The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 10, 1895, Page 12

12 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 1895. MAGUIRE ON SINGLE TAY, The Eloguent Congressman Addresses the Social Economics Club. MAN'S HERITAGE ON EARTH. Popular Ownership of Land Is a Goa-Given Right of an All- Wise Creator. »ssman James G. Maguire deliv- “Single Tax” to the members of the Social Economics Club at Pythian Hall, 909 Market street, yesterday afternoon. The hall was crowded to lhel and the reception tendered the ker upon his appearance within the was particularly ent iastic. the had been called to I Hermann Royer, short speech, outlining the objects the club and then introduced Judge Again the audience broke out with a great peal of applause, which was followed during the hour the speaker oc- cupied in giving his views with many more similar demonstrations, “Ladies and g said Judge guire, “I presu most of those 10 are present know what the single tax proposition is. I have, however, found in my time that a great many, even of those rs, did not The prin- gle tax men is lecture on for nal, State, cc d municipal pur- by a si X upon land values, s, and to abol- he purpose is to e tax upon land values to Li» entire margin all land, that is, the mar- hich is known as economic ground | 11 other ta rent. This tax has two purposes. The first is to improve the method of raising public revenues; and the second and most im- portant is the means of establishing and i his country, an absolute 1 citizens, equality of in the Jand wh “It w ite enough to recommend the single tax system that it is infinitely the most economical and the least burden- lic revenues. y purpose, or the only s s adoption, I would give very le of my time to the advocacy of the single tax system. I do not think that that part, while it is highly important and would be a vast yrovement upon the present system, is the purpose that holds single tax men together or that ¥ s the great single tax movement for- | ward throughout the entire civilized world. If t re is the otk purpose—the purpose of blishing equality of rights among all of s people in the Jand which the Cres rely given to port, in which the means of living and comfort of all men are locked up. shall not discuss the first feature of ch I have spoken. It must be mani- fest, however, that it would be a vastly public revenue ste involved in cheaper method of ra there would be it thar any other method imaginable. 1t would fall upon the ownership of land— the mere ownership of land—and not upon products of labor.” Contir nire stated that, a few years ccasion to inves- tigate the }.r pense of levying and collecting xes of this municipality by the direct tax upon bank values as com- pared with the present system. He found e rear, when Mr. m w Assessor, it had cost approx ely $350,000 to collect such taxes. He had then madea careful estimate of what it would have co to raise the revenue by the single tax that in one tem and found that it would not have more than $30,000 at the outside. He con- tinued with an attack on the = tems of taxation through the Custom- house and the inequality in the collection of taxes on personal property. This latter Qoint was not to be lightly considered. More than one-third of the taxes levied upon personal property was lost through failure to collect, and the owners of the other two-thirds were compelled to bear the burden, providing they were equally assessed. “It is generally true,” he continued, “that they are not equally assessed. Under the present system the poor pay taxes to the full value of their property and the rich upon a very small percentage of their present holdings. Itis impossible in the present nature of things, to assess personal property evenly or equitanly and it is impossible to make collections equitably or fairly, while, with the taxa- tion of land values, there is never any loss by delinquency. 1If the taxpayer fails to pay and nobody will buy, the State takes the land for the tax, so that there is never anything lost by delinquency in the pay- ment of real estate taxes or land taxes. “But itis the other feature—the other purpose of the single-tax system,”’ said the speaker, “‘I am here to-day to discuss. It is ackno’ }edf:ed by all men that the earth is, or, originally was, as some say, the com- mon heritage of all mankind; that in the earth are locked up the resources neces- sary and sufficient for the satisfying of all human wants; and the means of getting these necessaries from the earth are mental and physical labor applied to the development of the earth's Tesources. “Man is a land animal. Every particle of his food, clothing, shelter, the comforts, the luxuries, come from the land. They cannot come from any other source and the land was provided for the purpose of giving all of these things to the men who would apply their labor, under the guid- ance of their minds, to develop the re- sources of the earth. Even the bodil frame of every man living upon