The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 14, 1895, Page 16

SUNDAY, JULY 1 a7Re 13 T2 DRI 0 A NIET N THE FORESTS OF WASHINGTON, B i GCORMIEL, 11 aboard !” *“Hold on, Dick, you’re short one.” “Well, hurry 'em up, then. We're twenty minutes behind already and the weather don’t look any too pleasant. But here he comes.” The dilatory passenger who climbed to his seat behind the driver of the Monticello stage was a good-looking young man of broad athletic frame, frank kindly expres- N NN SRS Several times the passengers,__who with the exception ot the traveiing corre- was enjoying the grand blaze, he got his first glimpse of the belle of the Chehalis. Miranda Pomfrey would be vronounced a beautiful girl in any assemblage. She was tall, but not gaunt. Her features were a perfect oval, the eyes large and -hazel, her hair rich brown and wavy, and her complexion as clear as the beautiful stream of the forest. Mr. Cousins was visibly affected by her entrance, and went forward with extended hand. But Miranda nodded to him with cool self-possession and walked toward ghe side of the fire where Ashton sat. “You're from Frisco, I reckon,” she said. “What are you doin’ in this part of the country, and why do you wear that round thing on your eye?”’ Much amused at her naivete, the cor- respondent explained to her why he wore the monocle instead of spectacles, and went into a comprehensive history of de- fective sight and its causes. Then she asked him what the girls were spondent, were all expert with theax, had to get out and chop away some mighty branch that lay across the road. The way those brawny fellows made the chips fly was a revelation to Ashton, and he could not but acknowledge that the sulky phil- osopher in the box was superior to all in the dexterity and strength with which he used that great implement of the forest. I wonder how long it would take me to use that ax as cleverly as you do, my friend,” he said, pleasantly, with an at- tempt at conciliation. “Never,” retorted the giant groffly, “while yon wear that thing in your eye.” This settled it, and Ashton confined his couversation to the driver during the rest of the journey., He found him a good- natured and communicative Missourian, whose whole life had been passed on the frontier. He told him that the firsi stage of the journey would be at a big log house on the Chehalis River, kept by a man named Pomfrey. This was the great ren- dezvous of all the settlers in the neighbor- hood, for Pomfrey kept a bar which, it was sion, with but one defect,which, in the eyes of the stalwart frontiersmen who lounged in the little Monticello inn, was beyond all condolement—he wore a monocle. He might be as strong as Samson and as valiant as Hercules, but with that single | glass in his eye he was nothing in their es- | timation but a type of the effect of San whispered, was furnished from his own still. He was also the father of a very beautiful daughter, who was known far and wide as the belle of the Chehalis. Beautiful women were not very numerous in that locality, and **Mirandy’’ could have her pick from among the eligible youths around tue county, but so far her young affections were unconcentrated and Francisco civilization, which from the bot- | Mirandy was fancy free. tom of their hearts they abominated and | = despised. As the driver related this history he inked knowingly at Ashton and jerked his elbow toward the big woodsman, who A few nights before Howard Ashton’s | was addressed as Bill, thereby conveying departure to write up the Northwestern | the intelligence to his companion that Bill | e wearing in Frisco now, and in reply to this | characteristically feminine question he | brought her an illustrated paper from his | valise, which, fortunately, contained some | very elaborate fashion-plates. Wirth the | utmost simplicity this daughter of the for- | est told the stranger all of her uneventful | history—how her mother had died when | she was a little child in Missouri, and_her | father had sold out and taken up'this land in Washington. She was Yxeginning to feel awfully lone- some, and her father had promised to take her some time to Portland, but he kept | putting it off all the time, and she was get- | ting mighty tired of the old man’s guile. | The men about_ here, too, were_ pestering her to get married, but she didn’t fancy |any of them, and she wasa’t going to | marry, not she, until she saw what other | men ‘were like. Here she glanced mis- chievously at Cousins, who was regarding | her friendly overtures to the objectionable city man with an expression of the most deadly malignity. | “Ifeelas if 1 should have arow with | that fellow before I leave,” thought Ash- ton; “he is certainly a most murderous- looking rascal,” The belle of the Chebalis certainly | showed him the most marked prefesence, | and had he been a coxcomb he would have | concluded that it was a case of love at first | sight, But he understood that this was | but an imprisoned bird longing to spread ‘ her wings and fly out to the great world. | She