anaheim-gazette 1909-09-02

BIRDS IN FIELD AND FOREST WITHOUT THEIR HELP FARMING WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE Address by Wm. L. Finley Before National Irrigation Congress at Spokane—Destruction of Insect Pests Paramount Importance to Farmers We all know that the real wealth of the country is based upon agriculture and horticulture. Without the help of our wild birds farming would be impossible. No farm hands can accomplish the work intrusted to the birds. Wild birds of orchard, field, and forest are Nature's check upon the increase of insect life. With the great handicap of bird destruction in the present day, the loss from insect and rodent pests in the United States during the past year is estimated to be $800,000,000. This loss can be reduced only when a public sentiment is aroused for proper bird protection. The practical farmer cannot afford to ignore the relations which wild birds bear to his crops. They are a part of the natural resources of any farm. The farmer will prosper in proportion to the way he encourages these extra hands that Nature has given him. While the value of the birds to the farmer, orchardist and planter has for years been recognized, it is believed by the authorities that their importance in preserving the forests is not generally known. According to a recent report of the government, insects alone cause an annual loss to the trees of the country estimated at over a hundred million dollars. On the oak alone 400 species of insects which are sought and consumed by killed in every county to supply the market. As the birds began to disappear, swarms of locusts took their place. These insects hatched out in countless numbers and began devastating crops. Few fields of grain escaped damage. Many were entirely destroyed. Where blackbirds, quail, prairie chickens, plover and other birds remained, they took to living entirely on locusts. In such localities fair crops were secured solely through the assistance of the birds. The members of the United States Entomological commission who witnessed the work accomplished by the birds in this region, said the results were so complete that it was impossible to entertain any doubt as to the value of birds as locust destroyers. Years ago a hunter along Massachusetts coast shot some terns and sent the plumage to a New York milliner. The tern is a bird that is sometimes called the sea-swallow or summer gull. Its plumage is as delicate as its flight is graceful. The long pointed wings and tails of these birds at once became stylish. "Send more tern wings. We can pay cash for all you forward," the telegram ran. The dealers in plumage immediately issued circulars asking for large quantities of terns and sea gulls. The demand kept running ahead of the supply. Up and down the Atlantic and Pacific Coast and through the country the word went forth. Never had there been such a slaughter of birds in this country.Many thousands of terns were killed on the coast of Massachusetts and at other breeding places. At Cobb's Island, Virginia, one of the baymen said 1400 terns were killed in a single day and 40,000 were shot during the summer. The destruction at other places was equally great. In two or While the value of the birds to the farmer, orchardist and planter has for years been recognized, it is believed by the authorities that their importance in preserving the forests is not generally known. According to a recent report of the government, insects alone cause an annual loss to the trees of the country estimated at over a hundred million dollars. On the oak alone 400 species of insects which are sought and consumed by the birds of the forest, prey constantly, the experts of the Biological survey have discovered. On the willow 186 such species constantly attempt its destruction, on the pine 165, on the hickory 170, on the birch 105 and on the elm 80. Careful analysis of the stomachs of thousands of woodpeckers, titmice, creepers, kinglets, wood warblers, wrens, fly-catchers, swallows, nut hatches and other birds of the woods show that their constant labor is to consume just these devastating insects. Birds work more in conjunction to help him than any other form of outdoor life. They police the earth and air and without their services the farmer would be helpless. Larks, wrens and thrushes search the ground for grubs and insects. The food of the meadow lark consists of 75 per cent of injurious insects and twelve per cent of weed seed, showing that it is a bird of great economic value. Sparrows, finches and quail eat a large amount of weed seed. Practically all the food of the tree sparrow consists of seed. Examinations by Professor F. E. L. Beal of the Biological survey of the Department of Agriculture show that a single tree sparrow will eat quarter of an ounce of weed seed daily. In a state the size of Iowa, tree sparrows alone will consume more than eight hundred tons of weed seed annually. This, with the work of other seed-eating birds, saves the farmer an immense amount of work. Nut hatches and chickadees scan every part of the trunks and limbs of trees for insect eggs. The valuable service which birds render about the farm is shown most strikingly in places where insects and rodents have become so numerous as to destroy crops. Birds collect in such places where food is abundant and by