The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 12, 1898, Page 2

o = THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1898. published fac similes of the bordereau, | they did not publish a fac simile of the letter written by Dreyfus at Major | Paty du Clam’s dictation, “as it would have been too embarrassing,” the wit- | ness implying that a comparison would | have tended to show that Dreyfus was not the author of the bordereau. Colonel Picquart emphatically de-| nied General Pellieux’s statements that he had divulged an espionage affair to outsiders. He admitted ding -an | agent to Major Esterhazy's apart- | ments, but he pointed out that at the | time Major Esterhazy's flat was ad- vertised to let, and his agent only brought him an unimportant letter, which, howev he reserved for com- on of handwriting. Colonel Pic- rt added that he communicated his spicions of the guilt of Maj hazy to his chiefs, who never said they had additional evidence of the guilt of Dreyfus beyond what he himself knew. M. Laborie then questioned Colonel regarding the secret docu- | ment and the witness said: “I know of the existence of a secret document, but I only saw it when General Pel- lieux showed it to me.” The witne: could not give any further particulars on account of professional secrecy. The colonel w ked by M. Laborie | if he saw the original bordereau, and admitted that did, but said he was chic acquainted with the photo- graphic war n pr »ductions circulating at the | He also admitted hav- | ing seen the document in which fig- | ured the phra his canaille” (rascal) | which had been so much talked about in the French press. General Pellieux ‘was recalled, and again denounced Colonel Picquart for arching Major Esterhazy’s rooms whereupon M. Laborie quickly retorted: “But you, yourself, had Colonel Pic- quart’s room searched.” At the of his evidence Colonel P was given an enthusi- r astic leaving the Pa- s followed by a knot shouting “Death to Zola!” be heard through the car- indows, exclaiming, “The cow- of peoyle who cou The police dispersed a thousand peo- > who were burning Zola journals on streets. Man ests were made, but the persons arrested were quickly | liberated. | THIS CITY HAS BEEN | DISGRACED Continued from | sioner; Page. ery indulged in by the others. Willis | retained his p n through the ef- forts of Carman, ithough Sheakley frequently advised that he was of no use to him and a drawback to the Wwo He ly secured the right to discharge him. “The whole business has been most disgre 1 said Governor Sheakley, in speaking of t matter. “I have never been connected with anything that so disgusted me before in my life. I asked C: an why he should have | brought such a worthless lot of men Wwith him, and he replied that good men were too expensive. We would have been far better off without them. They not only disgraced us and discredited us, but they robbed us. One man ha a beaver coat valued at $150, belong: s & Co. of San Francisco. g about it, | b > b n telegr has gone off with it. | nothing to do but close up , since there was no possibil- low the offic ity of doing any good for our city. I have re-ests hed the credit of the committee, and that is all I could hope | to do.” STORMY SESSION OF REPUBLICANS Factional Fights Mark the Meeting of the League | of Ohio. Despite Opposition Greetings Are Sent to President McKinley, Hanna and Foraker. Bpecial T ch to The Call, i COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 11.—The Ohio | Republican League convention, which | eld in this city to-d ¥ tormiest in the history of the league. About 200 del presenting seventy- | lubs, were in attendance.s The factional fighting which marked the late Senatorfal contest cropped out. There were strenuous efforts to restore harmony, both the retiring president and the president-elect advising the members of the league to lay aside factional differ- ences. Senator Foraker in his telegram to the league also made a plea for har- mony. The Foraker and Bushnell ele- ment were dominant In the convention, and while they tried to keep factional dif. ferences in the background, carrled all their points. Trouble was started early in | the proceedings. Despite the opposition resolutions were adopted as follows: “We send greeting to President Me- Kinley and Senators Hanna and Foraker and assure them of our heartiest sup- . was one of | sections objected to by the Me- | and Hanna adherents are as fol- Kinley low: “We indorse. the Cuban resolution fn- troduced and discussed February 9 by Benator Mason in the United States Sen. ate, and hope that it will be promptly epproved by the Committee on Foreign passed by the Senate and ener- carried into effect by our hon- vred President, and to the end that the Cuban independence may quickly become tn accomplished fact, without being load- td down by iniquitous bondage. “We cordially indorse every department | »f our State administration, particularly | that of our beloved, level-headed +and | efficient Governor, General Asa S. Bush- nell. ““We indorse and approve the energetic ind efficient efforts undertaken by Attor- pey-General Monett and the State Senate to uncover and destroy unlawful and hurtful trust syndicates and combina- | lons. We hope such effort will continue | antil all such hurtful trusts and combin- | ations are uncovered and destroyed and | the General Assembly will supplement | juch efforts by appropriate legislation.” | - Will Sue Napa Asylum. NAPA, Feb. 11.