East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-06-13

CharSc III NeSt-OtHef news Oh the
Northwest.
seattle.-The protection of the
travelling public from disease by
safeguarding trains from infection,
regulating the travel of diseased per-
sons, and scientific and unremitting
sanitation in every phase of travel
within the states, Is the plan evolved
at a recent conference of health Off
GERS at Washington, D. c., and DIR.
Elmer E. Heg, state health commits
sioner of this state, has been assign
ed the task of planning the work west
of the Mississippi river. DR.. Heg
has just returned from Washington
and is now arranging for a confer
ence in Seattle. of health officials
from western states.
DR.. Heg believes that even If the
Owens bill, providing for a national
department of health, is not passed,
the state health officers can accom-
plish by cooperation the same re-
suits for which a national department
Is Httutu OIllOIHi ldWS
to protect travellers are needed, so
that epldemics will not be allowed to
be introduced from one section into
another. There is no place where
all sorts of people are brought in
such close contact, with such few
sanitary precautions as on trains.
Consumptives travel with impunity.
Convalescent patients and half sick
people use the cars where there is no
chance for taking proper precautions.
All, OF these conditions, DR.. Heg be-
lieves can be improved by co-opera-
tions between state health depart
ments.
To Preserve Forests.
An important step toward preserv-
ing the forests of the northwest from
damaging fires. has been taken by
the state fire wardens of Washing
ton, in ordering all locomotives to use
practical spark arresters. Railroads
failing to comply with this order will
see their engines stopped from oper-
ating by state officials. great
percentage of forest fires are started
by locomotive sparks, or sparks from
logging engines. The trans-continen-
tai lines have generally shown will
ingess to take proper precautios but
even the big roads have been occa-
sional offenders, and smaller lines,
including many logging roads have
never paid any attention to the law re-
auiring spark arresters. The Wash
ington Fire association, organized by
timber owners to protect the forests,
brought the matter to the attention
of the state officers and the law will
be strictly enforced. Other north
eastern states will be asked to CO.
operate in this plan in the hope of
saving many thousand dollars worth
of timber each year.
Washington Winner.
The University of Washington won
the rowing championship of the Pa
ciflc coast from Stanford university
in the race on Lake Washington May
26. and the winners left Immediately
to race against the University of Wis
consin eight at Madison on June 4.
The beautiful acquatic sport is gin
ing many followers in the northwest
and the racing enthusiasts hope to in
troduce it into high schools and into
such colleges as have bodies of water
near by where rowing can be en-
joyed
With the arrest in Seattle last week
of "Darby" Theilman, the govern
ment secret service officials have
rounded UP the last of the famous
Maybray gang of prize fight and
and phoney wrestling match opera
tors. who are said to have made
million from their victims in the last
ten years. They operated by con-
Quoting fixed" matches. to which
the victim was given a supposedly
sure thing tip. Many reliable busi-
ness men fell into the trap, believing
that they were the flyers. OF course
the match always went wront, one or
the participants feigned serous in
Jury. there was fake police raid,
or some other scheme to so frighten
the victim that he gave up his mon
! ey without a murmur.
| The gang operated in Seattle in
! 900. fitting up a houseboat on Lake
Washington. with ring and seats for
n few spectators. They were exposed
bv the late Billy" Lavigne, a thor
| oughly square fight promoter who re-
! fused to mix in their crooked deals.
No arrests were made and the gang
| left Seattle Finally the government
agents began an investigation which
lead to scores of indictments by a
grand jury at Council Bluffs, Iowa.
on charges of fraudulent use of the
mails Maybray, the leader. is serV-
! ing time. as are Joe Carroll and Bert
Warner of Seattle. and Win Harris
| of Spokane. and members of the gang
from other states Theilman is the
last one to be arrested. The opera
! ton of the "Big stores" gang, the
biggest swindlers Of recent years. are
now a matter of history.
The Methodist ministers of Seattle
at their last meeting passed reso-
| luton endorsing equal suffrage and
urging the passage of the amendment
to the constitution of the state of
| Washington. which comes before the
voters in November. The women who
are making an active campaign for
the right to vote are one by one win
ming over influential organizations in
! their behalf.
The northwestern states will enjoy
! one of the finest fruit crops in their
history this year, according to early
reports. Fom the Yakima valley