giving their whole time to hunting and eating these insects, they become the most valuable assistants the farmer can have. To illustrateply. Up and down the Atlantic and Pacific Coast and through the country the word went forth. Never had there been such a slaughter of birds in this country.Many thousands of terns were killed on the coast of Massachusetts and at other breeding places. At Cobb's Island, Virginia, one of the baymen said 1400 terns were killed in a single day and 40,000 were shot during the summer. The destruction at other places was equally great. In two or three seasons the killing of these breeding birds had its effect. These well-known bird colonies were a thing of the past. One can get an idea of the slaughter of one species of tern by glancing at the records of the feather-sale at the Commercial Sales Rooms in London on April 14, 1908, when one shipment of over 14,000 sooty terns was catalogued. Again at the sale on June 10, 15,500 more skins of this same species were on sale. This means that professional plume hunters had found and raided new breeding places of this species and practically every bird had been killed. This is but one example. Years ago great flocks of gulls and terns added life and interest to our sandy shores. White herons flocked through swamps and everglades of the southern states; the great tule marshes of the west were white with the nesting multitude. In those halcon days men would have scoffed if you had said these birds, so strong in numbers, could have been destroyed. They were so harmless to mankind that at that time no one could think of a cause that might lead to their extermination. There was no cause except their marvelous beauty. Yet in less than a quarter of a century some of the plume birds have all but taken their places with vanished races. Although the decrease of bird numbers has been so marked in our country, it has been more deplorable in other lands. The demands for plumage of wild birds have been growing. All through the tropical countries natives were eagerly looking for an easy means of livelihood. Killing all kinds of birds has opened the way. Thousands of Indians and negroes have been supplied with guns and ammunition by traders.Everywhere they are roaming through the forests and swamps, seeking the last individuals of the species that are left. Many a rare and beautiful bird has been plied up and down the Atlantic and Pacific Coast and through the country the word went forth. Never had there been such a slaughter of birds in this country.Many thousands of terns were killed on the coast of Massachusetts and at other breeding places. At Cobb's Island, Virginia, one of the baymen said 1400 terns were killed in a single day and 40,000 were shot during the summer. The destruction at other places was equally great. In two or three seasons the killing of these breeding birds had its effect. These well-known bird colonies were a thing of the past. One can get an idea of the slaughter of one species of tern by glancing at the records of the feather-sale at the Commercial Sales Rooms in London on April 14, 1908, when one shipment of over 14,000 sooty terns was catalogued. Again at the sale on June 10, 15,500 more skins of this same species were on sale. This means that professional plume hunters had found and raided new breeding places of this species and practically every bird had been killed. This is but one example. Years ago great flocks of gulls and terns added life and interest to our sandy shores. White herons flocked through swamps and everglades of the southern states; the great tule marshes of the west were white with the nesting multitude. In those halcon days men would have scoffed if you had said these birds, so strong in numbers, could have been destroyed. They were so harmless to mankind that at that time no one could think of a cause that might lead to their extermination. There was no cause except their marvelous beauty. Yet in less than a quarter of a century some of the plume birds have all but taken their places with vanished races. Although the decrease of bird numbers has been so marked in our country, it has been more deplorable in other lands. The demands for plumage of wild birds have been growing. All through the tropical countries natives were eagerly looking for an easy means of livelihood. Killing all kinds of birds has opened the way. Thousands of Indians and negroes have been supplied with guns and ammunition by traders.Everywhere they are roaming through the forests and swamps, seeking the last individuals of the species that are left. Many a rare and beautiful bird has been plied up and down the Atlantic and Pacific Coast and through the country the word went forth. Never had there been such a slaughter of birds in this country.Many thousands of terns were killed on the coast of Massachusetts and at other breeding places. At Cobb's Island, Virginia, one of the baymen said 1400 terns were killed in a single day and 40,000 were shot during the summer. The destruction at other places was equally great. In two or three seasons the killing of these breeding birds had its effect. These well-known bird colonies were a thing of the past. One can get an idea of the slaughter of one species of tern by glancing at the records of the feather-sale at the Commercial Sales Rooms in London