The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 31, 1896, Page 10

10 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1896.' BROWN DID KOT KEEP HIS WORD, His Attorney Forbade Him to Make a Statement to Mrs. Cooper. LLOYD OUT OF THE CASE. Strong Commendation of the Brave Woman of the Prayer-Meeting. MISS OVERMAN A HYPNOTIST. Mrs. Davidson Says Mattie Has Mes- meric Power Over Men—Fighting to Postpone the Trial. Rev. Dr. C. 0. Brown, so far as any one outside of his present family circle knows, still bears alone the deep secret of wha embodied in the statement which, claims, if made public would remove every vestige of suspicion in the minds of those who are inclined to put faith in the charges of gross immorality made against him by Mrs. Mary Abbott Davidson. He dia not divul, sacred document yesterday morning at 11 o'clock to Mrs. Sarah B. Cooper at his home, as he had promised to do at the prayer-meeting in his church last night. His reason for failing to keep his word was that ex-Judge Davis Louderback, the attor- ney employea by the pastor to prosecute Mrs. Davidson on the charge of extortion, had ordered him to remain silent. Mrs. Cooper and her daughter Hattie were just putting the finishing touches to their street toilets, preparatory to setting out for the residence of Dr. Brown, when a summons came to the telephonme. It proved to be from the willing-to-make-a- statement minister. Its purport was as follows: “Judge Louderback saw in the newspa- pers this morning my offer to make a statement to you in confidence, and has forbidden me to doso. My offer last night was made on the impulse of the moment. I am very sorry to have given you any trouble in the matter.” This was virtually all that passed. Ac- cording to Mrs. Cooper, who was most reluctant to speak of the affair atall, the voice of her lawyer-ridden pastor sounded extremely genial. As she expressed it: It made me feel glad to hear again his voice in pleasant tones. “You have no idea what a relief it was to me,” said the heroic lady, “to know that I was not to be placed under the or- deal of having to see Dr. Brown and listen to his statement. The task was sirongly repugnant to me, but I had determined to put my own feelings entirely aside, even if it prostrated me, which I feared it wounld do at one time. But, thank God, this trial bas been spared mie. “I have been extremely worried over my course of action. I felt I was right and would not have been able to rest had I not acted as I did. But it cost me more than most peopie can realize. I love my church, and was always most loyal to Dr. Brown, but felt that the church was at stake. Ever since the death of my dear husband I have been troubled with my heart. It is not organic, but acute, and last night it thumped so hard and rapidly that at one time I thought I should fail. However, I have survived, and hope to see the whole matter soon cleared up. “I wonder why some of those who, after the meeting spoke encouraging words to me, did not do something during the heat of the excitement to show me I was right. It was a terrible thing for me to do, but I felt that I had to do it. T had no intention of asking Dr. Brown any questions during the proposed inter- view. I would simply have listened to his statement and have come to a conclusion from that, but I am glad that I am notin pessession of his secret. I only want to bave the truth made manifest. I have done my best. “They bring no solid evidence, But they will have to put it in when the trial takes place. They passed resolutions of confidence—almost of adulation—and I was not prepared, as a member of the church, to give even my tacit consent to them. Therefore, I spoke. “If I discover that my conduct has not been justified by future developments, I shall gladly go into the pulpit and say that I am sorry for what I have done. But in the light of existing evidence I feel that Iam right. What we want is righteous- ness and justice, and it would make me feel very glad to see him exonerated. “Iwould certainly go to hear him preach, for I love my church rather than the man. I have been a church member since I was 11 years of age, and taught my first Bible class when I was 14. “My course of action was well consid- ered before it was carried out. The day before the meeting I went toone of the trustees and informed him of my feelings and ideas, and he told me I was right and to go ahead and make a protest against the resolutions.” Mrs. Cooper received an anonymous let- ter a few days ago intimating that she was making herself liable to church discipline for speaking against Dr. Brown according to newspaper reports. In. fact, the letter was considered by Mrs. Cooper as a threat intended to make her remain silent dur- inF the present controversy. Jne of the vain efforts to gag Mrs. Cooper at the Wednesday night prayer meeting was made by Dr. Brown himselt when he interrupted her statement by de- claring that she was violating one of the rules of the church in publicly denouncing