The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 20, 1895, Page 10

10 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1895. ARMENIA, SEAT OF WAR Something of That Hapless Country and Its History. A BONE OF DISSENSION. As a Cradle of the Church the Land Is a Mine of Rare Interest. ITS MARTYRS FOR PRINCIPLE. | The Sublime Porte Held Responsible | Before the World for the Outrages To-Day. Armenia, to which the eyes of the civilized world are now directed with so much sym- pathetic concern, well deserves the interest taken in her, as being the seat of one of the oldest nations of the world and the home of one of the earliest branches of the Christian church. The Armenians are a branch of the great Indo-European or Aryan race, as old, if | }been torn by the contentionsof conflict- i i ! | the nation. i | { 1 | seas. Persian, Greek, Roman, Tar- ave had their turn, ng the country and ing powers. | tar and Moslem each h | overrunning and | battling for maste: | In the Jatter part of the fourteenth cen- ! tury the Kurds on the south, Persians on the east and Ottomans on the west held the country of Armenia between them, all being under Timane the Tartar. After his | death for some 150 years it was mainly | governed by Persian officials, but the | Patriarch being recognized as the head of | In 1604 the country was laid | wsste by the Shah Abbas, who carried off | nds of the inhabitants into | many thousa Persia. Since then Armenia has had no political existence, but formed a part of the Turkish | and Persian empires until 1829, when the | Russians, crossing the Caucasus, conquered and occupied all that part of Armenia north of the river Kin and west of Kars, | and later extended their borders and took in the latter province and all the country north of the Aras River. Persia holds south of the Aras and west of Kurdistan or the Erdoz Mountains. The rest of | he Armenia of Tigranes the Great is the ! Armenia, Turkish Armenia, of so much | nterest to the Christian world to-day. Armenia has been atyled the “Roof of | Western Asia'’ as the Pamir plateau has | been called the roof of the world. It occu- | pies the greater part of the triangle between | Caspian, the Black and the Mediterranean 1t isa plateau of from 6000 to 7000 feet | in elevation, and naturally fertile. Grain, corn, cotton, flax, tobacco, grapes, apples, olives and other crops bring generous re- turns from the fruitful soil when properly | cultivated, but for centuries there has | been little encouragement to the unhappy | Armenian to do more than get a bare sus- | t'cnunce out of the ground and from his | floc 1 The numerous mountain chains are well | i stored with minerals, such as sulphur, | niter, rock sait, naphtha, copper, iron, lead, silver, zinc and gold. The ancient gold mines were very productive. | Several important and famous rivers rise | which the history of this people is made ng be brought to an end and an era of Christian fgreedom under real protection inaugurated. For the recent and present outrages Turkey is responsible before the world and to the world in virtue of a special clause in the treaty of Berlin 1n 1878 in favor of the Armenians in Turkish Armenia, which reads: “The Sublime Porte undertakes to carry out without further delay the im- rovements and reforms demanded by ocal requirements in the provinces inhab- ited by the Armenians, and to guarantee their security against the Circassians and Kurds. It will periodically make known the steps taken to this 7effect to the powers, who will superintend their appli- cation.” This clause, with another, article 62 of same instrument, places the civil and re- ligious liberties of the Armenian people under the express guarantee of inter- national law and under the supervision and control of the parties to the treaty. ‘Why do they not act? Turkey will not carry out the reforms. Article 62, referred to above, says: The Sublime Porte, having expressed its in- tention of maintaining the principle of re- ligious liberty and giving it the wlgest scope, the contracting parties take note ot this spon- taneous declaration. In no part f the Otto- man Empire shall difference of religion be alleged against any person asa ground for ex- clusion from or incapacity for the discharge of ivil and political rights and adinission to pub- lic functions. All persons shall be admitted without distinetion to give evidence before the tribunals. The freedom and exercise of all forms of worship are assured to all. The state of affairs that called for these stipulations and promises was in brief: Fi An entire absence of civil or political equality for the Armenians anywhere in the Turkish Empire. Second—The venality of justice of any and all kinds. Third—The non-admission or non-apprecia- tion ot