The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 26, 1896, Page 14

14 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL SA'TURDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1896. WILL NOT SIGN THE CONTRACT Construction of the New Hall of Justice May Be Delayed. Mayor Sutro Preparing a Veto Message to Be Submitted Next Week. Claims to Have Discovered Numerous Legal D:fects in the In- strument. Mayor Sutro bas decided to refuse to sign the contract awarded to Boardman & Boardman, contractors, for the construc- tion of the Hail of Justice on the site of theold Ci 11, at a cost of $300,000. He was seen at his home yesterday, and owing to the fact that he had none of the documents refer:ing to the matter at hand at first declined to anything on the subject for publicati He finally con- sented to do so, qualifying his statement, | o | employed, 1532 t would be more f hecould have however, by saying th in detail and more speci had access to the records. “After a most careful examination of the papers relating to this contract,” said the Mayor, “my attorneys found several legal defects in them, and for this reason 1 feel constrained to refuse to attach my signature to the contract. I shall send a communication to the Board of Super- visors in connection therewith early next week. In this all my reasons will be set forth in detail. “In the first place the orignal ordinance which I signed is defective. These defects have only been discovered lately. The law declares that in order to make an ap- propriation for a building of that sort it | must be declared that the building is a necessity. This was either not done at all or not done in a regular manner. Ido not recollect which is the case. “‘S8econdly, the law ceclares that no alterations shall be made in the building after the contract is given out while the contract itself permits alterations. “Furthermore the ordinance requires that this money should be expended npon for a building to be erected outside of this lot for use as a moreue. This is all clearly irregular. There are other things that I cannot fully recall. “I would also state that this contract | would be a very dangerous thing for the contractors, for if they undertook the work under it they would run the risk of losing many thousand dollars, as their right to reimbursement under the contract could be questioned at any time. I have had several interviews with Boardman & Boardman, the contrdctors, at which both sides were represented by lawvers, and the situation was fully explained, but they seemed to want to take their chance, but I felt duty bound to refuse to sign the contract. “The only recourse the contractors have under the circumstances is to apply to the courts for a mandamus compeliling me to sign the contract, and this, I understand, is what they intend todo. My idea would be to let the whole matter go over for the new Board of Supervisors. a contract in accordance therewith and with law making the appropriation.”’ MR. GRIFFIN’S CHRISTMAS. Broken Furniture and Baked Turkey Figure in a Family Quarrel. There were hilarious times last evening when the family of Pat Griffin of 20 Bi avenue gathered around the table. was Pat himself, his wife, her mother, and & number of sisters and sisters-in-law and | brothers and brothers-in-law. The head of the house was not in the best of humor, and he made this fact apparent by kicking | over the table before the first course was served. His wife remonstrated, whereupon Grif- fin seized the baked fowl by the legs and started to hurl it at his wife’s head; but the ‘turkey was well doneand it parted company with the legs. The bird proper struck the mother-in- law in the face and carromed off, continu- ing its flight through ‘the street window and fell upon the sidewalk at the feet of Officer Brownlie. The officer was naturally surprised to find it rainine turkey, gravey and stuffing and he waited for a repetition of the phe- nomena. Then his attention was at- tracted to the storm overhead, and it was 2 storm. The rattle of broken crockery mingled with an assortment of female shrieks and male curses. It seems that the mother-in-law resented the affront and she whacked Griffin on the head with the leg of the broken table. In the melee the stove was overturned. The police office guieted things down by arresting Griffin for being drunk. Griffin had to have