The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 26, 1898, Page 4

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1898. DECEMBER 26, 1808 JQHN D. SPRECKELS, Propretor. All' Communications to W. S. LEAKE, Manager. PUBLICATION OFFICE Market and Third Sts., S. F. Telephone Main 1868, EDITORIAL ROQOMS 217 to 22| Stevenson Street Telephone Main 1874. THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL (DAILY AND SUNDAY) Is served by,carrlers In this city and surrounding towns for I5 cents a week. By mall $6 per year: per month 65 cents.; THE WEEKLY CALL OAKLAND OFFICE One year, by mall, $1.50 ..908 Broadway NEW YORK OFFICE Room 188, World Building DAVID ALLEN, Advertising Representative. WASHINGTON (D. C.) OFFICE. «eere..Riggs House C. C. CARLTON, Correspondent. CHICAGO OFFICE weeseen.Marquette Building C.GEORGE KROGNESS, Advertising Representative. BRANCH OFFICES—527 Montgomery street, corner Clay, open until 9:30 o'cloek. 387 Hay t open until 9:30 o'clock. 621 McAllister street, open until 9:30 o'clock. 618 Larkin street, open untll 9:30 o'clock. 1941 Missicn street, open until 10 o'clock. 2291 Market street, corner Sixteenth, open untll 9 o'clock. 2818 Misslon street, open until 9 o'clock. 106 Eleventh street, open until 9 o'clock. 1505 Polk street, open untll 9:30 o'clock. NW. corner Twenty-second ana Kentucky streets, open until 9 o'clock. AMUSEMENTa alifornta bia “*Magd Mins: Jubllee. adron.”” [ Hollow."" . Vaudeville and the Z0o. nd Eddy streets, Speciaities. ack—Races To-day. enthal Plano Reclts “A R utes—C Comedy The Ch Tuesday even- poli Metr January —_— Y e —— THE “NEW. COMMERCIAL MISTRESS. ree a year or two longer it will s 1 F the United States continues its present onward aarch in co be ‘the - commercial of the world. Its rogress during the ‘past year has been amazing. mistress Nothing like it has even been seen in the history of any country. « Europe is getting deeper and deeper into out debt and it wilt not be long before we shall have 3 ye on that continent. It already owes S . not to mention unpaid balances of previous 12 it two dollars” worth of goods We are loaning it We are getting nce of They are Here are some of the figures for 1808. astoni 5 )f trade in favor of the United States, De- 5,000,000 in gold coin on December | cember (estimated), $75.000,000; November, $79,428,- 306. Increase in exports for December over Decem- | ber, 1897 (estimated), per cent; 25 Iron and steel—Increase of exports for 1898 over 1897; per cent, 50. Orders for iron and steel products now.in process of filling” in the United States for | foreign use, tons, 142,000; for domestic use, tons, 24,- 600, Breadstu: provisions, cotton, cattle, hogs and | petroleum—Increase of exports for 1808 over 1897, 0,000,000 over 1897, $50,000,000. Excess of exports of the United States over those of Great Britain for 1898, $200,000,000. To those accustomed to trade statistics the above figiires have but one significance: they show the United States to be the great commercial nation of the ‘world. We are producers, manufacturers, bank- ers, mo ler The most sanguine enthusiast never dreamed that we would reach our present posi- tion-in the.nineteenth century, but here we are, and here we shall the country increased immensely in 1898, and the close of the year shows no diminu- tion. The iron and steel trade continues to boom and the different mills cannot execute their orders. Prices are naturally strong under these conditions. Foreigners are among the best customers at present, 1 Russia, Australia, South America and Japan have en us large orders, many of them over the heads British bids. These orders have crowded the mills t they are turning down new business right and leit.-The wool trade continues to improve, the sales Jast, week being 27,366,000 pounds, against 23,115,000 The small manufacturers ¢ <6 th for the same week last year. buying, which indicates a better demand for ““woolen goods. Exports of wheat and flour from | Atlantic ports continue heavy and prices are main- tained.: The other staples show no change worthy of HQten The financial statistics continue to make a favorable showing.. The bank clearings last week were 25.7 larger.than those of the corresponding week in 1897, *and the commercial failures were 212, against 280. Wall strect has continued active, but dealings last ~week were rather speculative than for investment. In \ether words, the professionals and public were both gambling. Transactions were heavy, as usual in such Prices were rather firm than otherwise, and while there was no marked advance there was no break. The present week will probably be dull. There is seldom much going on between Christmas and New Year’s. Stock-taking, too, interferes with business. But the opinion is general throughout the East that * the new year’ will open’ brilliantly, and that 1899 will be as much better than 1808 as the latter was better {han -1897. As far as the past year is concerned it has been a year of agreeable surprises, and he who is not. pleased with its commercial showing is hard to suit. "It is rather unfortunate that California is not in- cluded in the above brilliant showing, but our record hasnot been so poor after all. In spite of the, dry year the State has come out in good shape. In some “districts' the farmers have suffered more or less for lack of rain, but in others they have made more ‘money than ustal, so the State as a whole has done better than generally believed. Barring the recent i ,pinch in the Salinas Valley, which is only one out of .. many prosperous districts in the State, there has been no serious complaint from any quarter, nor is there “likely to be. Many States would consider themselves well off if they did as well as we have done this year. But ‘we have had fifty years of such phenomenal and ektravagant prosperity that when an off year chances along we. feel hurt about it, just as the miser laments his hard luck when he cannot get compound interest for his money.' In tHis respect the experience will ,'=do'us good by teaching us to appreciate a good thing when we: have got it and to cease wanting the whole earth eyery vear. For even our poor years are better «than' the best in some of the States of this great coun- try, and the sooner we wake up to this truth the more (€ontented we yill ‘e, stimes, o culd.appear. that Mrs: Fuhrig has arisen to the gnity of an epidemic. . eral merchandise—Increase of exports for 1898 | THE GROWTH OF FRATERNITY: Y amid its original surroundings, which has manifested an inextinguishable vitality and is rapidly dominating the world. That element was love between man and man as the deepest recognition of the Supreme Being: The conception of an invisible God, presiding over the universe and the Creator of all things had been pre- served by the Hebrews. Among!them and among: the Greeks some germs of fraternity had struggled to- ward the light. But mankind at large was steeped in selfishness, and hatred, malignity and ferocity were controlling forces. Now dawned the Christian era, when a simple creed of self-sacrifice and tenderness was not only proclaimed, but illustrated and enforced by a perfect life and by a vicarious death. These were facts, mightier than the Eleusinian mysteries, and yet intelligible to babes. ries, amid all the diversities of race, of governments and theologies, amid all the complexities of literature, of science and of philosophy, these simplicities have slowly leavened and developed civilization and mod- erated and narrowed the range of barbarism. Against the advancing power of .fraternity, brutal depravity in the savage or in the bigot has struggied in vain. Even through crimson seas it has steadily marched toward the white goal of peace. - Wars have not ceased, but they have been gradually divested of IEWED merely from the secular level, the birth of Christ was the pivot of history. Ih intro- | their hideousne and even later, victory meant the destruction - of armies and the murder of non-combatants, accom- panied by rape, spoliation and every other sort of , monstrous excess. History records many instances | where besieged cities were taken, their treasures loot- | ed, and their populations exterminated. war with Spain, in which modern appliances wrought their perfect work, the entire loss of life on both sides was not a tenth of the holocaust at a single minor bat- | tle in the Netherlands. jprotectinn of life, liberty and property, increasing so- | cial refinement, the sanctities of domesticity, truer re- lations between the sexes, the general elevation of the | masses through diffused education, the triumphs of science, the universality of literature, alike in its tran- | sient and in .its permanent forms, the extensions of | commerce and of trade over throbbing seas | through dark continents—all these, and more, are ele- | ments in ever-rising human progress, which Christ- | mas at once typifies and celebrates. | And, best of all, as the Christmas bells ring their | melodious chimes around and over the globe, they reach all hearts with the spell of universal charity. | There are untold evils still to be met and conquered, but, from Christmas to Christmas, individualized man | grows toward a finer intelligence pervaded by moral | beauty, while pessimism becomes more and more ob- | scure in the splendor of realized truths. THE EXCLUSION ACT MENACED. HE programme of the expansionists, as defined le the Chronicle, is to admit the Philippines as territory and to define the status of the inhab- itants as “‘not subjects, but citizens,” and as being “on an equal footing” with ourselves. This programme, if followed, would be a deadly blow to the Chinese exclusion law and would produce the cheap labor which so many expansionists want. We are told, over and over again, that neither Hawaii nor