Armenian evidence in Turkish courts where the Armenian was the plaintiff and the Turk the delinquent. Fourth—The systematic effort to erush and ruin the peasant class by heavy and arbitrary taxes, by dispossessing them of their holdings US55 /A eAlexangrapol MAP OF ARMENIA. [The dofs and heavy lines indicate the boundaries of ancient Armenia, the small crosses the southern boundary of Russian Armenia, and the light dashes and dots the western boundary of Persian Armenia.] not older, than the Jews, the Assyrians, the Babylonians or the Persians. eir own chronology dates the foundation of hundred years before Christ. He narrates incidents of their contact and war- th other historical people to prove this, notably the Phenicians, with whom they warred and whom they defeated in the time of Abraham (1920 B. C.). Ar- menia and Mount Ararat are mentioned and described in the early books of the Old Testament, in Herodotus, Strabo and other ancient writers. It may well be said to have been the cradle of the human race, and strange to tell the race has been pre- served in a remarkable degree of purity down to the present day. From the description given in the sec- ond chapter of Genesis, many authorities locate the garden of Eden within the bounds of Armenia. According to Arme- nian tradition, Belus, Babylonish empire and the builder of the tower of Babel, claimed sovereignty over the country and came with an army to enforce his authority, but was defeated and slai The Armenians were led in this conflict by Haig or Haik, a son of | Tagremah, the grandson of Japhet,and from -him the land was called Haikhor Hagas- doni. Semiramis later conquered Arme «nia, but the people made a successful re- volt against her successor, Sardanapalus, regained their independence, and, conquer- ingin their turn, spread the bounds of their control from the Caspian Sea on the east to the river Halys and Cilicia on the Mediterranean on the west, and from Pon- tus (now Trebizond) on the north to the borders of the Assyrian empire on the south. The kingdom reached the height of its lory under Tigranes the Great, whom incullus calls the king of kings, and of Whom Cicero speaks as_having made the republic of Rome tremble before his arms. Tigranes became an ally of Rome and so remained until his death, 55 B. C. His son, Artavasdes, inclined to a more inde- pendent policy, provoked war with Mark ‘Antony, and was captured and beheaded at Alexandria, 30 B. C., and the country passed under the control of the Romans, and then began a period of anarchy and dissension, which continued with little in- terruption till the time of Chasroes the Great, A. D. 232. His son Tirdat began the persecution of the Christians, but afterward embraced Christianity undertheinfluence and teach- ings of St. Gregory the Illuminator. aroused the animosity of the Persians, and the country became the field of aimost uninterrupted struggles between that na- tion and the Armenians and their sup- porters, the Romans, till A. D. 428, when Armenia passed under Persian rule and ceased to be a kingdom. From 428 to 632 under the Persians it was the scene of most cruel and persistent persecutions against Christianity. From 632 to 839 Greeks and. Mohammedans con- tended for the mastery, while the native | princes added to the misery and confusion ¥ their jealousies and contention. From %743 to 1079 two separate dynasties ruled over different parts of Armenia proper until they succumbed to the Byzantine Greeks. In the latter part of the eleventh cen- tury a large number of Armenians, under l(aEhen. fleeing from their own country, gdom. This kingdom lasted three cen- turies, made alliances with the King of Cyprus and the Crusaders, and forming the last bulwark of Christianity in the East rendered most signal service to that cause and civilization.” They battled with the Crusaders against the Saracen with a zeal and fidelity that gives them more thar a mere claim on the support of Christendom of to-day. What a life of struggle they have had for 1800 years! i Inoffensive and worthless of itself, the country has for centuries—in- deed from before the dawn of history— the ruler of the | This | refuge in the Taurus Mountains, in | cia, and there formed a new Armenian | 1 within the borders of Armenia. The | Euphrates and the Tigris of the Bible flow south to the Persian Gulf. The Araxes, now the boundary between Russian and Persian Armenia, flows eastward into the Caspian Sea, and Tehorauk or Pison of the Eden of Genesis flows into. the Black Sea | on the north. Beasts and birds fill the forests and the waters swarm with fish. The horse, camel and sheep flourish, the latter being exported in large numbers. The Armenia of ancient times covered over 160,000 square miles and had many rich and