sang for him and showed him a scrap- | book where she had preserved specimens { of all the ferns and wild flowers that were | found in the neighborhood. “You'd better stay a few days with us,” ¢ THE DOOR FLEW OPEN AND MIRANDA FLEW INTO THE ROOM.” country for the New York Tribune, one of the guests at the farewell dinner at which he was entertained said: “My dear Howard, if you want to be- come solid with these frontiersmen you must throw that single glass overboard and adopt spectacles. ‘Even then unless you are bald or gray they will hardly for- give what they consider a corrupt and ef- feminate fashion.” “They will have to endure my monocle,’* laughed Ashton. “The compensation of- fered for this job does not warrant an en- tire change of habit.” “All right,” replied the other; “‘but if you will give a truthful narrative of your adventures on your return I will' ®ager you a dinner for this worshipful company, just as we are now,that my words come true and that the monocle will be to you in the Northwest a source of wrath™ and con- tempt.” On the voyage from San Francisco to Portland_Ashton’s monocle had an irri- tating effect upon but®one of the pas- sengers, an old Oregon settler, who, a few minutes after he had muttered something about putting on airs, became violentl seasick and the monocle was avengec{ From Portland Ashton took the steamer to Monticello, then a very small settle- ment on the Columbia River. Here he was to take stage for Olympia, thence up Pueet Sound to Victoria and on to ‘ort Yale and Cariboo. ‘“‘Have a cigar with me,’” said Ashton, genially, to his companion on the box, who held the lines over four as rough- looking horses as were ever put in har- ness. “Idon’t careif [ do,” said the driver, and then a few minutes afterward, “What do you wear that _thing in your eye for?” Ashton good-naturedly ~explained the sad neocessity that compelled him to use the monocle, and succeeded so far as to obtain a growl from that important func- tionary, “that this was a free country, and he guessed. people could do as they pleased.” This broad-minded and liberal remark was not received with favor by a very hard-looking citizen who sat on the other side of the driver. “‘No one has a right to make a blasted fool of themselves in any country,” snarled the backwoodsman, for such he unmistak- ably was. At this period a railroad between Monti- cello and Olymgiu was contemplated and nothing more. The route lay through a primeval forest, and a large portion of it was made of corduroy. nly those who have traveled on "a eorduroy road on a Washington coach can have any idea of the impossibility of maintaining any conversation or anything indeed except ome’s seat as the wagon bumps from log to log and the team strains and tugs, and the driver curses, and the scene has all the: characteristics and dis- comforts of a small craft steering wild in a big head sea. Therefore Ashton,who was aboutto make a sharp retort to the giant’s comment upon the general philosophy of life as applied to eyeglasses, heid his peace and his et}nihbrmm atthe same time. To make the discomfort more intense the rain,which had been threatening all morning, now ‘began to fall in torrents and the great red- woods swayed and groaned in the storm. [From a sketch by a “Call” artist.] was smitten with the charms of Miranda, but that he woed in valn. “‘She ez the most_durn pa'ticular girl in the hull of Cowlitz County,”” continued the stage-driver, *‘and the neighbors say that nothing but a city chap will have any chance with Mirandy.” ‘‘Seems to me, Dick, you’re doing more chinning than driving,” growled the suitor ofdtne obdurate Miranda from the other side. “You attend -to your business, Bill Cousins, and I'll attend to mine,” retorted the driver, showing that, giant or no giant, he did not propose to have the high func- tions of his office commented upon. On through the drenching rain lumbered the overweighted stage, and the darkness of night so shut in the road that Ashton wondered at the vision and intelligence which couid find the way through that dense forest. He was wet, hungry and uncomfortable, and he looked forward with eager ant)clgation to a suit of dry clothing, a blazing fire and plenty of anything to eat. “‘Brace up, young feller,” said the driver encouragingly, for Ashton’s liberality with his flask and cigars had completely won his heart. ‘‘Pomfrey’s is only two miles further on, and I reckon when we get there | the old man will have a nice dinner of trout and deer meat ready for us, a horn of good whisky, a good fire and Mirandy to sing for us while we are smoking our pipes.”’ An inarticulate growl from %V[r. ousins gave expression to the disfavor with which he heard his sweetheart’s name mentioned in that objectionable company. Presently the sound of rushing water was heard. “That,” said Dick, “is the Chehalis. We shall cross it now about a few hundred gan]'s from here and then we'll be at Pom- ey y's. - Through the_drip})inz branches Ashton saw with a feeling of intense gratification a blaze of light on the other side of the river. Ii was Pomfrey’s custom to welcome the Monticello stage hy throwing his doors wide OFW and letting the glow of the great logs that blazed in the huge fireplace stream across the river and deep into the forest, thus, as it were, giving the travelers a delightful intimation of the pleasures that awaited them. Like all the men that Ashton had seen on that side of the Co- lumbia River, the host of this forest inn was a man of unusual height, but had a broad, good-natured face. “Youse fellows must be most froze to death,” he said as he hustled around the stage and helped to unroll the rows of blankets and comforts and Ashton’s valige. “Hurry in and let’s have some liquor,”’ The Toom thef entered was “evidently bar, dining and living room in one, and Ashton observed with a delicious thrill some twenty pounds or so of venison steaks broiling on_the coals. On a long redwood table without an: pretense to cloth or cover of any kind zg plates and knives and forks “werc laid. The only adornment was, grouped in a tin basin in the center, a cluster of redwooa lilies, "Iltng,'; tl:gught tkhe xcoli:es ondent, ‘s certainly the work of the belle CI'IJ.‘:IT‘“&” ; g e supper was all that Dick had guaran- teed. The venison was juicy and gt:ndel; the trout broiled to a nicety, and the liquor. home-brewed cider, as good as any tray- she said, shyly, “and I will show vou where all those big redwood lilies come from.” The irritation of witnessing the complete | monopoly of his sweetheart by this dan- ! dified person “from below’” had” long since | exhausted the patience of Mr. Cousins. He devoted himself to the bar, and, like many a_ philosopher before him, sought | consolation for unrequited affection in | drink. When Miranda retired she gave Ashton a hearty pressure of the hand, and | her honest eyes showed that she had en- | listed*him at once among her friends, The young man filled another pipe and pondered on the strangeness and isolation of the young girl, reared in this vast forest and amid such rude surroundings. What | & sensation she would make in town with her beauty and quaint, frank ways. She would be just the sort of a girl his mother and sisters would fancy. And then the delicht of showing her a theater for the first time and her astonishment at all the | things of civilization—why it would posi- tively be a new sensaticn to contemplate it. Ashton’s musings were rudely aisturbed by the apparition of Bill Cousins, who towered over him. Mr. Cousins’ face and articulation showed that he had been drinking deeply. A couple 6f big fellows | were with him, evidently chums, to whom he had related the cheek of this young sgng_ and the necessity of his prompt chastisement. Ashton was a plucky fel- low, but the outlook was not pleasant. His pistol was in his valise in another room, and even with that weapon he had no chance against these three forest giants, all of whom were armed. Clearly he must back down as gracefully as possible or submit to a terrible thrashing. .But his blood boiled at the thought. Had he that b\ifelgow only to cope with, he would fight him to the deagh. “You've had lots of fun, ain’'t you?” sneered the giant, threateningly. *‘Well, I must say I've had a right pleas- ant evening,’” rejoined Ashton. “Loan me that glass till I see if it will fit me,” continued the woodsman, with a hostile scowl. All Ashton’s pacific and prudential reso- lutions vanished at this. As Cousins held out his hand for the monocle he planted a blow under the big fellow’s ear with such strength and directness. that it tumbled him over like a log. Cousins got up with blood in his eye, and now Ashton felt that he had the fight of his life on his hands. He dodged the Woodsman’s rush, and caught him a right- handed nwinE as he toppled by. But though this, too, was successful, he knew the enemy must soon attack in force. He saw them coming, deploying so as to take him together on either flank, for the prowess he had displayed with their comrade made them wary of those telling blows. He determined to down game and take the aggressive, do ging the other fellows and getting one more in on Bill, when the door to the stairway tlew open and Miranda dashed into the room. Her long hair floated over her nightdress, her feet were bare, her eyes were actually blaz- i Eh with wrath, as she stood between Ashron and his cowardly assailants. “‘Shame on you fellows!” she cried. “And for you, Bill Cousins, you get out of this house, and never dare to speak to me eler could deSire. After supper, as Ashton again, Three of you upon one man, an’ ‘the street in the Russ House. he a stranger. Go to your room, sir, and leave me to talk to those wretches. If you don't giton the spot, I'll call my father, and he’ll fill you full of buckshot'ef Isay 50, an’ ye know it, too.” Amid all the excitement of the moment Ashton could not but admire the grace and dash of the forest beauty. The woodsmen shrank before her, without a word, and Cousins, with a murderous glance at his intended victim, slouched out into the storm. *‘You have