The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-03-16
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A. F. Perry, who has been in Walla
Walla for several days from Vancou-
yer, B. c., has lately returned from
Kerney county, California, where he
looked over oil properties owned by
himself and William O'Donnell of WAL
la Walla. 1.-THE oil situation in Cali
fornia is bad and we are doing nothing
with our property" Mr.. Perry said
this morning. I'VE have had our wells
plugged and will let the property re-
main idle until such time as we feel
that we can work it with profit. The
Standard Oil people have adopted the
same tactics in the California oil
fields that they did in Pennsylvania
and are now attempting in Kansas
We can obtain but 8 cents a barrel for
our oil and in order to find a market
we would have to sell our product to
Standard Oil agents or customers. In
all probability the California legisla-
ture will pass laws in the near future
that will afford some protection to the
small producers" Mr.. Perry is inter-
ested in several enterprises in British
Columbia where he has been since his
return from Korea two years ago.
J. F. Hurst, representing the Hurst
Automatic Switch and Signal company
is in Walla Walla for the purpose of
interesting local capital in a stock
company to be organized for the pur-
pose of placing the invention on the
market. Mr.. Hurst has a working
model of his invention on display at
the State hotel where it has been in
spected by number of local railroad
men. The invention is designed to
automatically lock and unlock switches
and is under control of the engineer
of a train at all times.
A prominent Prescott citizen, who
says his name must not be mentioned
under any circumstances, is in Walla
Walla today and relates an amusing
adventure of two other prominent
Prescott citizens last Sunday. The
aforesaid prominent citizens were en-
joying a Sunday stroll on the outskirts
of Prescott when they spied what they
took to be the footprints of huge
cougar. The tracks led to the Touchet,
a half miie below town, and the two
prominent citizens followed the trail
with the stealth of Indians. After
considerable search among brush and
underground the lair of the animal
was found, big hole in high bank
zest of the chase the thought of dan
ger never entered the minds of the
two prominent citizens and they set
about with poles and rock to dislodge
the animal. This proved hard task
when the happy thought of using
stick of dynamite was suggested by
the hardware merchant. A trip was
made back to town and the dynamite
secured. The stick was placed far
back in the nole, the fuse was lighted
and the pair withdrew to safe dis
lance to await results. A dull explo-
sion occurred and a ton or so of rock
and dirt shot into the air. To the sur
prise of the prominent citizens the
cougar failed to put in an appearance,
and thinking perhaps it had been killed
one of the men volunteered to go in
after it. Into the hole he went on
hands and knees. Finally encounter
ing a hairy object he grasped leg
and crawled out again, brought to
light, not a cougar, but a pretty little
calf as dead as the proverbial door
nail. 1t develops that the calf, which
was a valuable one, was the property
of a rancher in the vicinity and he is
now calling upon the prominent citi-
Zens to make good. The calf had been
in the habit of hiding in the hole when
frightened.
NOTICE.