the earti\; is of the earth, and when he dies his body returns to the land—returns to the element from which, through life, his bedily life was subported. He is essentiall{ a_land animal.” He must live on the land and from the land if he is to live at all. *What, then, is one of the most essen- tial requisites of comfortable living, or of | government to s living at all? It is access to_the land; ac- cess to the means of supportinglife; access 1o place of living and to means of produc- ing the things which support life and make it comfortable. That is land. There is no other source. Man looks to the land and depends upon the land just asthe water animal looks to the water and de- pends upon the water. Separate the fish jrom the water and_he dies naturally, be- cause he is separated from the element created for_his support and by which he must live, if he lives atall. Separate the land animal from the land and it must die, just as the fish mustdie when separated from the water. Precisely. Make the separation partial. Make it difficult for the fish to get water but give it enough to keep it alive, and what have you? A mis- erable life, full of constant wretchedness and haraship, and struggie worse than death. Make it difficult for the land ani- mal to get at the land, or at the comforts of the land, and what have you? Just what you have in the case of the fish—a life supported with difiicnlty, a life made miserable by privation, a life that may be truly said to_be not worth the living. A struggle under such obstacles brings a thousand deaths in the space of lessthan an ordinary lifetime. ““With these conditions manifestly open | to the mind of all men who can think at all, T defy any man living to show where there is the slightest evidence of the inten- tion of the Creator of this earth that any man should have a better right to it than any other man, or that one set of men who own it should live without labor by hiring out to others of their fellow men the privi- legeof producing a living from it. No such a decree of the Creator of this earth can be found anywhere, either by direct expres- sion or by implication. ““What, then, should be the first function, the highest and most sacred duty of any organization of men established for the purpose of promoting ization and human happiness? What should be its first function? Its first fanction ought to be to secure to every man within its com- I | munity his fair and equal right to the natural resources should be the fir of the country. It and highest function of e to it that every citizen hall have access to the natural resources by which it was the de- sign of the Creator that every one of them should support his life. “But what have wenow? A system of land tenure which is designed to cut off that natural right of the majority of ‘the people of every civilized country in the world and to put the absolute control of the solid area of every civilized country into the hands of a few human owners, who are to dictate the terms and conditions upon which their landless fellow men may get a chance to go to the God-g nearth to establish homes or to make a living. That is the condition existing. Those who own the land have, independently of all other men, means of subsistence and comiort, without let or hindrance from any other man to get to the land for their living and support_ themselves upon the land and from the land in such comfort as their mental and physical efforts, voluntarily put forth, wilf bring to them. But the land owners are not required to do this at all. They do not do it. The men who own the great bulk of the land of this country and of every civilized country in the world, have the same means of oppression to of the country wring a toll from the masses of the people. The masses of the people who produce are obli; access to the land atall, to pay toll and contribute for the privelege of getting to it—that toll not going to the benefit of the community.” Judge Maguire went into the subject of large l]and holdings, which he denounced asan accursed system, and gave some in- stances of personal observation in this very State. He went on to show that such lands were held not to oppress the people so much as to bring money into the coffers of the holders through advances in popu- lation. Taking the progress of California for it, Judge Maguire then went into a re- view of the in land values by the in- tion and the growth of in- property . The rent value, which was figured by the landholder, was the un- earned increment, resulting naturally from the community itself. Take away that and it ta 2y the only induce- ment men now e to speculate in land or monopolize land they do not require for immediate use, or do not use to its best or highest advantage. “To take that unearned increment away from the owner,” he contirued, “is the single tax proposition absolvtely and com- pletely. e it away and there would be no conceiyable inducement to any man to invest in land he did not desire to