beautiful cities, the ruins of which | bear witness still to their former splendor | and opulence. Van and Erzeroum, im- | portant cities of the Armenia of to-day, | were mighty of old. | In the Revue Francais, 1886, the num- | ber of Armenians in the world was yi\en‘ | at 6,000,000, 3,500,000 of whom were under Turkish rule, 2,000,000 under the Russian | Government, 200,000 in Persian Armenia | and the remainder scattered over various | countries. There are said to be 400,000 | Armenians in European Turksy, of whom | 200,000 are in Constantinople alone. Orig- | inally brave and wariike, they are now | noted for their peaceable dispositions and | their ready submission to the laws of the country in which they may happen to so- journ. i They are said to possess all the good | qualities necessary to the progress and | civilization of Asia Minor. heir long list | | of eminent scholars, statesmen, poets and | travelers bear witness to this. Their reli- | gious fervency, military valor and prowess, | 2s well as their genius for commerce, are | spoken of by all early writers. | Byron saysof them t is difficult to | trace in the annals of any nation less crime than in the Armenian, whose vir- tues are those of peace and whose vices are those of oppression.” Gibbon says that “The helpless nation has seldom been per- mitted to enjoy the peaceful tranquillity of servitude. "From the earliest times to the present the country has been the the- ater of war. Their religious zeal has ever been fervent and intrepid, preferring mar- | tyrdom to Moslemism 1n many instances.”” As with the Armenian nation so it was with the Armeman church. From the very first it has been a distinct and inde- | pendent body of Christians. Thaddeus, | one of the seventy, with Bartholemew and | Judas, is said to have preached the gospel in | Edessa, the ancient capital of Armenia, | and baptized King Akbar and many of his | | subjects in the new faith. ! The church as thus founded continued in existence, but languished until 302, when Gregory, a prince of the reigning house, the Arsacide, was converted and began a revival and rebuilding of the | church. He was called the “Illuminator” aud his zeal knew no bounds. Persecuted much at first, he finally converted the King and many of the chief men and at the request of the King was himseif conse- cratea as Bishop, of Armenia at Cmsarea A. D. 302. Hi¢ successors were styled Patriarchs and under their rule the church | took deep root in the hearts of the people and in the face of all manner of continued | persecution it has grown and prospered. The number of Armenian Christians is given at about 1,600,000, of whom 200,000 | belong to the Roman Catholic church and | 69,000 to the Protestant. In doctrine the Arminian church is almost in line with the Greek Catholic church, and since the | middle of the eighteenth century has had close afliliation with it, and has looked largely to Russia for protection, which Russia bas always been ready to accord. In 1878, however, England interposed an objection to Russia’s having such an ex- | | cuse to iuterfere in Tucrkish-Armenian | affairs, and it was agreed that a protecto- | Tate should be jointly shared by Russia {and England. By the Cyprus convention | of the same year England is coresponsible with Turkey for the effective amelioration | of the condition of the Armenians. . 1t is high time that something should be done, noi only by the two protectorate nations, but by the joint action of the civilized powers. May it be donc and done speedily, and the long and horrible chap- ter of murder, rape, arson, pillage, slavery, !all manner of cruelty and oppression of and by licensed and unlicensed robbery on the part of Turkish officials. Fiith—The systematic pillage of and destruc- tion of Armenian villages, the sacking of con- vents and all kinds of crimes snd oppression not only st the hands of newly imported Kurds and Circassians, but frequently at the hands of the local police and officials. These grievances exist to-day in a more | aggravated form than when the Berlin treaty was signed. The Sublime Porte | has never been sincere in its promises. Justice is prostituted unblushingly in her very capital at the very gate of Europe. What is done in dietant Armenia? WTH DRAWN REVOLVERS Why the Gas Remained Lit at the Meeting of the Democratic Committee. Two Buckleyites Who Would Allow No One to Interfere With the Meter. Two men with drawn revolvers played an important part in the disorderly meet- ing of the Democratic general committee which took place on Saturday night last and prevented an act that would have probably resulted in loss of life had it been permitted. Both Buckleyites and the adherents of the Junta went to Metropolitan Temple prepared to carry the