on April 14, 1908, when one shipment of over 14,000 sooty terns was catalogued. Again at the sale on June 10, 15,500 more skins of this same species were on sale. This means that professional plume hunters had found and raided new breeding places of this species and practically every bird had been killed. This is but one example. Years ago great flocks of gulls and terns added life and interest to our sandy shores. White herons flocked through swamps and everglades of the southern states; the great tule marshes of the west were white with the nesting multitude. In those halcon days men would have scoffed if you had said these birds, so strong in numbers, could have been destroyed. They were so harmless to mankind that at that time no one could think of a cause that might lead to their extermination. There was no cause except their marvelous beauty. Yet in less than a quarter of a century some of the plume birds have all but taken their places with vanished races. Although the decrease of bird numbers has been so marked in our country, it has been more deplorable in other lands. The demands for plumage of wild birds have been growing. All through the tropical countries natives were eagerly looking for an easy means of livelihood. Killing all kinds of birds has opened the way. Thousands of Indians and negroes have been supplied with guns and ammunition by traders.Everywhere they are roaming through the forests and swamps, seeking the last individuals of the species that are left. Many a rare and beautiful bird has been plied up and down the Atlantic and Pacific Coast and through the country the word went forth. Never had there been such a slaughter of birds in this country.Many thousands of terns were killed on the coast of Massachusetts and at other breeding places. At Cobb's Island, Virginia, one of the baymen said 1400 terns were killed in a single day and 40,000 were shot during the summer. The destruction at other places was equally great. In two or three seasons the killing of these breeding birds had its effect. These well-known bird colonies were a thing of the past. One can get an idea of the slaughter of one species of tern by glancing at the records of the feather-sale at the Commercial Sales Rooms in London on April 14, 1908, when one shipment of over 14,000 sooty terns was catalogued. Again at the sale on June 10, 15,500 more skins of this same species were on sale. This means that professional plume hunters had found and raided new breeding places of this species and practically every bird had been killed. This is but one example. Years ago great flocks of gulls and terns added life and interest to our sandy shores. White herons flocked through swamps and everglades of the southern states; the great tule marshes of the west were white with the nesting multitude. In those halcon days men would have scoffed if you had said these birds, so strong in numbers, could have been destroyed. They were so harmless to mankind that at that time no one could think of a cause that might lead to their extermination. There was no cause except their marvelous beauty. Yet in less than a quarter of a century some of the plume birds have all but taken their places with vanished races. Although the decrease of bird numbers has been so marked in our country, it has been more deplorable in other lands. The demands for plumage of wild birds have been growing. All through the tropical countries natives were eagerly looking for an easy means of livelihood. Killing all kinds of birds has opened the way. Thousands of Indians and negroes have been supplied with guns and ammunition by traders.Everywhere they are roaming through the forests and swamps, seeking the last individuals of the species that are left. Many a rare and beautiful bird has been plied up and down the Atlantic and Pacific Coast and through the country the word went forth. Never had there been such a slaughter of birds in this country.Many thousands of terns were killed on the coast of Massachusetts and at other breeding places. At Cobb's Island, Virginia, one of the baymen said 1400 terns were killed in a single day and 40,000 were shot during the summer. The destruction at other places was equally great. In two or three seasons the killing of these breeding birds had its effect. These well-known bird colonies were a thing of the past. One can get an idea of the slaughter of one species of tern by glancing at the records of the feather-sale at the Commercial Sales Rooms in London on April 14, 1908, when one shipment of over 14,000 sooty terns was catalogued. Again at the sale on June 10, 15,500 more skins of this same species were on sale. This means that professional plume hunters had found and raided new breeding places of this species and practically every bird had been killed. This is but one example. Years ago great flocks of gulls and terns added life and interest to our sandy shores. White herons flocked through swamps and everglades of the southern states; the great tule marshes ofthe west were white with the nesting multitude.In those halcon days men would have scoffed if you had said these birds, so strong in numbers could have been destroyed.Their successfully invaded fatality injured by care point in their physiologically blue mold figure causeof considera sourceof data fruit has been bad treatment.A