The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 9, 1895, Page 1

Call . VOLUME LXXVII —NO. SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH 9, 1895. PRICE FIVE CENTS. PACIFIC COAST NEWS: Two Men Hold Up the Eastbound Overland Near Stockton. FIRST TOOK THE ENGINE. Compelled the Train Hands to Open the Express- Car. THEY FAIL TO SECURE BOOTY. After a Fusillade of Bullets the Bandits Made Their Escape on the Locomotive. hich comes through as Special 3, was held up near Castle Switch, about four miles from this ¥, at 10:20 o'clock to-night. The rob- bers, of whom there were three, got noth- ing. The first news of the hold-up was brought to Stockt: L. Sedgeley, a brakeman on the train. He came on the Oregon Ex- press, which passed through Stockton shortly after the European mail and backed into Stockton from the scene of the robbe: Sedgeley said: “It was 10:20 o'c kand in the neighbor- hood of Castle h that the train came toa stop. Iwas in one of the rear cars and thinking it-was a hold-up got off im- mediately. When I reached the ground I heard several shots ahead and instantly started back to flag the Oregon expres be coming alon: which I knew would bon. I met the express a short distance from the city limits and came back aboard it. I don’t know whether the robbers got any money or not. The express was held until a posse of officers could be found. Sheriff Cunning- ham was in Sacramento, and Deputy Rpb- inson assumed charge. He was accom- panied by Police Officers Carroll and Burn- bam and Deputy Sheriff Black. The train pulled out a short time after midnight with the officers, who intended to get off in the neighborhood of the rob- bery and scour the country for the robbers. rd had already been received by the telegraph operator that the robbers after making their attempt had detatched the engine and started toward Lodion it, and had abandoned it before reaching that town. Full particulars of the robbery were re- ceived from Lodi by telephone after the train had left here. The engine of opean mail roiled into Lodi at 11:05 o'clock, going very slowly, with no one aboard and registering but forty pounds of steam. George Andrews, the engineer of a freight train that was ing there waiting for the overland to pass, got aboard and stopped her. A stick of dynamite wes found on the seat in the cab and it was apparent that there had been a hold-up. Lodi officers took the engine of the freight train and went after the train that belonged to the unmanned engine. They got back to Lodi with the train at 12 and it proceeded north with its own en- gine. The story of the hold-up, as told by En- gineer Ingles of the mail train, is as follows: “A short distance south of Castle Switch myself and Fireman House were startled by a man who crawled over the tender and, pointing a pistol at our heads, ordered us to stop the train. He was masked. I stopped the engine, and the fellow then ordered us to get off, which we did. “Two other masked men were standing on the ground waiting to receive us. They ordered us to walk back to the express- car, which we did, After we had reached the express-car the men told me to instruct the messenger to open thesdoor, as they had dynamite and would blow up the car if the door was not opened. “I told the messenger this, and he opened the door and then shut it again, after which he fired two shots at the rob- bers. A passenger stuck his head out of one of the windows and one of the robbers fired a shot at him. “The men threatened again to blow the car to pieces with dynamite if it was not opened, and the express messenger then complied with their demands. The men got inside, taking us with them, and ran- sacked the car. “All the money was in the big safe and they did not try to open it. They got nothing whatever. ‘“*After satisfying themselves that there was nothing of value outside of the safe and that had been securely locked, they jumped out of the car and went ahead to the engine again, taking us with them. “Reaching the engine the men un- coupled it from the train, and firing some shois in the direction of the passenger- cars, to scare their occupants, I suppose, pulled the throttle and started toward Lodi. “A brakeman was sent back to Stockton by the conductor to fiag the Oregon express, which was soon to come along, and we waited until the engine came from Lodi.” A tramp, who was stealing a ride on the blind baggage, is the only person who can give a description other than general of any of the robbers. He stated at Lodi that when the train stopped he saw one of the robbers without his mask on. The fellow spoke to the tramp and told him that if he opened his head he would lose it. The tramp wisely kept still, but he noted that the robber who had issued the warn- ing, was about 5 feet 10 inches in height end that he wore a black coat,-woolen shirt and blue necktie. The tramp was made to walk 1o the ex- press-car with the engineer and fireman. He heard one of the robbers say that they had a biggy in which they could ride off after leaving the engine. THE ENGINEER'S STORY. How the Three Robbers' Held Up Him and His Fireman. SACRAMENTO, March 9.