use, or | to hold land in idleness or in inferior use. “Now, it has been urged against this proposition that it_would be unjust to the present owners of land. Itis said that it wonld be dishonest for the masses of the people to practically resume Government ownership of all the land of the country without compensation to the present own- ers. That proposition must be met, for a reform that is not honestis not good. I do not care what it is; a change that is not honest is not good, and if it can be shown to be dishonest, prima facie, it is not good. It either must be vind ed or it must be concluded that all arguments in support of it are specious, because the re- sult would be dishonest, and never yet did man or nations prosper in wrong. A re- must be honest as well as efficacious. What rights have present owners in this unearned increment which single-tax men propose to take for public use? None atall. None at all, except a purely con- ventional right that is subject to cancella- tion at any time by the people.” Judge Maguire concluded with a_series of apt illustrations of the matters he had set before the club and stated plainly that the money invested by speculators and landholders was merely in the nature of a bet placed on the gambling table, depend- ent \apnn whether or not lhedpeop e re- sumed the rights to the land and the prod- ucts thereof, given to all men by the Cre- ator, He was loudly applauded at the close as he took his seat, but he was kept busy dur- ing the next hour or so answering ques- tions and explaining matters that had cropped up in his discourse. He was very apt in his illustrations and happy in his explanations and made a thoroughly good impression on his hearers, REINDEER AND WEATHER. An Agent of the Government Goes North to Look After Nimble Deer. The whaling bark W. H. Meyer sailed from this port on last Friday on a whaling voyage in the northern seas, via St. Law- rence Island, Point Clarence and Cape Prince of Wales. She has on board as pas- senger J. Widstead of the United States Department of Aericulture who is bound for the extreme northern territory of the United States to inquire into the condition of the reindeer in that part of the country and to devise means to increase their num- ber. These animals, like the buffalo and the seal, have been chased and destroyed in such a reckless manner by individuals who killed them only for their hides and horns that they are likely to become extinct in a few years unless some steps are taken to reserve them. The reindeer, as is well Enown, is a most useful animal to the in- habitants of the far north. The animal takes the place of the horse, it supplies food to the natives of that country, fur- nishes raiment and grease and candles. The supply was always greater than the needs of the natives, but when the hunters came along and commenced the wholesale slaughter of the animals then the supply diminished to such an extent that the natives complained and the attention of the authorities at Washington was drawn to the matter, with the result that Mr. Widstead has been sent to investigate and act in the premises. ¥ Mr. Widstead has also taken with him a number of instruments placed in his charge by Forecast Officer Hammon to be distributed at varivus ints along the upper northern coast where weather sta- tions are to be established. From these places the weather bureau in this City will receive reports that will be of great assist- ance in making deductions. There are already a number of observation points in that region, but the additional ones to be established will increase the value of the service. ————— The skin of the Indian is thinner than that of either the white or the negro, and more easily torn. Highest of all in Leavening Power.— Latest U. S. Gov’t Report Baking Powder 1 WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED, An Opportunity for the Poor of the City to Be Self- Sustaining. DETROIT'S PLAN A SUCCESS. Vacant Land Farmed With Profit for the Destitute and the Municipality. A week or so ago the CALL published an article relating to the labor question, show- ing what might pbe done to assist the un- employed in San Francisco so they can earn a livelihood. Reference was made to the large number of worthy men with families to support who would be only too glad to secure any kind of work that would return a living; also to the men without family ties who have been forced by cir- cumstances to live on the City dumps at the foot of Seventh street. The suggestion was offered by some of the leaders of the Co-operative Common- wealth that vacant lands lying near the City might, with a little assistance from the people, be farmed by those out of work. THb plan has proved a success in the East. In this City there are at least 10,000 unemployed men, two-thirds of whom have families. With a view of learning something of this plan Labor Commissioner E. L. Fitz- gerald sent a letter of inquiry to Hazen S. Pingree, Mayor of Detroit, Mich., where the