secondary phantasy at any time in fruit，但 since off handling，an est danger from found during thie or orchard an sortingand haw house,a large from mold is p California.Since may introduce certain percent causeand to suwitions as took chickadees scan every part of the trunks and limbs of trees for insect eggs. The valuable service which birds render about the farm is shown most strikingly in places where insects and rodents have become so numerous as to destroy crops. Birds collect in such places where food is abundant and by giving their whole time to hunting and eating these insects, they become the most valuable assistants the farmer can have. To illustrate, a few years ago a large apple orchard in central Illinois was attacked by canker worms. Professor S. A. Forbes spent two seasons in this locality studying bird life. He examined the stomachs of 36 different species of birds and found that seventy-two per cent of these were eating canker worms. Taken as a whole, 36 per cent of the food of all the birds of the locality consisted of these worms. Out of a flock of 35 cedar waxwings, seven were killed and examined. With the exception of a few small beetles, these birds were living entirely on canker worms. By actual count, he found seventy to 101 worms in the stomachs of each one of these birds. If we assume that each waxwing ate a hundred worms a day, which is a very low estimate, the flock of 30 were destroying 3000 a day, or during the month when caterpillars were out, a flock of 30 waxwings would eat 90,000. A number of years ago blackbirds were exceedingly abundant through eastern Nebraska. They were so pleniful that the farmers believed they were damaging crops. They began poisoning the birds. A single grain of corn soaked in strychnine was enough to kill a blackbird. In the years that followed, great numbers of these and other birds were destroyed during the spring and fall. At the same time thousands of quail, prairie chickens and other game birds were What will come of it all, this wanton slaughter of the birds? If those plumes were only answering some real need—but they are for decoration only. As yet no person has ever offered a single logical reason for this destruction, yet there are many reasons against it. The property of all nations must depend to a large extent upon agricultural pursuits.The dangers to agriculture from insects and pests are well known. Wild birds are nature's check against the swarm of insect life. With our bird numbers so rapidly decreasing the balance of nature is bound to be affected. Our wild birds are as much a part of the natural resources of the country as are the forests and streams. For our own prosperity we should not permit these resources to be ravaged.Saving our wild birds is a debt we owe, not only to ourselves, but what is of more importance, we are in duty bound to transmit this inheritance to our children. Wanted: A girl or middle aged woman to do general housework for a family of three. Call at Gazette office for particulars. Fruit, but since it is of handling, and est danger from found during the orchard and sorting and hard house, a large from mold is present California. Since may introduce certain percentage cause and to suction as took place handling in pace the market soon the fruit. Thation becomes proper care in losses due to large degree percentage of lemon or otherwise roughness of the comes an imp preservation. Technical tests of as affected by processes are sum circular. Since ling and shipment matter of study Investigations Bureau, this get considered here. Another pos may lie in weak processes through fruit is put in the market, or der which it is place of production consumption tigation calls houses and their social reference seem likely to Methods of Pre SOME FACTS ABOUT LEMONS FACTORS AFFECTING THEIR KEEPING QUALITIES Bulletin of the United States Department of Agriculture Giving Results of Investigations by Bureau of Plant Industry—Losses by Diseases The Department of Agriculture at Washington has favored us with a copy of a bulletin issued by the bureau of plant industry, upon Some Factors Affecting the Keeping Qualities of American Lemons, which will appeal with interest to Southern California growers. We quote from its pages as follows: There is a prevailing impression among fruit handlers that American-grown lemons while possessing many points of superior attractiveness are open to the objection that they are not long keepers. Assuming the correctness of this report, the source of this weakness demands a careful study of the whole lemon situation. The object of this investigation has been to get a clearer understanding of the processes through which lemons are put after packing, with special reference to the bearing of these processes on the behavior of the fruit in the packing houses, during transit, and after it has reached the market. This broadly outlined study has for its practical object the determination of conditions affecting the keeping qualities of the fruit after it has reached the market. The hope is also present that through the results obtained improvements in some of the processes investigated may be suggested. It has been made clear by workly differing histories. 