The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 20, 1895, Page 5

THE SA CISCO CALL, WED: DAY, MARCH 20, 1895. THE MONTANYAS AFTER MILLIONS, PROMINENT SAN FRANCISCANS WILL CONTEST TRINITY’S OWNERSHIP. ALMOST FABULOUS WEALTH. THE PROPERTY IN DISPUTE VALUED AT OVER ONE BILLION DoLLARs. The San Francisco heirs of Aneke Jans Webber are preparing to make one more desperate struggle to secure their birth- right. This means, if successful, the pos- session of all the prope: n New York City now held by the Trinity Church cor- poration and variously estimated to be worth from $500,000,000 to $1,00C Among the prominent San people interested in Trinity’s millions may | be mentioned James de La Montanya, | Mrs. A. W. Fetter, Mrs. E. L. Bronson, Mrs. Halstead, Mrs. J. H. McGhee, Mrs. S. Harrison, Mrs. Schriner, Professor Martin C. Gee, Mrs. Griffin, James de Wittand the Kip heirs. The property for which these descendgnts of the royal house of Holland sue embra 192 acres of land in New York, all more or less improved. Trinity Church itself is involved, along with nu- | merous tenement blocks. Aneke Webber, or as she was christened, Aneke Jans Web- ber, w a da ter of Wolfert Webber, who took the crown of Holland about the | year 1600. Aneke Jans married Jans Roel- offson, and coming to America in 1633 set- tled in New Amsterdam, New York. On the death of Roeloffson the citadel of her affections was v attacked by Dominie F dus, the then leading clergyman of New Amsterdam. As soon as the blithesome captivat- ing widow could becomingly dry her tears she married the beau of the settlement, four children resulting from the match. It is from this second marriage that the 1 i and_ Pac ( t heirs trace their relationship to Aneke Jans and consequent right to Trinity’s vast possessio earlier days sec from the iler and Stuyve grant was confirmed by the Nichols in he 3 Church corpomtion secured control of the property for a long term of y and when the lease expired in 1889 refused to give it up» No one could be found who was willing to make the fight until Mrs E. Keplen of New Albany, Ind., conce the idea of org ing Aneke Jans associa- tions in every where heirs could be found. The local heirs are part ¢ over the announce State of New York nd and v Du arly enthusi- nt that the taken the 0 it that they s 8 E r of Jameés de la Montanya, the stove merchant, in speak- ing of the impending contest yesterday, expressed the utmost confidence in secur: a decision h st in thoug vorable to the heirs, the Trinity corpora d employ any means to defeat | : is the first tim | ten, “that the heir: thing in the right w In the past there has been no concert of action on the part of those interested and only one result— {{vlure—could come from such a cou: Awo years ago the San Francisco descend- ants of Aneke Jans met in this room and | formed the San Francisco Aneke Jans said Mrs. Fet- ave gone about the | Mrs. J. A. Hall, Secretary of the Aneke Jans International Union. [From a photograph.) TUnion. Since that time we have had reg- ular monthly meetings, giving each other such aid and advice as the occasion seemed to demand. The main trouble has been to secu : ord of relationship with Aneke Jans L am glad to say, has in nearly every instance been successfully accomplished, though with many claim- ants it was'a most arduous undertaking.to trace alineal cy running through two and a half cen We came from the Bogardus side, very marriage, birth and death down to the present time lete. In addition to our interest in s millions the De la Montanya family are largely interested in other New York property nearly or quite as valuable. The property is located along Harlem River and the Meadows. We have a rich and powerful corporation to fight, yet we never felt so confident of winning as now.” Mr. Montanya is also very sanguine nz besting the Trinity people, though he doe! ‘not expect them to step down and out. Should they suffer defeat in the lower courts “I look ror a long bitter struggle,” he ‘suid, “ending only when the highest tribunal in the land decides in favor of the heirs. 