experiment has been tried. Mayor Pingree’s answer was received yesterday, and it contains much valuable information. He said that similar inquiries have been received by him from all parts of the United States and from the Government officials of Austria, Prussia, France and England. The Mayor stated that he conceived the plan in 1894, when hard times compelled hundreds of peple to stand idly around on the streets. He said: Inssmuch as a majority of the working people of every large city come from the coun- try and are accustomed to and skilled in tilling the soil I believed that if they could secure the use of some of the vacant land that surrounds the city they could easily obtain a subsistence for the ensuing winter by Taising potatoes and other vegetables. 1 requested the use of the land for this purpose and within a remargably short time more of it was placed at our disposal than we could possibly use, owing to the late- ness of the season and theé fact that no pro- vision had been made for raising funds to de- fray the necessary expenses of plowing, par- chasing seeds, etc. More than 3000 families, however, were eager to take advantage of this practical method, but only about 950 families could be accommodated. A committee was ap- pointed by me to take charge of the matter. From the books of the Poor Commission they ascertained the names of worthy people. The Common Couuncil appropriated $5000 to defray all expenses in connection with it, and the work is already under way and great re- sults are expected. We find that at least 97 per cent of the people are willing to work if given an opportunity under proper superin- tendence. 7 I am saticfed that if this plan were adopted in every L rye city it would materialis decrease the expenccs of the police department, as people aic not likely to cause trouble if em- ployed, and especially if employed in their own interests. In Mayor Pingree’s report he stated that about 430 acres were plowed, harrowed and staked off by the committee into lots of one-fourth to one-half acre each. Seed potatoes, beans and other seeds were furnished by the committee to those un- able to provide them, the entire expense of the committee being $2600, which in- cluded the price of plows and harrows. The crops were planted, cultivated and harvested by the people under the super- ision of the committee, including some thirty lots assigned to widows. whose de- pendent half-grown boys cuitivated the }and. Deducting the values of the plows, etc., now on hand the cost for each lot to the committee was about $3 45. 'L he esti- mated yield of the potato crop wus about 14,175 bushels. Large quantities oi beans, turnips and other vegetables were raised and daily consumed. The estimated total value of the crops produced was $12,000 to $14,000, at a cost to the committee of about $3600. The money was raised by subscriptions, one-half being contributed by ecity em- loyes. Although the plan’ itself was ased on common sense it was treated by the citizens of Detroit as a huge joke, but as demonstrated by facts and figures it was a very profitable joke to the city and to the otherwise unemployed. A “State agricultural paper, in commenting upon the “city farmers,” said : Now, as these_amateur plowmen found, the soil, unstirred by cultivation for years, some of {t filled in with clay from cellars, sewers, etc., is hard and baked solid as a rock. The fertilizers depended upon are the old tin cans and boots and shoes dumped on the vacant lots, and the prospects are there will be plenty of work for the unemployed—if that’s what they are after—to grow & mighty small crop. The unqualified success of the experi- ment silenced the croakers. Poor people snowed their willingness to work and almost fought for a lot to till. The loss by theft was very small, and the number of applicants for 1895 was larger than could be accommodated. The crops of last vear in spite of the lateness of the season, turned out so well that an exhibit was made at the State Fair, and vegetables grown upon a soil “fertilized by old tin cans and boots and shoes’’ were awarded a diploma by the State Agricultural Society. As a result of the success of this experi- ment Mayor Pingree says that about 1000 families were enabled to pass through last winter without having to apply for aid to the Poor Commission, thus saving a large amount of money to the taxpayers. In summing up the situation the Mayor found that at least 9 per cent of the desti- tute people were willing to work; vacant lands were utilized for a most worthy pur- pose; a very small space of ground will su'fpon. one larse family. axpayers and citizens were the gainers, less money being required for charity, as the poor supported themselves. The cost of the Police Department was much less, the poor people being less turbulent an restless. The poor were elevated in their own estimation by realizing that they are not paupers. In conclusion the Mayor recommended that the city appropriate $5000 for