1. Some are sufficiently colored when they are picked from the tree and are shipped to the market, as quickly as possible. The so-called "tree-ripe" lemons are usually segregated and go on the market as inferior fruit, it being generally agreed that tree-ripe lemons do not have as good keeping qualities as the fruit which is picked green and colored artificially. 2. "Sweated fruit" is picked green when the proper diameter is reached, and colored rapidly by storage in moist, tight, sweat rooms or sweating tents in which a high temperature is maintained, usually by means of oil stoves burning in the room with the lemons or in a cellar-like room below the fruit and separated from the storage room by slatted floors. The humidity and heat, and perhaps carbon dioxide and other gaseous products of combustion, acting together bring about a rapid coloration of the fruit. Sweating is usually resorted to only when the price of lemons is high and a rapid marketing of the crop is desired. It is generally agreed among lemon growers that sweated lemons are less likely to keep than those colored more gradually at lower temperatures. Since the conditions maintained in sweat rooms are highly unnatural and the result is obtained in a most unnatural way, some attention has been given to the physiological factors involved in sweating. 3. By far the larger part of the lemon crop is picked when the desired diameter of the fruit is reached, and this is colored by curing at low temperatures in the packing houses. In some places where the water loss from the fruit is likely to be relatively easy to control, an open floor covered by a roof is sufficient. RAISING ASSESSMENTS Appraisement Committee Summoned Before State Board Frank Matson, formerly a member of the State Board of Equalization and now associated with that body, was in Santa Ana some days ago with subpoenas for five Santa Ana men who served as an appraisement committee for the state board a few weeks ago. The subpoenas instruct these five men to appear before the state board of equalization at Los Angeles on Monday, August 31, at which time the Orange county Board of Supervisors is to appear to show cause why the Orange county assessment should not be raised by the state board. Several counties have already appeared before the state board. The state board's endeavor seems to be to get all the counties of the state on an equal footing. It wants every county assessed at sixty per cent of its cash value. It intends to raise or lower each county or let it stand in accordance with the showing made as to whether or not the assessment reaches the general standard. In this county as in others the state board selected a list of some 280 pieces of property. Through the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce a committee of appraisers was selected. On that committee were D. H. Thomas, C. S. Forgy, Frank Ey, John Cubbon and G. W. Minter. With the assistance of local men, this committee set values upon each of the 280 pieces of property. Riverside had a similar committee but the committee refused to act because it believed that the state board had selected a list of property that was not representative. The list contained the best orange groves and none of the medium and poorer processes on the behavior of the fruit in the packing houses, during transit, and after it has reached the market. This broadly outlined study has for its practical object the determination of conditions affecting the keeping qualities of the fruit after it has reached the market. The hope is also present that through the results obtained improvements in some of the processes investigated may be suggested. It has been made clear by work thus far accomplished that the keeping quality of American lemons is influenced by many factors, some acting on the orchard, some in the packing house, some in the cars during transit, and some at points far distant from California, that is, in the markets. Losses of Lemons from Parasitic Diseases Important among the factors causing the loss of lemons are parasitic diseases derived from the orchard. These operate not only there but, unless infected fruit is detected and discarded, also in the packing house, and even after the fruit has come on the market. The dreaded brown-rot may stand as type of destructive parasite. Since these organisms are usually virulent, the diseased fruits are in large part detected before shipment and form a conspicuous cause of loss in California. Losses of Lemons from Blue Mold A second type of trouble comes from aggressive organisms, such as blue mold, which, while not able to successfully invade a sound lemon, are fatal to fruits which have been injured by careless handling at some point in their history, or which are physiologically weak. Thus, while blue mold figures as an immediate cause of considerable loss, it becomes a source of danger chiefly after the fruit has been weakened by previous bad treatment. Mold invasion being a secondary phenomenon may appear at any time in the history of the fruit, but since the maximum amount of handling, and therefore the greatest danger from bad treatment, is found during the picking process in the orchard and in the subsequent sorting and handling in the packing house, a large proportion of the loss from mold is probably also found in California. Since shipping conditions may introduce violence and injury, a certain percentage of loss due to this cause and to such injuries and infections as took place during the last result is obtained in a most unnatural way, some attention has been given to the physiological factors involved in sweating. 