4 ; For over a year past Mrs. Kepler, secre- of the Aneke Jans International Unlion, has had her assistant, Mrs. J. A. Hall, visiting the most important cities on the coast, her mi: n being to secure a list of all claimants and perfect organiza- tion. Mrs. Hall is now in San Francisco resting from her almost incessant labors. Ina few weeksshe will go East to make her report to Mrs. Kepler, after which she says the great legal battle will be declared on. A “I have spent nearly a year hunting up Pacific Coqat heirs, ” said Mrs. Hall yester. day, “and have the names of about seventy- five people who claim to be descendants of Ancke Jans. It is quite likely that at least twenty-five of this nnmber will fail to rove relationship. ; § y“We are canfiSent of winning the suit when the case again comes before a lury. The mistake was made in endeavoring to | tion there is gn evict a tenant before the expiration of the lease. Trinity leased the property from the Aneke Jans heirs for a term of years, and now continuesto hold it under a grant claimed to have been issued them by TLord Cornbury in 1700. . If they hold such a grant it is illegal, because Aneke Jans owned the property under grants issned by two Dutch Governors and later confirmed by the English. When the lease expired sixX years ago there was no one to,fight Trinity until Mrs. Kepler came to the front.” She has the original grant in her ossession and also the will of Aneke Jans. Three years ago the Trinit orporation offered to vacate the property if the heirs would pay for the improvements. We in- dignantly refused this proposition, because the improvements reverted to the heirs at the expiration of the lease. Trinity then told us they would fight the smt through every court in America. 1f‘might isright’ then they will win, for they have millions at their command. Of course it is guite possible that we will lose, but_the conces- sion made by Trinity in offering to vacate if we would pay for the improvements is a strong point in our favor. San Jose, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle have local Aneke Jans associations and are ready for the fight. Mrs. Kepler is managing the fight and y y be ill make a strong one. DANGER OF AN EXPLOSION. are she A Coalpasser Said to Be Doing the Work of an Engineer. J. Peterson sent a communication to the Health and Police Committee of the Board of Supervisors yesterday stating that the man in charge of the engines of the Commercial Steam Power works at 510 Commercial street isnot an 1 JUNPING A MINE DOWN IN THE BAY. REMARKABLE SUBMARINE CONTEST BETWEEN A DIVER AND A DREDGER. FISHING FOR A RUBBER MAN. THE DREDGER TURNS INKFISH AND StoPs THE WORK OF THE OTHER. A remarkable contest took place yester- day on the bay and under it, off Mission | street, between a diver and a dredger. The | formgr was one of the Whitelaw wrecking | gang, the other a boatman and the object | of their contention was a prize of $340, said | to have been lost overboard by a black- | smith from the ship L. B. Morse, which | was moored at the whart a few days ago. Much doubt has obtained on the water- | front among those inclined to skepticism | as to the locality where the money really disappeared, and that distrust was shared decided upon that step to avoid the annoy- ance of prolonged litigation with the So- | ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Chil- dren. —————— STOW'S STRONG BOX. The Estate Enriched by the Sum of Just Two Hundred Dollars. ‘When W. W. Stow’sstrong box is opened, said Rumor, $75,000 will be found; that he placed the money there for certain sin- ister purposes not unconnected with the operations of Colonel Mazuma. Stow’s strong box was opened a few days ago. Instead of alarge amount, the sum was a small one, and it was nota surprise to | the exccutors of the estate. “There was a littie money found in the box,” said Vanderlyn Stow, son of the de- parted Park Commissioner and one of the executors of the estate. ‘“The amount was | $200. This was no surprise to me, know- ing my father's habits. When he drew money out of the bank it was his custom, if the amount was greater than_he needed at the time, to place the surplus in the box. Sometimes he put a twenty or a ten in the box. “Then he might go to the box, if in need of money, and use it. The $200 found in | the box was the accumulation of small amounts placed there at various times. Of course the executors will take this amount | into consideration in making their reports. { It forms a part of the estate, though a small one. ““The report that many thousands of dol- lars had been found in the box grew out of the fact that $200 was found, I suppose; but you know how a story will grow if it A DIVER Sketched for the *“Call” by W. A. Coulter.