, whose
bones were found in an old we'll on a
WILDLY Island farm. At this dis
lance the verdict seems queer, if Irv-
ing committed the murder, he ought
to have been hung, and if the evidence
was not sufficient, the verdict should
have been for acquittal. However he
was sentenced to twenty years at hard
labor.
THOSE people who are satisfied with
Mr.. Bryan's explanation of the cause
in the advance in the price of wheat
do we'll to inquire of him about the
advance of wool. He says the adj
vanced in wheat was due to short
age abroad. There is no record of any
considerable shortage abroad in wool,
yet prices of wool have advanced sixty
per cent. since the beginning of Sep
TENDER, 1896, while silver has fallen
twenty per cent, in the same time
Montesano Vidette.
The present state board of equaliza-
ton must be bright and well-informed
men, but they are coming in for lot
of abuse for their work on the assess
ment of over one-half OF the counties
of the state. Mason County, which
has very large proportion of logged
of and practically valueless lands-as
well as unimproved lands, was placed
in the fourth class, or higher than sew.
eral of the best agricultural counties
in the state. We imagine that most
people will have cause to remember
this reform" administration when
tax-paying time comes around again
The state board of equalization
didn't do thing to Mason County
but raise our assessed valuation over a
million dollars, or to over three mil.
lions. If this is the result of sending
the County Attorney to Olympia to
see that assessment was not unduiy
raised, it is to be hoped that he will be
kept away another year. The state
board is evidently composed of persons
who have not much sympathy fol-
those who pay taxes. While this
raise has no effect on the county lew
it simply adds over third to the
amount demanded of Mason County
TO support the state. Then the s'bare.
foot bill" mulcts us again, so that this
county is paying fully twice as much
as its share.
A GREAT deal has appeared in the
newspapers at different times abont
aluminium, Its uses and its properties
1t was recently announced that con.
tracts had been signed for the delivery
IN England of 1000 tons of the crude
metal OF American manufacture. Gen.
eral interest in the subject led the
American Monthly Review of Reviews
to publish the first complete account
OF the discovery of the American pro.
cess for the reduction of aluminium BY
electrolysis. The story of this discoy.
cry (Which resulted in bringing down
the price of the metal from SIG to 81
cents per pOund) and it's subsenuen,
application in manufacturing on $
commercial scale is is one of the mos
interesting chapters in the recent an
nails OF American industrial progress
1t Is another instance of the triumpf
OF Yankee ingenuity and energy
America now makes as much alumni
UNI In year as all the other countrie
OF Europe together.
The Pullman Tribune now int;
mates that the apparent lack of mora
courage on the part of the chief execu
tive In his failure to remove the tw,
regents, Stearns and Tannatt. VIII,
were guilty of creating deficit, i,
after all not the real reason. The
Tribune says it is informed .ha
Rogers owes Stearns $500 that Stearn,
advanced for Rogers during the cam
palgn last fall. If this is true. thef
the real reason why Rogers permits !
convicted coward (Stearns was dis
missed from the militia tor cowardice'
and a self-confessed criminal to re-
main in place of public responsible.
lty is disclosed. Stearns is treasure,
OF the board and handles the govern.
!; ment funds. IF he really did adr.-