3. By far the larger part of the lemon crop is picked when the desired diameter of the fruit is reached, and this is colored by curing at low temperatures in the packing houses. In some places where the water loss from the fruit is likely to be relatively easy to control, an open floor covered by a roof is sufficient for a permanent storage structure. In order to enable the manager to modify conditions to suit the needs of the individual lots, the lemons, in boxes or trays, are piled up in carloads, and each pile is covered by a heavy canvas tent, of which the sides and ends may be raised or lowered at will. In those regions, where water loss is less readily controlled, the storing house is boarded up with the usual walls and ends. To secure uniformity of conditions with even greater ease, some growers have made use of cellars under the house. Lemons colored by this slow curing" process may remain in tents or cellars as long as six months or more if the market conditions require it, but usually fruit is marketed much sooner. In grading and packing the fruit for market some lemon houses handle the sweated and tent-cured sorts separately, but this is not the invariable rule. DRY FARMING CONGRESS Call Issued for Annual Session at Billings, Mont. Secretary John T. Burns has issued the official call for the fourth annual session of the Dry Farming Congress to be held at Billings, Montana, October 26-27-28, 1909. The congress is called: "To discuss and compare methods by which the great area of arid land can be profitably utilized under thorough tillage by which the natural rainfall can be conserved." "To encourage the use of methods by which, in districts where rainfall is slight, or irrigation water is limited, the actual productive acreage can be increased." "To create closer cooperation between the government and state experts in charge of dry farming experimental work and the actual farmers of the arid districts. On that committee were D. H. Thomas, C. S. Forgy, Frank Ey, John Cubbon and G. W. Minter. With the assistance of local men, this committee set values upon each of the 280 pieces of property. Riverside had a similar committee but the committee refused to act because it believed that the state board had selected a list of property that was not representative. The list contained the best orange groves and none of the medium and poper groves, and it was feared the state board intended judging all groves by the reports on the fine groves. In Orange county, the appraisement committee made no such complaint, and it is generally reported by those familiar with the list that it was representative of the lands of the county. The members of the appraisement committee will be called as witnesses. The supervisors have been notified of the hearing, but have not been subpoenaed, but it is understood that the supervisors will attend the meeting to show what the assessment accepted by them is fair. The county auditor and county assessor in all probability will also attend the meeting. Just what line of questioning the state board will take is not known. When the board was cited before the state board two years ago, it was found that the state board had a lot of clippings showing amounts for which lands had been sold. These amounts were compared with the assessments, and the county officials asked to explain whatever difference there might be. Appraisement of estatse, property income, crops conditions, etc., were entered into. By the calling of the appraisement committee as witnesses, it is thought that the investigations of the state board will be largely confined to making a comparison of the figures presented by the county rolls and the figures made by the appraisement committee. Matson found three of the five committeemen. John Cubbon and G. W. Minter were not in town, and Matson failed to serve them with subpoenas. fruit, but since the maximum amount of handling, and therefore the greatest danger from bad treatment, is found during the picking process in the orchard and in the subsequent sorting and handling in the packing house, a large proportion of the loss from mold is probably also found in California. Since shipping conditions may introduce violence and injury, a certain percentage of loss due to this cause and to such injuries and infections as took place during the last handling in packing will be met in the market soon after the arrival of the fruit. Thus the blue-mold situation becomes largely a question of proper care in handling. As the losses due to blue mold are to a very large degree dependant on the percentage of lemons having a punctured or otherwise ruptured epidermis, the toughness of the outside cuticle becomes an important factor in fruit preservation. The results of mechanical tests of the ease of puncture as affected by the packing-house processes are summarized later in this circular. Since injury in the handling and shipment of lemons is a matter of study in the Office of Field Investigations in Pomology of this Bureau, this general subject is not considered here. Another possible seat of trouble may lie in weakness caused by the processes through which the