} 2 JUMPING A BOATMAN’S SUBMARINE MINE. engineer and until placed in charge never held a position above that of coalpasser, | and that if he is kept in his present “posi- at danger of an explosion that will he printing establishments about the locality. The committee in- structed the Chief of the Fire Department to investigate the matter. The bid of the Risdon Iron and Locomo- tive Works being the lowest, the contract for furnishing hydrants to the Fire De- awarded to that firm. 64 for single and $44 64 for nts. TWO MEN IN THE "TANKS. THEY ARE SUSPEGTED OF BEING IMPLICATED IN THE STAGG MURDER. artment wa ONE oF THEM IDENTIFIED BY RoB- ERT HAGERTY as His ASSAILANT. Two men are in the ‘“tanks” at the Ci Prison who may or may not have had an; thing to do with the murder of Cornelius Stagg at the Ingleside House. One of them, James Baley, the peddler, arrested on the San Bruno road on Sunday night, has been previously referred to. it is not believed seriousiy that he was implicated in the robbery or murder, and why he should be detained is a puzzle, unless it is to keep him out of harm’s way, owing to his past record. The otherds H. Meyers, a bunko-man, In November last, when Robert D. Hag- erty was held up and shot in bis saloon at the Cliff House by two men wearing masks | and long gray linen dusters, he said he thought he knew one of the men. He afterward denied saying so, but since the Stagg murder he has again asserted his be- lief that he could identify the man, The description tallied with that of Meversand he was arrested. Yesterday Hagerty vis- ited the prison and declared positively that Meyers was the man. Meyers is equally ive that Hagerty is mistaken, and says he can bring forward a_hundred wit- nésses, if necessary, to prove an alibi. 1t is the general impression that the two men who are wanted for Stagg’s murder are the two who committed the robberies | at Hagerty’ssaloon in November and about five weeks ago. Sheriff Cunningham of Stockton was at Police headquarters yesterday. He has been on the trail of the two_ robbers who held up the eastbound overland express train on March 3 at Ben Ali, a wayside station near Sacramento. The two train- robbers were described as about 5 feet 10 inches tall, dressed in linen dusters and wearing white slouch hats and white masks. In everything except the height of one they correspond with the robbers wanted for Stagg’s murder and the Hagerty robber nview of this fact the Sheriff’s visit is significant. The remains of CorneliusStagg were in- terred in Laurel Hill cemetery yesterday afternoon. The funeral, which was largely attended, took place from the residence of his cousin, Mrs, Josephine Oldis, 460 Che- nery street. Burial of the Murdered Actress. The remains of Cora Everett, the actress who was murdered last Sunday, were consigned to mother earth in the 0dd Fellows' Cemetery yesterday. The fricnds among whom she worked raised n subscription-and saw that the body had Christian burial Charles S. Rice, who cut the unfortunate woman’s throat, is now in jail cherged with murder. —————————— Suicide of a Faralytic. The body taken from the bay last Monday has been identified as thatof Augustus Pepper,who disappeared from his home, at 1019 Valencia strevt, on the 6ih inst. He was a paralytic, and it is believed that his infirmities drove him to suicide. He was 63 years of age, s mative of Canads and s bake il PERETE “My love, what magic spell is thrown Upon your face? Its charm I own. ‘Whence came thy pure and pearly teeth? Thy rosy lips! Thy perfumed breath?'" She sald, In accents sweet and clear, “Tis only SOZODONT, my dear.” The | T by the wife of the losér, who evidently felt that her husband, under great mental stress, was capable of lapses of memory. However, he took her down to the wharf | next day and showed her the water in | | which the coin fell and she was satisfied. Such corroborative evidence could not be | doubted. | For several days the boatman has been industriously dragging a hooknet over the place and was succe in finding every- thing that has dropped in the bay there for years except the money. The man would throw his drag overboard and pa- | tiently haul in to find that no sack of gold had come to his net. This he repeated un- wharf indus- til the patience of the loa! | was utterly exhausted. F was | try rewarded by buckskin purse half full of iron washers, articies not wholly foreign to blacksmith- shops. While the finder was sitting in his boat pondering over the possible phenomenon of a chemical action which turned. gold to iron after a few days’ submersion in salt water the wrecking scow pulled into the slip, and a diver, dressed in his best suit