meeting at any cost. The former were apparently the better or- ganized, for their vigilance prevented the turning out of the gas and the leaving oi the thoroughly maddened crowd 1n total darkness to fight like wild animalsif a melee had been once begun. The followers of Buckley were anxious to prevent the breaking up of the meeting by any such means, as they were confident of being able to defeat a motion to adjourn sine die, on which the crucial test of the strength of the opposing factions was ex- pected to come. efore the meeting was called to order two men were detailed by Buckley’s orders to watch the gas meter at the rear of the platform, the blind boss’ experience in politics telling him that such mutrers as the gas suddenly turned out at a critical moment, when the issue was at stake, might happen in the best regulated meetings. Sure enough, while James G. Maguire was attempting to pacify the excited and belligerent mob that was surging about in the main hall of the Temple, one of the sanburners over the Fifth-street entrance to the gallery suddenly went ont. The watchers, who had come out of the room { where the meter is situated to listen to Mr. Maguire’s words, had been taken un- awares. 1n another instant the Temple might be in darkness and the carnage begin. . They rushed back with drawn revolvers in hand, but no one_ was to be seen, the man who turned off the burner having become alarmed and made off, or, believ- ing that his work had been accomplishea, having escaped through the rear entrance. While they were standing there Jack Fitzgerald, the big deputy Sheriff, who is a sympathizer with the Junta, came rush- ingin. The watchers did not waste any time, but pushed their revolvers against hischest, asking what ne wanted. Fitzgerald bears the reputation of pos- sessing more than the average share of courage, but even in his excited state he was compelled to halt and explain that he had not intended any interference with the meter. Then he was ordered to depart forthwith, In a moment the sunburner was relit and remained so until the meeting had bgegtdechred adjourned until Friday nig - JOHN MUIR ON YOSEMITE The Mountaineer and Writer Says That the Valley Is Wrecked. “DOWNTRODDEN AND DESOLATE" He Tells What He Saw and Wants the Government to Take Back the Valley. The opinions and declarations of John Muir will cat a good deal of a figure in the promised controversy over the ways of the Yosemite Commissioners regarding the valley and the proposition to cede the valley back to the National Government, and Mr. Muir is anxious to start a cam- paign to carry out that provosition, as well as to secure further protection for the National parks and big timber reservations of the Sierras. The familiarity of the president of the Sierra Club with the situation regarding these things and the unselfishness of his motives will hardly be denied by any who differ from him. He has no personal quarrel with the commission orany one else. He spenta large part of this sum- mer exploring the Yosemite and other re- gions, including the Hetchy Hetchy Val- ley, the headwaters of the Tuolumne and so on, finding out how the splendid reser- vations were being cared for, neglected or destroyed, and he has come home with some important ideas which he vigorously expresses. As to the Yosemite, he says that it has become a frowsy, barren waste through the destruction of the luxuriant and un- equaled natural growths and bloom of the valley floor as the result of neglect and the | lack of intelligent care and adequate pro- tection. He wants the valley taken out of smail politics and given to the care of a power that will intelligently plan and effectively execute what is needed to pre- serve the incomparable valley as the gar- den of gardens which nature made it. | Last Saturday Mr. Muir told what he | knew and thought of the Yosemite Val- ley, and this is what John Muir said : “During a recent summer tour of the Yosemite National Park which lasted sey- eral weeks I especially observed its condi- tion as a result of its care and protection by the military authorities for the lasc three years and contrasted it with the con- dition” of the forest reservations to the south of the park and with the Yosemite Valley. “The contrast effectively demonstrates not only the propriety, but the necessity, I might venture to say, of extending the military authority over not only the forest reservations, but also over the Yosemite Valley, which is within the bounds of the wonderful beautiful park, and naturally forms a part of it, if its wonderful beauty | is to be preserved and made available for | the enjoyment of the world. ““The care of the National reservation by | the military has been a complete success. I was delighted to find that