—According to t.he story told by Engineer Ingle of the train, when he reached Sacramento at 1:45 this morning, there were three robbers. One of them climbed over the tender. The first he knew of his presence was when his fireman tapped him on the arm and said: “Look over there, will you?” He looked, and a moment later had a gun at his head. “The man had some dark knitted sub- stance over his head for a mask,’" said Mr. Ingle, “‘with holes cut in it for his eyes. A second man climbed over the tender a moment later. They told me to stop the train, and then they made the fireman and myself get out and uncouple the ex- press car. After that they walked up to the engine and one of the robbers said, ‘Now you go ahead, we've gota gangup here and we want you to go up to them.’ “When we had gone some distance with the express-car he made me stop. The train was about a quarter of a mile back and the robbers seemed to fear no danger from that quarter. “They made me and the fireman get out and walk to the express car. Then they ordered Messenger Ilouse to open the car. This he did, taking a shot at the robbers and then retreating to the back of the car. They tried to get the express messenger to come out. He refused and threatened to shoot them if they came to the door. ‘‘After parleying for several minutes they gave me a dynamite stick and told me to light it and throw it into the car. I got out some matches and tried to light the fuse, but every time the wind blew my matches out. “While I was trying to get the fuse lit T was talking to the messenger trying to get him to come out and telling him he was a fool to run the risk of getting blown to pieces and having the rest of us blown up too. He said there was no use of their coming in as there was nothing in the car. The rest of the story has already been told. THEY ARE D PERATE MEN. | Pursuing Officers Will Take No Chances With the Robbers. Sacramesto, March 8.—Eastbound pas- senger train No. 3 was held up by train- | robbers at 11:20 o’clock this evening a few miles west of Stockton, between that city and the town of Lodi. The first intelligence received of the hold-up was forwarded. over the wires by Conductor Wyllie of the Oregon Express, which was following close after No, 3, and was flagged by a brakeman. who told him that No. 3 was robbed. The man could furnish no particulars other than consider- able shooting had taken place, but whether any one was injured or whether the rob- bers succeeded in obtaining any booty he was unable to state. Conductor Wyllie immediately backed his train into Stockton and informed the | authorities, who started a posse in pursuit | of the robbers. As soon as the news was received at Sacramento Sheriffs Cunning- ham and Johnson, with a possee of officers armed with double-barrel shotguns, ob- tained a light engine and started imme- diately for the scene of the robbery. The two men who. committed the deed are supposed to be the same parties whe attempted to rob the same train near Sac- ramento last Saturday night, and upon the failure of that attemat they procured a horse and cart, robbed Schell’s brewery the following evening and fled by way of the upper Stockton road. The pursuing officers fully realize that they have desperate men to deal with, and express an intention to take no chances should they be fortunate enough to over- take the desperad oes. SAD L0S ANGELES ACCIDENT A RUNAWAY HORSE DASHES INTO A CROWD OF ORPHAN CHILDREN. THREE LITTLE GIRLS RECEIVE IN- JURIES THAT May PROVE FaTaL. Los ANGELES, March 8.—Three of the 400 little orphan girls who attended the citrus fair this afternoon upon the invitation of the managers are lying in the hospital bruised and injured, the victims of a run- away accident. The Catholic Sisters had conducted safely | their Jong line of small charges to the pa- vilion, and had started on the return trip. An electric car was waiting on Broadway for a load of passengers, and the girls were just beginning to find seats aboard when a runaway horse came tesring down the street. The animal was going at a terrific rate of speed and dragged behind him a two-wheeled cart. The crowd of children filled the street completely, and before the pedestrians on the sidewalk could give warning the horse and cart were through the line of girls. Susie Brussuille, aged seven years, was thrown high in the air, and landed on the hard pavement, a heap of bruised flesh and broken bones. Leonita Teaver aged eight years, and Virginia Morillo, aged ten, were knocked down and trampled underneath the hoofs of the frightened horse,which continued its mad course down the street until it collided with the tele- phone post and was secured. All of the injured children are still alive, but grave fears are entertained for the re- covery of any of them. The sad accident spoiled the holiday for the orphans, and the little ones talk in mournful whispers at the asylum to-night. The Mystery of the Leg. Los AxcrLes, March 8.