the Philippines is a place for workingmen, but that both are to furnish enormous returns to capital at present idle or earning small interest. Ten millions of Filipinos could easily overrun the Pacific States | and Territories, and, in various occupations, crowd out men and women of the white race. It is sug- gested that they would not migrate. The Chinese and the Japanese have migrated. Perhaps some of the expansionists can answer this proposition. We are unable to find any possible restriction under the ‘con- stitution upon migration from one part to another of the territory of the United States. If an Asiatic citi- zen could be held in the Philippines then an American could be imprisoned in Arizona or Alaska. Perhaps, however, the constitution has become a back number, which the nation has “outgrown.” CONTAINS ELEMENTS OF TREASON. T the ninety-third annual dinner of the New fl England Society of New York, which is"almost as old as the country, in response to a toast, General Merritt said in reference to expansion: “A great many people have insisted that the constitution forbids it. To these I have said: ‘We have outgrown | the Constitution.” It is not worth while to discuss it.” This expression has every element of treason cxc:‘p! the act, The intent is present, if the speaker meant what he said. If he did not mean it, he should have been more careful in the use of language. He is a general in the army of the United States and owes his ‘posilion to the constitution which he thus shamefully reviled. A toast to “Forefathers’ Day” was drunk’ at this banquet, and some descendant of the Pilgrim have suggested to General Merritt that if he had ex- pressed himself accurately he should resign from the army, doff his uniform, and leave the country. Here is a little repetition of the history of the Roman republic which points the moral of imperial- msm. @ BALLOT COUNTING REFORM. RECOUNT now going on in San Jose of the fl vote at the last election in Santa Clara County is reported to have discovered so many errors in the original count that at jeast two candidates, and probably a third, declared by the first count to have been defeated will be found to have been elected. With such a startling showing in Santa Clara it is not unlikely that if recounts had been made in all other counties in the State they also would have re- sulted in the disclosure of errors, though the errors might not have been sufficient to change the majority of votes from one candidate to another. It matters not whether these errors are the results of mistakes due to incompetent election officers or to fraud. The fact that they occur with such frequency shows the need of a reform in our ballot-counting system. That reform should be attended to at the coming session of the Legislature. It is urgent busi- ness affecting every locality in the State and a matter of concern to all citizens, for each has a right to have his ballot fairly and honestly counted aiter it has been deposited in the ballot box. : There are good reasons for believing machine bal- loting would be the best remedy for the evil. If that system, however, should be found unsatisfactory then some other should be devised. There is.a method of c.unting long used in New York which is commend- able in many ways. It is not free from defects, not as good as a well-adjusted balloting machine would be, but it is safer and better than wur own, and it would be worth while for the Legislature to give it careful consideration. . Whatever differences there may be as to the proper | remedy there can be none about the de;TraPi]iiy of duced to mankind a new efement, incongruous: And, for almost nineteen centu- | As late as the sixteenth century, | In our late | Constitutional and representative government, the | and | Fathers, who was an American in his hleart, should | scme remedy. The issue should not be justponed for anotheritwo years; in one of which there will be.a Presidential election. A ballot-counting reform of some kind is needed this' winter. ¢ THE'PEACE COMMISSIONERS RETURN. L UCH ceremonies as accompanied the reception S of thé American Peace Commissioners on their arrival at Washington to make their report to | the President, when contrasted with the pomp and | circumstance ‘which .attend similar occasions in Eu- rope, afford 2 striking illustration of republican sim- plicity. A matter of private business could hardly have been transacted with less ostentation or accom- panied by a less display of state or popular triumph. When the British Commissioners at the famous treaty of Berlin, aiter achieving “peace with honor,” returned to London the Government and the populace vied with one another in making a stately and impos- ing demonstration. High dignitaries of state, civic and military authorities, long lines of guards in bril- liant uniforms formed an escort of honor for the Commissioners, and all along the route