five stitches taken in hisscalp at the hospital to close up the evidence of his mother-in-law’s rebuke. A WHITE REDWOOD. It Grows Near Cazadero and Contributed Waxen Sprays to Christmas Evergreen Wreaths. One of the greatest novelties, perhaps the oddest natural curiosity of the Christ- mas geason, was a wagon-load of white redwood from Sonoma County. Mr. Orr, who is interested in that part of Califor- nia, sent large quantities of redwood sap- lings to town for Christmas-trees, and by way of variety included some ‘‘ever- whites.” This new-fashioned wood is positively necessary to meet the exigen- cies of the occasion, for in reality these NEW TO-DAY. - ITCHING SKIN DISEASES RELIEVED BY ONE APPLICATION GF (Uticura Cnem TrEarsEnr.—Warm baths Boap, le ons of 3ok oo, S, S AT i CURA RESOLY , greatest of ki umor cures. VENT, ‘8@~ How to Cure Itching They should | pass a proper resolution and then draw up | leaves are white eternaily, almost, even as the evergreens of the Scquoia semper- virens are aiways green. The white redwood had all the appear- ance of waxen imitationsof the natural tree. The bark and wood are not differ- ent from the common redwood, but one distinct dissimilarity marking the freak- ish tree. Wherever there1s green in the redwood there is white in this one—that is to say, the young shoots and the leayee are white, with something of a waxen hue perceptible. The odd sprays were torn apart into small pieces and mixed spar- ingly with evergreen wreaths and red berries in the Claus Spreckels market on Murket street, opposite Grant avenue. “There is only one white redwood to be found in all the forests up the coast,” ex- plained Mr. Orr, Christmas eve, ‘‘and that grows on the Rule ranch, near Cazadero. There used to be another white redwood, but the forest fires came along and killed it, leaving this one on the Rule ranch.” “Does it grow in & dark place, hidden by larger trees ¢’ “Not at all. It has the sunlight all around and through its branches. There is not a speck of green about it from top to bottom. Nobody seems to know why it is white, but it grows right along like any otherredwood tree.” Dr. Gustav Eisen of the Academy of Sciences, was deeply interested in this tree when told about it. *All trees of the pine species,” said he, There is “oc onally have a white one. o pigment in the green of the redwood ieaf. The color is caused by an insect and for some reason the insect cannot live in these white trees.” SUIOIDE OF A HOSTLER. Christopher Nelson Hangs Himself to a Kafter While Despondent. Christopber Nelson, a hostler, about 40 vears of age, committed suicide yesterday afternoon by hanging himself to a rafter in the rear of the stables in which he was Polk street. The body was discovered apout an hour after death had taken place and was removed to the morgue. The cause which prompted Nelson to commit ide is unknown. He had been despondent for some time and, as his act would indicate, became mentally unbal- anced and took his own life. ——— — COLLEGES ON THE WATER Berkeley and Stanford Might Meet in Annual Row- ing Matches. Prospects That Opportunities May Yet Favor a Consummation of the Idea. Lovers of aquatic sports hereabouts are | looking forward to the time when the two the lot described as formerly occupied by | the old City Hall, while the contract calls | big California universities shall meet upon the water as do the great rival colleges of the East and of England. In the inauguration of an annual inter- collegiate rowing match between Califor- nia and Stanford they anticipate great en- couragement to the gracetul sport, and with the many nundreds of partisans back of and intensely interested in each col- lege they believe rowing would be estab- lished as one of the most generally popu- 1ar of all amateur athletic contests. Inter- collegiate rivalry has proved the very life of football on this coast. It has developed track athletics until California’s university men have nothing to fear from any other State in the Union. And it has main- tained baseball when interest in the game had almost died out. What then are the possibilities of the two universities coming together, and what has prevented their meeiing up to this time? The fault is not with the Uni- versity of California. Berkeley has had a boating associa.on, and has maintained a crew for the last three years encouraged by the bope of