—The Board of Trustees | »f the Napa State Hospital met in regu- | ar monthly session to-day Jacob Streb, | & discharged employe, whose case was aid over from the last meeting, appeared with his attorney. His application for teinstatement being refused, Streb an- nounced his intention to immediately in- jtitute a suit for damages. The whole af- falr pertaining to discharges lately made from the institution will thus ve a rearing. ’. . | Otto Brodtbeck. 1 000, consisting of 2500 shares. CASE OF SATAN REBUKING SIN Gibbon’s Relations With the Los Angeles City : Bank. A Political Purifier Whose Own Record Is Now Being c Scrutinized. Shady Transactions Connection With a Most Sensational in Failure. Special Dispatzh to The Call. LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10.—Ever since the failure of the City Bank in June, 1893, mystery has attached to the relations that existed between that institution and Thomas E. Gib- bon. Rumors of the most sensational character have been afloat in this re- gard. On the 2ist of June the bank went into the hands of a receiver. Its labilities at the time of the failure were about $185,000. Of this amount about $115,000 was un- secured. On this sum, through the good management of W. J. Wash- burn, who succeeded Brodtbeck as re- ceiver, after the bank had been in liquidation for about three months, dividends have been declared in the aggregate to the extent of 221, per cent. Mr. Washburn is now preparing his final supplementary report, the ac- ceptance of which will be followed by his application to be discharged from the duties of receiver of the City Bank. From evidence at hand it appears that Attorney Thomas E. Gibbon, one of the most active spirits in the League for Better City Government, | an organization which pretends to stand for all that is good in public af- fairs; who holds the honorable and re- sponsible position of Police Commis- who, presumably because of his moral and political jntegrity, was | selected to carry on the prosecution in | connection with the School Board cor- ruption; who in the latter capacity has been displaying his oratorical abilities in delivering homilies on pub- lic morality; who sought by his per- | sonal influence to have a teacher re- | tained in the school department for | which position she had shown' herself | to the creditors and stockholders of the bank that it had a valuable note when in fact it did not have one, the result must be the same, for, when parties em- ploy legal instruments of an obligatory character for fraudulent and deceitful purposes, it is sound reason, as well as pure justice, to leave him bound who has bound himself. It will never do for llle‘\ | courts to hold that the officers of a bank.“ { by the connivance of a third party, can| | glve to it the semblance of solidity and | | security, and, when its insolvency is dis-| closed, that the third party can escape the consequences of his fraudulent act. | Undoubtedly, the transaction in question | originated with the officers of the bank, but to it the defendant became a Wwilling party. It would require more credulity than I possess to believe that the defend- ant, when his brother, who was the book- keeper of the bank, came to him with | the proposition of its vice-president, in its every suggestion and essence decep- tive and fraudulent, did not know its| true character and purpose. | In discussing the motive that inspired | the defendant in making the note in question Judge Ross said it was noth- ing more than to enable the bank offi- cers “to make a deceptive and there: fore fraudulent showing of assets. Judgment in the case was given for the plaintiff. | In order that Mr. Gibbon might make any explanation of the matter l)‘ml he desired a visit was paid to Mr. Gibbon | at his office. “I would like you to give me the his- tory of your connection with the affairs of the City Bank,” began the correspond- ent of The Call. “If you have any interest in connection with my connection with the City Bank vou will probably get an answer to any question you may asl “I would like to ask you more particu- larly with reference to a certain agree- ment made with the two Childresses, bearing on a note for $5000, which I un- derstand was turned in as part of the al stock of the City Bank when it was organized.” “You have not given any reason show- ing that you have a right to make these inquiries. 