The independent., 1905-08-24

100000 acres or more AS soon as this was
known the Oregon Railway & Navigation company
ran railroad through the valley; and it now de-
mands such price for it's rightof-way or for re-
moving it's tracks to more elevated site that the
project has been practically Abandoned Most
railroad officials seem to comprehend that the de-
velopment of the territory they serve is of more
Importance to them than the getting of specula-
tive price for special strip of land; but in this
instance the greed of the corporation seems to
have clouded its judgment. 1t may well be doubted
II such an exercise of the states delegated power
OF eminent domain as is witnessed in this instance
was ever contemplated in the railroad statutes of
Washington.
An examination of the health records of New
York. prompted by statistics recently compiled by
the Chicago health department, shows that there
has been remarkable decrease in death from
nervous troubles in New York since 1870 While
other ailments, such as heart disease, Brghts
disease, and consumption, have been gaining
ground, all affections of the nervous system have
diminished as New York has grown larger and
more turbulent. Notwithstanding this Dr. Darl-
ington, head of the health department, declares
that the wear and destruction of human life and
heaith from the pressure and comp1exty of New
York life are constantly increasing. 1t now is
manifest he asserts, in diseases other than those
OF the nervous system. He declared also that the
decrease in purely nervous diseases is largely
due to the decrease in consumption of whisky in
New York. report from Chicago showed that
off from 37.6 persons per 1000 in 1870 to 1873 in
1904. table compiled by the registrar from the
records OF Manhattan and Bronx boroughs shows
these surprising results: Death rate per 10000
inhabitants in 1870, 34.72 in 1880, 2306; in $780,
1891; in 1900, 1417; in 1904, 1889.
The Birmingham News tells in a special ed-
tion about the surprising development of that
busy Alabama city. In thirty years it has risen
from railroad flag station to place of 100000
inhabitants, which is busy hive of manufactur-
ing and commerce, and is still rapidly growing
When 1t was staked off, just thirty-five years ago.
there was neither house nor nhabitant on it's site
Now the Birmingham district has thirty blast fur
naces, two steel plants and three more planned
four rolling mills $500 square miles of coal fields
extensive iron deposits, six trunk line railroads
and four more expected within year, 121 miles
OF electric car lines, and $150OO,OOO of bank de-
poslts. In the district centering in Birmingham
are produced 100000 tons of coal 5000 900 tons
OF coke, 100000 tons of iron ore and 100000 tons
OF steel. The editor of the Birmingham News
writes that the Birmingham region is in great
need of at least 1000 sober, aw-abiding ndustri-
GUS workingmen who can make good wages There
are in the district and adjacent to it, he writes,
thousands OF acres of fertile lands, which can be
bought or leased on favorable terms, on which in
dustrouS farmers could get rich in few years.
These facts and this appeal are given for the ad-
vantage of enterprising northern youth to whom
they may appeal. 1t would be good thing for
the whole country if there could be more Of this
hlnd oI interchange OF population between the
North and South.
The Referendum League of Buffalo is live
organization backed by the most influential citi-
zens, and at largely attended meeting held re-
Gently the president of the organization was au-
thorized to engage the services of the late secre
tary of the Municipal League to raise $4,000 for
expenses of speakers and printing and spreading
information among voters about the questions that
have been petitioned to be voted for. AS the egis
har
ter of Buffalo with section installing the referen
dun and the initiative, the majority of the voters
have themselves established an advisory system
of electing aldermen and mayor who are pledged
to abide by the result of referendum votes on i'm
portant gu sticns. The vested interests" are
fighting this reform, but already the results at
tanned have been useful in decreasing grating
that the voters are more than ever determined to
enforce their power The most pressing issue in
Buffalo is the exorbtant price charged for gas