done me a great service, Miranda,” said Ashton, gratefully, taking the hand of his protectress. ‘“Those men at- tackea me without any provocation, and if you had not come to my assistance it would have gone hard with me.” “‘Pshaw! that’s nothing,” replied the belle, blushing at his ardor. ‘‘But, gra- cious sake, what must you think of me in this dress!” and she drew her long hair modestly over her bosom. ‘*‘Get to your bed now; they’llnot bother you any. Good- night, good-night,” and she slipped away like a vision. & . For some hours Ashton lay awake think- ing of lis singular adventure. He felt that he was not quite done with the busi- ness yet, and when he examined his valise and found that he had left his revolver at the inn in Monticello, where he had taken it out to clean it, his uneasiness was in- creased. When he did fall asleep, his last ;ecollection was ‘Miranda denouncing his oes. He was awakened by a light tap at the door, He sprang out of the rude cot, and saw it was not yet daylight. “Who's there?"” he asked. 5 “Hush, 'tis I, Miranda,” was the whis- pered reply. “Dress yourself quickly, ana come along with me.” Apprehending at once that she had dis- covered a plot against him, Ashton slipped on his clothes, seized his valise and opened the door. “Take my hand,” murmured the girl. “Don’t make a noise. You are in terrible aanger.”’ She crept down the stairway, passed the main door, and led him to the exit from the kitchen. A deerhound whimpered as she entered ; but she spoke to him sooth- ingly, and he made no further nois “ast the house they went, and down to the banks of the river, butstill silently, There was a canoe moored at a sort of landing. *‘Get in,” whispered Miranda, steadyin, her light craft. He_ obeyed, and she fol- lowea and paddled into the current. Then steering the boat, they swept down the river. -“Now I will tell you all,”’ she said. “’Tis good the storm is over. We shall have plenty, of moonlight. Well. when you went upstairs I crept around the houseand followed those men. They were wild, and cursing and howling so that they did not notice me at all, though I stood close to them. They are going to waylay the stage a mile from here, get you and give you an awful beating, if not kill you out- right. But I knew a trick better than that, and here we are booming along comforta- bly, and when 1 put you ashore they can never touch you.” ‘Ashton was deeply moved at the heroism and daring of the girl and assured her that be could never repay and never forget her devotion. “‘Never mind that,” les “Many fellow come this way you I like. 1 ways.” “I wish I could,” replied Ashton fer- vently, and at the moment he really felt it. On under the broad branches of the trees they glided for several hours, and when the dawn dispelled the gloom of the forest Ashton saw a small settlementon the right bank of the ri *You can hire a horse there and then ’tis only a short ride to Olympia,” said his fair preserver, as she ran the canoe on a pebbly shore, There were tears of genunine regret in Ashton's eyes as he clasped the hands of the girl. She raised her honest face to his and he kissed her IIps.” “‘God bless you and good-by,” he said. ““We may meet again.” She waved her hand to him as she pad- dled back against the gurrent, picture that Jong remained in his memory. THE REAL TOM SAWYER. Now Living in This City and Doing Business on Mission Street. Kipling had his Mulvaney and Haggard had his Quartermain. Both of these char- acters existed and performed the feats and dia the things which their immortalizers gave them credit fer. Mark Twain had his Tom Sawyer, but Tom, the real Tom, did nothing but meet Mark when he That' Tom Sav Twain’s book deri ent in this City good many years. id_Miranda care- like you don’t There is something about ish you could be here al- from which Mark name, is at pres- has lived here for a and His boyhood days were not mingled with those of the writer, neither did he go to school with the hu- morist. The reason Twain called his book “Tom Sa "’ was because he was fond of the individual by that name, who keeps a small saloon at 935 Mission street, and decorates his walls with photographs and Tom Sawyer. prints of veteran firemen and old election tickets. Just how it all occurred is best told by Tom himself: “Me and Jack Mannix, who was after- wards bailiff in Judge Levy's court, was walkin’ down Montgomery street. We drifted into the Capitol saloon, where the Mills building now stands, and Mark caught sight of us from a window across Well, as soon as he seen us he come down and we all went in and had a few jolts together. The result was, to be plain with you, we got full. Mark was as much sprung as I was, and in a short time we owned the City, cobble-stones and all. Toward morn- in’Mark sobered up a bit and we all got to tellin’ yarns. ished- up a few, Mark i‘l;uhed up a few, but Mannix was speech- SS. “The next day I met Mark down by the old Carr office. He walks up to me and uts both hands on my shoulders. ‘Tom,’ e says, ‘I’'m goin’ to write a book about a boy, and the kind I have in mind was just about the toughest boy in the world. Tom, he was just such a boy as you must have been. believe I'll call the book “Tom Sawyer.” How many copies will you take, Tom, half cash?’ “‘That’s the way it came about, and you can bet when Mark shows up here next August he'll bear me out. Have a drink?” Sawyer is now about 66 Kenrs of age, and speaks of Twain with that feeling which signifies the invisible bond between the old-timers and their comrades. e b __ Itis estimated that in 5 per cent of city houses the value of the farniture and fit- » tings equals that of the building. It was a P PHARMACY—J. W., City. If & person desires to become & pharmacist there are two courses open-—one is to take a course in the College of Pharmacy and the other is to serve timeina retail drugstore. One who desires to enter the college should have had at least a year's train- ing in a retail drugstore, as the practical knowledge obtained enables the student to better understand the lectures and make more satisfactory grngresm The fee for jumior stu- dents1s $87 50 and for senior students $162 50. The requirements for admission to the college in this City are that the applicant must be at least 18 years of age, and that he must present either a certificate of graduation from one of the high schools of this State, diploma from school or academy accredited by the State Uni- versity, a certificate_of high standing in some other institution of collcgiate grade, diploma. from the normal school, first grade teacher’s certificate of this State, or & certificate of hav- ing completea satisfactorily the first year's course in a high school of this State. Those who do not present any of these have to un- dergo a prescribed examination. Certificates of graduation are issued to those who are of 0od moral character, have attained the age of 1, who have attended two full courses in cach of the departments of the college or a course (the senior) after a course in some recognized college of pharmacy, who have had four years’ experience in a pharmacy where physicians’ prescriptions are put up, who have done the Aboratory work of the college and who pre- sent some special work done in the laboratory in lieu of a thesis. One who has served two years in a retail drugstore can, aiter an exami- nation at the college, obtain a license as an associate pharmacist,and after four years a license to put up preseriptions or carry on the business of pharmacist. Not A LeAP YEAR—J. H. 8, City. The year 1896 will be a leap year, but the year 1900 will not be,and the remson for this is as fol- lows: The old Roman year contained but 355 days, divided into twelve lunar months, with an intercalary month thrown in at certain in- tervals, as became necessary, to atone for the fact that it requires more than twelve precise lunar months to make a year. This arrange- ment led to great confusion, and Julius Cesar in the year B. C. 46 remedied the trouble in a large degree by the introduction of what is known as the Julian calendar, which regarded the year as composed of 365lg days. This was a great improvement, but, as a matter of fact, the natural year contains'll minutes and 10 geconds less than 86514 which_différence amounts in )0 years 1) i8 hours 36 minutes and 40 secunds, or a little more than three- fourths of aday. As & comsequence, between the year 325 A. ., when the rule for the de- termination of Easter Sunday was adopted, and the year 1582 there was found to be an accu- mulated error of ten days. Whereas the sun had crossed the equaior at the vernal equinox 325 A. D. on March 21, it .crossed it in 1582, according to the Julian cal- endar, on March 11. Pope Gregory XIII, to remedy this imperfection ot the generally accepted calendar, ordered that what_according to this_mode of reckoning would have been October 5, 1582, be reckoned as October 15; and to prevent a repetition of the error he further ordered that every hun- dredth year should not be & leap year, except- ing the year 2000, and every 400 Years there- after. MoNTEREY MINES—“Miner,” Johnstown, Pa. The report of the State Mineralogist says of the Los Burros mines in Monterey County: “They are located forty-five miles from the railroad at King City in a southwesterly direction on the western slope of the Santa Lucia range. Inan air line the little camp on Alder Creek around which the mines are situated is distant three miles from the ocean. In former years consid- erable placer mining was done in this district which is covered with gravel. Since the title to the different grants that cover so much of this country was confirmed, about eight yearc 4go, the owners of the land have forbidden placer mining. Gold obtained there, which sold for 18 an ounce, was mostly very fine. Chi- nese were the principal_operators. It is stated that in piaces in the immediate neighborhood of the village $5 a day to the had been made. The mines being work re the Grand Pacifie, South nsion, Cruikshanks, Last 0] , North ster, h, Queen, Manzanito, Pine Cone, Kin pic and In