1 know nothing of any note | that was turned in as part of the capital stock of the City Bank when it was or- ganized.” B e Point Mr. Gibbon was handed the of the agreement referred to vas asked if he recog- t going to permit | n this matter. If you have any ght or reason in making this inquiry I shall be most | happy to give you the information you ask for.” at agreement is said to be in effect a fraud upon the stockholders, possibly, and a fraud upon the depositors of that bank.” “If you desire to publish any such statement as that, and upon the authority | of any one who stated it to you, you will | find that the authority is not reliable.” | “You say that the note referred to in that agreement was not made part of the capital stock of the City Bank? 1 am.not going to answer that ques- tion until you show me some right to make this Inquiry. 1 say I know of no note that I had anything to do with that was made a part of the capital stock; | certainly none that 1 had anything to do | with was made @ part of the capital stock, not to my knowledge. Now, think I can simplify this matter. Mr. Childress is in San Francisco. He was there the last time we heard of him. He can be reached by your correspondent there, it there is any reason to ask him any question. There are a number of gentlemen in_town who knew everything there was to know about that transaction, because in one way or another they had to be disqualified—this same Thomas E. Gibbon, who was most aggressive in the hounding of School Director Webb; who is one of the guiding in- fluences of the Herald, which has | sought to betray the people in their contest with the Los Angeles City | Water Company—has been guil of | an act similar to one that Circuit Judge Ross of this district has char- acterized as nothing less than an at- tempt “to enable the bank officers to make a deceptive and therefore fraudulent showing of assets.” The offender in the case referred to by Judge Ross was a layman and a brother of the bookkeeper of the bank for whose benefit the fraud was prac- ticed. Gibbon, as already stated, is an attorney, and at the time he lent him- self to the transcaction under discus- sion was the legal adviser or ‘he men who organized and afterward wrecked the City Bank. The City Bank was July 25 organized on 1889, according to the books | turned over to the receiver of the now defunct institution. The principal | stockholders in the bank were W. T. and A. D. Childress. Among the assets of the institution was a note for $5000, made by T. E. Gibbon. The following, which is a copy of a secret agreement entered Into between the Childresses and Gibbon, throws some light and | Some mystery on the note in question: This agreement, made this 25th day of July, lb(‘g, by and between W. T. im‘}l' A D. Childress of the first part and T. E. Gibbon of the second part, witnesseth: That the parties of the first part have this day sold and assigned to the party of the second part four hundred shares of stock in the San Felipe Land and Water Company, a corporation, for the sum of five thousand dollars (35000), for which the said party of the second part has this day executed to said parties of the first part his note for the sum of five thousand dollars (35000), payable at ninety days. from date, with interest at the rate of 10 per cent per annum from date. Now, in consideration of the urchase | by the said party of the secon art of | said stock, and the making of said note er- rst by him to the said first partles, with mission to the said parties of the | part to use the sald note for certain pur- poses, which the said parties of the first part desire to accomplish, the sajd par- ties of the first part hereby promise, agree and bind themselves to and with said party of the second part to pay all Interest which may accrue on said note or any renewal thereof, to pay all assess- ments for corporation purposes and all | taxes that are now due or may. hereafter become due on said stock and to protect saild note by securing the extension or renewal of the-same or by paying the same if necessary, should the same come into the possession of third parties, until such time as he, the said party of the second part, shall be able to sell said stock and realize sufficlent funds Yrom such sale to pay sald note, together with all other sums paid out by the said first parties on account of interest thereon and assessments and taxes on sald stock. The said party of the second part, in considerfition of the foregoing, has this day purchased sald stock an ven his note as above set forth to be held and used by the said parties of the first part, and he further agrees and promises that when sald stock is sold he will pay over to the said parties of the first Fart two- thirds (2-3) of the met profit realized upon the sald stock, after deducting from the purchase price and paying to the said first “parties the principal of said note, together with all interest due thereon at that time and all sums which the said first parties may have paid out for ac- crued interest and assessments and taxes on said stock. In witness whereof, the said parties have hereunto set their hands and seals the twenty-sixth day of July, year first above mentioned. W. T. and A. D. CHILDRESS, T. E. GIBBON. Neither at that time nor at any time since has the stock of the San Felipe Land and Water Company been of any considerable value. This company was organized with a capital stock of $250,- Among | the assets of the City Bank when it failed was a block of 250 shares, which were sold by the receiver