some day meeting a crew from Stanford. This year the Berkeley crew made & very creditable showing against more experienced San Francisco oarsmen. Nor is the fault intentionally with the Stanford men. It is due princpally to present existing natural obstacles to the practice and development of a crew. The nearest point of ihe bay is four miles from Stanford University and accessible only by way of an indifferent and litile fre- | quedntca road over a long siretch of marsh land. At low tide, owing to the comparative shallowness of the water, a broad mud flat marks the western shore line of the soutn- ern arm of San Fraucisco Bay. Nothing short of a long pier to permanently deep water would overcome this parucular ob- stacle, for the students, busy as they are all the forenoon and early in the afternoon in lecture-rooms, could not regulate their practice to the varying tides, but would have to train as do the fodtball, baseball and track men during the late vaily recreation hodrs immediately pre- ceding supper time. For the past two years there have seemed to be prospects of the establishment of an | electric-car line from Palo Alto, a mile from the university, to the bay, three miles beyond. Those students particu- larly desirous of seeing a crew developed have looked expectantly forward to the accomplishment ot this enterprise as a partial solution of the problem of ways and means, for it cannot be denicd that elght miles regular travel by private con- veyance would be expensive and covered afoot or awheel would consume so much tinie that very littie would be left for row- ing. Then, too, there is the expense of building a properly equippea boathouse, which under present conditions would be during a great part of the day and night unwatched and far from the nearest babi- tation. That this is not an imaginary danger has often been proven in the treai- ment accorded private hunting boats moored in the marshes. On the other hand Stanford has some present opportunities for boating in a small way on Lagunita, a little artificial lake, beautifully situated only a quarter of a mile back from the quadrangle build- ings and covering anarea of about twenty- five acres. . On the edge of this willow- skirted pleasure lake is a boathouse built three years ago by a then existing Stan- ford Boat ‘Club that after a great and successful struggle of over a year paid its debts and became a thing of the past, while the bosthouse occupied in part b; several private small mw‘;oan and sai boats continued to be used early each summer as a dressing-room for several hundred students who regularly each warm afternoon disport theiselves in the waters of the placid little lake. Part of the boathouse has for the past two years been occupied by several self- supparfin? students, who by special per- mission live there in curiously fitted up rooms, heated by a fireplace supplied with a rou:h, home-made chimney built against the side of the light, frame build- ing. All Stanford’s athletic and musical organizations are supported by the student body, which in turn derives ‘its principal revenue from football games, the expenses over the general receipts for baseball, track athletics, tennis, debates and per- haps musical and other organizations - be- ing made good out of the annual football surplus, which up to the present time has not yet been quite sufficient to pay off old- standineg bills and put the student body completely out of debt. Under these con- ditions the student body is not in a posi- tion to incur the expense n to the establishment of such am equipment as would be necessary for the maintenance of a crew. Over three years ago, at the time when there were immediate prospects of send- ing a Stanford crew to the World’s Fair Chicago, Benator and $800 for the at Fair donated urchase of abarge. The barge was not bought, though-the money l; n{obzbly lfl*:gibb “wl:nlvt;r the stu- ents are ready to use it for the specific purpose for which it was offered. to his statement regarding his being one of the help in the building. He was sub- sequently charged with burglary. DEAD IN HER ROOM. E. Moreal de Brevans’ Lifeless Body Discovered by Her Son. Mrs. K. Moreal de Brevans, an aged lady of 79 years, died, it is presumed from heart disease, in her rooms, 1513 Powell street, either yesterday morning or Christ- mas eve. The old lady was of a quiet