him before she had appealed to him per- sonally. Mrs, Cooper replied that she bad done so in letters written to him. But Dr. Brown denied having received them. When Mrs. Cooper was asked about them yesterday she instinctively turned to her diaries for confirmation of her asser- tion. The daily recora for 1895 showed that she had wrtten Dr. Brown on the 29th of December, and the diary for this year showed she had again written him on the 5th of January. Each of the letters was inclosed in an envelope bearing the foliowing inscription in the left hand upper corner: Return to Mrs. Sarah B. Cooper, President of the Golden Gate Kindergarten Assoclation and Free Normal Training Schoo!, 1902 Valiejo street, Sen Francisco, Cal., If not delivered in 10 days. Neither of these letters has been re- turned to Mrs. Cooper, nor has she heard from either. The one written on the 29th of December was of a non-committal character and was so phrased that if the recipient were guilty it would be a condemnation of him, while if he were -innocent it would be an expression of confidence. K ’Fhe second letter was written after the publication of the Overman letters. So far as she could remember it read in part as follows: 5 I think that every one will ngrrecxne your great desire to convict so culpable a person as & blackmailer. But why did you not have an he > the contenis of this | officer of the law in your library, which affords such ample facilities for concealment, and have her tell her story, pay her the money and then have the officer arrest her? Then you would have protected yourself ana the church &nd all concerned. Referring to the letters she had received from Mattie Overman at the time she ap- plied for work 1n the kindergarten schools, Mrs. Cooper stated she went to Dr. Brown to inguire about Miss Overman’s charac- ter, and he stated that it was irreproach- able. A call was made at the residence of Dr. Brown to confirm the news that he had again receded from his purpose of making a_statement, but Mrs. Brown, an entirely different person from_the genial and de- vout lady of the Wednesday evening prayer-meeting, used scant courtesy in refusing any communication with her husband. The only recompense the news- gatheerr had for his trouble was a sight of Miss Overman, apparently enjoying a sun- bath in the bay-window fronting the street. The deacons and trustees of the First Congregational Church seem excellently well pleased over the result of the Wednes- day night prayer- meeting. The rean- ointment of Dr. Brown seems a consum- mation devoutedly to be wished for by those who have his interests most keenly at heart. Now that this has been accom- plished they are practically unanimous in the opinion that it would be unwise to talk further about the matter. This is particularly true of Deacons Dexter and Bernard. Deacon Dexter has a grievance, however. He seriously objects to the statement that he did not ‘“call down”’ those who hissed and sneered when Mrs. Cooper endeavored to address the congregation. le claims that he did rap for order, and to substantiate this called on Deacon Barnard, who was present, when the interview took place, to corroborate his statement. Mr. Barnard readily did so. *‘I object to that part of the report in the morning papers,” said Mr. Dexter, ‘“where it is stated that the chairman made no ef- fort to protect Mrs. Cooper. This is un- qualifiedly false. When the first disturb- ance occurred I told the people that such as that, meaning the his:es, would not be allowed. When the same thing was re- peated a few moments later I called them down agai “That w: all any man could do,and I | seriously object to having it appear that I was partial to Dr. Brown. Why, I would Lave given my worst enemy a show under similer circumstances. I am always im- partial on the platform.” *Is Mrs. Stockton still a member of the church ?” was asked. “So far as I know sheis in good stand- | ing, but that is something I do not care to | talk about,” said the deacon. “In factI could not if I would. Just put it that I | do not care to talk about her.” Mr. Dexter was asked to give his opinion of young Valentine Brown’s hissing Mrs, Cooper at the prayer-meeting. “0Of my own knowledge, I do not know that he aid. But if be did—well, it was very, very reprehensible. More than that I cannot say at present.” Deacon Barnard was equally as uncom- municative as his brother of the recent board of inquiry. He positively refused to discuss Dr. Brown, tiough he did mn a mild-mannered way criticize the pastor for not reporting the case of Mrs. Stockton to the deacons or standing committee. “I have nothing to say about Dr. | Brown. His course is_dictated by an | honest desire to see justice done, and un- | Wil mwunn-mm/{} /4 Mattie Overman, as She Appeared in Yesterday Morning. [Sketched by a the Bay-Window of Dr. Brown’'s House “Call” artist.] yet he was jeered; Dr. French was severe, and yet they cheered him. A prominent member of the church in speaking of Dr. Brown said: Dr. Brown should not be allowed to preach in the First Congregational Church again. ‘There are & hundred reasons for this, but none more pertinent than the fact that he continues to harbor the woman who has brought all this trouble on him—a woman about whom many things mave been said seriously affecting her character. ¥ The pastor of the First Congregational Church is the most unpopular man in it, and he is only kept there because he caters to the rich men—the capitalists, Everybody who knows anything about churea affirs at all knows this to be true. Mrs. Coogcr did & very brave act, and should be applauded by all Christian people. Dr. Brown refers to his war record and all that sort of thing, but I doubt if he was ever unaer actual fire, except such as falls to the lot of drummers. But no soldier ever did a nobler or more courageous act than was performed by Mrs. Cooper Wednesday night. It took splendid nerve and the courage born of conviction to face the crowd of partisans who had come together et the call of the pas- tor. She did 1t nobly, however, withstanding the galling fire of hisses and groans untti she had told her story and urged Dr. Brown not to attempt to occupy the pulpit until he had cleared away the clouds now surrounding him. Inall probability I will be called upon to e ey & B e L g baser ” SR K Commigel g, AR : it el tm.;" Z ted @ wmellan ; Kion oy i, Bl A MBS R e el d % 2l e e s M € e Py hn e, b G e DG GRS AL IS P 1y, Guentmesmadas Liiee ol CaI g 4 op At el (e L.tn @ ~— _*- v el J : 5 G et e ey c-..-..“ ga : g - s fo ol < vt o' e e b ey o bl nen Loime . —“‘(‘% < S Dot a, SR oo i R AT 6o C e, by & “w g 3 gl n P ¢ oA Fac-Simile of a Portion of the Fraudulent Letter Purported to Have Been Written by Mr. Valentine. til he speaks; my lips are sealed. Mrs. Stockton, I think, is_still 8 member of the church and in good standing. I will not say anything more than this.” A prominent member of the First Church | received & letter yesterday from another | member of the church in which occurs | the following: | | When Mrs. Sarah B. Cooper can be publicly | hissed in the presence of her pastor without one word of protest from the pastor, it would be well to know to whet depih: the adherents of Dr. Brown will go. Another communication that passed be- | tween memvers of the church contained the following with reference to Mrs. Cooper and her action Wednesday night: God bless her for the Christian spirit, the true words and the noble courage of her con- victions that was displayed in the part she so | beroically took at the meeting last night. | A third epistle from one member to an- other read in part as follows: She hes done & service that will tell for right- eousness and the kingdom of Christ in this City. Itmust have caused her great sacrifice aliiost: supreine in - iteelf-to appoat . and speak ‘so firmiy and so eloguentiy for the church in such a presence and against such a fide, Tho'divine power 1 on her side, be ss- sured. In none of the above cases would the recipients divulge the names of the writers, but in all the cases they were male mem- bers of the church. For the first time since the scandal be- came the absorbing theme of public interest a_Congregational minister has censured Dr. Brown, though it is in a mild, regretful sort of way. *“What do you think of the position as- sumed by Dr. Brown,” was asked of the Rev. Mr. Flawith, pastor of the Fourth Congregational Church, yesterday. His reply was as follows: In the first place, I wish to express my sorrow for the entire affair. It is hurt- ing Congregationalism. I .ymg-ume with the First Congl’effldon.l Church, and wish their troubles could be settled speedily, for it is hurting my own work. 1do not want to say Inythlnf that will hurt Dr. Brown, yet I fear he is doing an injustice to himself. He may want to send Mrs. Davidson to San Quentin, but he has himself and the church to save. Dr.Brown I consider is rlght in quoting Beecher as a rrecedent, provided his church will stand by him as Plymouthdid by Beecher. But if the newspaper reports are true and the church shows signs of disintegration and discord, I feel it unwise for him to persist. 1 concede the claim of Dr. Brown that there might be things which shonld be kept secret - no open investigation_until after Mrs. David- son’s trial is ended. Yet that could be done and his church saved by a little sacrifice on his part in not occupying the pulpit until he L«lelund of the accusation now resting egainst m. 1 suppose Dr. Brown will do as he likes any- how, but he will certainly gain more friends in his own church by following such a course as the masses of the congregation demand. 