since the ca alry have successfully kept out the sheep | and prevented destructive fires the forests | are taking on their old beauty and gran- | deur. Before the cavalry gave protection the floor of the forest was naked as a cor- ral and utterly desolate. Now, with the | restoration of the carpet of flowers, grasses | and other small undergrowths, it is like a garden in the fineness and richness of its beauty. The streams now flow clear again in their bloom-bordered channels, | the lilies ring their bells around the | margins of the meadows, and the whole blessed region is an inspiration and joy. “On the contrary the forest reservations are still being overrun with sheep, and are as dusty, bare and desolate as ever they | were, mnotwithstanding the Government | notices posted along the trails forbidaing | the pasturing of sheep, cattle, etc., under | enjoyments of these wonders will be far less after the vegetation is destroyed. How many people would go to Del Monte by the sea and how long would they stay were its lawns and gardens trodden into barren sand and dust? The only places where | the wild plants of the valley can now be found in all their beauty are up on the benches and in hidden recesses of the walls that are not accessible to animals. The idea of turning the world’s Yosemite Val- ley into a pasture and hayfield, and at the same time holding it ‘for public use, resort and recreation, inalienable for all time!" “Not a single horse or cow should be al- lowed to eatand trample the flora of the valley. Itwas given to the State for a higher use. Hay and grain in abundance can be hauled into the valley and sold to the owners of the saddle-trains and to campers at moderate prices at stables and corrals provided by the commission. Then, of course, every distiguring fence would be wuseless and the wild vegetation would be gradually restored. Since the running fires have been kept out of the valley the underbrush requires much expensive attention, but this work should be done under the direction of alandscape artist—for haphazard, un- skilled grubbing in these gardens will not do. The banks of the river wasted by anng floods_also require attention, and the roads need sprinkling during the visit- ing season, ete. But_all this requires con- siderable appropriations by the Legisla- ture, and, judging by past experience, will not be easily obtained. As far as the hotel and saddle-train management is con- cerned but little fault can be found. The charges are reasonable, everything consid- ered, but the valley itself is rapidly going {from bad to worse. “It seems to me that the way to secure competent and proper management is to take the valley out of politics. It isregu- lated by State Commissioners appointed by the Governor, some of which no doubt are to some extent political creditors. Perhaps most of them mean well, but they don’t know how and don’t hold their offices long enough to learn. It is the sys- tem that is wrong. The board is changed constantly, and if one board acquired some knowledge and adopted a policy they would not have time to carry it into effect before a new set of politicians would be in. The Commissioners differ all around as to what to do and how to do it, and there can be no permanent and competent ;Eol\cy carried out under the present plan. hen the commission has smallappropria- tions to use, and this is largely because the people don’t care what becomes of the valley or are not confident that money ap- propriated would be applied to the best advantage. *“The solution of the whole question, it seems to me, is to re-cede the valley to the Federal Government and let it form a part of the Yosemite National Park, which nat- urally it is. It is the heart and gem of it, and should at least receive as much care and protection as the park surrounding. Ii the valley were returned to the control of the United States Government, it would be under the care of the military depart- ment, which would rigialy carry out all rules and regulations, reeardless of ever- shifting politics and small plans of inter- ested parties fof private gains. One man- agement is enough,and management on the Government basis would be better than one ever fluctuating with the political pulse. If that were done, the State would not be called upon for a doilar. Nearty all the members of the Sierra Club with whom I have tatked favor putting an end to this political management. Only those people pecuniarily interested in roads, franchises and other little jobs are opposed to it, as far as I have found out, though even those would be benefited by the change through increase of travel. This, I am_ strongly convinced, is the right way, and the only on'e that will secure for the valley the pro- tection, regulation and