disposition and seldom left her:room, consequently when no sound of life came trfn‘m her apartments nothing was thought of it. Christmas morning came, and H. E. Moreal, son of the deceased, left his home in Alameda and came to this City for the purpose of enjoyin - the holiday with his mother. He knocked at her door, but there was no answer. Knowing that his mother tad made arrangements-for his visit, Moreal immediately suspected that omething unusunal had occurred. He procured a pass key, entered the room, and discovered that his mother was dead. The body was on the floor, fully attired, showing that death had come without warning. The young man was almost prostrated with grief. After an investigation the Coroner decided that death was due to natural causes. Tbe body will be removed to Alameda for in- terment to-day. — New Mission House. The corner-stone of the new Good Samaritan Mission will be 1aid by the Bishop of Califor- nia to-morrow afternoon at 3 o'clock at Sec- ond and Folsom stréets. HIS FOOT CAUGHT ~ I THE TRANSOM John Cornish, a Colored Man, Found Suspended, Head Down. Mrs. Released From His Peculiar Fosition, He Fails to Ex- plain His Sad Plight. An Investigalion Revealed the Pres. ence of Turkeys on the Other Side of the Door, John Cornish, a colored man residing at 414 Jackson street, and who claims to be an assistant janitor of the building 508 California street, was found last night av 9 o’clock by Sergeant Helms and Officer Police in the Building at 508 Side of the Door. The Embarrassing Position of John Cornish When Found by the The Police Also Found Some Prime Turkeys on the Other California Street Last Night. Hackett suspended by his right leg from the transom over room 27 on the third floor. The manner in which Cornish got him- self into such a peculiar position may or may not be explained by the circumstance developed by an investigation made by Sergeant Holms. In this building is located the office of Henry J. Crocker, executor of the Meo- Laughlin estate. Frank Schilling, an at- torney-at-law, has his office also in the building but two floors higher than that on which Mr. Crocker's office is located. Mr. Schilling had visited his office last night about 8 o’clock and after transact- ing some business locked his door and was about to take his departure when he heard what he thought was the moaning of some person apparently in pain or dis- tress. As soon as he reached the side- walk he sent a messenger to the Califor- nia-street Police Btation, when Sergeant Helms responded. 1In the meantime Offi- cer Hackett had come upon the scene and with a CALL representative an entrance to the building was gained by the ser- geant opening the front door. The offi- cers at once proceeded to make an inves- tigation. On the second fioor, which was dark, the moans which attracted the attention of Mr. Schilling were distinctly heard and by lighting the hall gas jet the cause was found. > The officers observed the body of a col- ored man hanging by one log’ from the transom over the . Alongside of him, but beyond his reach, was a short bamboo step-ladder, such as is used by window- cleaners. 1t only a few minutes to liberute the suspended man by freeing hisfoot from the leverage of the tran- :t;m h;:::-, that held his foot like the grip av ‘When taken down he was completely exhausted and foaming at the mouth, as if suffering from strangulation. beea ‘peeriauely ‘oosupied by’ the Missts previously occupied by the '] iters, revealed thi Bhepherd as typewriters, e am%m' of nm’o turkeys hanging against A ! ? Cornish, on regaining strength, ish, on regaining d'v!v ; name and residence, and assistant janitor to Robert residence street, but to be an room 27. . g o exam hich ‘of, five property-owners, members of the gave his | ilson, whose | " Sacramen 8 nrwl}'*i 21 ento declined ive any explana- tion of how he came to try to enter WILL BE A B MEETING Plans of the Panhandle and Ashbury Heights Improve- ment Club. Resolutions to Be Prepared for Ac- tion at the Session This Evening. A special meeting of the Panhandle and Ashbury Heights Improvement Club is called for to-night for the purpose cf remonstrating against the location of the Pesthouse on the Almshouse tract. It promises to be the very largest meeting of all the large meetings held by the clubs . A resolution condemning the railroad tracks, platforms and fence