The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 31, 1899, Page 6

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY MARCH 31, 1899 ERTDAY.. JOHN D. SPRECKELS, Proprietor. +ess All Communications to W. S. LEAKE, Manager. PUBLICATION OFFICE......Market and Third Sts., S. F. | Telephone Main 1868. LDITORIAL ROOMS _...2I7 to 221 Stevenson Street Telephone Main 1874. 15 CENTS PER WEEK. 5 cents. cluding Postage: unday vall), DELIVERED BY CARRI ngle Copl Terms DAILY CALL (i ay Call), § month: B inday Call), x L1501 6o5c . 150 1.00 | copies will be forwarded when requested. OAKLAND OFFICE...... 0 908 Broadway NEW YORK OFFICE. ..Room 188, Worid Building DAVID ALLEN, Advertising Representative. WASHINGTON (D. C.) OFFICE Welliagton Hotel C. C. CARLTON, Correspondent. CHICAGO OFFICE.......................Marquette Buliding C.GEORGE KROGNESS, Advertising Representative. BRANCH OFFICES—527 Hiontgomery street, corner Ciay, open until 9:30 o'clock. 387 Hayes street, cpen until ©:30 o'clock. 621 McAllister street, open until 9:30 o'clock. 615 Larkin street, open until 9:30 o'clock. I94! Mission street, open untll 10 o'clock. 229! Market street, corner Sixteenth, open until 9 c'clock. 2518 Misslon street, open until 9 o'clock. 106 Eleventh strect, 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. AMUSEMENTS. Columbfa—*‘Rob Roy." The Bohemian Girl.” aved Fi he Flames.” 3 ra House— Southwell Opera Company,-Sat evening, April 1 utes, Zoo and Free Theater—Vaudeville every afternoon ng. | orner Mason and Ellis streets, Specialties. | AUCTION SALES. | . Belau & is Day, at 11 o'clock, High- | s. at sal Butterfield 11 o'clock, . Furniture, Sixteenth and & F corner W at MISPLACED SELF-LAUDATION. UR esteemed contemporary, the miner, O congratulates us upon furnishing it with evi- | dence that in the last campaign some of its partisan predictions were founded upon It claims that it warned us against the Board of Super- the Railroad Commission, Dan Burns and the ature, and it now alleges that although its as- sertions were discounted by the people at the ballot- | box have all turned out to be true. It construes | some recent criticisms in The Call as confessions of error, and it only regrets -that we did not see fit to join with it at the last election “in preventing the election of the scoundrels” we now- condemn. This is all .very well, but it is what our es railroad contemporary, the Evening Post, would call Suppose we had united with .the Ex aminer at the last election in opposing the success of | the entire Republican ticket, State and city, and sup- | pose we had succeeded in electing the entire Demo- | cratic ticket, what would have been the result?| Would we have obtained a better government at the | hands of the Phelan-McNab combine.than we ob- | tained «at the hands of the same combiné two years | 4go? We beg to remind our contemporary that in | 1896, when the people adopted its. programme, the | Examiner imposed upon us'the worst Supervisors and | School Directors ever known in the history of San | Francisco. A majority of the Board of Education were downright thieves, and if justice had been done every one of them would now be wearing ‘stripes. Mayor Phelan himself, in order to save his repu- tation, was compelled to institute proceedings for | ng the Board of Supervisors. As a matter of ct, that choice band of Democratic boodlers thrown out of the City Hall by a body of policemen | and only regained power through a decision of the | Supreme Court, which held that the Mayor had | adopted the wrong method of suppressing them: At no stage of the game did anybody defend that Board of Supervisors, and we have never heard a | word of praise outside the penitentiary for the Ex- " aminer’s School Directors. Of what avail would it have been in the last campaign to follow the counsel of a newspaper which brought such a government | tpon the city only two years before? The presenti administration .may not be the best we can get, but it is a vast improvement upon the Phelan-McNab ad- ministration of 1897-g8. In fact, we regard the Ex- aminer’s self-laudation at this time as entirely mi placed. It is buncombe and will not stand analysis. Good government cannot be produced by giving the offices to the Phelan-McNab combine. the; eemed | “tommyrot.” was ITH commendable promptness the Super- | PESTHOUSE IMPROVEMENTS. W visors have projected plans for the improve- ment of the Pesthouse and rendering the con- dition of the inmates more comfortable. The plans thus far outlined are not imposing, nor will they cost much when carried out, but they promise the imme- diate attainment of the desired object of relief. Superintendent Thompson, who has had charge of the construction of the Hall of Justice, and who has been in consultation with the committee of the Board of Supervisors having the subject in charge, is re- ported to have advised the total destruction of the present dilapidated structure by fire and the construc- tion of a smaller building at a cost not to exceed ! $1000. It is believed that such a building will be ample for the needs of the institution and that it will | afford the afflicted shelter and warmth. _If for so small a sum as that the evil plight of the inmates of the Pesthouse can be freed from the dis- comiorts of their present quarters, there can be no | _excuse whatever for delay in performing the work. It'should be undertaken at once. _\\‘h\'\c the plan suggested has been favorably con- sidered, it has not yet been adopted by the committee. It is expected, however, that a definite plan of im- ‘provement will be reported to the Supervisors at the meeting next Monday, and in the meantime the com- | mittee is to make a careful examination of the whole subject. The prospects, therefore, are that within a comparatively short time the unfortunates of the city _who are aiflicted with pestilential diseases will have for ‘their abode a true hospital and not a damp, i moldy barrack swept by the winds and dripping wit}; | moisture in every rainstorm. | Whatever is to be done must be done quickly. Nor should there be too much haggling over the matter of cost. In any event it need not be an expensive undertaking, and every instinct of humanity calls for its accomplishment. This country will mourn with J. Pierpont Morgan | the loss of a $4000 collie, particularly as the next busi- | ness combination made by Morgan will force the country to pay for that purp. 1. | and the fir: | vertisements printed on them, | ple over to a more propitious | was determined that hali t | Dohrr | carry themselves over to the harvest without help, but, | go untilled and unplanted. | Gage will make public his interpretation of the con- | stitution which caused him to kill this appropriation. THE DROUQHT APPROPRIATION. AST December it became public that the people of a considerable section of two counties in this State were so enfeebled in their resources by | the drought that they were unable to ieed and carry ’ their livestock over to seeding time, were without re- | sources for procuring seed grain, and in many in- | stances were pinched in their supply of the neces- saries of life. The extent of the emergency has since been measured in the closing of banks in the towns to which the stricken region is tributary, because | there was no business for them, and their asets could not be realized on because of the prevailing lack of resources among the people. When this emergency appeared at the close of last year it was seen to involve the inferests of the public and the State to such an extent that public aetion was immediately required to relieve the distress and miti- | gate to the minimum the harm to the reputation of | the State, whi¢h must come by the spreading abroad of exaggerated and sensational reports. California is the second State of the Union in area, the variety of its soil, climate and re- sources. The district affected by drought in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties bears the same relation | and proportion to the rest of the State that a county in New Jersey does to the whole area of the Middle ates. But abroad the news of that limited and local | ster presents to the minds of men ail California | scorched and seared by drought beyond the possibil- | i-support of her people. intile organizations of this ity of Aware of this, the merca city and the State Board of Trade at once took meas- | ures to ascertain all the facts, to make public boundaries of the troubled district and the conditions tiierein which had caused the only real distress that the | followed the drought. The Examiner had already commenced exploiting the matter as a newspaper sensation, and had by sub- | The affair has gone beyond the domain of talk, and deference to the seli-respect of the farmers to whom relief had been given, they had been permitted to give the Relief Commission their notes. Mr. Spreckels then instructed him to return these notes to their igners with his compliments, and- there, so far as he is concerned, the incident closed. But as concerns the State it is not closed. Future emergencies will arise and citizens will be again called on to assume burdens for which the State is unprepared. Whether they will do this in the prospect of the State’s repu- correspondence in the matter and the facts concerning it will be found in our news columns, and the facts as public judgment. THE SAMOAN CRISIS. B ductive and the islanders are busy producers, but of late years the soil and the people to- gated governmental energies and science of the United States, Great Britain and ~Germany, have been bigger and more frequent than the cocoanut crop. out of the imbroglio, for it is too much like the com- plication of a comic opera to be taken seriously even ment which has called for the roaring of big guns-and | caused a considerable number of deaths. Silly as the diation of responsibility the future must disclose. The to the Governor's action are thereby submitted to EYOND a doubt the Samoan Islands are pro- gether, under the