these shafts have been sunk and s run_on_ quartz ledges ten totwelve in width, but the freight is so high that not pay to handle ore that pays less Of the Santa Cla m ()nzzli‘. tunne inche: it do than $12 to the ton.” in Los Angeles County the that it has seen better d a, Union and Escondido in the immediate vicin- ity have been large producers, but now they are workea down to the water line and a base ore proposition now faces the owners in the form of iron pyrites, MouNT OR1ZABA—W. A. H., City. The exact height of Mount Orizaba, in Mexico, is 18,314 feet. Humboldt determined the height of Orizaba to be 17,375. An earlier determina- tion by Ferrer made it 17,879 feet, but Hum- boldt's measnrement was gencrally accepted as the correct one. Certain baromeétric deter- minations _made in_the spring of 1880 by Professor He.lprin of the Philadelphia Acad- emy of Sciences necessitated a revision of the recorded_height. His measurement was at a point about 120 feet below the apex of the cone—the ascent had been ex- ceedingly difficult and Le was unable to reach the highest point—and it indi- cated a height ot 18,206. In 1891-92 Dr. J. T. Scovitle of Terre Huute, Ind., executed some triangulation work about Orizabe and deduced {he height 18,314 feet. This work has been re- duced by theUnitea States Coast Survey with the same result. It hasaiways been ciaimed that Mount Elias, 18,015 feet, was the hirhest mountain of North America, but this puts Elias on a lower notch. Fifteen miles northenst of Elins are two mountains still higher than Ori- zaba, one is Mount Logan, 19,512, and an un- named mountain close to it, 19,376. CrossiNG THE BAR—E. M., City. The poem you inquire about is not “Across the Bar,” by Whittier, but “‘Crossing the Bar,” one of the latest written by Alfred Tennyson, and the one that was sung to Dr. Bridges' music by & boy choir when the funeral service was held in Westminster Abbey over the remains of the author. The poem is as follows: Sunset and evening star, And one clear eall for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar When T put out to sea. But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, . ‘When that which drew from out the boundle: deep Turns again home. Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And mn* there be no sadness of Farewell ‘When I embark. For tho' frem out our bourne of time and place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face 1o face When I have crost the bar. WEST POINT—L. G. K., City. Application for admission to the United States Military Acad- emy at West Point can be made at any time, by letter to the Secretary of War, to have the applicant's name registered for submission to the proper Representative in Congress when a vacancy shall occur. The full name, date of birth and place of residence of the boy, with number of the Congressional district, must be furnished. The- applicants must be_between 17 and 22 years of age, at least 5 feet in height and physically free from disease or de- fcrmity. Applicants must be well versed in reading, in writing, including orthography arithmetic, and have a thorough knowledge of English grammar, of descriptive geography, gnnh:ululy of the United States, and of the istory of the United States. Sometimes it happens that there are several applicants from. one district. In such cases the Representative usually calls for & competitive examination in the district, time and piace being announced through the press in the district. In other cases where there is but one applicant that individual isnotified by the Representative as to where he shall appear for examination. SMITH AND SMYTHE—“Tamalpais,” Tomales, Marin County, Cal. This correspondent ask: “My name is §-m-i-t-h, just plain Smith, but when two years ago I made a declaration of intention to become a citizen of the United States I used to spell it S-m-y-t-h-e. Now I bt want my want to secure my final nnper;a } Lnei-th, name to appear as it sboul Wili the cléfk fo whom 1 apply make the change, or will he have me hau npme S Judge and punjshed?’’ In acase of this fCI the applicant wonld have to draw up ‘belore ment of facts to present to the Jud_ge i whom the application for final papers is 10 B¢ made, and if it should_appeer that there o 10 wrong intent, the Judge might, in his 5 cretion, make an order to have the ?rlfiln};}e record ‘amended so as to conform With (Be facts; he might also refuse to issue the )121;_ and compel the applicant o file a new deciat ation, wit two years longer for final papers, and compel him to file an application t0 lla\Iui his name changed from Smythe to amnhfi t 15 not good policy o adopt a name withouw authority of law. OFFICIAL TiTLE—F. W. B., City. In writing to the President of the United States or {o the Governor of any State of the Union, it is proper to use “To His Excelleney,” but many penfix}s now prefer to use “To the President,” or “To the Governor,” for the reason that “Excel Jency” smacks too much of European nobilit In speaking to the ehief-executive . f the N tion, it is proper to address