of fil"‘ss and rubber clothes, went down to the ottom of the bay. The dredger in vain protested that it was his claim they had jumped, but the wreck- ers kept pumping atmosphere down where their submarine shipmate was prospecting for the lost mine. Finding words of no avail the boatman threw overboard the hook-net and caught his rival, whom he hauled up to the surface a very angry and very demoralized condition. Thediver, of course, was unable to make any audible remarks from the great copper helmet that imprisoned him, but the language he was using inside of his clothes whistled out thmufh the escape-valve at the back of his | head like steam from a dangerously over- charged boiler. His air-tight rubber shirt and trousers were inflated. with the com- pressed bad words until he floated on the | suxface, cork-like, and threatened to soar up above the shipping like a bifurcated balloon. He hugged energetically at the little circular bay-window over his face, and as soon as he had freed his person from the fifteen or twenty atmospheres that encom- passed him, he said things that were posi- tively awful to hear. He talked until the sgip}\er of the scow shut him off, and in, by closing the bullseye and dropping him down to the bottom again. The boatman began to.worry the diver by dragging the hook around, stirring up the black mud as though a school of inkfish were operating down in the water. The other prospector came up his ladder hand over hand and threatened to go for a policeman, all dressed as he was, but was persuaded to remain in his natural element, and finally went down to the mine he had jumped. The other fell%w cast in.his ngt again, but the divef below cut the line, and the fisher of men and money lost hisapparatus. He drew his sheathknife and sprang over to the rubber airtube of the pump and tried to cut off the diver’s wind. The spectators then took part in the contest and threat- ened to throw the excited boatman over- board if he persisted in his mad intention. He put his knife away, went back to his boat, and amused himself probing around in the water with a long pole stirring up the mud until the diver, unable to see through the black, thick liquid, knocked off work. To-day he will make another effort to find thecoin, enrich himself, and free the blacksmith from a suspicion of having shown the wrong place. GONE TO LOS ANGELES, The Little Dancer, La Regaloncita, No Longer Here. The publication in the CALL yesterday of the facts in connection with the case of Man- ager Walter of the Orpheum, who was ar- rested for permitting the nine-year-old dancer, La Regaloncita, to appear on his stage, has resulted in the sudden departure for Los Angeles of Mrs. Charlotte Ewer and her three daughters, The case of La Regaloncita will come up for hearing in Judge Joachimsen’s court to-day, but the trial will lose its interest now that the principal witnesses have gone. The Humane Society will push its cdse against Managér Wnfi’,er, but as its leading witnesses are no longer in the city, it is thought a dismissal willg be the resuit. No reason is assigned for the abrupt de- arture of Mrs. Ewer with her family of ancers, although it is surmised that she ’ ng up a| | has the least basisof fact on which to rest. | We havealso found a small deficit at the Bank of California—just a few hundred | dollars—and this, too, will be mentioned | in the executors’ report.” About $400 is believed to be the sum dis- | covered outside of the strong box, so that ! the Stow estate is enriched to the limited ! amount of some $600. Sudden Death of a Hackman. James Roberts, anold hackman, died of heart disease at 2303 Geary street about5 o’clock yesterday afternoon. 'BIDS RAISED 10 PER CENT. ! STILL JUDGE COFFEY CONFIRM THE S, PROPERTY. EFUSED TO E OF MRs. JouNSON'S REALTY HELD FOR HIGHER OFFERS—EASTON’S AUCTION. The postponed sale of four pieces of property belonging to the estate of Mrs. Kate Johnson came before Judge Coffey vesterday. The sales were not confirmed, however, even though a 10-per-cent raise had been made in each case, as the court considered the prices too small in war- ranting a confirmation of the sales. The confirmation of the bids offered yesterday was therefore postponed until next Mon- day afternoon. The property offered yesterday and which included the only lots which were not finally confirmed to the highest bid- ders a week ago were the fifty-vara lot on the northwest corner of Golden Gate ave- nue and Leavenworth street, the fifty-vara lot on the