stimulating influence of the aggre- raised more Cain than sugar, and the crisis crop has There is not the slightest danger of a war growing by diplomatists, but it has already rcached a develop- quarrel may be, it is clearly time to put a stop to it. some action must be taken to restore order and pro- | tect life and property. As the situation stands the German representative in the islands is in the wrong, and it is not likely his Government will sustain him. Of the three 1 sum of money, of which it commis- | scription raised a sma constituted itsclf the almoner, and with its sioners,” artists, reporters, and wagons with its ad-| was entering upon al which | the | while | who | sensation inflict campaign of men newspaper saw would upon the relief winter’s all thoughtful maximum of damage State ffording the minimum to those needed it. To avert this, and to carry the smitten peo- | \son, was the problem | which confronted the State. The Governor of the | State, being without available public funds for the | purpose, sought some quarter in which an advance of the funds necessary could be secured, upon the as- surance that the Legislature, soon to be in .~c:>mn,! would refund the money and appropriate as much | more as might be found necessary to carry cn the | relief work until a better season made the needy peo- of ple again self-supporting. Upon application to Mr. Claus Spreckels the Gov- ernar was ofiered by that gentleman a check for $30,000 to be used in supplying forage for ranch stock, food for the people and grain for seeding. It at sum would do the work, and Mr. Spreckels therefore advanced $25,000. This sum was put in the hands of Mayor Phelan, Mr. 1n of the Merchants’ Association and Mr. A. sioners, to apply it to the pur- | B. Spreckels, as commi poses for which it was advanced. The case was not without precedents. Twice public emergencies which the State had no funds to meet the late Mr. Charles Crocker advanced the money, on one occasion in the large sum of $73,000, and in both cases was duly reimbursed by an appro- priation made by the Legislature. These precedents .made it clear that-the Governor could solicit and the | State receive advances of money in emergencies, and | that the Legislature could recoup the party making the advance. The cash advanced by Mr. Spreckels was immc-E diately devoted to the purpose for which it was in- | tended. The office machinery of the Merchants’ As- | sociation was used in the orderly transaction of the | business, without cost to the fund distributed, and in | due time a bill was introduced in the Legislature byf the representative of the aided district for the return | of the money to Mr. Spreckels, and was passed in| both houses without a dissenting vote. As this bill remained in the Governor’s hands, after | adjournment, without action, Mr. Dohrmann, presi- | dent of the commission-to distribute the fund, made inquiry of Governor Gage as to his intentions con- cerning it, informing him that there was a balance of | the money advanced by Mr. Spreckels on hand, to the amount of about $12,000, the use of which was necessary to continue the relief work, but that its de- votion to that purpose would be optional with Mr. Spreckels if the appropriation failed to receive the Governor'’s signature. To this the Governor made answer by way of inquiry, asking: “Did not the Examiner donate $5000 to the same relief work and did not Mr. Spreckels donate thereto this $25,000, and was not a picture of the check printed in The Call, and did not this paper publish abroad compliments to the philanthropy of Mr. Spreckels?” To this Mr. Dohrmann answered with a statement of the facts, as above narrated, ~nd thereafter the Governor withheld his signature irom the bill, as he states upon constitutional grounds, aad the appropri- ation therefore was killed. 1f the Governor’s objection was constitutional, it is unfortunate that he put it on other grounds in his communication to Mr. Dohrmann, for the letter answered only the objection made by the Governor, to wit, that the money was a philanthropic donation by Mr. Spreckels, and demonstrated that it was an advance made to the State, to meet an emergency, at the request of Governor Budd. Had Governor Gage put his objection upon constitutional grounds in the first place, the Relief Commission would have sub- mitted an argument in answer thereto. But as the matter stands Governor Gage objected to the appro- priation on one ground and killed it on one entirely different, to which he’ permitted no argument nor ex- planation. . 