him as “Mr. Presi- dent,” for that is his official title, and it is also proper to say “Mr, Governor’ to the chief ex- ecutive of 8 State. In’ writing to the Vice- President, Cabinet officers, Justices of the Su- preme Court and members of Congress, each should be addressed as “The Honorable,” but in every case the title of the office held by the party written to should follow the mdn‘_ldual s name. The Mayor of & city is also entitled to “Honorable,” and in being spoken to should be addressed as ‘“Mr. Mayor.” FrLyiNG Asues—F. G. W., City. This corre- spondent writes: “On the ni; of the recent large fire in the southern partof the City & number of cyclers who were in Oakland ob- served what to them appeared to be ashes fly- ing 1n the air. An assertion that they were ashes from the big fire was disputed on the ground that they could not be earried that dis- tance by the wind. Could they be?” The con- dition of the wind being favorable they could be carried that far, and eveu farther. During the big fire in this City on Brannan street in 1876 portions of a commercial ledger that went up in the flames wes carried into the upper currents and wafted over the bay until they fell in the streets of East Oakland. The pieces of burned paper were identified as part of the destroyed ledger by the writing on the charred scraps, which was periectly legible. DoLLAR OF 1804—J. H., Sherwood - Hall, Menlo Park, Cal. As high as $300 has been offered for & genuine dollar of 1804 issued out of the mints of the United States. The laiest qGuotation is $150. The numismatists of to- day arc unanimously of the opinion that the coins bearing that date are what is known as “restrikes.” A prominent collector says: The dies for the dollar of 1804 are known to have existed, and it is believed ‘that about twenty impressions were taken. I do not think that any dollars were struck in the year the coins bear date (1804), hence they are classed as restrikes. The dies were destroyed in 1869.” JoE KRUGER—W. B., Oakland, Cal. The best authorities on bicycles on this coest are uhac- quainted with “Joe Kruger, who won the bi- cycle race at Oakland July 4.” Spalding, the acknowledged best informed man on eycling and for that reason employed to write eycling news for THE CALL, when shown the corre- spondent’s letter, d:. “Who is Kruger? What did he win—time and distanee? A. A. Zimmerman is the acknowledged professional world’s champion; E. €. Bald the United States champion in class B; Wells the coast champion in class B, and H. F. Tersill the coast champion in class A. Kruger isa new lumi- nary, surely.” THE CALL—S., City. THE Mol first published in December. 1856, by a party of five practical printers. When they had de- cided upon the publioation, the subject of a name for the new paper came up for discussion in a prominent resort where they met. A number of nemes were suggested, when one of the five, looking ata theatrical bill hanging on the wall on which was announced a_play entitled “A Morning Call,” exclaimed, “That’s the name we want—MORNING CALL—for it will be & morning eall at the door of every sub- scriber,” and so the name was adopted. NG CALL was PEANUTS—M. Cornwall, Contra Costa, Cal. Any soil that can be put in friable condition and kept in that condition will produee pea- nuts, but that which is best adapted to their growtn is a light gray soil. not very sandy. The pods partake of the color of the soil, and as the brightest always bring the best price the gray land is preferred. Peanuts require clean Soil. They will follow any hoed erop, except sweet potatoes, to advantage. There 18 no oc- casion for covering the blossom when it begins to fade. When the vine dies the nutis mature and may be pulled up. PITERIINT, EVANGELICAL—R. G., City. The Evangelical church is the abbreviation for German United Evangelical Church, which is the name appiied to Protestant churches in Germany giving prominence to gospel doctrines and practices. 'he Evangelical church is the largest of the Protestant churches in Germany.. It is par- tially supported by the Government, which appoints the consistories or provinclal branches. Evangelical is used in distinction from Roman Catholi¢, Unitarian ‘and the Universalist system. OLIVES FOR THE TABLE—A. G., East Qakland, Cal. To prepare olives for the table the berries are gathered when fully grown,'but still quite green, steeped for twenty or twenty-four hours in & weak solution of lye, of wood ashes or lime water; then in fresh water, drained every twelve or twenty-four hours for four or five days, or until they have lost their bitter flayor. They are then saited or pickled in salt brine in which they are kept for use in closed ves though sometimes they are preserved in oil. TEACHERS' PENsIONs—Subscriber, City. Some of the San Franecisco teachers were in Sacra- mento in connection with the teachers’ pen- sion bill in the early part of the month of February, this year. In THE CALL of the 9th of that monih there appears a long article on the subject of pensions. What was done in the matter at