on May 17, 1897, for $25. At this rate the 400 shares for which Gibbon gave his note to the Childresses for $5000 were worth $40. A very similar transaction is dis- cussed in the Federal Reporter 69, page 460, in_a decision rendered by Circuit Judge Ross on August 12, 1895. This was an action at law by Fred- erick N. Pauly, receiver of the Cali- fornia National Bank of San Diego, against J. E. O'Brien on a promissory note made by the latter to the bank. The defendant, at the instance of the vice-president of the bank, gave a note to the bank for $3714 40 to take up and replace a note made by one Naylor, which had become overdue, owing to the insolvency of Naylor. O'Brien was asked to do this in order that a proper showing might_be made to the bank commissioner. In the course of his de- cision Judge Ross has this to say: If-the transaction was a mere trick to a right to know it. There has been noth- ing concealed or to conceal about it. Simply as a matter of what is due to myself T don’t propose, unless you can show some intelligent reason for making this inquiry, to answer any gquestion whatever o you at this time. If you can show me that you have any respecta- ble or sensible reason in the world for wanting to know about that transaction or any other with which I am concerned, 1 shall take pleasure in answering you “Well, putting it on the ground of good public morals; would you answer on that ground?”’ “‘Not unless you show some relation to good public morals.” “Let me ask you one question in refer- ence to this agreement. What is the meaning of the underlined clause which reads as follows: ‘With permission to tae | said parties of the first part to use the| sald note for certain purposes, which the said parties of the first part desire to ac- complish’?"’ “The meaning is that what use they were to make of that note, and, so far as I know, what use they did make of that note, was perfectly legitimate, and | it can be shown it was, so far as I am | aware, entirely legitimate and entirely honest. I will end this matter right here. If any person of respectability or stand- ing desires to make any charge against me, I shall answer that charge just as quickly as possible in a proper way. If any person who has any right to know | about that note n‘inplles for information regarding it, I shall answer that applica- tion as quickly as I know how. I shall not submit to any further interview on what you allege has been said in refer- ence to it. When these statements are made public by any individual, then it will be time for me to say anything in answer. It will be sald quickly and very much to the point. I feel that this in- quiry has been suggested bi; the people here whom I have been fighting as the attorney for the League for Better City Government, people for whom I have such an infinite contempt that I feel it would be personally undignified for me to submit to an interview about any matter that those people might seek to bring up against me, supported by their state- ments.” Mr. Gibbon was informed that he was mistaken as to the people who had made the statements to the effect that the secret agreement between him and the Childresses was in effect a fraud. Notwithstanding this, he still declined to make any explanation of the secret agreement and of the mysterious clause contained therein. When the City Bank failed, the Gib- bon note for $5000, with a number of other securities, was turned over to George H. Stewart, in trust for the sureties on the bonds of the City Treas- urer and of the County Treasurer. The proceeds of these securities were to be applied to the payment of the special deposits that had been made with the City Bank by the two officials men- tioned. Three days after the bank went into the hands of the regeiver, A. D. Childress made a trust deed to Otto Brodtbeck of a lot in this city. The trust deed provided that the $5000 note should be paid out of the proceeds of this lot. Major Bonebrake, as president of the Los Angeles National Bank, was inter- ested in .the payment of the Gibbon note for $5000. He states that the note has either been fully paid, or would be so, in accordance with the agree- ment that Gibbon had made. The failure of the bank created one of the biggest sensations ever known in financial circles in this part of the State. Many hundreds of the middle class of people were losers, and in- dictments were found against several of the bank officials and employes. Gibbon was down on the books of the City Bank as a debtor for various other amounts, but these were all settled or compromised after the bank failed. WILL UNDERGO A SERIOUS OPERATION Pozzi to Attempt to Relieve Sarah Bernhardt, Who Suffers From Internal Troubles. PARIS, Feb. 11.