1t appears, therefore, that the emergency for which the money was advanced by Mr. Spreckels existed, that the Legislature has adjourned and the Governor has defeated a measure intended by it to meet that emergency, and that it is left to be met solely out of the private funds of Mr. Spreckels, at his option. The people in the district affected cannot pay their taxes, cannot buy grain for seeding a crop, cannot in| | as far as the State is concerned, the Governor has left them and their livestock to starve and their fields to Similar emergencies aré not unknown in other States. Only recently they have been met in Nebraska and elsewhere by aid extended out of the public funds by the State. They may arise here again, and if the constitution prevent the extension of that aid by the State, it should be known now. To this end it is only reasonable to expect that Governor If it turn out that the constitutional objection is un- tenable a bad precedent has been established. When Mr. Spreckels was informed of the Gov- ernor’s action Mr. Dohrmann told him that, in | supported the government of young Malietoa, and | and the British warships to fire upon the natives, | powers equally vested with authority in the islands and bound by agreement to act in harmony, two have moreover the Supreme Court established by the powers has confirmed the title of that government. Such being the case, it is the duty of the German | representative at Apia to obey the court and leave to the Berlin Government the duty of making any protests which German interests require to be made. By acting as they have done the Germans have stirred up a strife which has forced the American the German warship in the port remaining an inac- 5 tive spectator and giving no help whatever to en- force the law. It is evident such a situation is intol- erable. It cannot be long now before the tripartite | gox-erhmcnt is abolished. Either the islands will be | divided or it will be determined which power is going to rule them. S THE CEMETERY QUESTION. HE cemetery question in this city will never be T\culcd until the Board of Supervisors passes an ordinance forbidding further burials within the corporation limits. There are practically no argu- ments against the enactment of such a law. The only persons who have appeared so far in opposition are those whose financial or other interests impel them to take issue with the promoters of the closing move- ment in the Western Addition. This matter will come before the Health and Po- lice Committee of the Supervisors this morning, when the old straw will be once more threshed over. The ordinance pending before that committee changes the boundary line within which further burials are permitted after 1902 in such a way as to virtually close the present cemeteries. This ordinance has been indorsed by the Western Addition and Richmond improvement clubs and is advocated by the Mission Federation of Improvement Clubs. The necessity for the passage of such an ordinance is that no matter what progress cremation makes, it is certain that burying will be the practice for many years to come. Therefore cemeteries should be lo- cated a long distance away from the habitations of the living. While there is a dispute as to whether burying- grounds propagate disease, it cannot be claimed that they are health resorts. Decaying bodies cannot pos- sibly improve the soil nor increase the purity of the | air. The Supervisors possess the power to forbid | burials, for cemeteries are subject to police control. The Western Addition cemeteries are an injury to that portion of the city, and their closing is demanded by every consideration of the present and future wel- fare of the city. The old City Cemetery and Italian Cemetery were closed by the last Board of Super- visors, and the same action should be taken with re- spect to the remaining cemeteries. The Committee on Health and Police should give this subject earnest consideration and decide it in such a manner as will satisfy the people generally, who, we think, are in favor of closing. D There is hardly a doubt that the story of a plot against the Czar, wherein his mother is a central figure, is a baseless and silly yarn. The good lady would never subject her son to the embarrassment of having to send her to Siberia. This thing of taking up the white man’s burden lacks all the essential clements of a picnic. The bur- den seems to be stacked up in every quarter waiting for some white man to come along and break his back under it. The Senate of Kansas has declared a judgeship va- cant because the man elected had given out some ante-election cigars. Probably he made his mistake in not giving better ones. —_— Missouri has just hanged a man named Soper for the murder of five people. Soper owes to society the duty of being reincarnated four times and hanged each time. Ingleside is now trying to show what it has done for the city, but the record of the courts and the Morgue is the proper place to look for definite in- formation. S To observe three undertakers squabbling over pos- session of the body of a stranger teaches among other things that the deceased left some money. of a ham sandwich than Apparently no proprietor wagon can shift quarters any more easily Aguinaldo his capital No Anglo-American alliance has been formed, but the guns of England and America seem to be aimed at a common target. Probably in the statement that Alger has got out of the War Department for keeps the wish is