restoration it so badly needs. “It gave me exceeding pleasure to find that people were going to the valley and the mountain regions about it in rapidly increasing numbers. I found this year 100 people in the mountains to where one was to be found ten years ago, and was sur- prised and pleased to find now and then companies of girls, some being parties of sixteen and twenty, tramping merrily along with the sparkle and exhilaration of the mountains In their eyes, attended by wagons carrying their outfits. People should be encouraged to go to the moun- tains in summer to enjuy the blessings there. *“This is the main object of the Sierra JOHEN MUIR, A CHEAMPION OF YOSEMITE, [From a photograph.] severe penalties, simply because there is no one on the ground to enforce the rules. One. soldier, armed with a gun and the authority of the Government, is more effective than any number of paper warn- ings. “The only downtrodden, dusty, frowsy- looking part of the Sierra within the boun- daries of the National Park, with the ex- ception of a few cattle ranches, is the | Yosemite, which ought to be the gem of the whole, the garden of all the gardens of the park. When I first saw the valley its whole floor, seven miles long by about a half to three-quarters of a mile wide, was one charming park, delicately beautiful, divided into groves, meadows and flower gardens. The vegetation was exceedingly luxuriant and had a charmingly delicate | T‘mlity of bloom that was contrasted with | the grandeur of the granite walls. : ““This beauty, so easily injured, has in great part vanished through lack of ap- | preciative care, through making the finest meadows into hayfietds and giving up all therest of the floor of the valley to pastures for the saddle animals kept for the use of tourists, and also for the animals belonging | to campers. Lach year the number of campers increases, and of course destruc- tive trampling and backing becomes heavier from season to_ season. Camping parties on their arrival in the valley arere- quired to report to the guardian, to regis- ter and have camp-grounds assigned them, and their attention is called to the rules and regulations of the valley prohibiting the cutting of trees, underbrush, etc.. but as the guardian has no power to enforce the rules—has not a single policeman under him—they are of non-effect, or nearly so. Most campers and tourists seem to appre- ciate their privileges, but some, I'm sorry to say, appear to need a soldier as much as the sheep-owners who break over the boundaries of the park. ““The grander attractions of Yosemite— its cliffs and waterfalls—will always draw admiring travelers from every country, no matter what becomes of its fine groves and | sand. gardens; but fewer will come, and of those who do few will remain long, while their Club, and to_its influence a part of this remarkable increase of mountain travel may, I think, be fairly ascribed. It is en- couraging to know that there is a new gen- eration springing up in California that is looking for enjoyment apart from money- making. People are finding out that there is health, enjoyment and inspiration there. They can at least breathe pure air twenty- four hours a day, and that is much even to a blind man.” TO FILL THE FAIR LOTS. A Large Force Will Now Be Employed Dumping Sand and Rock Into the Bay. For some time past Warren & Malley, the contractors, have been filling the ravine in the Black Point reservation with This was in compliance with a con- tract by which the Government gave them a sandhill on the reservation on the con- dition that as much of the hill as was necessary should be dumped into a deep ravine running north and south through tne reservation. This work was completed last night. Two sand excavators will now be put at work loading the sand into cars. The sandhill will be transferred to the bay as soon us possible. Six hundred tons of rock from the San Bruno mountain are being dropped into the bay along the line ot Fllcs marking the boundary of the Fair ots, and the sand will be filled in behind this barricade as fast as the $12,000 devoted monthly to the work will allow. Contrac- tor O'Malley thought that the TODerty would all be in readiness for buildings in two years at the latest. —————— Filthy Milk Cans. B. Palaccon, a milkman, was finea Judge Joachimsen yesterday for vlolnmw?n \:’y‘ the law governing the sale of milk. Palaccon was the milkman who had his cans filled with swill. As there was no milk in the cans at the time the Judge was in doubt as to convicting f,?e‘é’?