southwest corner of Leaven- worth and O’Farrell streets, which was used by Mrs. Johnson as a residence, and itwo lots in the outside lands. For tne Golden Gate avenue lot Thomas J. Clunie had bid $74,000. It was appraised at $120,- 000. Yesterday James D. Phelan raised this bid 10 per cent, making it $81,400, and this Mr. Clunie declined to incréase. He claimed the bids offered at the sale should have been affirmed by the court last week, when highet bids were called for and none appeared. ? hould this bid of Mr. Phelan be con- firmed Clunfe intends to make a legal fight for the property. he bid of $45,000 for the residence prop- erty, made last week by J. J. O’Farrer], was yesterday raised b{flN. H. Lang the re- quired 10 per cent, making it $49,500. The residence property was appraised at §$65,- 000. This bid was also laid aside until Monday next. Mr. Lang was bidding for Joseph Hume. The outside lots, one in block 25 and the other in block 799, were raised, the former t0 $1650 and the latter to $4750. Neither bid was anywhere near the appraised valu- \ation and they, too, were passed until Monday. The lot 1 block 25 is appraised at $3750 and the one in block 799 at $7500. Easton, Eldnd?e & Co. held an anction yesterday and sold the following property : Lot south side of Oak street, east of Clayton, 25x137:6 feet; $2475. Stores and flats on Eighteenth street, being Nos. 836 and 838, east of Noe, renting for $32 50 per month, with lot 35x100 feet; $3250. Nos. 1010 and 1012 Broderick street, south of Eddy, being a double cou-&e) of seven rooms and bath each, with lot 32x100 feet; $7900. . Properties as follows were knocked down subject to approval of owners: House and 10t 50x50 feeton the southeast corner of Union and Moultrie streets, being in Gift Map No. 2; $1100. 2209 Fillmore street. containing ten rooms, with lot 25x90:6 feet ; $5500. Two tenementson Florida street, south of Twenty-fourth, renting for $20 a month, with lot 30x100; $2080 ttage 909 Sanchez street, south of Tw.en!{-second, containing four rooms and bath, with lot 22:6x100 feet; $1675. ———— Charged With Robbery. The two men arrested on Monday night by Sergeant Thomson of the park police for robs bing Daniel Sheehan are Morris Cunningham and Thomas Paul. They were booked yester- day morning on the charge of robbery.” Cun- ningham js the one who wi fiively identi- fed'by Sheehan in the Receivin ‘Hospital, ———— You should keep Salvation Oil on hand; it will cure all aches and pains. Price 25 cents. {: THE WATER FRONT. THE SAILORS’ UNION DEMANDS A TEN-DOLLAR INCREASE IN ‘WAGES. AR OX A STRIKE ALONG THE COAST. SHIP-OWNERS REFUSE TO ACCEDE TO THE DEMAND—CREWS TAKEN OuT. The Sailors’ Union has declared war against the ship-owners, and a strike is on all along the coast from San Diego to Puget Sound. For more than two years the rate of wages on the coast has been §: a month, and now the seamen demand $35. They have chosen 2 most opportune time for making the demand as sailors from this on will be more scarce than atany period during the year. The sealers and most of the whalers have gone away, and now preparations are being made to send out the big Alaskan fleet. The latter will require at least 200 men, and from that number to 300, and this will naturally create a scarcity of seamen on the beach. The last strike which was held on the coast resulted in a long list of abuses and assaults, terminating in the blowing up of John Curtin’s boarding-house on Main street by dynamite, in which three men were Killed. This is about a year and a half ago, and since then the union has not made any demonstration. The Ship- owners’ Association secured all the sailors necessary for the coast trade and no in- quiry was made as to whether the men en- rolled on its hooks were members of the Sailors’ Union. The latter has been quietly working for nearly a year gather- ing the association’s men into its ranks until now nearly all of them are union men. This has been done so that when the word to goout is given the associa- tion’s vessels will be deserted. The ship- owners are not dismayed by the condition of affairs and claim that they can get all the deep-water men they want. The most serious trouble will occur at other ports. The demand of the union for an increase in wages went into effect on Monday aiter- noon. The bark MeNear was ready to go to sea yesterday morning, but on Monday night five of the crew were taken out of the vessel. The men were replaced by John Cain yesterday and the McNear sailed in