—Nothing new has developed to-day in the matter of the mysterious disappearance of Mrs. Etta Hoffman. Many people are inclined to have faith in the theory that the woman’s leg found in Broadway yard belonged to Mrs. Hoffman’s body. Detectives, how- ever, now claim that the theory of murder is not at all reliable, and that it is probable that the limb found was one that had been amputated by surgeons. — Attempt at Suicide in Sacramento. SacraMENTO, March 8.—Patrick Kennedy attempted suicide to-day by slashing both wrists with a razor, but the instrument being dull he failed to accomplish his pur- pose and will probably recover. He tells a sensational story of his alleged ill-treat ment at the County Hospital, and claims that after boing excluded from that insti- tution he was refused a permit to re-enter by two of the County Supervisors. He was found this aftcrnoon in a dense growth of willows on the border of the overflow at the foot of Twelfth street and was removed to the Receiving Hospital, where his wounds were dressed. PACIFIC COAST NEWS, A Colusa Man Elopes With the Wife of His Brother. TEEIR PLAN WELL LAID. After Driving to Sycamore the Recreant Pair Vanish and Leave No Clew. THE WRATH OF THE HUSBAND. The Mother of the Young Man Tells How All the Trouble Came About. Corvsa, March 8.—George Woods, who resides in the suburbs of this city, eloped with the wife of his brother Thomas on Wednesday. They were 1 seen at Syca- more, eight miles from this town, in the evening, where all trace of them was lost. There walked into the Farmer Hotel, located in Good’s Extension, a suburb of Colusa, early on Wednesday afterncon, a young man, who rented a room for himself and wife. In a short/time he returned, ac- companied by a young woman whom he escorted to the room and immediately left the hotel, returning with a carriage and driver. This peculiar action aroused the curiosity of the landlord, and in reply to his question as to why the young woman had not waited in the parlor the young man informed him that his wife did not want to sit in so public a place. He paid his bill, the couple entered the hack and rode away. The man was George Woods and the woman was Thomas Woods’ wife. When the carriage had reached Powells Corner, at the town limits, where several roads diverge, Woods told the driver to halt. He then alighted and informed the driver to await his return, leaving the woman in the carriage. Woods walkedjto the home of his mother and changed his clothing. Then he informed her that he was going to attend a dance at Maxwell, a neighboring village, ana that a party of friends were awaiting him. He bade his mother good-by and left. Returning to the carriage, he ordered the driver to take them to Sycamore, cight miles distant, and there the couple alighted and disappeared. It was not long after George had left that Thomas Woods came riding hurriedly into town from the Berkey ranch where he is employed and rushed excitedly to his mother's house. He asked for his wife. His mother, astonished at the ;question, answered that she had not been there that day. Then he asked for his brother George, and was informed that he had been there but a short time before. Thomas had learned that his wife and his brother had been seen walking into Colusa from the Berkey ranch but a few hours before, and as his mother related the circumstances of George’s visit, the truth suddenly flashed into his mind. His wife had eloped with his brother. He became frantic with grief and rage, anathematized the recreant pair, and swore a mighty oath that henceforth and forever he would never again look upon his wife. He implored his mother to disown the son who had brought dis- grace to them. But he made no attempt to follow the runaways, and returned to his desolate home to grieve over his mis- fortunes and the perfidy of his wife and brother. Mrs. Jane Woods, the mother of Thomas and George, was interviewed at her home in regard to the elopement and the events leading up to it. Mrs. Woods’ story is substantially as follows: 5 “One day last fall there came to my house a lass named Kate Tomes. Kate's home was in Williams, where she had been living with her mother and stepfather. The girl was in rags, she was untidy and in a forlorn condition. With tears in her eyes she told me a pitiful story of cruel treatment that she had been subjected to in her home, and begged so piteously to be given shelter and a home that my heart went out to her and I took her in. “That was the beginning of all the trouble that has come upon my family since