é“r’“fio'é‘i‘ ss he pkll:lde':l guilty and In- ery thought a be suflicient, it :'{vn- m%xdendr.w oLy e THE WHARVES UNDER FIRE Meyer, Wilson & Co. Complain of the Stability of the Structures. WILL NOT BEAR HEAVY LOADS. After a Week’s Adjournment the Harbor Commissioners Resume Work. The Harbor Commissioners held quite a lengthy meeting yesterday. President Colnon and Commissioner Cole had been away in the country, and consequently no meeting of the board had been held for a week. Thursday last was the regular meeting day, but to accommodate Com- missioner Chadbourne it was postponed to Friday. On that occasion another ad- journment was taken to yesterday, the regular time of meeting. The first business that came up was the question of charging George W. Kneass for the State lots on Illinois and Solano streets, on which he is squatting. Tirey L. Ford, the board’s attorney, advised the Commissioners that they had absolute control over all lands covered by the ebb and flow of the tide. ‘Chis clearly brings Kneass within the State’s jurisdiction, and Commissioner Cole moved that he be charged rent. Commissioner Chadbourne said he did not think it was fair to the other boat-builders, but counseled modera- tion. It was finally decided to allow the matter to rest for a week, until the Com- missioners visit the place and decide upon what rent shall be charged. The San Francisco and North Pacific Railway Company and the North Pacific Coast Railway Company are at outs over a water bill. The former company gets its supply from the same pipe that furnishes the North Pacific with water. The San Francisco and North Pacific people have a faucet out on the landing which is used by the contractors and everybody who fre- quents the wharf. A couple of days ago they received a bill for $3306 for water used during the month from the manager ot the North Pacific Coast, and then the fun hegan. 7The bill was ignored, but when a threat was made to cut off the water an appeal was taken to the Harbor Commissioners. The manager of the San Francisco and North Pacific set forth the facts of the case and then asked who would pay the bill, the commission or the contractors. On the motion of President Colnon the matter was referred to the Chief Wharfinger. ¥ Meyer, Wilson & Co., in & communica- tion, brought up a matter of considerable interest to the shipping interests of the ort. Some time ago the British ship rofton Hall arrived from England with a general cargo. Among it were two large coils of wire rope which weighed thirty- five tons each. It was not considered safe to unload them on any of the wharves, and the ship was put to considerable expense in getting the rope upon terra firma. After the trouble was over the agents wrote to lsmug, Imrie & Co., the owners, and re- ceived the following reply by cable: ‘We note thé difficulties that arose in connec- tion with the discharge of the heavy pleces, and thank you for your kind attention to our interests in the matter. ‘We would not have accepted the shipment, but after receiving your quotations from the stevedores we naturally thought there would be no difficulty in handling the goods. Be good to say for our guidance whether it will be better to avoid carrying similar heavy leces in future: also give the weight of the caviest pieces which can be safely landed on ordinary wharves. After discussing the matter it was re- ferred to the Chief Wharfinger to report upon. An answer will then be sent to eyer, Wilson & Co. Peter T. Seculovich agpeured before the board on behalf of the Islais Creek Prop- erty-owners’ Association. He presented a long petition, which sets forth Islais Creek can be made a navigable stream, and asks that it be restored to the condition in which it was years ago, when boats used to navigate it almost as far as the San Bruno road. Later on this petition is to be presented to Congress, but Mr. Seculo- vich wanted it inaorsed by the Harbor Commissioners, and also 'a donatior of $10,000 to show the board’s good faith. The petition bas the support of the Fair- mount-Mission Improvement Club, the Mission-street and Precita Valley Prop- erty-owners’ Improvement Club and the Mission and Holly Park Improvement Club, but nevertheless the Commissioners refused to take any stock in it. Chief Engineer Holmes said the scheme haa been agirated for over twenty years, and that it was thorougnly impracticable. “Islais Creek can be stepped across by any active man,” said he. *It would cost over a million dollars to make it navigable by a whitehall boat. The §10,000 this board is asked to donate would not be a drop in the bucket.” The Commissioners, on mo- tion of President Colnon, decided to ignore the matter, and Seculovich retired, saying the petition would go to Congress in any event. The payment of $65 due Antone Chris- tiansen, the deckband on the State steamer Governor Markham, who com- mitted suicide, came up for discussion. Commissioner Chadbourne said the man had left a widow and six chiidren and that