father to the thought. It must make those Colorado silver men suffer to observe how the mines there go right on producing gold. 3 R General Eagan swears so violently as to rupture his judgment. | induce | the mining exhibit. MINERS WANT AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION Lack Funds for State Exhibit at Paris. WILL DISCUSS THE QUESTION F FRANCHISES Electric Wires May Go Underground. THEY NEED $100,000 MOREECOMPETITION WILL BE OPEN —_ | SUPERVISORS WILL BE ASKED SUPERVISORS AND MERCHANTS FOR $50,000. State and Local Mining Interests | Expect to Be Able to Raise | the Balance From Other Sources. The San Francisco Miners’ Association and other wealthy interests of this city Intend to make a determined effort to | the Board of Supervisors to set| aside an appropriation of $0,00 to be ! used in sending and maintaining at the | Paris Exposition a suitable mining ex- hibit. The miners of the city and State are very mus disappointed over the | State appropriation of only $120,000, which | must cover the cost and maintenance of the entire exhibit of thie different produc- tive interests of the State. Only $25,000 of this sum was set aside by the Legislature to defray the expenses of Those interested in the mining jurces of the State feel that the above mentioned sum is wholly insufficient for a creditable exhibit of Cali- fornia’s vast mining resour and they | intend to raise at least $100,000 more, mak- | ing the total amount to be spent in Cali- fornia’s exhibit at the Paris Exposition | $225,000. It they can induce the Board of Super- | visors to appropriate $50,000 for this pur- pose the miners feel certain that they can | asily raise $30,00 more from other sources throughout the State. 1t is feared that the mining interests of the ate will suffer irreparable injury if they are not properly exhibited at the s Exposition. If they are successful the money the San Francisco Association and the California Mining A ation will probably that the exhibit be placed in the of reliable men chosen by the com- mercial interests of the State and city. This will be done to obviate the possibility of the exhibit and money anpropriated to make it a success being placed in the hands of politicians. When s resterday afternoon Julian Sonntag, president of the San Fran Miner: ation, pointed out reasons why the mining interes be injured by not being_ prope ited at the exposition. Mr. Sonntag ad mitted that the miners were greatly dis turbed by the prospect of only s a $25,000 exhibit to France. He said: | There is absolutely no doubt that such | a picayunish exhibition of our vast min- | ing resources will work a great injury to | California’s reputation as a mining State. ‘ ‘It will not only Injure the State In | that direction, but the people will feel it | here at home.’ During the next two years | the output of our mines should be at| least $20,000,000 more than it has been for | the last’ two vears. The winters of '67 | and 98 were ‘exceptionally dry seasons and the mining interests of California | were considerably affected by drought. This year, however, the State has been blessed with its usual downfall of rain | and the mining industry will show a healthy increase. | “If our exhibit is properly handled, with | these favorable circumstances an influx | of foreign capital to California_will re- | sult. Prosperity throughout means prosperity in this city. the State | San Fran- cisco is to the Pacific Coast what New | Not grant & York is to the mines-are running full blast and miners receiving good wages these | healthy conditions in the interior reflect | on the commercial mirror of San Fran- cisco. | “The merchant feels it, the insurance man feels it, the laborer feels it—in fact, all branches of commercial life are ef- fected by the prosperity. These are state- ments that should be thought of sen ously by the members of the Board o Supérvisors when the miners appear be- fore them to request the appropriation. California’s ground has not been mined. It has only been scraped. Mines of wealth untold slumber in its bosom, needing nothing but capital and energy to make them yield their stores. “T was East last October and Novem- ber and I talked with a large number of people about the resources and general conditions existing in Califorrifa. 1 can safely say that the people of this State are ignorant of its resources, importance and possibilities. Eastern foik look with jealous eves on California. They,realize that this country out here is a ‘serious competitor. The West will some day sup. lant the ast in importance. It is slow- y doing that now, i “LooK at the fate of Massachusetts. Before the war she was the great co ton manufacturing State. Now that in* dustry has been transposed to the South, These are things that the people of our State should consider. California has the natural advantages. Look at our water | power, our climate, “our soil and ou | mines. These natural advantages should be conspiculously displaved to the eyes of the world at every opportunity. a- vertising of this kind induces an influx ot capital. - A creditable exhibit of our min. ing industry at the Paris Exposition means all these things and more, too. It means prosperity all over the State from one end of it to the other. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. NOT IN THE PREMIUM LINE-F. Q., Oroville, Cal. Of the eleven coins de- scribed in your letter of inquiry there is not one that commands a premium, THE MONADNOCK—M. M., City. The Monadnock was built in San Franclsco between the year 1874 and 1883—that ig, commenced in the first named and fin- ished In the last named. EXPANSION—Subscriber, City. Atlantic Coast. If our “What is the greatest expansion by an athlete?” | has been submitted to a number of per- | sons well posted in regard to such mat- | ters, and it has been met with the coun- ter question, “What kind of an athlete? If the correspondent will designate an an- | swer will be furnished. WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY—-B. F. B., San Jose, Cal. According to the old- style calendar, George Washington was born on the 11th of February, but under the new style, which advanced dates eleven days, it made the 11th of Febru. | ary the 22d, and as we have adopted the new-style calendar we celebrate the an- niversary of the birth of the Father of his Country on the day that corresponds to the 1ith of February, old style. ERICSSON—Subseriber, City. The re- mains of John Ericsson, the inventor of the Monitor, were sent to Sweden by the United States Government. Amid a great naval pageant In New York harbor, or- dered by the Government as a token of respect to the memory of the deceased his remains were placed on the then new United States cruiser Baltimore. Au- gust 23, 1890, for transportation to Swe- ufi-‘;'edwgle:kf e;k:]e};] w‘ere recielved and In- ally impressiv - terred w y imp: e public cer. PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM—A. D. F. Tulare, Cal. Before the war of 1861 there was no general and well defined system of common schools in the Southern States of the Union, but in the new consti- tions provision was made for the main- tenance of such schools. To ascertain which was and when the last of the Southern States accepted the public school system would require a close ex- amination and comparison of the consti- tution of each of the States and the legislation thereon, a task that would take up more time than this department can devote to any one question. In G While the public schools are not entirely free, every child is compelled to atten: school. ‘'ompulsory education _prevails mn.rt sog;eEextent \%ioughont the “greater urope. ere are fres K: England. $ Sohoain | quested. | | f { TO MEET IN CONFERENCE. An Appeal From Downtown Property Owners for Proper Recogni- tion in the Next Tax Levy. e = The Supervisors intend to discuss at length the matter of preparing the way for competition in the matter ‘0f lighting, not only the streets and public buildings but the stores and houses of private con- sumers. The matter was discussed at the meeting of the S reet Committee yester- day. It developed upon’ the reading of Dr. Perrault’s resolution, presented at the last meeting of the board. This provided that equal rights be granted all com- panies, present or projecied, to erect poles for lighting purposes outside the fire limits, and also that all wires be placed underground within the fire limits. As so much is involved in the matter it was determined to request representa- tives of the Merchants' Association to meet the committee in joint conference. This will be held in the rooms of the board next Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock. The outcome of this discussion will determine the Supervisors as to their report to_the board. Julius Sonntag and Edgar Painter, rep- resenting the North Central Improvement Association, made an earnest plea for improved streets in the business section of the city bounded by Market and Kear- ny streets and the b On behalf of the improvement as: tion the offer was made that if the city would pay half the expense' of placing the streets in repair property-owners would pay the balance. The ent cost was estimated at $100,000. Itwas held that property values and rents had been reduced one-half in recent years and that the city was a loser thereby in a lower amount of taxes being paid. As others have pointed out recently, Mr. Sonntag id shipping and commer- cial interests were improving and a boom was sure to reach the city shortly. This would bring into use buildings and ware- houses for which no tenants can now be found. It was granted that the outlying districts had claims on the Supervisors, but it was also pointed out that the bulk of taxable property is in the heart of the city and its requirements should have first call on the attention of those in authority. Chairman Aigeltinger explained that the next tax levy would fall $1,250,000 short of the requirements of the city. He did not see his way clear to give