the afternoon. The crew of the J. M. Coleman was taken out yesterday after a battle, but the schooner sailed in the afternoon, “Scab’’ Johnnie furnishing a crew for $2250 a man. The crew of the Lyman D. Foster quit on Monday night, but this, it is claimed, was caused by the men being compelled to work overtime. The bark Wilna is to sail for the Sound to-day, but she has not yet secured a crew. Last night four ‘‘scabs” were secured to shift her, and her sails were quietly bent in the darkness. To-day a crew of negroes will be put on board, and the Wilna’s owners hope to get her off. The Sailors’ Union will stand firm on their proposition, and the men express confidence in their ability to win_the strike, and at the Ship- owners’ Association it was stated that every vessel belonging to the association a month. So the fight goes, promisesito be a long one. The meeting last night crowded Sailors’ Hall to its limits. There were fully 400 suilors present, a large number being non- union men. The meeting was presided over by L. Hoy. A number of addresses were made call- ing upon those present to stand with the union for its demand; reviewing the causes of the strike, the reduction of the number of men in the crews of both sailing and steam vessels, the lengthening of the hours and the series o: complaints that have brought about the trouble. Resolutions were adopted seconding the action of the union of the previous even- ing and declaring that all present would stand together in their demands for $35 and $40. REVENGE OF A CRAZY WOMAN. Mrs. Honora Johnston Attempts to Burn Down a Row of Houses. Fire Marshal Towe and the police were notified yesterday of a case of attempted arson by a woman who is said to be act- uated by motives of revenge. Yesterday afternoon James Sullivan, who lives at 3620 Sacramento street, called at the Fire Marshal’s office and complained that a woman had attempted to burn down his house. He said he was awakened be- tween 2 and 3 o'clock yesterday morn- ing by the loud tones of a woman'’s voice. He heard her say, “I'll blow this house up or set it on fire with coal 0il.” He got out of bed and recognized the woman as Mrs. Honora Johnston, who had been evicted by the Sheriff from No. 3626 about two years ago. The row of houses belong to William k&.le, and since then she has threatened to burn them down. Two weeks ago she destroyed the fence between Sullivan’s house and his next door neighbor’s. Sullivan and his wife sat up, and it was not till 6 o’clock that Mrs. Johnston left. After she had gone they went to the rear of the house and found two sacks saturated with coal oil and placed against some lattice work. The bottom boards of the building were covered with oil and a large quantity had been poured through a knot hole. A lot of burned matches were scat- tered about and there was every evidence that an attempt had been made to burn down the building. The Fire Marsial took Sullivan to Cap- tain Douglass, who sent Policeman Cohn to arrest Mrs. Johnston. As the woman appeared to be out of her mind she was taken to the Receiving Hospital to await her examination before the Insanity Com- missioners. OF INTEREST TO TUS. Bills Now in the Governor’s Hands for Signature or Veto. Among the bills in the hands of the Gov- ernor for signature or veto are a number of interest to San Francisco. One provides for the construction of the completed part of the new City Hall, and another author- izes the Supervisors to levy a tax of 10 cents this year for the completion of the new City Hall; another providgs for the erec- tion of a new City Hall on the site of the old one. Another bill provides for a new Home for Inebriates, to be erected by the city; another provides for a $250,000 building for the affiliated colleges in San Francisco. The new primary election law, which applies to San Francisco and Los Angeles, provides that the primary will be a general election, all %sruqs participating, and an- other Assembly bill provides for the ap- pointment of a new Board of Election Com- missioners by the Mayor, which board will appoint a registrar; two members of the board will hold over. Another Assembly bill requires lodging-house keepers to keep a list of their lodgers and report them to the Election Commissioners. Thig is to prevent stuffiing. The schoolteachers’ annuity bill is among the list, providing for $45 a month annuity to all teachers upon retirement after twenty yerss’ service. Another bill provides for the establish- ment of sanitary districts