expectation of the officials of the California Northeastern that through trains will be in operation to Klamath Falls before the end of the year. From the north the Oregon Eastern is to be built from a connection with the Southern Pacific Oregon lines at Natron, up the Willamette River to the summit of the Cascades and thence south to Klamath Falls, with an arm extending across Central Oregon to the Oregon Short Line at Ontario. From a connection with the Southern Pacific at Upton, California, the McCloud River Railroad is building northward to Laird's Landing on Lower Klamath Lake, to establish through traffic by means of a steamboat connection to Klamath Falls and other points. Building north from Madeline, California, the Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad, controlled, it is understood, by the Gould interests, and to become an integral part of the Western Pacific system, is to traverse Lake County,

via Lakeview, and thence find a route. through the Klamath Basin to Western Oregon. Electric railways will ultimately link Klamath Falls, Merrill and Bonanza, principal trade and population centers of the country. Projects with this object are being worked out in plans of shrewd financiers.

Homes for the industrious farmers of the overcrowded states further to the eastward are to be found here under most favorable conditions. There is no public land open to entry under the canal system, but thousands of acres of land in private ownership have been placed upon the market by reason of the regulations that prevent one person perfecting a water right for more than 160 acres. Forty acres is enough for any family, under an adequate system of irrigation, and under the most intensive sort of diversified farming less acreage may be made to yield returns greater than realized from a quar

It was freely predicted by those who are conversant with exposition conditions that the after-effects of the Lewis & Clark Exposition would be somewhat disastrous. This was the case with expositions in Chicago, St. Louis and other cities, and those who made a study of expositions were probably justified in making the same prediction in reference to Portland. The facts in the case, however, have been as unusual as was the Portland Exposition itself. Indeed, we may go so far as to say that the immediate good to Portland that followed the exposition more than offsets the entire amount of

money that was spent on the Exposition. Property has advanced in value, business has increased and the outlook today is exceedingly bright. One of the indications of the prosperity of Portland and its progress along commercial lines as a result of the exposition is the establishment of the Bankers and Lumbermen's Bank, with an authorized capitalization of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The bank was organized by progressive and yet conservative business men, and will doubtless play an important part in the future commercial upbuilding of the city.

A

T Lewiston, Idaho, private capital is building a dam which, when completed, will be one of the largest earthen dams in the world. It commands especial attention from the fact that of the twelve really stupendous earthen dams of the world, but five earthen irrigation dams exceed it in size. Algeria has one that is larger, India two, and California two. The United States Reclamation Service has as yet built none as large.

It is difficult to convey by figures a conception of the immensity of the Lewiston Sweetwater Irrigation Company's dam, which will have a maximum height of 98 feet, and a length of 4045 feet, with a 20-foot crown width, an outside slope of two to one, and an inside slope of three to one.

More than three-quarters of a million cubic yards of fine clay, rolled in thin layers by twelve-ton steam rollers, will be required to make up the wall that is to impound the ten thousand acre feet of water which will render fertile thousands of acres of land within the city limits and suburbs of Lewiston, Idaho.

Three years will be required to complete the work, although about one thous

and acres have been put under irrigation this Spring, and are now open to settlement.

Another distinctive feature of this remarkable plant is its distribution system, devised by Irrigation Engineer Porter J. Preston and Consulting Engineer L. G. Carpenter. Carpenter. Thereby water will be furnished to consumers through pipes under pressure, and in such a manner that each consumer may enjoy the privilege of using as much of his quantity of water at any time as he may see fit.

Each consumer is therefore afforded the opportunity to exercise to the full extent his practical and scientific knowledge and experience regarding time and quantity in the application of water to growing crops. This means intensive farming and fruit culture on five and ten-acre holdings; close neighbors, the daily paper, electric lights, the telephone, the theatre, school and church, in fact all the social, educational and business advantages of a thickly populated section, but that is another story.

The capital required for building this great dam is being supplied chiefly by men of Portland, Oregon. W. F. Burrell is president of the company, and H. L. Powers, who originated the project and organized the company, is its manager.

They were from Kansas, and like most persons traveling abroad, felt free from some of the restraints which are imposed upon those who travel in their own land. Whether two young ladies should have been traveling without the protection of a chaperone is aside from the question; the fact remains that they were, and that they were exercising the freedom, especially of speech, which every native-born American feels is his right.

It so happened that while traversing Germany they were placed in a compartment in which there was only one passenger besides themselves, a middle-aged, rotund German. The day was dark and rainy, and the view from the car presented little of interest to them, so that they were forced to rely upon conversation to pass the time. Their companion seemed oblivious to their presence, and in fact within a short time after the train started, arranged himself comfortably in a corner and, closing his eyes, prepared to sleep.

The conversation of the girls, for they were scarcely more than girls, soon turned to the things they had seen and the experiences they had undergone in Berlin. From that it drifted to the customs of the Germans.

"What do you think of these Germans, anyway?" Maud inquired.

"Well, I hardly know," May replied, "but really I think they are awfully funny, don't you?"

"Yes, they are so easy-going and slow. They never do today what they can do tomorrow."

"Except drink beer. In that they never put off till tomorrow what they can drink today."

"And they sleep such an awful lot. Goodness me, how they do sleep!"

"Yes. and there's a fair example of it right here."

"Hush, dear! He might not be asleep and might hear you."

"Well. what if he does? He couldn't understand me."

"But he might understand English."

"Oh, no; they never do. He's asleep anyway. Besides if he could, he would have tried to talk to us. Is'nt he fat?"

"Awfully. That comes from drinking beer, And isn't his face red? I wonder if he paints?"

"And isn't his moustache just too cute for anything? I wonder if it turns up that way at the ends naturally?"

"His eyes are perfectly beautiful, they are so soft and blue."

"How do you know? You can't see them." "I saw them before he retired. I wonder if he is married?"

"Of course; all the Germans are; that's their long suit. Talking about suits, did you notice the way the men's clothes fit over here?"

"Yes; they are cut very much like our wheat sacks are; straight up and down. And they fit about like a wheat sack would, too."

"Oh, it's real mean for us to talk about him that way. Did you notice the funny little hat he had on?"

Thus they rattled on about him incessantly for an hour, picking him and his clothes to pieces. At last as the train slowed down, he roused himself from his corner, gathered his bags together, and prepared to get out at the next station. the train came to a stop, he looked over toward them, smiled good-naturedly, and said in good English, although with a decided accent.

As

Per

"Young ladies, I have enjoyed your company immensely. It has seldom been my pleasure to listen to the conversation of such close observers of human nature and such broad, fair-minded and polite critics as you have shown yourselves to be. mit me to thank you for relieving my journey of a tediousness which it otherwise would have had for me. I wish you as pleasant a journey as you have made mine. Good morning!"

When he had gone, they looked at each other blankly, gasped once or twice, and then giggled.