Sacramento will be found in the leg- islative correspondence thatappeared in issues that followed the issue of that date. QUESTIONS OF LAW—A. C., City. The Query Department is ever ready to answer questions as to what the law of the State is, but it cannot determine questions of law, that is for the courts to do. For that reason the Query De- partment cannot give you advice as to your rights in the case of a servant leaving “you without notice. A question of contract might arise in your case, which only a court of com- petent jurisdiction could determine. SWEDEN AND NorwaY—J. H., Menlo Park, Cal. Intimeof peace the numerical strength of the army of Norway and Sweden is 33,624; the strength of the navy is 4294, officers, sea- men and marines. In case of war the strength of the army can be increased to 252,069, and the navy has & naval reserve of 4380. The country has & population capable of bearing arms numbering 1,600,000. CoPYRIGHT—‘‘Question,” City. The original term of copyright runs for twenty-eight years. Within six months before the end of that time the author or designer, or his widow or chil- dren, may secure & renewal for the further term of fourteen years. A trademark runs for all time, but it cannot be copyrighted. Tamep TERM—Inquirer, Modesto, Stanislaus County, Cal. No one was ever nominated three times in succession for the office of President of the United States. After Grant had served two successive terms there was some talk of nominating him for a third term, but it was only talk. ImporTATIONS—J. HL., Menlo Park, Cal. During the year 1894 the Importation of vanilla beans into the United States was 171,556 pounds, valued at $727,843; the amount of cocoa, cured, leayes and _shells. was 17,634,779 sounds, valued at $2.402,382; the amount of ndiarubber was 38,757,783 pounds, valued at $15,077,993. REGULUS—M. M. P., Senta Cruz, Cal. The bright star seen ‘‘below and to the right of the planet Venus on the evening of the 6th of July in the western lkx," was the one called Regu- lus, a star of the first magnitude in the constel- lation Leo. Heavy LocoMorives—H. R., City. It is claimed that the two $9-ton locomotives owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, and used to haul freightcars over the tracks of the Central Pacific line, are the heaviest locomo- tives in use at this time. THE WHEEL—T. L., City. In THB CALL of the 4th inst. a three-quarter column advertisement and a quarter-column notice in the local news tell who won the wheel at a guessing contest the evening previous Foss, THE SMUGGLER—S., Clty. Foss, the smuggler, was sentenced on the 15th of last May topaya fine of $1000- and to be ris- oned in the Btate penitentiary at Fohou:lpfox fourteen months. SoutH AFRIOA—D. C. J., Orangevale, Sacra- mento County, Cal. Information concerning South Africa can be obtained in this City at the oftice of the Consul for Great Britain, SIZE OF THE TANK.—A. J. P., City. The size of the tank in the Lurline baths is 70x150 feet, and its capacity 500,000 gallons. THE OPERA-HOUSE—J. C., City. The seati gapacity of the Grand Opera-house in this cx?y‘ l NEW TO-DAY. SEMI-ANNUAL Clearance Hale BEFORE STOCK TAKING. PRICES CUT IN HALT CLOTH CAPES, assorted colors, with embrol- dery, lace, etc., worth $10to $25, reduced to $2.50. $5. $7.50. $9 RICH BLACK SATIN AND SILK CAPES, worth $35 to $80, reduced $1 I—lo z 5. $18. § and up 20 ard $6.50 GREAT SACRIFICE e O HMuslin Underwear. MBROIDERED CH $1.65 HAND-EMBROIDERED FRENCH GOWNS, reduced from $5 50 and 50 to. ELTE $2.50 CH HAND- ISES, reduced fron SPECTAL LINE OF MUSLIN DRAWER: reduced to. ~N° 50 INDIA AND SILK CREPON WAISTS, to clear at. . .- 345 $3.50 BICTCLE WAISTS JUST IN. SPANISH SPOKEN. G. VERDIER & CO. SE. Cor. Geary and Grant Ave. VILLE DE PARIS. BRANCH HOUSE, LOS ANGELES. e AP PR A 2 il GLOVES. Washable Chamolis, English Walking. . Nitrami, Embroides HANDKERCHIEFS. Children’s Colored Borders. Ladies’ Embroidered All-linen Hemstitched. CORSETS. R. & G, P.D. }An pertect-fitting. P.N. HOSIERY. Boys’ Tronclad Hose. Ladies’ fast-black. Ladies’ fast-black, rib t VEILINGS. The Iatest ideas, double width, 25¢ to 50¢ per yard SWEATERS. All-wool Sweaters .. Full finished, all color BICYCLE CAPS. Ladies’ and Gents' Flexible Visors.. HATS. Newest Blocks, Stiff Hats. Latest Styles. Fedoras. All summer shades. . WHALEBONE. YACIFIC STEAM WHALING COMPANY'S Genuine Shell Whalehone “Orea Brand.” Specially Prepared and Selected for the DRESS GOODS AND CORSET TRADE. All Sizes. Every Package Guaranteed. One trial will convince you of its merits and luper(m-ninver all other brands in the market. LAD ES Sce that vour dressmakers do not use inferior grades or substi- tutes. NONEEQUAL T0 OUR “0RCA BRAND.” Never breaks, most elastic, est and best. For sale by all the leading drg-goods houses Office and Fgotory, 30 California Stroet, AN FRANCISCO. ey NEW WESTERN HOTEL. EARNY AND WAxnHINGTON — modeled and renovated. KING, WASRT%&EE European plan. Rooms 50¢ to $1 50 per day, $3 Bt Bl i x00m; elevator runs all nights | ¢ L0 1B OVeRy lasts longest, cheap-