and sorely I regret now that I was ever tempted to give shelter to that woman, who has so illy repaid my kind- ness. “Kate was a pleasant girl ts look upon. She was comely, and in my home under the kind care given her, she soon grew to be a handsome, happy and light-hearted girl. My sons were kind to her and paid her much attention. Thomas and George were especially attentive to her. Soon I came to see that both of my boys were des- perately in love with the laes. I felt that the outcome of this would be trouble, and so I set about trying to mend matters. First, I talked to her of her duty to her parents and advised her to return to her home, but she pleaded that I should not send her away. “Then I asked her whom of my two! boys, George and Thomas, she loved best. ‘I love George—I love him very much, said she. ‘But as for marrying him, I will not. He is shiftless. So I shall marry Tom, for he will take good care of me,’ “This manner of talk made me angry, and then and there I upbraided her. And in a short time I told her that she could stay no longer, and so sent her into Colusa on her way home, for I would have no more of her. ““It was on the last night of the year 1894 that she left. Thomas followed her, and with some young friends they went to Judge J. B. Moore and asked to be mar- ried by contract. Now, Judge Moore is not a believer in this form of marriage and strongly expressed himself on the matter, ending by refusing to comply with their wishes. . ““Thomas was not to be discouraged, how- ever. In a short time the party returned and Thomas produced a marriage license. Then Judge Moore made them man and wife. “All my efforts had proved futile, and so when Tom came home with his bride 1 received them ds cordially as 1 could in my wounded pride. Here they lived until four weeks since. During this time many things came under my notice and seeing the drift of things I told Tom one day that it were best for him to make his home else- where with his wife, for I desired that she be removed from George as far as possible. Tom and his wife went to the Berkey ranch. I had no suspicion of anything being wrong until Tom came searching for his wife. The trouble I had feared had come all too soon.” Mrs. Woods and her family, which con- sists of two danghters and two sons besides Tom and George, keenly feel the disgrace brought upon them by the latter. FATAL ACCIDENT AT BELLA VISTA. A Rancher Shoots Himself While Clean- ing a Rifle. Reppive, March 8.—Mrs. Spiegel, who lives with her husband on the road be- tween here and Bella Vista, about nine miles from Redding, yesterday went to call on her brother, Henry Hoppinger, who lived by himself in a cabin about a mile from their home. On entering the cabin she saw him lying on the floor with a rifle across his breast. On closer examination she found he was dead, with a bullet-hole through his head. Coroner Earnest was notified, and with Dr. F. P. Mitcell went to the scene of the tragedy, where a jury was summoned and a post-mortem exam- ination and an inquest was held. From the appearance of the room and the sitna- tion of the body, it appeared that Hop- pinger had been standing at a workbench engaged in cleaning a rifle. He had evi- dently been holding the gun with the bar- rel pointing upward, and trying to look through the barrel, when the weapon was discharged, killing him instantly. The Coroner’s jury came to the conclu- sion that Hoppinger came to his death on or about the 6th day of March, 1895, from a gunshot wound inflicted, accidentally, by his own hand. Hoppinger was in good spirits when last seen. He was aged 29 years. SENSATIONAL SAN JOSE SUIT A LoS ANGELES YOUNG WOMAN Asks $50,000 FOR BREACH OF PROMISE. It Is Nor THE MONEY, BUT THE FICKLE MAN THAT SHE DESIRES. 8ax Jose, March 8.—Marie Wilson, a young lady who resides with her mother in Lok Angeles, has commenced an action in this city against P. T. Burroughs, a traveling man, to recover $50,000 damages for breach of promise. The story of her alieged wrongs, as re- lated by the young lady, is that Bur- s, who is rather a finé-looking man, h an air of prosperity and gentility, sited the southern city and made her ac- quaintance and a& mutual attachment sprang up. In April of last year he sued for and received her promise of marriage. Soon his business called him East, and for awhile he wrote very Joving letters to his promised bride., Prijumably, however, | some-other fair che: erossed his path, and his letters grew miore frigid. At last he requested to be released from his prom- ise of marriage. Marie did not want to sever the contract, but agreed to meet him in San Francisco to discuss matters. "Here Burroughs se- cured a room and concealed witnesses therein. He then had a conference there with the younglady, and tried to have her make some proposition that would give him grounds for charges of blackmail. Miss Wilson says she did not take the bait and the meeting was fruitless. Burroughs’ husiness called him about the State, never stopping more than two or three days in one town, but Marie kept to his trail. About a week ago Burroughs came to this city and commenced an engagement as auctioneer in a leading jewelry store. A few days later Marie and her mother came to town, and yesterday, having de- spaired of the fickle lover repenting, the suit was commenced. Miss Wilson says she does not want the money, but she does want Burroughs. Burroughs claims she wants to blackmail him. e ARIZONA RAILROAD JUBILATION, OpeningZof the Line That Joins Northern and Southern Sections. Prescort, Ariz., Mafch 8.