tumultuous thousands waited to cheer and applaud the men who had so worthily represented the empire at the great council ‘of the nations and maintained both its inter- | ests and its prestige. Very different was the scene at Washington on Sat- | urday afternoon, when Commissioner Day and his colleagues arrived in that city, bringing back the treaty of peace which crowns the success of our arms | {and liberates islands of two hemispheres from the tyrannical rule of a decadent monarchy. On that oc- | casion there was no display whatever. When the | Commissioners dismounted from their car they were | met by some of their personal friends, but the Gov- ernment was represented simply by a clerk from the State Department. As if fortune had designed to make the incident | more striking it happened that the special train bear- ing the Commissioners reached the railroad station at Washington at a time when the depot was crowded with holiday excursionists. In Europe the excursion- sts would have been cleared out to make way for the dignitaries. - At Washington the other thing hap- pened. The special train was sidetracked and the Commissioners were made to get off outside the | depot. There is in this simplicity of republican state meth- | ods a dignity not inferior to that displayed in the | courtliest ceremonies of Europe. America has reason !to be proud of such simple ceremonies as these, and |it is to be hoped they will long continue to mark the | | methods of our national officials. \ { THE ALASKAN MAILS. | [ ROM an historical point of view an article on I:the Alaskan mail ‘might be made as brief as | Sterne’s famous chapter on snakes in Ireland— there is none. Even during the summer the mail service not anly with Dawson and the Yukon Vall’ey; | but with the island of St. Michael, was scant and }runsatisfactory, and of late it has fallen off altogether, | For a month there has been no mail from the Yukon | region at all. { No sufficient reason is apparent for this lack of | | mail facilities to Dawson and the other Yukon River communities. The Government’ has had a year - in which to make preparations. There are no great dif- | ficulties in the way to be overcome. Hundreds of | prospectors and trappers go up and down the river | at all seasons, and where these go mail carriers can follow. Last winter Mr. Sam Wall, the representative of | The Call'in the Yukon country, made a trip in the | depth of the coldest season from Dawson up the | river to all important points and gathered news of the | mining parties along the route. This news was the first information that thousands of people received of | | their. friends for months, and was in many respects | | the most important newspaper achievement of the | | year. It clearly demonstrated that winter travel in | | Alaska is possible, and that a mail service could be | provided if the Government would exert itself. ‘ When the rush to the gold fields began last spring | a promise was made that an adequate mail service | would be furnished throughout the year. "Last fall | tha’ promise was repeated that arrangements would be made for mails to Dawson and the principal river points at least once a month during the winter. It| | was further announced that certain contracts had been | |let for such service. The failure of the mails is there- | | fore a matter that merits investigation, for it seems | clear there has been gross carelessness, if not crim- | inal “neglect of duty, on the part of the postoffice | officials or the mail contractors. | The issue is by no means a small one. There are large business interests represented by agents. in | Alaska, and communication with those agents is a | | matter of grave importance to all concerned. More- | over, the number of Americans in the Klondike re- gion is now so large that perhaps not less than half a million people in the United States are concerned | in their welfare and are eager to learn of their situa- | | tion and their prospects. | Something should be done to stimulate the activity of the Postoffice Department in this respect. The mail service in the region involves the United States | and the British empire, the two greatest and richest nations of earth and the two most enterprising and progressive peoples. It is strange, indeed, if the two combined cannot accomplish the comparatively simple service of sending mail-carriers up and down the Yukon River and across the pass to Juneau at least once a month. SPEAKER REED AND EXPANSION. 