carrying on the work tgis year, adding, “Even should the city have to pay a nominal rental for the land, it woul&’be a profitable investment.” he report of the agricultural committee appointed by the Mayor to look after the work corroborates the Mayor's general statement that the “Detroit Plan” was a success. There were seven men on the committee. The work was done under the direction of a superintendent who gave instructions as to the planting, care and harvesting of the crops. A policeman patroled the district with four inspectors from the Poor Commission the crops were protected against thieves, Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald in speak- ing of information furnished by Mayor Pingree stated thatthe same plan would no doubt prove a greater successin this City where the climate is so much better than it is in the East. In Detroit the lands used are similar to the Seventh-street dumps in this City. The dumps here can be cleared of the rub- bish and with but little trouble placed in a high state of cultivation. The majority of the poor of San Francisco live in the lower end of town and could easily reach the dumps. The cost of water need not be very grent, forif the local water compan; would not place its pipes on the grounds at a reduced price the cultivators cun find water in abundance near the surface, that, ‘while not good for drinking, would do for irrigating gur&oaes, and a few wells with cheap windmills would supply the entire distriet. ‘The district now known as the dumps 1 would, with care and judgment, support many hundred people with vegetables and potatoes and thus materially lessen the wants of the poor of San Francisco. There are many other places equally as good that can be utilized {;r this_purpose. The Islais Creek district, the Bay View district, Ocean View district and innumer- able lots scattered all over the City could be converted into beautiful and profitable vegetable gardens and give employment and food to thousands of worthy people now out of employment and in distress. The money spent in charity, in the most humiliating sense of the word, would nearly suffice for plowing and seeding the lands mentioned.” There isno doubt the landholders in this City arefpublic-spirited enough to give the use of some of their spare lands to so worthy a purpose. The experiment in Detroit demonstrated a very important fact: The value of the lands cultivated by the poor nearly doubled in value. Commissioner Fitzgerald will confer with & number of prominent people who are interested in the poor of this City with the view of undertaking a similar work in San Francisco. The plan has already been favorably discussed, and there is & fair chance that it will be acted upon here this year. The lateness of the season will not cut such a figure in this City as in the East, for vegetables can be grown on this peninsula all the year round. —_— L W BUCKS PEN WAME Captain Lees Thinks That “Nell” Was Intended to Mean “Len.” A Boy Witness Who Saw the Mur- derer In Front of Miss Harrington’s Door. Captain Lees made a discovery yester- day which has caused him a good deal of gratification, and explains a point that was touched upon frequently at the in- quest on Miss Nellie Harrington’s body on Saturday. The letters sent by ex-Senator Buck to Miss Harrington, and which were pro- duced and read at the inquest, bore the signature “Nell.” Why Buck should have adopted such a pen name has been puz- zling the Captain, and he pondered over the matter till he hit upon a plausible solution of the question. He was led astray by at first thinking | that Mr. Buck signed Miss Harrington’s maiden name from a sense of humor owing to the intimate relations that existed be- tween them. Then he brought a habit into play that has done him good service in_the past, and he spelled the name Nell” backward, which gave him “Llen.”’ Mr. Buck’s full name is Leonard W. Buck, and the pet name for Leonard is “Len.” “I think,” said the Captain, yesterday, ‘‘that that is an explanation of the signa- ture on the letters, and it is, at any rate, plausible. 1 have on many occasions, when examining 2 hotel register, seen a name containing the same number of let- ters as the name of the man I was looking for, and by spelling it backward I have been able to find my man. I was thinking over that when I spelled ‘Nell’ backward and the puzzle was solved.” When the inquest opens this morning an important witness will be Malcolm Dunn, a boy twelve years of age. He is a nephew of Mrs. Crouse, who lives ir the basement of the hoize where the murder was committed. Malcolm, on the day of the murder, took luncheon with his gunt, and after luncheon left the house to go to Jefferson Square, to play for awhile before going to his grandiather’s, at Ingleside, where he lives. As he closed the iron gate opening on the sidewalk from his aunt’s house, he saw a man standing on the top of the steps in front of Miss Harrington’s door, appar- ently waiting for the door to