—Sarah Bernhardt is about to undergo a serious operation. She will leave her residence in Boulevard Perfere to-morrow for the Malson de Sante, where an operation will be per- formed under the direction of Pozzi. For some time past the great actress hasween suffering from internal pains. She felt them the first time when, in the last scene in “Les Mauvals Bergers,” she had to fall full length. She was advised to take extreme care and avold all fatigue, which she did, but the pains continued during the forty gformucu of the plece. She consulted Pbzzi, who diagnosed the case as one of serious internal trouble and decided upon an operation to take place in June. Bernhardt was about to start on a provinelal tour, but she has, canceled her arrangements, owing to the' ains becoming more severe, “and .the make it appear to the Government and ate of operation has been advanced. THE REPAIRED JOHNSONS CANYON TUNNEL . THE SANTA FE. RESOURCES OF SACRAMENTO The Great Natural Wealth of the City and County. the Heart of a Section ‘Where the Sugar Beet Thrives. In President Steffens of the Chamber of Commerce Predicts Future Prosperity. Special Dispatch to The Call. SACRAMENTO, ;eb. 11.—The Sac- | ramento Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting to-night, and, in con- junction with it, extended hospitalities through the Sutter Club to the city and county officials and other citizens. The | business portion of the meeting was first conducted and consisted of an ad- dress by President Steffens and a re- port by Secretary J..0. Coleman. The address of President Steffens follows: Members of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce—Gentlemen: Immediately af- ter your last annual meeting and the formation of the necessary committees, the resolutions passed by the meeting were taken up by the Board of Directors and complied with with all possible speed. ‘While the matter of securing a site ror a Chamber of Commerce building your directory has not seen its way clear to take such action; deeming it more ad- visable to wait until there were more funds in hand for that purpose and the time seemed more favorable for the suc- cessful consummation of such an im- portant undertaking. A new building should promptly follow the securing of a site, as {t does not seem business-like to purchase a site and then let the invest- ment lie idle. This association has re- cently had quite a sum of money trans- ferred to it, and the proposition of pro- viding a new building for its use seems much more possible now than when there was but little more in sight to build it than a resolution. As outlined in my last year's review, the committee having in charge the mat- ter of planting several experimental patches of sugar beets had arrangements all made to do the plantine in April. This was done at that time, the care for the same being put under the charge of an expert. In June, by report and advice of the committee, certain of the patches were abandoned. In August following the com- mittee recommended that an exhibit be made at the State Fair of beets to be selected from the test patches then in charge of the expert. The suggestion was adopted and the exhibit was made at the fair in September, during which the as- says were made of the beets on exhibit under the State Falr management. These assays were of the most satisfactory character and were published at the time. The assays were confirmed by those made by Professor Hilgard of the State University, whose report was that of the eighteen assays made and representing twelve patches of beets from different sections of our surrounding country the average per cent in cane sugar was 16.97, with an average of 84.8 purity coefficient. The cs\nva.ssqn: for subscriptions for the required acreage opened immediately and was most faithfully prosecuted by the special committes, seconded by local citizens not members of the Chamber of Commerce; also by several farmers who volunteered to aid the undertaking all possible. After the .canvass had pro- gressed and there seemed a possibility of there being a shortage of signed acreage another committee of citizens outside of this organization got up and had numer- ously signed a guarantee fund to make good whatever shortage there might be when the canvass was finished. The experimental work done in sugar beet culture and the effort to establish a sugar factory here have brought out and well established certain propositions, viz.: that this is the most central point in the State for Supg‘ylng a factory with a su- perior sugar beet and other needed arti- cles for manufacturing; also that it igthe best point in the State from Which to Sup- ly the great interior, having a large ocal wholesale trade of its own, and also as favorable a point as any from which to ship the surplus to 8an Franclsco or any other great central market; that there is local capital here ready to invest in-the enterprise when a man with a proper amount of his own money and with ex- perience in the business and good char- acter s ready to start the work and de- sires local assistance to join him; that while we have a great varlety of soils in our immediate surroundings, our sugar beet lands show, both by State Univer- sity and State Fair assays, the best of any lands in the State, and also that we have an ample supply of such high-grade lands; that sugar beet culture contrib- utes to 1ntensl?yin farming, in that it cleans the ground from weeds and makes foul land more available for growing cereals; that the topping of the beets re- turns to the land