'HE Examiner publishes a cartoon to show the T possible effect of expansion on Speaker Reed, who naturally is opposed to the acquisition of the Philippines. It was really astonishing to observe such an evidence of returning sanity in the organ of fusion and of imperialism. The suggested comparison between Speaker Reed and the United States is point- | ed and true. The Speaker is a fat man, with a good constitution, but an increase in his rotundity might be dangerous. The United States is a fat nation, bulging out on two oceans, and possessing the best constitu- tion in the world, but if it stretches itself to*take in the Philippines, six thousand miles off, it will surely burst. P U Populists are gloomy. Although their Presidential ticket is already nominated, they see into the future clearly enough to discern that they are going to en- counter opposition. The two footpads whe have just been captured are welcome to all the comfort to be derived from the fact that their crime seldom leads to more than forty years in the penitentiary.- By the greed of a crooked Board of Education the teachers of this city have been wantonly robbed. Yet no School Director is observed to be bound jail- wards. A Yale divinity student has been caught after hav- ing. st9len 5000 volumes. Now he can use himself for i tex'” ot o e s s J fer had been unconditionally declined. It AROUND THE CORRIDORS T. C. White of Fresno is at the Lick. E. Evans of New York Is a guest at the Occldental. J. E. Sibley of Tellenmark is registered at the Russ. J. H. Barbour at the Grand. John Bouse of Boise City, Idaho, Is at the California. ‘Willlam O’Connor of Cheyenne is a guest at the Lick. James M. Smith and wife of Fresno are staying at the Lick. E. E. Biggs, a prominent banker of Grldley, is at the Grand. J. M. Boynton, a merchant from Visalia, Is staying at the Grand. ' S. Mitchell, a rancher of Visalla,As a guest at the California. H. H. Fakenstock and L. E. Barnes of Peoria, IIL, are at the Occidental. W. A. and A. L. Hobson, prominent cat- tle men from Ventura, are registered at the Grand. of San Dlego is a guest CLIOTASFOLDS The bellboys of the Palace are JACK GIBNEY sad. Like so LOST & many automata | do they go about THE RACE. % their duties. Thelr accustomed LORSOLIOLROL LS ginger and aec- tivity is a thing of the past, and not even a generous tip can bring a smile to their faces. This state of affairs exists because of the overthrow of their champion, Jack Gibney, who is a member of Company C, First California Regiment. Jack is well known to the patrons of the Palace. He was a model bellboy and the champion sprinter of the city at 100 yards. Many local contests he has won, and at church picnics no one dared to challenge him to a trial of fleetness. ‘When the war broke out Jack cast his fortunes with the First Regiment and went to Manila, taking with him his two feet and an untarnished reputation. All went well untii C. -_. Miller of Company G, who also does a bit of sprinting on the side, took it into his head that he could cover a hundred yards in less time than Gibney for any amount of money. He was backed up by his company, while the boys of C were with Gibney to a man, and the rest of the regiment was divided in its opinion between the two. Finally it was decided to make a test of the two soldiers’ claims, and a race was arranged to take place on the beach. It attracted much attention and thousands were pres- ent to witness it. Gibney opened at 9 to 10 in the betting, but was backed down several points, while Miller went to the post an even money favorite. At the crack of the pistol the two men got away. Gibney was slow in getting off, and was beaten out by three yards in less than 11 | seconds. Several thousand dollars | changed hands on the event, and now the | soldiers of Company C are penniless, | while the pride of their champion is in the | dust. Naturally the bellboys of the | Palace sympathized with Gibney, and when they recelved news of his downfall{ they were so crushed and humiliated that | they have not recovered. L. R. Vance of Vallejo Is at the Occi- dental. M. S. Arndt of Stockton is at the Cali- fornia. B. E. Greenwood of Helena is at the Palace. G. D. Plato, a merchant of Modesto, is at the Lick. Dr. E. Cook Webb, United States Army, is at the Lick. S. A. Brown of Huston, Texas, guest at the Palace. Dr. A. C. Winn of California is regis- tered at the California. S. Englander, United States Navy, among the guests at the Lick. M. Newberger, a merchant of Chicago, is a guest at the Palace % TIME AND L is a is OLD 0Old Time and I the other night Had a carouse together; The wine was golden, warm and bright— Aye, just like summer weather. Quoth I, “Here's Christmas come again, And I no farthing richer”; Time answered, ‘“Ah, the old, old strajn— I prithee pass the pitcher. “Why measure all your good in gold! No rope of sand is weaker; 'Tis hard to get, 'tis hard to hold— Come, lad, fill up your beaker, Has thou not found true friend more true, And loving ones more loving?"” I could but say, “A few, a few! So keep the liquor moving.” “‘Hast thou not seen the prosp'rous knave | Come down a precious thumper? His cheats disclose?”’ “I have, I havel” “Well, surely, that's a bumper!"” “Nay, hold a while, I've seen the just Find all their hopes grow dimmer."” «They will hope on, and strive, and trust, And conquer!” “That's a brimmer.” “'Tis not because to-day is dark; ' No brighter days before them; There's rest for every storm-tossed bark;" “So be it. Pass the jorum!” “Yet I'must own I should not mind To be a little richer.” “Labor and wait and you may. find—" “Halloa! an empty pitcher.”—Exchange. NEWS OF FOREIGN NAVIES. The British torpedo gypboat Sheldrake, bullt in 1889, has had her original boflers removed and Babcock and Wilcox water- tube boilers substituted. During a recent elght hours’ trial under half power the boat made 18 knots with 2600 horsepower and on November 30 in a three hours’ trial under full power the machinery de- veloped 4050 horsepower and gave a speed of 20% knots, with a coal consumption of only one and a half pounds per horse- power an hour. This is fully one anda half knots better than with the old boilers, which never gave more than 3500 horse- power. A Parllamentary report, covering the expenditures of the British navy from 1887 to 1897, gives some very interesting data. One hundred and ninety war ships, built or building, have been added to the navy in this perlod of eleven years, of 955,000 tons and 1,575,000 horse power. Twenty- nine of these ships are battle ships, rep- resenting $115,000,000; twenty-six first class cruisers, representing $65,000,000; forty-five second class crulsers, representing $47,500,- 000; thirty-one third class cruisers, close upon $20,000,000; twenty-nine torpedo gun boats, and thirty sloops, gun boats, etc., representing over $12,500,000 more. The total amount of money these ships and their armaments have cost is approxi- mately $300,000,000, and does not include ninety-six torpedo boat destroyers, at a cost of $22,500,000 more. The 190 ships enumerated carry 1675 guns of 4 inches and upwards. About one quarter of the money was expended in the Royal dock- yards, while the rest went to private establishments. Some months ago the Thames Iron Works of London made an offer to the Russian Government to establish a ship- building yard at Libau, on the Baltic, which would involve an expenditure of $5,000,000, to be ready in one year for ope- ration. The Government was to pay an annual subvention of {12,000, the company agreeing to divide with the Government any profit over 5 per cent. After extend- ed preliminary negotiations the Russian Admiralty finally invited the agent of the Thames company to St. Petersburg: to take part in a consultation on the sub- ject. He came, but to his surprise and disgust he was: kept waiting in an ad- Jolning room to where the consultation took place, and when it was all over he _was curtly informed that; the English of- | Palace Hotel builaing. has since been learned that a Russian comotive works, which has never a single vessel, ing offer, and so the English company was left out with a snub. . b The British battle-ship Formidable, launched at Portsmouth November -17, was laid down last March, and thus oc- cupled only about elght months in bufld- ing. This is the best record yet made in shipbuilding in any ¢ountry. Two oth- ers of the same type and size are being built—one at Chatham, the other at Dev- enport. They are of 15,000 tons displace- ment, 15,000 horsepower, and are to have a speed of eighteen knots. They will carry 900 tons of coal on a draught of 27 feet six inches and 2100 tons when fully equipped. The armor, 216 feet in length by 15 feet in depth and 9 inches' in thick- ness, protects 54 per cent of the ship's side. The armament consists of four 12- inch wire-wound rifles in barbettes pro- tected by curved steel shields 8 inches thick, and twelve 6-inch quick-firers, eighteen 12-pounders, twelve 3-pounders and eight Maxims. The complement is 789 officers and men and each ship will carry eighteen boats, of which four will be steamboats of large capacity. M. Augustin Normand, the noted builder | of torpedo boats at Havre, has submitted a novel proposition to the French Admir- alty which is receiving serious attention. He pointg out that owing to the inability of France to build as many powerful and fast war vessels as England it is better policy to reduce the speed of the ships and thereby secure a larger number than is now possible and at the same time in- crease their defensive power. The Gov- ernment has actually ordered two ar- mored torpedo boats (sea-going), which are now being built at Normand's yard, in addition to others in the Mediterranean arsenals. The new naval warfare policy will be to have the battle-ships do their | fighting under the most favorable condi- tions; therefore number and strength are for them more important than speed. Cruisers are for these reasons not as use- ful as flotillas of torpedo boats, because crulsers cannot fight battle-ships nor cap- ture merchant steamers under another flag. Torpedo vessels’ scouts and escorts are the only vessels that need to be fast. All the others should possess a