maintained by the Park and Ocean Railroad Com- pany on the sidewalk of Stanyan street, between Haight and Waller, without warrant from any authority whatsoever, and petitioning the Board of Supervisors to remove the same, will be introduced; also, a resolution remonstrating against the condition of the Treadwell estate, which is the cause of much damage to property, the drifting sand filling up areas, breaking down fences, filling up sewers and causing them to burst; and also a resolution empowering the presi- dent of the club to appoint a committee club, to canvass the district for a pure ‘artesian water supply and reservoir sites to distribute the same. . The club thinks that showid the Pest. bouse be Jocated on the Almshouse tract, in proximity to Lake Honds, the water ‘would not improved, but that on ac- k. t of the infections di n 10 be treated in the Pes it wouls surely be contaminated. A" resolution lorlfinim _ the so-called A e TIWO WERE NEARLY BURNED T0 DEATH A Very Narrow Escape for John Young and His Wife. A Coal Oil Can Expleded in Their House on R:tch Street. They Are Now in the Hospital Suf- fering From Burns All Over ' Their Bodies. There came near being a shocking fatal- ity in John D. Young’s little three-room cottage at 3381¢ Ritch street lyesterday afternoon. As it was Young and his wife were frightfully burned about the limbs and body and they are now in the Re- ceiving Hospital. It was all caused by carelessness in bandling a coal oil lamp. Young is a cerpenter well advanced in years. His wife also has passed the noon- day of life. He was out during the after- noon, and about 3 o’clock he returned to his home and said he was ready for his Christmas dinner. His wife at the time was pusy preparing the meal, so she told her husband to fill the lamp, as she did not have the time. Young took the lamp and a candle to the place where the five- gallon can of kerosene was kept. A min- ute later there was an explosion that shook the little dwelling. Mrs. Young ran into the room to see 1f ber husband was hurt, and as she did so the burning fluid set her clothes on fire. The lamp and the can of coal oil must have exploded. Young dashed past his wife and raninto the street, for his gar- ments, too, were in flames. The unfortunate woman ran shrieking to the front door and a crowd quickly gathered. By this fime Mrs. Young’s skirts and waist were almost burnt through. Kindly hands seized her and a bystander threw an overcoat around her, smothering the flames, while others weut to the rescue of the man. In the meantime the fire in the house was making rapid headway, so a bucket brigade was started. Officers Videau and Stevens were among the early arrivals, and while one sent the sufferers to the hospital in the patrol wagon the other called out engine 10 on a still alarm. The firemen finished extinguishing the flames. The building was damaged to the exteat of about $100. At the Receiving Hospital tbe patients presented a pitiful appearance. Young was badly burned about the feet and legs. His wife fared much worse. She was burned from her face to her feet, and she suffered terribly. After her wounds were dressed Mrs. Young stated that she had $50 in the pockt of her dress, and added that it was about all the money she had in the world. ‘When the dress was torn off the money must have been lost in the rubbish of burned rags. THE ALMSHOUSE DINNER. The City Wards’ Christmas Dinner of _Roast Beef. Captain E. Reddy, superintendent of the Almshouse, treaied his boarders to a square meal of prime roast beef yesterday. The City’s wards number 934, the great- est number yet registered on the Alms- house books, and to give tnese unfortu- nates an extra good OChristmas dinner there were 700 pounds of first-class beei cooked, together with several pounds of shanks, ribs and other soup-producing material, with which each inmate was plentifully supplied. Captain Reddy, in order to give the in- mates a choice, had a vote taken a few days before Clristmas as to whether they would have turkey or roast beef and soup. The choice was almost unanimous in fayor of beef. Mince pie followed as desert and was much relished by those who in their old age are unfortunately thrown upon the charity of a generous municipality. ————— Trinity Presbyterian Church. Christmas music Sunday evening, December 27: Organ prelude, “‘Hallelujah,” from