those salts needed by the lands for {ts renewal for grain rais- ing; that many of the farmers who have been taking an interest in the matter are now making short time contracts for sup- g’lring sugar beets to the Crockett Starr 1ls Sugar Factory; that when any legit- imate local undertaking comes up that commands the confidence of the people and that is general in its character there is no lack of wiiling hands to aid the en- lergrme, The most important question that from year to year has been referred to in my annual reviews before the Sacramento Board of Trade and this chamber, which now succeeds it, has been the matter of river improvement. No substantial river improvement work has as yet been ac- complished. The work of destroying the was | strongly urged at the annual meeting, | | Sacramento River has been going on morg or less all the time, and the river | has been having its revenge, as it were, by in turn destroying the adjacent coun- | caught fire. MANY RISKED LIFE AND LOST The Santa Fe T.unnel at Johnsons Canyon Reopened. Dozen Workmen Said to Have Been Killed While Mak- ing Repairs. Most Expensive Series of Disasters in the Histéry of the Railway. Special Dispatch to The Call. WILLLIAMS, Ariz., Feb. 11.—The Johnsons Canyon tunnel, which has been the scene of a series of costly dis- asters to the Santa Fe Pacific road— probably the most expensive in the history of the Santa Fe system—was re opened for the passage of trains yes- terday, and there is now a rush of traffic on the road. Almost a month has passed since the tunnel first On Sunday, January 16, sparks from a passing engine ignited the woodwork of the structure, which burned fiercely and stubbornly, re- sisting all efforts to extinguish it. The available road forces were im- mediately called to the scene to clear the debris and begin the work of re- building. Then occurred the cave in, which caused the death of Bridge Superin- tendent C. R. Matthews and Roadmas- ter Lyons. . The work progressed try. The question of river improvement has | passed to one of river restoration, and | at will soon one of general de- vastation unle: s | of efforts now pendi in a few words that my po: first has been that it was the duty of all | citizens to insist that, as the general Government reserved the river as its own | | ward, it should be required to care for | it, as it was doing with other rivers else- | where in the United States, and that all | | complicated side issues were included | and covered by the proposition that the | Government should care for the river. However, as this State hasappropriated $300,000 for river work and the Govern- | ment officers have recommended that it | appropriate a like sum for the same pur- | pose, the outlook for substantial relief for the river was never so hopeful as it | is_now. Last December this chamber adopted resolutions commending Congressman de | | Vries of this district and other members ngress for their vigilance in the | matter of Sacramento River improve- | ment. | Our Congressmen have appealed to the Government engineers to outline the work to be donme and for co-operation with the State. The Hon. Ed. E. Leake, commissioner of public works, has assoclated with his department as’ consulting aid Major Heuer, a Government engineer of recog- nized ability. The auditing board seems to be making good progress in the way of removing many obstacles. By request, the Attorney General of this State has de- cided to the effect that it will be legal to try to regulate the river overflow of water and conduct it somewhere rather than let it go tearing everywhere. Mr. | Muir has offered free of charge to let the S‘mte avall itself of his dredger rights, ete. ! It was also in December that this | chamber appointed a special committee | on river matters and In the progress of its action it developed that one of the ob- structions to be remedied, or, rather, one | of the most important aids to be invoked, was tha textensive repairs had to be made | to the levees on the west banks of the | Sacramento before the authorities would place overflow weirs on the river. Those people who have become almost bank- | Tupt by repeated levee repair expendi- | tures, have been prevailed on by Secre- | tary J. O. Coleman, seconded by the spe- | cial committee on river matters, to sign | an agreement to again put their levees | in good condition on the promise that the | authorities will commence work on the | river. -This agreement has been generally | signed, and if the proposed river works | follow it will be in evidence that your | special committee on river matters has | done the pioneer practical work toward | this great river undertaking. That com- | mittee proposes that from now on it will follow up and help out all it possibly can. The large amount of money which is put out monthly in this city for wages and supplies by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, the Sacramento Elec- tric Light and Raiflway Company, the river transportation lines, the breweries, winerles and like enterprises, has kept this city In a solid financial condition dur- ing the year and also on the steady