the asked for relief in pledging the board to provide for this work in the forthcoming tax levy. The request of the Market-street Rail- way Company for a franchise to run cars propelled by electricity over certaln down- town streets was again considered. Rep- resentatives of the company had filed two petitions with the board, and as they were at variance one with the other no definite agtion was taken. The committee could not'determine whether the officers of the company wished to run their cars down Post street to Montgomery or to Grant avenue, thence to Bush street and thence to Montgomery. An amended application will be re- The committee will report in favor of either of these routes, but will franchise for a road on any portion of Geary streelho\'er which it was our | originally intended it should pass. UNDERGROUN?W[RES IN THIS CITY SOON MERCHANTS WORKING FOR A CONDUIT SYSTEM. For several weeks past the officers of the Merchants' Association have been considering the proposition of the re- moval of ail overhead electric light, telephone, tele; ph and other wires from the poles and substituting some sort of underground system. The organiza- tion took up this subject a year ago and a meeting was held in the offica of the Mayor. Afterdiscussing the disadvantages of the present system and the advan- tages of having all wires laid in conduits, those who attended the meeting agreed that the change should be made as soon as possible, in order that San Francisco might keep pace with the up-to-date cities of the United States. At that time no further move toward the change was made on account of the lack of informa- tion, but the association agreed to fur- nish the data as speedily as possible. President Dohrmann made a visit to Europe and upon his return to America he was joined in New York by J. M. King, superintendent of the association, who was sent East to gather ''nforma- tion relating to modern municipal im- provements. Together they inspected all of the underground systems for wires, ete., in the larger cities, and upon their return the associatiom Tequested of Mr. King a report. The reason for this was the determination to again agitate the laying of wires of all kinds underground and thus remove one of the greatest menaces to life and property in San Francisco. The report as been pre- sented_and shows the systems in use in New York, Philadelphia and Boston. The latter city, with its conduit system, has been more’ successful than the others. The city was laid out in districts and as fast as one locality was complete an- other was taken up, until in February, 1897, the conduits amounted to ninety-two miles, carrying about 87,000 miles cf wire. During the past two years the work of clearing the city of overhead wires has been actively pushed. Of the condults used Mr. King says: In the subways constructed, five different systems of conduits were employed, viz: Sheet iron pipe lined with cement; plain wrought iron pipe coated with asphait or tar; vitri- fied clay; creosoted wood, and the Edison solid tube system. Sheet iron pipe lined with cement_constituted the bulk of the condults lald. Creosoted wood was little used since 1894, and the greater portion of the Edison folid tube system was laid previous to that me. The information presented b; has received much attention by the offi- cers of the association. One thing has been decided and that is to follow the example of Boston and district the busi- ness portion of the city and a part south of Market street first, and not attempt to make wholesale changes. A number of conduits have already been laid by light companies, and the advent of the new electric light company, of which Claus Spreckels is the president, is re- garded as an important factor in the movement, as the wires of this company will be placed underground. Within a few weeks it is llkel&! that a special meeting will be called by the directors to take active steps toward introducing the underground wire system here. AROUND THE CORRIDORS E. W. Runyon, a Red Blu a guest at the Palace, St M. Burk, a mining man of Demi M., 15 located at the Oceldentar "5 - John Swett, the well-known is registered at the Lick trom et Ex-Congressman C. A. Barlo: o Luls Obispo is at the Grana it s wees . E. Barber, a capitalist of ; is at the Grand, accompaniea T tiis athan J. Cole, the free sjlv : of Los Angeles, is m: g advomulta his headquarters. gy 5 C. H. Wagener and John Beare of Lon- Mr. King don, England ho are mal this continent, are at the Sheriff Robert J. Langford of Say Joe. is located at the Lick. = George Bray, a vineyardis owner of Santa Clara, is at George T. Clark of Hoope is making a tour of the Uni registered at the Russ. J. J. Hebbron of Salinas, m the Pacific Improvement ( ranches, is at the Grand for a R John A. Gill, Pacific Coast freicht axons of the New York Central li to Los Angeles to look over t tey under his supervision. He will | Saturday. ‘William J. Lempe, proprietor c sive breweries in St. Lou Palace with his wife left on the