Bee- | thoven’s ‘“Mount of Olives”; choral from Bach’s Christmas oratorio; anthem, “Thus Speeketh the Lord of Hosts” (Stainer); solo and_chorus, “O Holy Night” (Ada: nged gy Buck); anthem, “Unto You Savior Is orn”’ “Chi]d( of Bethlehem” (Salter); offertory, “Pastoral Symghony," Messiah; anthem, ‘“Be- hold I Bring You Good Tidings’’ (John Goss): 8010 and chorus, “Calm on the Listening Ear of Night” (Holden). A Present to Chief Jailer Sattler. One of the happiest mortals in this City to- day to whom the visit of old Santa Claus this year will surely be a pleasing remem- brance for the balance of his life is unques- tionably A. Sattler, the efficient Cerberus of the City’s prisoners. It appears that when Chief Jatler Sattler sat down to breakfast Christmas morning he found on his plate a magmficent gold badee studded with dia- monds and bearing the inscription, *“To Chief Tailer Sattler, from the officers of County Jail No. L.” ——————— She Took Her Own Clothes. Claus Holtmann, residingat 25 Ifif street, re- ported at 10 o’clock last night to the Seven- teenth-street Police Station that his house had ‘been roboed. Investigation showed that Mr, Holtmann’s daughter and her sweetheart, Wwhose name was not known, had been in the house and that the girl had taken most of ner clothes. She left s note reading as follows; Iam 'm'llnfi on Vallejo street. WIll be back next Sunday night. ————— COSTZHIGH, BUT IT’S GOOD. AMERICAN BEST CHRISTMAS COFFEE. TRY IT. MAKES YOU FEEL SO GOOD. GREAT AMERICAN IMPORTING TEA CO. STORES EVERYWHERE. e —— Commercial Travelers’ Home. The commercial travelers are great peo- ple. Not to appreciate the importance of their labors is to acknowledge one’s igno- rance of the methods of trade. They are the most intrepid nomads that are left on the earth. Their travels are as continu- ous as their toils. They live in sleeping- cars and hotels, brave the perils the rail, the lunch-counter and the hote! bed; live single or apart from their families, ‘endure all weathers and any company that offers—and all that the affinity between good goods and solvent buyers may be discerned and tri- umph. The attention id to them during the ll'c' campaign attested their importance in the commnity. Great ‘pains was taken, especially in Chicago, to equip them with sound and political sentiments, s0 that they might scatter Et e b it T ome al 8 atson): solo, Mrs. Susie Hert Mark, Binghamton, , for worth; ¥ rnt mmmm travelers and their lent lies. It is plete this ‘com that ¢ cial - NEW TO-DAY—DRY GOOD= SCSSSNISCUSSSUNSE S, N e TWO GREAT SALES AT HE MALE! THIS MORNING 9 to 12. THIS EVENING 7 to 10. THE MORNING SALE 9 TO 12 A. M.— i Double Fleeced Flannels, sc. Checked, striped and plain_twill effects in shades of pink, blue, goldenrod, etc., made to sell for 12)4c, positively the greatest bargiin ever offered in the flannel world for 5c. 79 TO 12 A M.— "{ Fancy Novelty Silks, 49c. “ Including ombre stripes, checks, striped taffetas, self-figured Indias m and other novelty silks, being the odd and small pieces of our silk i stock, worth up to $L 25 a yard. 9 TO 12 A. M.— Velour d’Nord Capes, $3.85. Handsomely flower lined, elegant quality of plush, finely beaded trimmed around collar and down the front with black Thibet fur. grand bargain at $7 50. THE EVENING SALE! Look at to-night’s “Bulletin” for the items and their description. Will also be on display in our big front show-windows. They will be hummers for value and more melody in their prices than youw’ll find anywhere on your promenade. They are— Large Linen Towels, 12ic. Gents’ Fancy Teck Ties, 15c. Buttermilk and Glycerine Soap, box 3 cakes 5c. Fancy Black Veilings, 10c a yard. Ladies’ Fleece-back Flannel Wrappers, 85c. Ladies’ Combination Hose, oc a pair. Ladies’ Jersey Ribbed Underwear, 2sc. § § Y 1) - A : | they didnot want to kill him. When g § g 3 § | § MARKET AND TAYLOR STS. THREE SUSPECTS CRUELLY THRASHED Taken From an American Ship and Beaten in Corinto. Captain of the San Juan Blamed for Surrendering His Employes. E. E. Stoddard Says Central Ameri- can Consuis Love Jobn Barley- corn and Procrastimation. “You may take them off and kill them for all I care,” said the captain. This is what E. E. Stoddard, a Pacific Coast agent and traveling salesman fora Buffalo bicycle manufacturer, said the captain of the Pacific Mail steamship San Juan said in the port of Corinto, Nicaragua, November 