—The formal opening of the Santa Fe, Prescott®and Pheenix Railroad next week will mark an epoch in the history of Arizona. While Salt River Valley is one of the most productive to be found anywhere. that section has been unable to find a mar- ket for its products. Northern Arizona, while only from 100 to 150 miles distant, has been compelled to purchase supplies from California and Kansas. The com- pletion of the road brings the two sections within a few hours’ communication, and Northern Arizona will join with Pheenix next week in a three days’ celebration of the opening of the road. Excursions are also booked from Chicago, Denver and other cities. e INDEX RAIL-RIDING INCIDENT. Washington Miners Carry an Itinerant Preacher Out of Town. Tacoma, Wash., March 8,—A dispatch from Index says: H. J. Jacobs, an itin- erant minister, arrived here last night and announced that he was a “traveler from hades,” sent to purify the town. He took charge of the Courthouse and began an ad- dress in a loud voice on immorality and gambling. He declared that Christianity was doing more harm than good. This was disputed by the miners and the wayfarer “from hades’ left town on a rail. - Russian River Fishermen Cannot Use Nets Saxta Rosa, March 8.—There will be no net fishing in the Russian River, even if the fishermen who live at the mouth of the river have succeeded in convincing many residents of the mnorthern part of the county that ordinance No. 32, prohibiting seining, basket, trap or set-net fishing. should be repealed. The repeal of the ordinance was asked for in a petition to the Board of Supervisors this afternoon by R. 8. Logan and others from Healdsburg, but the board by a unanimous vote refused to repeal the ordinance on the ground that the changes wanted by the fishermen would be contrary to section 633 of the Penal Code. Expeditious Justice at Jackson. Jacksos, March 8.—J. H. Colburn, who was convicted of robbery at Weiland and sentenced to eight years in Folsom, and who wis granted a new trial by the Su- preme Court, was brought up last night for retrial. He was at once arraigned, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six and a half years in Folsom. He had been in prison fifteen months. ' He was re- turned to the penitentiary to-day, ! PACIFIC COAST NEWS, Terminal Grounds for the Competing Val- ley Railroad. REQUEST OF PROMOTERS. The Assembly Considers a Proposal for the Leasing of Fifty Acres of Flats. FAVORABLE ACTION TAKEN. Excepting a Few of the Members, the House Is Enthusiastic in the Matter. SacraMENTO, March 8.— A new factor ‘was introduced into the politics of Califor- nia to-day. The San Joaquin Valley road nas made its first request. Men from all parts of the State greeted its representa- tives with delight. They recognized in their presence the beginning of a new epoch—an epoch of growth and prosperity. All day it was known that some move was to be made for the benefit of the new road. Claus Spreckels and his son, John D., with Colonel Preston, met their friends on the floor of the House. There was a long con- sultation with the Attorney-General early in the morning. Later it became known that an amendment had been drafted to Senate bill 709, which would give the Har- bor Commissioners power to lease fifty acres of the mud flats in South San Fran- cisco to the new railroad for a term of fifty years for depots, warehouses and other terminal facilities. Hardly a dissenting voice could be found to the proposition when it came up before the House. The Southern Pacific has many firm friends, but even they were not prepared to fight from the start this prop- osition, which every man in the House realized was looked upon throughout the entire State as the only hope for the de- velopment of the industries of California. There were a few evidences of unfriendli- ness. | The original bill authorizes the Harbor Commissioners to lease for a term of twenty-five years seawall lots 1 to 16 in- ciusive. The amendment drawn up by- | the Attorney-General increases their power by allowing them to lease for fifty years not more than fifty acres of any State land “lying adjacent cr contiguous to any pub- lic streets” to a railroad corporation