open. The man’s hack was to the street and Malcolm could not see hisface. He said the man was of heavy build and wore dark trousers. The time, as near as can be fixed, was be- tween 12:20 and 12:30 o’clock, or about an hour before Mrs. Kellogg saw the smoke issuing from Miss Harrington’s rear win- dow. The boy did not speak about seeing the man till last Wednesday, when one of his aunv's called upon his grandfather. The: were talking about the murder and Mal- colm spoke about seeing the man. Captain Lees was at once notified and he made ar- rangements for the boy to give his testi- mony this morning. In all probability the man seen by Malcolm was the murderer of Miss Harrington. FELL DOWN IN A TRENCH. An Accident That Happened to a Horse of the Baldwin Hotel Bus. A gang of men in the employ of the Edi- son Electric Light Company were engaged yesterday in laying underground wires on the south side of Market street near Sixth, and in order to make a connection with a portion of the system on the north side of the street they dug a trench across Market street, except a portion on the south side wide enough to allow a vehicle to pass. Sunday was chosen for this work because there is less travel on that day than any other day of the week. A man was stationed at the center of the street to warn approaching teams and make them turn to the portion left open for their use. The Baldwin Hotel coach agproacheu on the northern cable track, and the fore- man raised his hand as a warning, but the driver did not pay any attention to it, for he kept right on, thinking that he could drive along the track which had not been disturbed by the excavators. He kept on until his horses were at the trench. Then he suddenly attempted to pull them up. but in domng so the off horse sligped. The driver tried tosave the horse and in pulling on the lines hauled too much on the nigh horse and the animal went into the trench, a narrow one, in such a manner that he could not rise. The accident soon attracted a large crowd of Eeople, and inside of five minutes a hundred suggestions were offered as to the best means of putting the horse on his feet again. Finally a practical individual, with the assistance of others, removed the harness from the horse, got him on his feet, audflanks being thrown down into the trench, one end resting on a bank, an incline was formed and the horse was led up to the pavement. The animal was not hurt, but the cable- cars were stopped for about twenty minutes. After the accident two flagmen were placed at the trench to warn drivers off and prevent any further mishaps. An Enjoyable Outing. The campers’ excursion to the Santa Cruz Mountains Saturday was enjoyed byfa large number of pleasure-seekers who were taken to the various points of interest in that pictur- esque country. The outing was vnder the per- sonal supervision of Colonel W. H. Menton of the Southern Facific Company. Before the ex- cursion party returned to town a vote of thanks was tendered Mr. Menton for his courteous attention. ———————— To Safe Deposit Renters. The Union Trust Company of San Francisco corner of Market, Montgomery and Post streets, offers to the public safes for rent in the strongest, best guarded, best lighted and most modern vaults west of Chim%o at from $4 to $150 per annum. Valuables of all kinds stored al reasonable rates. b e An indispensable article used by the Es- kimos when making holes in the iceis a scoop-shaped tool attached to the end of a pole. It is about six inches in diameter, made of bone bent round with strips of whalebone. . THERE 18 an article on the market seldom equaled and never exceiled—Jesse Moore Whis- ky, Moore, Huny & Co, guarantee its purity.* JUSTICE FIELD ARRIVES, The Veteran Jurist of the Su- preme Bench Will Remain Some Time. ON THE NICARAGUA CANAL Eastern Sentiment so Strong In Its Favor That It Must Be Bullt Soon. Justice Stephen J. Field arrived from Washington yesterday and will remain on the coast several months. With him are Mrs. Field, Mrs. J. Condit-Smith, Miss Condit Smith and Miss Mary O. Condit Smith. The party is staying at the Palace Hotel. Judge Field said yesterday that he came out on account of his health and to get away from the heat of the East and into the cool breezes of San Francisco. His knee, which was injured many years ago, is giving him considerable trouble. Judge Field had not heard of the ap- pointment of Mr. Harmon as Attorney General, but did not remember him. Speaking of Mr. Olney, the new Secretary Chief Justice Field. of State, he said: “Mr. Oldey is a very able man. I have no idea, however, what his position will be on the questions of foreign policy. There is a good deal of feeling in the East that we should have a more decided foreign policy. “The sentimentis growing very much in favor of the L'nimf States taking posses- sion of and opening up the Nicaragua canal. What Mr. Olney’s position on that subject will be I cannot say. Iam sure that the feeling all over the Unitea States isin favor