10 last, while the ship was lying tbere. Mr. Stoddard was then making a business trip through Mex- ico and Central American States. A Span- ish traveling man had dropped his grip containing £150 of English gold at his stateroom door and carelessly left it. It was stolen, and three of the ship’s crew— two waiters of the dining-rcom and a her- culean Chilean, a coal passer—were charged with the theft. The Spaniard went ashore and complained to the Com- andante of the port, a gentleman of fe- rocious appearance, over six feet tall, said Mr. Stoddard. Taking up the story at this point he continued: “The comandante, whe is tha chief officer of the port, came off tothe San Juan and toid the captain he wanted to take the accused men ashore for punish- ment. Tbe captain said he did not care if the comandante took the men off and killed them. So the men were taken ashore and they were.nearly killed, too. The zaptain had no right to let the men be taken ashore. Heshould have brought the men on into United States waters and given them a regular trial. There was a great deal of com plaint among the passen- gers about it. \ “Ifollowed the men ashore. They were mercilessly flogged. Btrips of cane were The men were bent over a chairand their backs bared. They were flogged with the idea of forcing them to confess and return the money. Their backs were lacerated and bleeding.. It was awiul. ‘The big_Chilean was given 160 lashes. He «nfi said he thought he could find the 80! more. - of the gave-| others, a small man, was given 140. He feebly denied that he had stolen the gold, ‘but said he thought he knew where it was. He could not find W they thrashed him till the ph; \de them to stop ;l Teturaed to consciousness they refused to give him water, “"&Mlfi ber the of o not L e I el He did find part of it. Then 3 him forty lashes Vi sengers were unanimous in the opinion that the men should have had a trial and been brought into an American port.” “What did you hear down on the isth- mus concerning the Nicaragua canal ?'’ "‘The people down there, so far as I heard, are skeptical about it. They doubt that it will ever be constructed. I metan American engineer, a young man who has been at work on the scheme. He doubted that the plan is practicable. His opinion is that the canal will fill up with the over- flow from the rivers and cannot be kept open unless dredged all the time. The canal looks well on paper, but it’s a mighty big job. “They talk about those Central Ameri- can States affording good openings for young men. That is not true. I know of capable and clever young fellows down there working for $25 a month. ‘“The American flag is not respected down there as the English flag is, or as 1t should be. Our Consuls do not stand on their dignity as they ought to, 1f an American be arrested or gets into trouble our Consuls put the matter off, shrug their shoulders and procrastinate. Some of the Americaa Consuls are not.yery busy. They sit around the hotel and drink whisky. Some of them gave me the im- pression of being political hacks sent off there to get them out of the way. Their chief representative capacity is exercised sitting around the hotel and drinking whisky, as I said before.”” _“What is the foture of the Americsn bicycle down there ?” “In Mexico it is all right, butin the other countries not very promising. In Guatemala I do not believe there are 400 wheels, Outside of Mexico there are no roads to speak of. The dealers in Guate- mala City are loaded up with English, French and German wheels which they can’t sell at any price. All the stores are carrying wheels and the business is over- done there as it is here in this country. In Guatemala City a couple of California boys run a bicycle and repair shop and are doing well. They are Mr. Hunt, who for- merly lived in Bacramento, and Mr. Au- ment, formerly of Mayfield.” Mr. Stoddard brought back two large boa constrictor skins and other trophies, which now decorate his rooms in the Bay City Wheelmen’s Club. NEW TO-DAY. LEVIN BROS. LEADING GROCERS. Special Sale for To-day Only ! REAMERY R VITER. .. 3 squares $1.00 PU ANADIAN APLESYROE. gallon 75¢ ST CALIFORN1A BEED CHRESE % PO\‘lnd 10c NEW MISSION RIPE OLLVES 10 PER CENT Discount on all CIGARS by th: BOX of IMPORTED. and DO- MESTIC BRANDS for ~ NEW YEAR PRESENTS. 1324-1326 MARKET ST. AND 134 SIXTH ETREKT, ... quart 25¢ A