1 think then his members would be patient and (m:ibenrin‘ enough to wait until the civil trial ends. 1do not fear any ill effects for one moment, rovided that the church and all concerned wce the situation nobly, frankly and boldly. The First Congregational Church will hold s more influential position than it eve - has. The whole Christian atmosphere will Le purer, the Christian churches will be more con- secrated—trust less to the arm of flesh, and in- stead of truckling to the morbid tastes of the geople for revenue they will sce as they never id pefore. possibly, that righteousness reall. does exalt; and to make progress slowly, an spiritually, is the safest in the end. Among “the ministers this affair is already “"‘"5 good. At the last meeting of the Mon- day Club Dr. Freuch read an essay which was more caustic in its terms against the selfis| ness and worldliness of the church than Pro- fessor Herron’s statements last spring. before testify before the Superior Courton a matter affecting Dr. Brown and Miss Overman. He introduced this young woman to me as his niece, and that, too, in _the presence of his | wife. Sheentered no. objection. and it never occurred to me to question her statement. However, all this is of minor importance at the present time. Mrs.Cooper evidently spoke for the great majority of the members of the congregetion, and her woras will beer good fruit at the meeting next Wednesday night. Dr. McDonald, one of the most influential members of the church, is very indignant over the treatment Mrs. Cooper Teceived at the hands of certaln members of the congregation at the Wednesday night prayer-meeting. In | speaking of the matter he said yesterday: Being pastor of any church presupposes a man to be possessed of gentlemanly instincts— refined and at all times courteous 1o ladier, I was amazed that a woman like Surah B. -Cooper should be insulted in h:r own City and by her own people. What astounds me most of all, however, is that she should be allowed to leave the platiopm without an apology from Dr. Brown or af least some word of pro- test. they are unanimous in the opiuion that Mrs. Cooper has covered herself with glory. Amon. all tho men present not one had nerve enough 1 iave talked with many people to-day, and | and they allowed themselves to be appointed for that purpose. Then Dr. Brown declined to make his promised statement to them and they dissolved. Why, the whole matter was nothing but u huge farce. They passed resolutions and laid them before the church for its members to swallow, but they found they would not do it. I think this will work & #reat deal of infidel- ity. Buttruth is truth wherever you find it. she said: I am very glad that Mrs. Cooper made her noble protest. I think she did herself great credit by presenting her paper,and I think she did it in & business-like and womanly way. I consider that she took a very noble stand. "But 1 think she would hesitate lefore adhering to her declaration that she would go to hear Dr. Brown preach next Sunday. Mrs. Davidson considers the Overman- Tunnell letters the most damaging evi- dence against the accused minister. She said she hada ziven the matter deep thought and had evolved a theory as to how their effect would be destroyed so far as any | injury to Dr. Brown was concerned. She said: Miss Overman is madly and wildly In love | with Dr. Brown, she is determined to fasten herself on him and will do anything to save | him from public condemnation. My idea is that she \\"i?) admit the authorship of the let- ters, will confess to having been a party to conspiracy to blackmail Dr. Brown, and that these letters were written to further the propos- ed scheme of extortion ; she will then announce her deep and full repentance, due to his benign iufluence, and as a result of the whole affair will be admitted to full membership in | his church. She has already propoundea for | admission. She has long waited for an opportunity of this kind and I am sure she will take every advantage of it. She is an unscrupulous woman and will do anything to save him. She has sold herself to him already. She has toid me that she would follow that'man to the end of the world. Dr. Brown told me she had a power over him | which was irresistible; that when he was with | ber he was just as she chose him to be, He | was perfectly helpless when in contact with her. She has a great advantage over him. She says she has such power; that for years and years she has possessed this power to influence any person just as she chose. She did not call it hypnotism, but Dr. Brown did use thatex- | | Pression in spenking of her power over him. She once said to me, “I don't care how stron, the man may be, I can make him do just as wish.’”’ She has evidently tried it on Captain Lees, for he says he has amr]cct confidence in She evidently tried 1t on him with great 5. Mzrs. Davidson called attention to the fact that Dr. Brown had been vronding the press with extracts from papers an letters tending to show her previous bad character. She stated that she would not follow in his “‘unchristianlike course,” as | she phrased it, but would simply ask thai something in her favor be published. She then Yroduced the jollowing excerpt from the Rocnester (N.:Y.) Democrat and Chronicle: Joseph C. Wilson of 495 Plymonth avenue, & stockholder in the Self-adjusting Corset Com- pany, was seen by a reporter last night. He | expressed himsclf as much grieved at the trouble that had come to the firm's agent in | Sar Francisco. He said: “Mrs. Davidson isa woman who'would inspire | confidence wherever she was placed. Her | | character has always been above reproach, and | she has been intrusted by us with considerable | sums of money when it would have been very | easy, had she been so inclined, to cheat us. “The members of the firm do not place any | credeuce in the reports that are coming con- cerning the complicity of Mrs. Davidson in a scheme of blackmail. From all we know of her, she is & woman who would scorn to do | such & thing. It will certainly require very convineing proof to lead us to believe these stories that are being circulated regarding our | agent.” She also produced a letter from her firm | under the aate of January 21, as follows: | Your esteemea and welcome letter of the 2th inst. received and contents carefully | | noted. 1 g | We decply sympathize with you in your | trouble and; trust you may have patience and | ] Pirst Congregational Chureh Con poun avo Masom wre. 255.C 0. haows. b. 5. Peren, s m-‘-...—;_ Zc ey 7_,3, T e A T Av »/l—l-v‘ Lok e Sestbrmen st Somrras. [ ——" 77 lelin g, d FL. ki r/w:;»g . S Jrna Sop e G e .o T e G e A Hrrn (L., <k ¢ 30 e ove ~ fe. e G es 2SO, SR GO e S WV Fac-Simile of the Handwriting of Rev. Dr. C. 0. Brown. to come forward and do what Mrs. Cooper did, Itisa fact that she is more widely known in' America than Brown ever was or ever would have been but for the scandal he is now mived up in. I was back East two years and I found that she was regarded as one of California’s in- stitutions. The saction of Dr. Brown to-day in refusing to keep the promise made Mrs. Cooper—that is, to | 8how her the evidence of his innocence—has damaged his cause a great deal,and meny who have hitherto Krotauen great faith in the pastor now regard him with suspicion. Mrs. M. A. Davidson, when seen at branch 3 of the County Jail yesterday afternoon, made no_effort to conceal her Eleumre over the action of Mrs. Cooper or | er contempt and disgust for “‘the men of | putty,” as she termed those who had adopted resolutions expressing confidence ;nt e integrity of Dr. Brown. She said urther: Do you realize what the meaning of that word, "integrll.y," is? Itmeans withouta flaw or break—that is, the joint committee have found Dr. Brown's character to be perfect. They counld not have selected a word with a broader significance, and yet, I understand, they debated long on the matter of just what word to use. Iwould like to ask them a pertinent question. Why did they meet and what did they accomplish? They ought have known from the beginning that they had no power and would able to accomplish nothing. this same club. Dr. Herron was more mild, They simply did as they were bid by Dr. Brown. He ssked them to investigate him fortitude to bear it nqbly, believing as we do it will eventually prove that you are right. | Doubtless you ' have receivea varions | clippings sent you of Eastern pa- iw-er; in which - we have expressed our utmost faith in you and your ability to ?mve that you are 1n the right. Very many | | iriends of ‘yours thronghout the East offer, through us, their condolence to Jou Hoping for a speedy and honorable termination of all your trials” Our knowledge of you and your Dpast superb record as onr general manager for eight vears of our Eastern States depart- fear or favor. Wishing you all that is good, we are, most respectfully, HE SELF-ADJUSTING CORSET Co, Mrs. Davidson has been given to under- stand that she is to be arraigned to-mor- row. She will endeavor to have her case set as far ahead as possible, S0 as to eet the benefit of any statement or new evi- dence that may be contributed by the trial of Dr. Brown before a church council. She will make every effort to have her trial de- ferred until Dr. Brown's church takes definite action in his case. Reuben H. Lloyd, who was employed by one of the parishioners ‘of Dr. Brown’s chureh to assist the prosecution in the pre- limary hearing of Mrs. Davidson, will not. Again appear in the case. He stated yesterday that his reasons for not being any longer connected with the case were that he would be too busy with other matters to give his services, and also Referring to the action of Mrs, Cooper | | entire coast is threatened. | the destruction of the beaches more no- | { elevating form of sport—too often it is low- | ment 1eads us to speak as we do of you without | his general dislike to all eriminal business, from which he withdrew many years ago. He said he was engaged to perform a certain duty; that he had done all he had ;greed to do, and that he thought the City rosecuting . Attorney, assisted by Dr. Brown’s counsel, ought to be able to con- duct the case to 2 satisiactory conclusion. The following letter was received by the editor of the Bulletin yesterday. It pur- gomd to have been written and sent by - J. Valentine, president of Wells-Fargo & Co.’s bank, but Mr. Valentine declares it a fraund. He called attention to one peculiar fea- turein it. He said that the only person who knew that he and Dr. Brown had met but once during the year were himself and Dr. Brown. SAX FRANCISCO, Jan. 29, 1896. To the Editor of the Bulletin: In common with many others who have long been readers of your valuable paper I regret exceedingly to see the course you are pursuing in regard to the Rev. C. 0. Brown. The disposition to hound a man who has as yet had no hearing, and to pronounce judgment upon him befors his side of ine case has been heard, is uniair, unjust and utterly reprehensible. It really seems as if a man who has the courage 1o ex- pose a blackmailer must be punished for tak- ing a manly and open course. But, regardless of the merits of the casc, all lovers ot fair play must deprecate the ten- dency to pronounce a verdict before the evi- dvnce isallin. Every man is entitled to a pre- sumption of innocence before trial, and it Would be as fair for a Judge to instruct a jury to bring in a verdict of “guilty” after the peo- le had rested as to condemn & man before we ave heard his side of the case. I know the Rev. Dr. Brown very slightly. I have seen him but once in the last year, and not at all since his troubles began, but his high character and reputation for many years enti- tle him to at least a fair hearing aud a patient investigation of the cherges which have been made against him. It is very reasonable to suppose that he does not wish "to disclose his version of affairs until after the trial of the Davidson woman. And when men of the high character of the trustees, deacons and standing committee of the First Congregational Church give hima vote of confidence, with doubtless far more in- formation than we outsiders can have, I prefer to suspend my judgment until he has had & fair hearing and the truth is toid. I prefer to be guided by the opinion of such men, to ac- cepting as true the conjectures of & pack of seandal-mongers and writers, Whose trenchant pens, no longer trusty, For want of fighting have grown rusty, And eat inio themselves for inck Of something else to hew and hack. There s too great a tendency, especially Among newspapers, to pronounce a verdict of “guity” assoon asa man is charged with an offensz and in advance of his trial. is it not better to withhola our judgment for a few weeks and give the doctor the benefit of the doubt? The church is not going to let the | matter rest with the trial of A\Ifr& Dayidson. . Dr. Brown knows as well as the public knows that he owes it to them and to himself 1o explain matters. Miss Overman has not vet acknowledged that sne wrote the letters to Mrs. Tunnel, and even if she does there may be & satisfactory explanation forthcoming in due time. Dr. Brown is fairly entitled to the benefit of the doubt. Yours respectfully, - VALENTINE. OAPE 00D IS DOOMED. Changes at Buzzards Bay and Along the Coast. If President Cleveland does not get an- other summer home he will be without | oue within the next few years if the wise | men of Cape Cod are to be believed. A | stranger in any of the Cape Cod towns to- day is sure to be startled by the statement that very soon Cape Cod will exist only in the memories of the people who are proud of the name because their ancestors came from there. Here at Buzzards Bay there was once a good harbor, but now the har- bor is about a half mile . from where it was then. The fact is that old Cape Cod, the home of the Pilgrims, is being washed away. orary membership—that is a membership which shall entitle them to_see and hear and learn without compelling them to work for the enlightenment of others. Tt is against the fundamental principles of” the club to admit such members, but the pressure has been so strong in the past week that this principle may be abdicated in favor of a limited honorary member- ship of art patrons and dilettanti, who are willing to pay double dues for the sake of remaining inactive. Mg-;nbcrshlp dues at present are nominal. There are no ex- | penses attached to the club, hence no fund necessary at ‘present. But art circles are so stirred up over the happy plan that it is thought a hall will have to be hired soon, since the private residences of the club’s members will be inadequate to accommo- | date all who desire to attend. Funds will be necessary then, and this will, perhaps, open the way for the bonorary members. A great many schoolteachers on this side of the bay have made application for membership, and amateur art circles on the Alame(&s side of the bay are en- thusiastic over the opportunity thus ded_for securing diversified and prac- cal fnsight into the beautiful mysteries of things that are pleasing to the eyes. | The membership committee, to which all applications for entrance to_ the club are referred, is composed of Mrs. C.C, Plehn (chairman), Professor W. E. Ritter and Miss Annie Long. A CALIFORNIA- ART CLUB. Esthetic Circles Enthusiastic Over | the New Berkeley