not having terminal facilities in San Fran- cisco and desiring the same. The rental is made merely nominal. The amendment is as follows: EProvided further, that the Commissioners, except as hereinafter provided, shall have power to lease for a period not exceeding fifty years, at a rental not exceeding $1000 per an- num, to any corporation incorporated in this State, and not havingat the date of the pass- age of this act any terminal facilities in the city and county of San Francisco any land belonging to the State which is required for said purposes, which lies adjacent or con- tiguous to any public street or streets desig- nated upon the official map of the city and county of San Francisco; provided that but one parcel of land shall be leased to any one, nor shall said parcel exceed in area fifty acres, with access thereto and right of way through one or more convenient street or streets, forming, however, but one contin- nous right of way with double track; provided that a condition shall be inserted in said lease that said corporation or corporations shall proceed within six months from the date of said lease to improve said premises for said purposes and proceed thereafter with reason- able diligence to construct such improvements, and in event of failure to improve the same or some part thereof within the time specified said Jease shall be forfeited. Provided, further, that none of said. leases shall be approved or executed unless by consent of & majority of said Board of Harbor Commissioners, and for said purposes last named the Governer of the State and the Mayor of the city and county of San Francisco, ex-officio. Members of said board are hereby constituted members thereof with like powers and rights as other members of said board. The amendment was introduced by Pow- ers of San Francisco when Senate bill 709 came up for its second reading this after- noon. Powers, in presenting the amend- ment, said that it might make it possible for all roads to obtain terminal facilities in the future. The only lands that would come under the provisions of the amend- ment, he said, were the mud flats along the southern portion of the city. To make this property available at least three-quar- ters of a million dollars would have to be spent in improvements that would increase the value of the neighboring properties im- mensely. Not only that, but employment would be given to many men in the State. He continued: “The rental of $1000 a year is only an ap- parent rental. At the end of fifty years the improved property with its enormous in- rease in values will revert tothe State. he property which to-day is valueless will then be worth millions and the differ- ence in the two values will be the real rental. But the subject of rents should be the last to be considered. The question involved is really the development of the State. We are to face the query as to whether we are willing to encourage and facilitate legitimate enterprises that will bring to our State, wealth, population and power. “It is impossible now for railroads to receive municipal, county or State aid. There are no more land grants to be hoped for from the Federal Government. If the State is to be relieved from its present state of depression, it will only be by the money of its own citizens. I think, then, that as legislators we should lend our aid, now that it lies in our power to render possi- ble and assist in the completion of a rail- road that means so much for California.” Cutter of Yuba thought the lease of the land should be made to the highest biader. Dinkelspiel of San Francisco asked which of the sixteen seawall lots it was proposed to rent to the railroad. He was not in favor of letting any private corpora- tion build warehouses on the lots north of the State's warehouse. Powers stated that no particular lots had been chosen. The only land that would satisfy the conditions of the amendment, however, were not improved seawall lots, but the mud flats of South San Francisco. At this juncture Dixon, chairman of the Committee on Commerce and Navigation, ‘of the Southern Pacific. asked that the amendment be referred to his committee. This started a debate that at times be- came acrimonious and even personal. It developed the fact, however, that the new corporation entered its political career with a strong and enthusiastic following. Powers objected to Dixon’s proposition. He said it meant delay, and delay at this late day in the session was dangerous. Spencer of Lassen grew eloquent in urg- ing the befriending of the new road. He pictured its enormous value to this State and to San Francisco. Dixon protested that as no one seemed to know on which side of Market street the lots were the new company was to be given, he thought it only right that the amendment should be submitted to his committee for consideration. Dwyer of San Francisco was opposed to any