and the election of a sanitary board, who may regulate the existence of saloons and houses of ill-fame within the district. Other bills are those requiring that old soldiers shall be given preference for employment on public works; prohibiting companiesnot members - \ will sail on time with a full crew at the | of the National Guard from parading with guns in the streets; the barbers’ Sunday Test bill; the bill providing for the repeal of the street railroad fare act of 1378, and that all franchises shall be sold to the highest bidder. —————————— FRUIT TRANSPORTATION. W Method of Packing Inveiited by a San Franciscan. There is probably no one matter which is receiving the same attention at present at the hands of the Railroad Commission as that of fruit transportation and the fact being generally known leads to that body Teceiving many suggestions on the subject, many of which are possessed of merit. Dr. H. L. McKillops of this city has sub- mitted to the body named a new method of packing deciduous fruits, which it is claimed is destined to find general favor. The plan is to place each orange (that class of fruit bemng taken merely for illus- trative purposes) in a pasteboard circle, which prevents contact with the other fruit and which causes the most thorough ventilation. The present style boxes can be used and any shape of fruit can be packed therein. No expert packers are required, and the pasteboard circle is said to be as cheap as wrapping paper. 3 It 1s said that eight tons more of fruit can be shipped in a car by this method than by that of refrigeration. The method is more fully explained in a communication to the board from the in- ventor and which will probably be pub- lished. WITH GLINTS OF SUNLIGHT. THE N. G. C. SIGNAL CORPS TO SEND MESSAGES TO SAC- RAMENTO. FroM THE ToP oF MouNT DIABLO BY MEANS oF THE HELIo- GRAPH. Arrangements have heen perfected by whiels the next time the weather man has good reason to believe the sun will rise in a clear sky, next day on any given day a message will be flashed by its light, from the summit of Mount Diablo to the Capi- tol building at Sacramento, a distance of thirty miles. C. J. Atwater, an officer of the Fourth Brigade N. G. C. Signal Corps, was in the city yesterday conferring with Captain A. A. Hanks concerning the matter, and the arrangements were completed. The corps is enthusiastic over its system of tele- graphy and is taking every opportunity to test and perfectit. A four-inch heliograph will be employed. Speaking of the pro- posed experiment yesterday, Captain Hanks said: ““If we succeed—about which there can be only the question of weather—it will be the longest signaling that has ever been done in the State. But that is not saying much, for, with an eight-inch heliograph, signaling has recently been done in Ari- zona for stretches of 160 miles straight—no intervening station. “The heliograph is simply a mirror arranged with adjustable screws on a tri- pod with a shutter in front, so as to inter- rupt the light at pleasure. It is adjusted to reflect the sun’s rays toward the di; station and then the shutter is operated so | as to throw short and long flashes, which | form a code of letters as do the dots and | dashes of the telegraph instrument. | “When we are assured of good weather | for the following morning a detail of eight men will leave San Francisco some day at noon, reaching Pine Canyon, four miles | from Walnut Creek, the same evening. We will bivouac there that night and start for the summit 1n time to reach it by sun- rise. From the summit Sacramento isa flat thing in the far distance. ‘“We know that it lies 20 degrees east of north, but we do not know the location of the station there nor the depression to be worked to, but as the sun rises the gilded | dome of the Capitol catches and holds its light, and we can adjust our instrument to it, for the Sacramento station is to be located there. Then we can talk to them by the flashing of our heliograph—only a | four-inch bit of mirror—just as two tele- graphers may do over the wire. “The heliograph is an_American inven- tion, having been used during the latter part of the Civil War. It afterward did conspicuous service in the trouble with the Indiang, and especially in the capture of Geronimo. This is another illustration of the irony of fate, too, for the idea was really stolen from the Indians. “The efliciency of the heliograph in the matter of speed, distance and the certainty of its methods is heightened greatly by the fact