compara- tively low rate of speed. The Russian battle-ship building at Cramps’ yards will be very much like the American battle-ships Maine, Ohio and Missouri, but will have a lighter ‘armor protection. The ship is 376 feet in length, 72 feet 2% inches beam, displacing 12,700 tons on a draught of 26 feet. The armor belt, of nine inches maximum thickness, extends from the after turret to the stem, where it tapers to two inches and is seven and a half feet in depth. The armor above Is six Inches to the gun deck. Bulk- heads are nine inches, and barbettes ten inches thick, while the gun positions are five inches. The armament is four 12- inch rifles In two turrets, twelve 6-inch on gun and main deck, twenty 3-inch, of which twelve are on the gun deck “for- ward, six on the main deck and two on the bridge. There are also six torpedo tubes, one being at the bow, one at the stern and two on each broadside. The motive power is two triple expansion en- gines of 1600 horsepower and twenty-four Niclause water-tube boilers, and with 126 revolutions a speed of must be maintained for twelve consecu- tive hours, which is three times that ex- | acted by our Government from contrac- tors. The coal capacity is 2000 tons, and the complement 750 officers and men. 2 canes in box, 10c box. Townsend's. * — e 1 chewing candy in box, 25c. Townsend.*® e Our famous broken candy, 3}? Ibs in hand- some Japanese basket, 50¢. Townsend's. —_———————— The best Xmas present: Townsend’s Cal- ifornia Glace Fruits, 50c, in fire etched boxes or Japanese baskets. 627 Market st., . ———— Special information supplied daily to business houses and public men by the Press Clipping Bureau (Allen’s), 510 Mont- gomery street. Telephone Main 1042. = * —_—————— A turban generally consists of from ten to fourteen yards of cloth, and is, as a rule, only worn by (priests), Hadj or pilgrimage to Mecca, among theological students; some Eastern nations. and also by “Mrs. Winslow’s Soothine Syrup” Has been used over fifty rears by millions ot mothers for their children while Teething with perfect success. It soothes the child, softens the gums, allays Pain, cures Wind Collc, reg- ulates the Bowels and is the hest remedy for Diarrhoeas, whether arising from teething or other causes. For sale by Druggists in every part of the world. Be sure and ask for Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup. 2c a bottle. —_———— HOTEL DEL CORONADO—Take advantags of the round-trdp tickets. Now only 360 by steamship, including fifteen days' board at hotel; longer stay 3$250 per day. Apply at 4 New Montgomery street, San Francisco. lo- yet built had made.a more tempt- elghteen knots | Emaums | those who have made the | GREAT “HIGH" 15 MAKING MR, HAMMON GUESS Is Also Worried About an Absent “Low.” A REMARKABLE ATMOSPHERE EQUALED BUT ONCE IN THE STATE'S HISTORY. The Barometer Is Climbing Onto the Roof and the Weather Sharp Is Wondering What Will Come Next. No-Rain-in-the-Face Hammon, the prestidigitator on the top of the Mills building, who jollies the people on weath- er conditions, has gone up against the real thing and fled to the high mountain to try and ascertain remotely where he is “at.” Without any warning—even the sending of a personal card announcing arrival—a climatic condition has fallen upon the worthy weather juggler that is making him do a lot of guessing. At the present writing he is upon the highest point of Tamalpais communing with scientific in- struments and hopelessly struggling to find out why atmospheric conditions are endeavoring to beat the record. Only once before in the past fifty years has the high pressure equaled the figures of yesterday and the day before. This announcement will be better understood when it is stated that the barometer has been standing at 30.65 and is climbing at an alarming rate. At one time in the early meteorological history of the State the pressure ascended to 30.69. After that several things that were not on the pro- gramme happened; but what will be the result of the present condition 1s some- thing that Mr. Hammon will not under- take to prognosticate. From his exalted station he did some talking yesterday by telephone that will be of great value to that class of people who do not care whether or not it rains. For a long time he has been able to talk about the ‘‘high” that whs loafing around in Nevada or Wyoming and causing trouble, and the piain “low” that was camping in this section and courting the favors of one Jupiter Pluvius. Now thatthat mysterious “high” is astoundingly in evi- dence Mr. Hammon knows it is here-and he does not know what to do with it. He knows that he the ‘‘high’" located all right, but in order to be next to his job he must keep tab on that “low” fellow, who is now doing the disappearing act. Where- | of_he is troubled. Old Probabilities has his weather eye on | the whole Pacific Coast and the condi- tions, strange to say, are