of that canal. Admiral Ammen lately told me in Washington that if Mr. Cleveland had not withdrawn from the Senate the treaty with Nicaragua, waich ceded to the United States control of a canal and granted land ten miles on each side, it would have been completed five vears ago. 1 haveastrong impression that idr. Cleveland is more in favor of the project now, and I think that that is the general impression in the East ‘‘Senator after Senator with whom I have spoken say that the building of the canal by this country is a thing that is bound to take place soon. *My opinion is that it would change the commerce of the western world as much as the Suez Canal changed the commerce of the eastern world. Itseems amazing to me that any one would have any objection to it. California and all the people from British Columbia down along the whole Pacific Coast have an immen ¢ interestin it. “I remember a conversation with Mr. Chase, who said that there are certain great events in the history of the world that stamp character on countries, and spoke of the completion of the Suez Canal as one of the great historical events, and then he passed on to the subject of some interocanic canal between the Atlantic and Pacific. *‘It would redound greatly to the honor of the country that would carry it through.’* Judge Field has been a member of the Supreme Bench thirty-two years, many years longer than any of his colleagues. He was five and a half years on the Su- preme Bench of this State as a Justice and as Chief Justice. SUITH WIS INDIGHAT He Claims It Was He Who Got the Divorce, and Not His Better Halif. His Former Wife and Her Sister Asked to Be Taken to the City Prison. The published account of the arrest of Mrs. Ellen Smith and her sister, Mrs. Catherine Filgate, has aroused the ire of H. G. Smith, former husband of the first- named lady. Smith says that it was he who secured the divorce, and not the wife as stated. In regard to the trouble last Wednesday night at his home on Webster street, when Mrs. Smith and her sister were carried to the City Prison by Officer Wells, he tells a very differeat story from that of Mrs. Smith. “I went home Wednesday night and found the door locked,” said Smith yester- day, “and as my child was very ‘sick I could not understand such action. I did not try to get in by force, for not knowing how many there were inside, or their ob- ject in keeping me out, I thought discre- tion the better part of valor and lert. On Hayes street I met Officer Wells, and told him about the child being sick, and the door locked on me. He said that for the child’s sake he would go over about 7 o’clock. I wentalso, and then found the door open. Officer Weils did not go in with me. ““I found my boy crying and asked him what was the matter. Mrs. Filgate spoke up and said, ‘What right have vou to speak to that boy? You are adivorced man since 12 o’clock to-day. You have no right here, so you had better get out.” “Mrs. Smith came on the scene and backed her sister up in everything she said. I told Mrs. Filgate that she had no right there, and then both the women tackled me. “Iwent out and they tried to bar the door, when I endeavored to raise the front window. Then it was I called Officer Wells and Special Officer Johnston. Officer Wells talked courteously to them and ad- vised Mrs. Filgate to go home and leave me alone. Mrs. Smith ard her sister be- came very violent and showered all sorts of vulgar names on Mr. Welis and myself. Mrs. Siuith also hit Officar Wells in the mouth. Mrs. Filgate insisted on his ring- ing up the patrol wagon that they might be taken to the City Prison. He refused at firstand did all he could to keep them from doing violence. They insisted on go- ing down and Officer Wells obliged them in the end. The case was dismissed in court by mutual consent.” DRY GOGODS. LADIES UNDERWEAR DEPARTMENT! SPECIAL ATTRACTIO THIS WEEK! 25 Ladies’ 40 Ladies’ 35 Ladies’ 50 Ladies’ Colored Silk Waists $6.00 each Colored Silk Waists $7.50 each Colored Silk Waists $8.00 each Colored Silk Waists $9.00 each 75 Ladies’ Colored Silk Skirts $5.00 each 35 Ladies’ 40 Ladies’ Colored Silk Skirts $8.00 each Colored Silk Skirts $9.00 each 30 Ladies’ Colored Silk Skirts $10.50 each 75 Ladies’ 50 Ladies’ 50 Ladies’ 75 Ladies’ Pongee Skirts - - - $4.00 each Haircloth Skirts - - $2.50 each Haireloth Skirts - - - $3.50 each Black Moreen Skirts $3.50 each Our stock of the above goods cannot be surpassed for elegance of colorings and at the prices given are the best values we have ever offered. ) Y 1892. 111, 1138, 115, 117, 119, 777 % 4 121 POST STREET. WINDY DAY AT THE PARK, It Blew but That Did Not Pre- vent People from Listen- ing to Music. Feeding the Birds and the Squir- rels—Catching a Run=- away Horse. Contrary to expectation yesterday was not a sunshine Sunday. It was chilly and windy, and asa result the number who visited the ocean beach was not large, nor was Golden Gate Park patronized as it usually is in more favorable weather. Still there was a great many in front of the band stand who, despite the chill, listened with evident satisfaction to the excellent music rendered by Herr Scheel’s musi- cians. 