unnecessary delay. Bachman of Fresno said his people in the raisin county were looking anxiously for the relief that the new road offered them. *“This amend- ment is the breaking of a new day,” he said. ‘“We are all waiting for its arrival, for we know it brings prosperity with it.”” Ewing, the Populist member, from San Francisco, announced that he would be willing to give the lots for nothing. Powers once more took the floor and said that Dixon wos right in the fact that the bill did not state where the fifty acres to be given were. ‘It only says fifty acres of dry land in San Francisco belonging to this State,” he said. “Unaer the exi- gencies of the occasion, having in mind the immense value the establishment of these terminal facilities would be to San Francisco, I would say: ‘Give them the lots anywhere. If no other satisfactory lots can be found, give the City Hall lots or any others.””’ ‘““Amen” came in loud tones from a member on the other side of the room. “Why are the Governor and Mayor made an essential part of the commission?” asked Hatfield of Sacramento. “Because they are ex-officio members of the commission, and it is safer to have a larger body let such a contract as this,” was the answer. Dinkelspiel here announced that he was not opposed to the valley road. He was in favoreven of leaving off the rental pro- viso of the amendment. He had feared that the lots of the Harbor Commission north of Market street were to be given. McKelvey of Orange asserted that he thought it a bad precedent for the Legisla- ture to fix the maximum rental to be placed on any of the State’s property. Hethought the lots to be rented should be advertised and let to the highest bidder. A storm of protests arose. Spencer said: “This would give us just what the people don’t want. It would en- able the Southern Pacific to overbid its competitors, gobble everything in sight and then freeze any competitor out from terminal facilities op the water front.” “Are you legislating in favor of the State?’ asked McKelvey. “Yes.” “Would not my plan put more money in the treasury?”’ “Yes, sir, it would,” said the venerable mountain jurist. ‘Buti would not vote to put a puny twenty-dollar piece in the treasury, and starve all the most valuable industries in the State.” “Don’t you believe it is better to give a poor man a chance to market his goods profitably than to let one wealthy corpora- tion monopolize the whole water front of San Francisco ?”’ asked Bachman. A shout of sympathetic laughter showed that the Fresno Assemblyman had many sympathetic listeners. Thomas of Nevada urged that since the gentleman had requested that the bill be sent to his committee, the House should be courteous enough to grant the request. As Thomas took his seat Belshaw ex- ploded with: “Yes, if you want to kill the bill send it to the Committee on Commerce and Navi- gation. If you want it to pass—" A clamor of those who wanted to curb the passionate utterances of the speaker arose. When order was restored Dixon, flushed and angry, was on his feet. “I protest,”” he said, “against being put in the light of an obstructionist. The gentleman is unjust in his implications, and in an- swer to his insinuations I ask to withdraw my motion.” This simplified matters. The amend- ment was adopted with a burrah, a few minor amendments to the main bill were adopted and the bill sent to the printer. After recess the new amendment was the talk of the House. With very few excep- tions the Assemblymen were in full sympathy, insisting that the Governor and Mayor should form a portion of the com- mission in making the lease, especially as those two gentlemen, with Harbor Com- missioner Colnon, will not be likely to job the new railroad company in the interests COUNTY DIVISION. AN EFFORT TO BE MADE TO Pass A LAw GOVERNING IT. SacramMENTO, March 8.—One more heroic attempt will be made to pass a general county division bill to supplement the con- stitutional amendment adopted at the last election. Senator Linder's bill was amended satisfactorily, it was claimed, to those who desired to form new counties and to those who were opposed to their formation. Twenty-three votes in favor of the measure as amended were secured, but at the last moment they flopped and Linder’s bill was killed. On the same evening that Senator Lin- der’s bill was refused passage, Assembly- man Davis’ measure, an identical instru- ment with the Senate bill originally intro- duced, was withdrawn from the special urgency file, and it was given out that no further attempt would be made to pass a general law. To-night this programme is all changed. A strong effort will be made to-morrow to have the division bill introduced by As- semblyman Davis restored to the urgency file. If this is done amendments similar to those engrafted on the Linder bill will be be offered and a fight for the passage of the bill made. ‘“We have