afternoon t n for but will return in a few days D. A. Dowsett and wife ¢ : who have been in Hayward time on account of the lat have returned to the Calif Dowsett has completely rec her indisposition. The Webb part city last Tuesday in I for New York last evening present at the wedding of Wil bilt and Miss Virginia Fal is composed of Dr. W. president of the Wagner Car « Mrs. Webb, who was a V: son, J. Watson Webb; Mr. and Mr Vanderbilt, Mr. and Mrs. rence, Mr. and Mrs. George I and Mrs. J. H. Purdy. Chris Harrington, George I Frank R. Reed. three mining me have been guests at the Ru for time, left on the evening train yester for Seattle. They are on their > Circle City Alaska, claims about seventy place. They left the Klondike year and a half ago and expect to iwo years. During their stay he purchased an extensive ranch County, and after stocking it with 1 and cattle left it in charge of a tent man while they are away northern country adding to their wealth. 40— 7 9] There is a cer TO MUCH tain broker the Custo OF A House in this city who has DRAUGHT. unalterable & +& + kind, but the cold-producing variety, to whose bad influences he is highly ceptible. He is continually in s against the practice of opening a window now and then in the old building to pur- ify the stuffy and oppressive atmos- phere which pervades the precincts where customs duties are collected Not a morning passes but this objector” reads a chapter to the and others on the floor about the evii ef- fects of opening the windows or doors, and he has finally come to be regarded as a harmless crank on the que The other day one of the cl temerity to open a window just as the broker came in, and the latter immedi- ately proceeded to register his aal kick. When he got through with a wordy castigation on the offending clerk latter quietly remarked: “Say, old man, do you know wh think about you?’ The other expressed a desire to be en- lightened on the subject. “Well, I'll tell you,” replied the clerk. “I think that if you were to die and be cremated and the attendant should open the door of the furnace while you were being incinerated you would rise out of the casket and say: “‘For heaven’s sake, close that door. There’s a frightful draught in this place.” The broker subsided and has never been known since then to complain about draughts. —_— e CALIFORNIANS IN NEW YORK. NEW YORK, March 30.—J. J. Murray of Ban Francisco is at the Bartholdi; F. 'W. Bradley of San Francisco and S. B. Welch and wife of San Francisco are at the Manhattan; R. D. Davis of Sacra- mento is at the Imperial e In the Divorce Court. Alvina Schmidt has been granted a di- vorce from Carl H. Schmidt on the ground of desertion. A decree of divorce has also been granted Sarah C. Pickens from Ar- thur Pickens on the ground of desertion. Marguerite Hensley has sued William D. Hensley for a divorce, alleging failure to provide as a cause of action. e = ‘Want Block Pavements. The Teamsters’ and Draymen’s Associa- tion of San Francisco has petitioned the Board of Supervisors to inctude wood block pavement in the list of materials used for paving city streets. — —e— The best Easter gift for your Eastern friends. Townsend's California Glace Fryits, 50c 1b. in fire-etched boxes or Jap baskets, 627 Market, Palace Hotel bldg. * —_————— AtE Special information supplied daily to business houses and public men by the Press Clipping Bureau (Allen’s). 510 Mont- gomery street. Telephone Main 1042. * —_— e —— Printing, engraving, stamping, visiting cards and wedding invitations at Sanborn & Vail's. i —_———— If you call a woman “well preserved,” She’ll say it's so herself; But‘uy?iu mustn’t tell her you mean the . That’s put ‘““upon the shelf.” Philadelphia Bulletin. —_—————— “Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup” Has been used for fifty years by millions of mothers for their children while Teething with perfect success. It soothes the child, softens the gums, allays Pain, cures Wind Colic, res- ulates the Bowels and is the best remedy v 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 advantage of the round-trip tickets. Now only 60 by steamship, including fitteen days’ board at hotel; longer stay, §3 per day. Applr at ¢ New Montgomery street, San Francisec wrong _feller!” ith the closed “I'm the one “You're arresting the flercely protested the man w eye and the bloody nose. that licked!” . With a muttered apology the policeman let him go and arrested the man with the broken jaw.—Chicago Tri ADVERTISEMENTS. Dr. Mitchell says in diffi- cult cases of Anemia, he adds cod-liver oil half an hour after each meal and he likes to use it in an emulsion ; that he has watched with grow= ing surprise some listless, feeble, creature gathering flesh, color and wholesome- ness of mind and body from this treatment. : «Scott’s Emulsion” is cod- liver oil combined with hy- pophosphites. It regenerates tissue, invigorates the nerves and brain, enriches theblood and adds fat and strength. .00, all druggists. SCOTT' S BOWNE, Chemists, Now Yorks