march of growth and improvement. While we in the city do not notice the growth much from day to day, to any one who has been absent from'the city a year or two and then. returns the city’s progress is very apparent. There were shipped from Sacramento and adjacent points in 1397, from May to November inclusive, 41,560 tons of decid- uous fruit; also, for one year, ending June 30, 1897, the following: Dried fruits | 4593 tons, hops 1658 tons, canned goods, 4505 tons, vegetables, 193§ tons. | There are many citizens yet who should | identify themselves with this chamber, and thereby aid in doing public work that must be done and which no com- munity should shift to the shoulders of the few to do. I urge the citizens to join and ald this association, and in return it will help them. I bespeak for the Sac- ramento Chamber of Commerce a new growth and an enlarged usefulness in the near future. Following this address came the in- troduction of the new president, D. A. Lindley. In accepting the position Mr. Lindley spoke of his desire to meet with a hearty co-operation from all and hoped that he would receive it from the body of the Association. Mr. Shaw, at this stage of proceed- ings, then arose and said that as Mr. Steffens was about to retire from the presidency, some word commending his course should be spoken. Continuing, Mr. Shaw paid the retiring president many compliments, and in conclusion said that what success had marked the career of the chamber was certainly due to the sagacity, loyalty and hard work of Mr. Steffens. He, therefore, proposed a vote of thanks, which was tendered unanimously. Robert T. Delvin, the recently elect- ed delegate to wait upon Congress to urge river improvement matters, then addressed the chamber upon that phase of the president’s address dealing with the subject. Following the business meeting of the chamber, came the social feature of the evening. It passed in the shape of a smoker, during which several spe- cialties from the Orpheum were ren- dered upon a stage temporarily con- structed in the reception room of the Butter Club. IGNORES THE CASE OF PROFESSOR DUDLEY. SANTA CRUZ, Feb. 11.—The Grand Jury finished its labors to-day. Com- mendation was made that the Supervis- ors purchase rock which tramps should be made to break. Defects in the Court- house building were discovered and the Supervisors recommended to have them repaired immediately. The county offi- cials are pralsed, for, according to Ex- pert Willlams’ report, the books are in §°°d condition, no error 'having been ound. No reference was made in the report to Professor Dudley's case, al- thoxfl: it was given an investigation, PALO ALTO, Feb. 1l.—Professor Dud- ley, when interviewed on the report of the Grand Jury of Santa Crusz, J)eclared his policy unrel enflng. He will do all in his power to cause the punishment of the wish to say ion from the | slowly with intermittent disasters in which many were injured at various times, and in which several unre- corded fatalities are alleged to have occurred. Although the public has knowledge | of but three deaths, the workmen aver that if the list of the dead were known it would be swelled to at least a dozen. They say the men whose fate was thus concealed had no known ac- quaintances or friends, were perhaps Indians or Mexicans, and were carried away quietly so that the difficulty of securing recruits and of keeping those already employed at the hazardous task might be lessened. Just as everything was in readiness for the resumption of traffic, on the night of February 3, fire broke out afresh in the roof, and the troublesome tunnel was soon in as bad a shape as before. Since then the engineers have had a new difficulty to contend with. The fire worked insiduously into the limestone rock, causing it to crumble. Another danger to the workmen arose from the fumes of carbonic acid gas, which came from the smoldering lime- stone. At first the gas was so power- ful that the men were almost immedi- ately overcome and were placed on five-minute shifts until the rock be- came cooled. This was remedied by the use of a large air pump, which furnished pure air from the outside during the second reconstruction. The “hill’ which embraces the stretch of track on which the tunnel is located has come to be regarded as an ill-fated locality among railroad men. Within it are two long stretches of 3 per cent grade. On the lower one an oil train exploded about a year ago, and on the upper one only . three months ago a fatal disaster occurred, in which several of the crew were killed. Many minor mishaps have oc- curred on the “hill.” Of Interest to the Coast. WASHINGTON, Feb. 11.—The Com- mercial National Bank of Santa Monica with a capital of $50,000, has been author- ized by the Comptroller of the Currency to_commence business. P. A. Buell and dwife left for home at ockton, Cal., to-day. StAugust Mackrodt of the Third Artillery Band at Angel Island, will be dismissed from the army. Pensions have been granted as follows: California—Original: ~ Amil Willey, Gol- den Gate, $6; Richard Butler, Vallejo, 38; Edwin Cotton, Clements, $6; Patrick Moore, Soldiers’ Home, Los Angeles, $6; Charles Otting, Yreka, $8. Oregon—Supplemental: Frederick A. Nourse, Salem, $2. . Nominations Confirmed. WASHINGTON, Feb. 11.