the same throughout. It is a case of “high” all | around, and no one knows where Mr. Low s. “The conditions that have existed dur- lng the last twenty-four hours are de- cidedly remarkable,” said Mr. Hammon on the wire. “The ometer is now standing at 30.65 and is steadily rising. This is the second time in the history of the State that this figure has been equaled. Once before it went a little higher. No, I can offer no explanation of the conditions. There is nothing in the Pacific Coast region to account for it. So far as I can see there is no possi- bility of rain before Tuesday, calculating on the data we have to work on. Of course that measly low may be out on the broad. Pacific waiting for a chance to give us a surprise, and he might slip in at any time and make a great trans- formation in the actualities, He might tremendous_ precipitation _or a hurricane or two up h leve, But T don't think he could get t n._into working order inside of a week. If he succeeds in fooling us it will be one more reason why there should be a signal station out in the ocean so that we might know what is going on in that area from which so many of our storms come. ““With these abnormal conditions exist- | ing in the barometer, unusual storms may follow, but I want to say that I am not going 'to stand sponsor for any pressurs that is acting as this one is. It is worth ? man’s reputation to be associated wah —_————— Thé Tien Tsu Hui, or Heavenly Foot Society, has for its object the dissuad- ing of Chinese women from binding the feet of their children. When a member was remonstrated with for continuing the practice in the case of one of her daughters, she sald: ‘“We really must have one lady in the family.” The Chinese, like the American club woman, thinks that she should be the exception that proves the rule. OF INTEREST TO BUYERS. Parchasers’ 6 to Responsible Merchants, Manufacturers, Brokers, Im- porters, Wholesale Traders, Jobbers, Insurance aad Real Estate Agents CATALOGUES AND PRICE LISTS MAILED ON APPLICATION. In Oorrespending With Any of the Fellewing Firms Ploass Menti, “The OslL” ART WARE AND ANTIQUE FURNITURE. THE P. ROSSI CO., Artistic Furniture and Art Ware Importers. 117 SUTTER STREET. BAKERY AND CONFECTIONERY. WM. SCHOENING, & Biofowasee 2" BEL":LNO‘ Manufactu 1 Belti a L. P. DEGEN, [ tediirer, *fon 103 mirs. sion St., cor. Spear. Telephone Main 562. BOILER MAKERS. EUREKA BOILER WORKS, W. J. BRADY, Proprietor, Special Attention Paid to Repairs and Ship Work. 0Offios and Works—113-115 MISSION ST. Telephone Maln 5045. BOOKS AND STATIONERY. THE SAN FRANCISCO NEWS COMPANY, 342 10 350 Geary Street, Above Powell, Periodicals, Books and Stationery. CARRIAGE MAKERS. O’BRIEN & SONSMekers and Deslers in Landaus, Hacks, Victorlas, Carts and Buggles. Golden Gate ave. and Polk st., Francisco. COAL, COKE AND PIG IRON. J. C. WILSON & cCoO., ©00 BATTERY STREET. ‘Telephone Main 1864. COPPERSMITHS, SANDERS & CO., practical rsmit] mfr's of sheet copper and tubing, t?mw ed e:n.: tinuous stills, etc. 415 Mission st., near First; aranteed. all work gu: FRESH AND SALT MEATS. MANUFACTURERS. GOLDEN GATE WOOLEN MFG. CO. Manufacture Blankets, Cassimeres, Tweeds and Flannels, 535 Market st., San Francisco, Cal Goods for sale at all leading cry-goods stores.e MARINE INSURANCE. SWISS MARINE INSURANCE COMPANIES. Combined Coptind, Sios. v YZ & CO., Agents, 01 California st. PAPER DEALERS. wn_LAMETT PULP AND PAPER CO.. 722 Montgomery Strest. PIANOS. The Oldest Firm and Largest Stock. PIANO and MUSIC STORE, KOHLER & CHASE, 25 and 30 O'Farrell st. A corps of expert tuners and repairers. PRINTING. PRINTER, E. C. HUGHES, :: Sansome street. STATIONER AND PRINTER. s PARTRIDGE THE HICKS-JUDD CO., fngsers, Book- TYPEWRITERS. S5, All Typewriters Rented. 306 Cali- fornia st. = Few partly used for sal hea Vo AGENTS SMITH PREMIER. L. & M. ALEXANDER. 110 Montgomery street. e WALLPAPER. ‘WHOLESALE & retall; se samples, stat- ing quality & color. DUFg‘de?:'o.. »:.f"u?;-'f?i WAREHOUSEMEN. THE HASLETT WAREHOUSE CO., Forwarding Agents and Public Weighers. Gea- eral Storage. Free and Grain Waranouses. Gea- eral office, 210 California st. Tel. Main 1014. J14S. BOYES & 00,, Bisros et HUNTERS’ EQUIPMENTS. Hunters’. Equipments, Fishin, Tackle, Athletic Goods, etc. Sen for catalogue. GEO. W. SHREVE, 789 Market street. HARDWARE. ALACE Hardware Co.,Importers & Deal Pl Aeramaror 863 Marhet Tel More 9e%, IRON FOUNDERS. Western Found: Morton & Hedley, 254 Fremont St. | Castings of Ew scription Madeto Order. Tel. Black. Pr?.:‘s.. 5. WATCHES, ETC. T. LUNDY, Herdquarters for fine Jewelry and 2 L9 full 15-k. Wedding Rings. 4 3d st. WHITE ASH STEAM COAL, - Mined by the BLACK DIAMOND COAL MINING CO. at Itg GREEN RIVER COLLIERIES, Is the Best Coal in the Market. Office and Yards—450 Main Street. WOOD AND IVORY TURNING. C. F. HAAS, mfr wood articles, any descrip- tion. Planing, turning, 417 Mission, tel. M, 8527,