4 The museum was crowded during the afternoon by a mass of people who, with a great deal of interest, examined the objects on exhibition. A number of small contri- butions have recently been placed in the cases, and these add new interest to the exhibit. Among these isa skin coat and pair of shoes from the far north, a curious heart-shaped tray, carved by Indians,which if used for acard-receiver would hold all the cards of the four hundred of society. There are also some Indian war imple- ments. X The aviary was crowded at the feeding hour by the people who for a long time watched the many pretty birds take their afternoon meal, and at the same hour there was another crowd watching the keeper feeding his pets in the immense cage. In a wheelbarrow he had boxes filled with nuts of several kinds, carrots and grain. As he stood by the stands on which the food is placed distributing the various articles some of the frisky, little, gray, bushy-tailed squirrels were up in the branches above him eyeing him, while others peeped out oi the doors in their little cages waiting until he should go. As soon as he moved from one stand to another some of the little grays came down from their perches, stole nuts and scampered up the trees again as_if fearful their keeper would follow and take the dainties away from them. One little chip- munk from the wilds of Oregon has be- come so domesticated that he follows the keeper around, jumps on his barrow and waits until someminiis handed him. He is full of play and his antics amused the onlookers very much. There were any number of people who went to the paddock to catch a glimpse of the baby buffalo, but they were soomed to t.hsa;;gomtment, for he, with the rest of the herd, sought the shelter of the scrub oak trees and were hidden from view. The bicycle brigade was out as usual, but the individual members found that riding against the wind was hard work, still they labored manfully and woman: fully and the majority of them went out as far as the beach. Phillip L. Figel of 1414 McAllister street was riding a spirited horse, and when near the eastern end of the speed track, the ani- mal became fractious and threw him. The horse started eastward until near the Park Lodge, when he was lassoed in true vaquero stgle by Mounted Officer Eugene Compber, who was loudly applauded by those who witnessed the feat of lariat-throwing. Mr. Figel was badly shaken up, but not injured. Mrs. Louisa Mazeuaer of 276 Clara street, while on a Haight-street car on her way to the park, had her pocket picked of a purse containing $i0 30 and two gold rings. ———— UNDER PRESS AUSPIOES. The Annual Show to Be Held at the Columbia Theater. Whengver the Press Club has to an- nounce its annual entertainment at one of the leading theaters of this City there is always joy in the bosoms of all lovers of the drama, for it is always like visiting every leading show at the same time, so | afternoon of Thursday, June varied and brilliant is the talent that makes up the programme. So it promises to be this year, and the has been selected as the occasion on which to give this annual di<; 1 {essrs. Friealander and Gottlob h. v placed at the dis- posal of the ¢ their (‘Emrmim: theater on Powell street, now called the Columbia, and it is to be specially decorated for the oceasion. Visitors desiring to escape the dusty wind that usually sweeps down Market street on a summer afternoon will find recreation as well as shelter here. The the- aters that have already engaged to con- tribute talent are the Baldwin, California, Columbia, Morosco's, Alcazar, Tivoii, Or- pheum and Circus Royal. There will be scenes, incidents, sketches, songs, imita- tions, recitals; everything that is calcu- lated to make up a really first-class variety performance. In addition to these attractions every visitor will on entering the theater be pre- sented with a handsome souvenir pro- ramme, specially got up for the occasion. he tickets are only $1 apiece and are now ready for sale. They can be obtained from the secretary of the club at the clubrooms in the Thurlow block, where the journal- ists have taken up their quarters since the old institution on Pine street went up in smoke, or visitors can. if they wish, pur- chase tickets at the Columbia Theater. ‘A Question of Harmony } is scarcely in point if the instrument be a Zimmermann Autoharp. The World’s Fair Com- mission said that the musical possibilities of this instrument were un- limited. And it’s so easily learned, too, and so reason= able in price. Prices, $4, §5, $10, $16, $20, $26. Tha $5 Style is the Most Popular. 10U CAN PLAY IT [N TEN MIFUTES. Dellghtful Company for Your Sum= mer Outings, in Camp, Aboard Ship, Anywhere. SEE DISPLAY IN WINDOW. Call and See This slmplelnstrument SHERMAN, CLAY & CO. MUSIC DEALERS, Corner Kearny and Sutter St S: E»