green fruit is put in order to color it for the market, or in the conditions under which it is stored, either at the place of production or at the point of consumption. This line of investigation calls for a study of lemon houses and their operations, with special reference to such processes as seem likely to weaken the fruit. Methods of Preparing Lemons for Market A preliminary study of the situation has developed the fact that lemons come on the market with wide profitably utilized under thorough tillage by which the natural rainfall can be conserved. “To encourage the use of methods by which, in districts where rainfall is slight, or irrigation water is limited, the actual productive acreage can be increased. “To create closer cooperation between the government and state experts in charge of dry farming experimental work and the actual farmers of the arid districts. “To enlarge the plans for carrying on a great educational propaganda by which, eventually, the arid districts of the entire world can be populated by prosperous and contented agriculturists. “To encourage legislation looking to increased federal and state appropriations for the establishment of more experimental stations, the employment of more field experts and the actual cooperation of all these stations in fixing and maintaining a certain recognized standard of methods for obtaining results from the operation of farms in the arid districts. “To study methods and results of dry farming operations in various western states and in foreign countries which are represented in the Congress. “To establish a better understanding of the value of agricultural education in the public schools of the west. “To bring to the attention of active farmers the various theories and working plans whereby each farmer may assist in the general commercial social and political uplift of the western states.” Are you using one of our genuine Moon Bros. vehicles? If not, you do not know what comfort and pleasure you are missing. Wm. F. Lutz Co., Santa Ana. IT should be well understood by the taxpayers that even should the state board raise the assessment the taxes are not necessarily increased. It is the avowed intention of the state board to lower the state rate, should the total be sufficiently increased. Should the raise be made, the board of supervisors can lower the rate materially and still raise as much money as it had last year. CALLS FOR HELP, SINKS Flashes Story of Disaster, Goes Down With Ship New York, Aug. 27.—The United Wireless, one of whose operators, G. E. Eccles of Winnepeg, perished in the sinking of the steamship Ohio, received an account of the disaster from Operator Booth at Ketchikan late today. Booth says in a dispatch to headquarters of the company here: "About 1 a.m., I was sitting with my receivers clapped to my ears, having just finished working with Operator Eccles on board the Ohio, when I was startled by hearing him call 'C.Q.D.' 'C.Q.D.' I immediately answered and he sent the following: 'Ohio struck a rock. Steamer is sinking. Send aid immediately or everybody will be lost.' "The steamships Humboldt and Rupert City of the McKenzie Brothers' Steamship Company, happened to be near and they both called the Ohio, asking for her latitude. Eccles gave it immediately and the Rupert flashed back that they would change their course and stand by the Ohio as soon as possible. "Meanwhile, Eccles sent another message, saying: "'Ohio sinking fast. Cannot hold out. Passengers being taken off in small boats. Captain and crew will stick to the last." "The Humboldt and Rupert both replied that they were headed for the Ohio and would pick the passengers up. Then came the final message from the stricken vessel. It was never finished: "Passengers all off and adrift in small boats,' it said. 'Captain and crew going off in the last boat, waiting for me now. Good-by.' "I was unable to get him again and knew he had gone down with the ship."z" WANTED—a man with $2500.00 to take ½ interest in gilt-edge local business proposition. Nice clean business and insures quick returns. Will stand your investigation if you have the money. Address Z, this office. 1 Fire extinguishers and fire proof safes. Wm. F. Lutz Co., Santa Ana. All Hats, Trimmings, Ribbons, Etc., At less than cost. We must make room for our daily arriving Fall Stock. GADE'S MILLINERY Dressmaking and Ladies' Tailoring All Hats, Trimmings, Ribbons, Etc., At less than cost. We must make room for our daily arriving Fall Stock. GADE'S MILLINERY Dressmaking and Ladies' Tailoring MISS HEDSTROM Three doors north of S.Q.R. 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In fact, it levels itself—very little brushing being necessary. The Chi-Namel Graining, Staining and Varnishing Process in the hands of the amateur makes very old, black, rough, dirt-stained wood as good as new—gives any color—reproduces any grain and supplies a permanent, durable finish. Gloss for Floors; Gloss or Mission for doors, casings, furniture, etc. Don't let the "second-hand man" get your furniture unless it is actually broken. Chi-Namel can mend any defect in furniture except a broken joint. A 20c. can of Chi-Namel will make any three old chairs fit for the parlor. All Chi-Namel products at our store. All Colors—Made by Ohio Varnish Company, Cleveland, Ohio. L. E. Miller's Hardware Store