Organ- ization, PROFESSOR ARDLEY'S PLAN, Every Member Must Work for the Education of All Other Members. A Novel Sys\en}. There has been organized in Berkeley by | residents of Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda | and San Francisco an association of pro- fessional and amateur artists in nearly all branches that promises to become jamous in the State for its practical and theoretic | work in the field of esthetics. | _ The programme committee consistsof It iscalled the California Art Club. At | Miss Louisa Carpenter, Mrs. George E. itshead s Professor H. T. ‘Ardley, who | SWan and F.E. Evans. The commities occupies the chair of decorative and indus- | ())dn finance. ' aid; rooma. ia comp X . . Ardley, Miss King and Mrs. John C. tuslax) atsho Uaveraity ot Onlifornin sier.” ‘T0G first working meetin of the The California Art Club began its life a | new club will be held on the evening of Professor H. T. Al’dlej’. President and Father of the New California Art Club 1f the damage were confined to the point of the Cape it might not be so serious, but | the washing away extends all along the ! coast. Ten years ago there was a good | harbor at Sandwich, and lumber and coai laden vessels could enter without di culty. To-day it is barely possible to en- | ter with a dory at low tide, and there is | hardly five feet of water at high tide. | ‘What was formerly a breakwater on the | southern side of the channel now lies | buried in the sand 100 or more vards to the | north of the channel, and the chanuel | grows narrower with 1ts progress to the south. Thousands of dollars were vainly | spent by the old Boston and Sandwich glass factory to keep the harbor in good condition. During the last dozen years the filling up and washing away has been very marked. The beach banks below the | harbor and between there and Spring Hill, which only a few years ago towered high above the sea, are now in many placeson a level with the ocean, which dashes over either at each high tide. At Scorton the same conditions exist. High hills have been wSLed to = level plain and the high- | water line is 100 feet farther inland than it | was formerly. At the old brickyard at Town Neck there | water mark, all that remains of an old | wooden pump, which was, within a period of twenty years, nearly 100 yards from low- water mark and from which water for | drinking purposes was drawn. At Provincetown it has hecome a very serious matter, and the immediate de- | struction of one of the best harbors on the | The storms | seem to be more severe than formerly and | ticeable—~Buzzards Bay dispatch to New | York Mail and Express. ————-— Giraffe Hunting. Certainly one can scarcely consider it an ering for the giraffe, as well as for horse and rider—for it calls forth neither endur- ance, courage, nor extraordinary skill on tie part of the hunter. Practically speak- ing, if he has a goou horse which he can stick to, and can hit a haystack, there is not the slightest reason why he should not count his slain giraffe by the score. At the same time, it is not to be denied that there is something wonderfully fascinating and keenly exciting in a flying race on a good horse after a troop of these animals. The country through which the chase leads, the wonderful effect caused by the great strid- ing, swaying troop in front of one, the feeling of exulration inseparable from a stiff gallop on a good mount, all combine to render attractive that which comes perilously near to deserving a very differ- ent name. ; 1t is certain that all the interest of the sport is centered in the run, for when once the fiinfie is brought to a stand nothin; but honest pity can be felt for its heauti- {ul, stately helplessness. No one with any real English gritin him will pretend that they derive from the fall of one of these great, harmless creatures the same amount of satisfaction afforded by the death of a lion or a buffalo. But all our hares can- not be buffaloes nor our foxes lions, so it is not well to set up too high a standard. To those who enjoy anexciting race on a good horse over rough country giraffe hunting | offers great, aimost nne(g. d, attractions; the only question is, whether the feeling of pity for its resultant death does not out- weigh the previous short-lived pleasure. It is so easy to take life; so impossible to restore it by endless rerets.—From in “Haunts of Wild Game,” Kirbey. Medi 1 Outbursts, The energieu which in our own day find vent in half a dozen forms of athletic ex- ercise had in the thirteenth century hardly { more than the single outlet of fighting. Men talked of war and sang of it; and the close of the thirteenth century was a period when a soldierly king had turned men’s thoughts more strongly than usual upon the popular mfiic. The prevailing tone of society must have acted upon the same immature lads at Oxford, cooped up in the narrow streets of a crowded city, without or practically without books, much as the cheap romances of our own day are believed to affect the oftice-boy, here were plenty of rogues in the thir- teenth century, of course, who were able and willing to hetp the militant student 1o add practice to theory; and when we rec- ollect that there were no better police than half a dozen Dogberries, that the city was uniighted and that even lads went armed, one 1o longer has cause to wonder at the insecurity of life in Oxford 600 years ago.