that persons outside the line of its communication cannot see it. With flag or fire :ifinals any one in all the country round who can see the flagman may inter- pret the message. The flash of the helio- graph spreads only a fraction above forty- nine feet in a mile. “The signal service of the National Guard at_present consists of four corps; forty in San Francisco (the oldest corps), twenty at Los Angeles, ten each at Stock- ton and Sacramento. The new National Guard law reduces the number of corps to thr«“e, but strengthens the numbers of each. ““Who pays the expenses of these experi- ments? Practically the men themselves. There is a small quarterly allowance, and if we can save anything out of the allow- ance for armory rent or otherwise we are ermitted to use that, but it is insufficient or practical experiments of this kind and the men have to pay the deficiency them- selves.” GEORGE A, WORN IS DEAD, Passing of a Prominent Merchant and Pioneer. George A. Worn, a pioneer of California and for many years a well-knowii business man of this city, died yesterday at his resi- dence, in Ross Valley, near San Rafael, after a long and tedious illness. Deceased was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1826, and at an early age came to this coun- try, making his way to California, in search of gold and fortune, in 1849. In the fol- lowing year he formed a partnership with the late Captain M. Waterman, the firm of Waterman & Worn being oneof the best known produce firms of early days. He accumulated a handsome forture, which was augmented when he married the daughter of the late James D. Ross, after whom Ross Valley was named. Later he went into the real-estate busi- ness, representing the large interests of James Phelan,James Bell, the late Robert Sherwood and others, by whom his un- questioned inte%ri(y and great business ability were highly valued. He leaves a widow and five children, a sister and brother in Dublin, and another sister, Mrs, William Richardson, in this city, The funeral will take Plnce from the family residence and will be strictly private. ————— Persecuting a Deputy. Annie Larsen entéred the Assessor's office yesterday afternoon and raised a disturbance by abusing Danie[*Maloney, one of the aepu- ties. She was considerably under the influ- ence of liquor. Maloney went to police head- quarters, followed by Annie, and he had her ar- resied for drunkenness. She fought with the officer all the way to the prison and made such a noise while there that she was put in the dark cell. She has an insane idea that Ma- loney dispossessed her mother of some property on Eleventh street, near Folsom, and has re- pestedly caused him snnoyance. In Septem- rand October last five incendiary fires oc- curred on Eleventirand Folsom streets, and as she had threatencd to Fire Marshal Towe to burn down Maloney’s houses it was suspected that she knew someéthing about the fires. e e e ‘ ¥ound Dead in Bed. Henry Wolfgang was found dead in his bed at the Wilson, 120 Post street, late yesterday afternoon. Wolfgang was 26 years of age, un- married and a native of England. Death is be- lieved to have resulted from natural causes, e NEW TO-DAY. CALIFRNA FURNTURECE ANY PEOPLE prefer a brass or even an iron . bedstead to the richest kind of woodwork. Why? Metal work is cleaner—that is to say, more easily kept clean; it lasts far longer and it is in many senses more attrac- tive. IS A BRASS or an iron bedstead within the purse capacity’ of most people ? Above is a white enameled, brass trimmed bed—price $11. What cau you buy as attractive, durable and novel for less money? RASS BEDSTEADS are capable of infinite adorn- ment, and yet they wear— outwear any number of iron bedsteads, mo matter how massive. YOU can drape your metal bedstead, add to its charm with a canopy top and do a multitude of things to enhance its beauty—and at most moderate cost. ASK YOURPHYSICIAN if he wouldn’t indorse the statement that a metal bedstead is, from a sanitdry standpoint, by far the best of all. b CAN YOU REALIZE how much absolute brightness a burnished brass or even a white enameled bedstead contributes to your sleeping apartments? ‘Ask any of your friends who may have ome if they would change. Y4 ETAL BEDSTEADS are so popular that specially designed pieces are now made to accompany them. Here’s an example of such a piece—a bureau you never see with the ordinary bedroom set. Carpets . Rugs . Mattings CALIFORNIA FURNITURE COTPANY (N. P. Cole & Co.) n7-123 Geary Street \ Np—