definitely decided to make one more effort to pass a general law in ac- cordance with the constitutional provision for the division of counties,”” said Senator Linder to-night. “I do not know whether we shall succeed, but I have hope that we may. The people of the State declared by an emphatic majority that they desired to take county division fights out of the Leg- islature. It remains to be seen whether the legislators will respect the wishes of those who sent them here to make the laws of the State.” PACIFIC COAST NEWS, A Joker in the County Government Biil Bobs Up. ITS TIMELY DISCOVERY. The Measure Would Have Given the County Assessors Fat Pickings. RESULT OF HASTY LEGISLATION, An Effort to Be Made in the Senate to Kill the Objectionable Feature. SacrameNTo, March 8.—It was pointed out some days ago in the CaALL that the dangerous stage of legislation had been reached. Legislators have become wearied and do not watch the bills with the care- h characterized the early d: of the session. This is the reason that the big jokerin the county government bill was not dis- covered until to-night. This joker is in the interest of the county assessors and particularly the Assessor of San Francisco. A provision is made that assessors shall retain for themselves 6 per cent of all the personal property taxes. The aggregate would be many thousands of dollars in San Francisco. The first half of section 215 of the county government bill relates to the office of Assessor and reads as follows: The salaries and fees provided in thisact shall be in full compensation for all services of every kind and description rendered by the officers herein named, either as oflicers office officers, their deputies and assistants, unless in this act otherwise provided, and ail deputies employed shall be paid by their prin- cipals out of the salaries hereinbefore provided, provided, however, the or shall be en- titled to receive and retair his own use 6 per cent on personal property tax collected by him, as authorized by section 3820 of the Poli- tical Code, and 15 per cent of all amounts cel- lected by him for poll taxes and road poll taxes, and also $5 per 100 names of persons returned by him as subject to military duty, as provided in section 1901 of the Political Code, and the License Collector shall be entitled to secure and retain for his own use 10 per cent on all license collected by him, except where otherwise pro- vided in this act. This provision seems very innocent when taken alone, as safeguards for San Fran- cisco exist in the code. Section 3820 of the code reads as follows: The Assessor must collect the taxes on- all personal property when in his opinion said taxes are not a lien upon real property, suffi- cient to secure the payment of the taxes, pro- vided that in the cily and county of 8an Fran- cisco the Tax Collector shall collect such taxes at any time after the assessment. This would 'seem an ample protection, but a bill was introduced by Senator Mec- Gowan which reads as follows: Section 1. An act entitled ‘“An act in rela tion to the assessment and collection of taxes upon personal property in the city and county of San Francisco,” approved March 18, 1874, is hereby repesaled. Sec. All counties and cities and counties of this State are hereby required to conform with the provisions of the Political Code in relation to the assessment, equalization, levy and col- lection of taxeson real and personal property for revenue purposes, and all laws now in force in relation to revenue are hereby made applicable to all such counties and cities and counties. Sec. 3. All acts and parts of acts in conflict ‘with this act are hereby repealed. Sec. 4. This act shall take effect immedi- ately. But this isnot all. Assembly bill 982 as amended in the Assembly March 1, 1895, for which bill a special Assembly Committee on Revenue Laws stands spon- sor, makes some important changes. Sec- tion 3820 which stands as the safeguard of San Francisco is amended to read as fol- lows: The Assessor must collect the taxes on all personal property when, in his opinion, said taxes are not alien upon real property suffi- cient to secure the payment of the taxes; the taxes on all assessments of, possession of, claim toor Tight to the possession of land shall be BAD COMPLEXIONS Dark, yellow, oily, mothy skin, pim- ples, blackheads, roughness, redness, dry, thin,and falling hair, and simple baby blemishes prevented and cured by the celebrated iticury SUAP ‘The most effectiveskin purifying and ‘beautifying eoap in the world, as ‘well as purestand sweetest for toilet, bath, and nursery. It is 50 because it strikes at the CAUSE of most com- plexional disfigurations, viz.: the CLOGGED, INFLAMED, IRRITATED, OVERWORKED, OF SLUGGISH PORE. Sold throughout the world. PorTER DRUG AND CHENM “"ORP., sole proprietors, Boston. @~ “All m‘mmw.fll&- auid Halr, " mailed froe. @ < 3