— Macmillan’s Meagazine. | is buried in the sand, close to the low. |Syninesized, so that’a course of a few | Wvears in such a club means a liberal art | [Drawn from a photograph.) fortnight or more ago, with thirty charter | February 5 at Professor Ritter’s residence, members and the following officers: Presi- Durant avenue, Berkeley, and there- dent, H.T. Ardley; vice-president, Mrs, | alter meetings for lectures and discussion George E. Swan; treasurer, Kiibali | Wil be held on the fret Wednesday of Easton; secretary, Miss Mary E. Brehm. Saci mOnk There i imil, ioty in America. Ttis based on the lines of study wnich | A STORM OF UNUSUAL VIOLENOE. made the Art Club of London so famous— | Punch Is Thrown Into a Sudden Fit of the club to which Sir Frederick Leighton, | Walter Crane, Mrs. Paget, the wife of | Lord Alfred Paget. and many other Eng- lish notables in art circles belonged. | The distinctive feature of this art club is | the fact that every member who joins must take an active part in its work. Each | member must present, in rotation, a paper | on some art subject, and this paper must | be illustrated by specimens of the particu- | lar subject under discussion. The whole | range of art is taken up, from the history | of art down to photography, ceramics and | kindred subjects. Each ‘topic forms an evening's lesson and is to be considered | from practical, theoretical and estheti standpoints. Every subject must be gone into thoroughly, analyzed, criticized and | Humor. A storm of unusual violence, coming | from the United States, struck the British coast on the 18th ult. The usual storm warning from New York had not preceded it. It wasaccompanied by loud thunder and blustering winds, and seemed likely to cause great damage. Happily a csndi- tion of great calmness prevailed over the British Isles, the cyclonic disturbance seeming to have little effect, unless to cause a temporary increase in the fog and gloom. Since then appearances give hope | of greater clearne ss, with probably bright and settled conditions later. It is believed that this storm originated in a violent outburst of Mount Cleveland, a large volcano hitherto quiescent; and of Mount Olney, a smaller, but equally active, center of fiery disturbance. Until recently they were considered quite harmiess. The learning in his department, but of vast ex- | Irish newspapers state that both craters perience as well. He has traveled ex- | had been for some daysin a state of violent tensively—all over the world. in fact—and | ebullition. Before this outburst the sum- studied ‘art in all its branches underal- | mit of Mount Cleveland was densely most all possible conditions. He is a man | wooded, and produced a large number of entirely devoted to his work, of great en- | inferior planks, used in the construction of ergy, and gifted as well with the power of ‘ vlatforms, than any other headland in the conveying his information to others. United States, The present volcanic con- Already there are more applications for | dition has, of course, entirely superseded membership in the new club than can be | the production of these inferior planks.— considered at present. Many desire non-_‘ London Punch. education. Professor Ardley is notonly | the president of the new club, but he is its | organizer, its father, its patron and its ex- ounder. He is a man not only of great NEW TO-DAY. e e e e e e A OW to recover the force of your nerves when they are weak. H He will advise electricity, because he knows—if he is not an old fogy—that the nerve power of man depends on electricity ; that if the nerves and vital organs—which are supported by the nerves—are weak, their weakness is owing to alack of this subtle clement. The direct application of electric currents to the body for a few hours daily soon replaces the nerve strength and builds the weakened functions up to a strong and vigorous condition. That is what makes manhood. “MAKES PEOPLE STRONG.” It is worn for a few hours every evening, while you sit around the house, or you can wear it all night. Tt makes you sleep sound and you awake in the morning refreshed. You feel we warming, life-iufusing current all the time, and regu. late it by a small screw so as to turn the power on mild or strong at will. It will cure all weakness of the nervous or vital organism in from two to three months. Get tho little book, ““Thres Tlasses of Men,” eured, free. with full information and names of hundreds SANDEN ELECTRIC co., 632 MARKET ST., OPPOSITE PALACE HOTEL, SAN FRANCISCO. @fice Hours—8 to 6; Evenings, 7 to 8:30; Sundays, 10 tod, Fortland, Oregon, Oflice, 253 Washington Str.