—The Senate to-day confirmed these nominations: N. E. Malcolm of San Jose, Cal., to be United States’ Commissioner in the Dis- trict of Alaska. R. C. Parsons Jr. of Ohio, secretary of e embassy at Rome. thT‘V. Smlthyot North Carolina, to be Min- ister and Consul-General to Liberia. E. A. thchncocl: of Missouri, to be Em- bassador to Russia. ‘William McMicken of Olympia, Wash., to be Surveyor-General of Washington. L. M. Berg of Texas, Consul at Nuevo Laredo, Mex. Postmasters—California: E. A. Clapp, Azusa; J. C. Boggs, Newcastle; C. D. Bonesteel, Ventura; M. A. Luce, San Diego; H. Jacoby, San Pedro; T. A. Nelson, Stockton. LOCAL OPTI0N, TOTED DOYY - Wheelmen Against the Proposition of Sun- day Racing. Impeortant Amendments Made to the Constitution of the National Organization. A Provision Introduced to Compel Riders to Rest in Six-Day Continuous Contests. Epezial Dispatch to The Call. ST. LOUIS, Feb. 11.—After three days of hard work, the National Assembly of the League of American Wheelmen to-night finally adjourned, after one of the most notable sessions ever held by that body. The all-important question of local option in the matter of Sunday racing was again defeated, an amend- ment providing that State divisions ba granted the right tc determine for themselves whether or not Sunday bi- cycle races should be permitted being voted down by but six votes. - President Potter voted for the amendment. The divisions voting sol« idly in favor of the amendment were: District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Misscuri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Colorado. The divisions unanimously against it were Connecticut, Délaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Caro- lina, South Dakota, Texas and Wis- consin. Maryland cast one vote for, six against; Michigan, 6 for and 2 against; New York, 62 for, 8 against; Pennsyl- vania, 6 for, 57 against; Rhode Island, 1 for, 6 against. Thirty-two other amendments were disposed of during the day in various ways. Some were indefinitely post- poned or withdrawn, while four were defeated. Among the more important of those adopted are the following: Article III of the constitution, a new section inserted to read: “No. 9—No professional shall be eligible to entry in any open race run under the rules of the League of American Wheelmern unless he is registered with the racing board.” Article ITI, Section 8 (L), substitute: “Contestants at meets closed to a col- lege or to any number of colleges form- ing an intercollegiate meet, may for these meets be only governed by the amateur rules of the intercollegiate as- sociation of amateur athletes of Amer- ica.” Article V, Section 3, was amended by striking out the word, “Wheelmen.” Other amendments adopted provided for the payment of $2500 a year as com- pensation to Chairman Mott of the Na- tional Racing Board, and declaring that hereafter no sanctions.would be given for any six-day continuous race unless the riders be compelled to take at least two hours’ rest out of every twenty- four. R. C. Botier of Milwaukee intro- duced the following resolution, which was warmly indorsed by prominent men in the league, and finally adopted: “Resolved, That the executive com- mittee of the L. A. W. be instructed to investigate the feasibility of turning over to some other organization or body the control of racing, and to re- port its results at the next national as- sembly.” This concluded the work of the as- sembly, which adjourned sine die. \ ADVERTISEMENTS. ‘‘ Three years ago I was troubled With eruptions All over my face. I was in such A condition that I was ashamed To go into company. I began taking Hood’s Sarsaparilla And it cured me. I am now free From eruptions.” W. R. Clyma, Pennington, Cal. w price. ‘Which arrives to-day or Monday. paper and paint now; they’ll pay :ofl;.cqu who arrested him without rea- | HY there seemed to be a shortage of passenger transportation for Alaska from February 15 to March 1, and we agreed to buy 100 tickets of the HUMBOLDT managers to get the steamer to return here on its second trip. Fine steamer cabin, $50, $62, with 500 pounds of freight free. ‘Wire us, or call at once. Steamer leaves as soon as loaded after its return. WHAT ELSE HAPPENED, ‘We need more room for Klondike packing, and have to sell all the Furni- ture on third floor and a part on the fifth floor. Bedroom Suites, Chiffoniers, Bureaus at a big discount. . CASH 95-97 Market St., San Francisco. ESTABLISHED 1879, REI WAREHOUSE fflmfi:‘r&u DEVOTED TO PACKING. VISIT US. WHAT HAPPENED! Fine Parlor Sets at half ALSO TRUNKS, SATCHELS AND CARPETS Closing at broke prices, on third floor to—make room for a A CAR OF WALL PAPER Y TR Some of the finest and newest and cheapest things in wallpaper that ever came to the coast. Brush up the rooms xl\)'ith in increased rents, of guests in a few weeks on the way to Alaska. NO BETTER PLACE TO OUTFIT. as the town will be full 2.9 STORE, * RELIABLE OUTPITTERS. 7 FLOORS DEVOTED TO SEIPPING G0ODS. %