there wasnot a cent in the house. He W HEN A DRUGGIST TRIES TO talk “something just as good " down your throat tell him you want just what you ask for, and ask for JOY'S VEGETABLE SARSAPA- RILLA. — s MISS JENNIE EVANS, 109 Los Angeles street, Los Angeles, has used and now recommends JOY'S VEGETABLE SARSAPARILLA. roposed that the money be paid over to uperintendent Haste to take to the widow at once. President Colnon and Commis- sioner Cole agreed and the money was paid over and dispatched forthwith. Chris- tiansen had been on a spree and was sus- pended for dereliction of duty. The same night he took his own life. ‘After the board adjourned it was learned that Christiansen borrowed $20 from Max Goldberg, the money-iender, a few days before he took his own life. The interest for the few days amounted to $306, but Goldberg will now be out both principal and interest. A notice was not served on the Commissioners. ONLY FOUR WERE SAVED. Captain Struckmann Describes the Loss of His Former Com- mand. Captain Struckmann of the Danish ship Copley, which arrived from Swansea a few days ago, has a terrible tale of the sea to tell. He was formerly master of the bark Crown Prince Frederick, and when she went down he saw twelve of his men go with her. Eleven of the crew escaped and seven of these Captain Struckmann sav die one after another of starvation. When the Danish bark Rosa hove in sight there was only the skipper, the carpenter, an A. B., and the cabin-boy alive. hey were not able to signal the approaching erait; the lifeboat was almostrun down before she was seen. When the four men were got aboard it took several hours to bring them around and it was two months before the captain was out of danger. When Captain Struckmann reached Co- penhagen he found that his owners had purchased the Copley from the Northwest- ern Shipping Compuny of Liverpool and he was offered the command. He took control and on this occasion doubled the Horn in safety. It was off the River Platte that all our troubles began,” said Captain Struckmann yesterday. ‘‘We were on_our way to San rancisco and the Crown Prince Frederick was making good time. Suddenly we were struck by a pampero and the vessel was thrown on her beam ends. The cargo shifted and that held the Prince Frederick down. Soon the pampero developed into a gale, and, seeing tbat all hope of saving the bark was lost, I ordered the boats away. What provisions and water that could be secured were placed in them. The longboat stayed too long, and when the ship went down the suction took it along. 2 “The gale still continued and our life- boat was capsized twice. The oars and all our provisions went at the first roll, and from that time up to when we were picked up by the Rosa we had neither water nor food. The agony was something awful but toward the end of the second week I was 1n a sort of deiirium and have a very vague recollection of what took place. +In the boat with me when we left the Crown Prince Frederick were my brother- in-law and two cousins. For over a week we could not keep the boat clear of water, and the cold and exposure soon began to tellon the men. My brother-in-law was one of the first to go.” We threw his body overboard. Then one of the sailors went crazy and jumped into the ocean. The sharks soon snapped him up. When day dawned twenty-four hours later one of my cousins was lying face downward in the water in the boat dead. So it went on un- til there was only four of us l:ft. After that all was a blank until I came to on the bark Rosa. We were taken to Buenos Ayres, and after I was sufficiently recov- ered we all started for home. I took com- mand of the €opley and have finally reached San Francisc Captain Struckmann is probably the youngest master in port. He is a very shillful navigator, however, and his ship’s owners repose the greatest confidence in him. Seiiete IR N, The Bendix Piano Recital. The third and most successful of the series of three pianoforte recitals by Otto Bendix at Beethoven Hall took place last evening. The hall was filled to overflowing and_well-timed and hearty applause attested the appreciation of the audience. I NEW TO-DAY. FZEPARIS COLORED DRESS GOODS! SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS FOR, THIS WEEK. 4-INCH FIGURED AND STRIPED MOHAIR AND WOOL NOVELTIES, in solid colors, new shades— $1.00, $1.60 and $2.00 a Yard 46-INCH BOUCLE SUITINGS, Black Mobhair Curl on Blue, Red, Green and Brown Grounds— 90c a Yard 41-INCH CANICHE SUITING, two-toned effects— 90c a Yard 46-INCH ILLUMINATED MOHAIRS, in all the new colorings, very rich effects— $1.00 a Yard 52-INCH NOVELTY BOUCLE SUIT- INGS, very stylish— $1.50 a Yard SE HABLA ESPANOL. G. VERDIER & CO., SE. Cor. Geary and Grant Ave. VILLE DE PARIS. BRANCH HOUSE, LOS ANGELES.