The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 18, 1900, Page 6

DAY CALL The Story o HE i 1n ucky that the shoot- 1 the window of the ex- 2 his way to the Senate cham- ical opponment of Goebel but , other words, the opinion that within his own ranks Goebel, Beler 3a mhining Erons that that Brutus, whoever st the owing power of his d determination to Governor's chair despite all f law, of right. His career succession of remarkable tri- wonderful dar- with his or social @ few advan- elf up to his his rare quall- 1y He was ullivan County, n, Ky., when he most Kentucky an or beast, and T s a devout r's footsteps, t's agnosti- sentiment * or tion to his iding this. ; store to one to his he sa'w gave 1 that it was heir merited Mey in CI he continued & i them ! made oac w eaders it in spite and of tk ver, der was foot ss enemies, st him in his algn for the Gover- es2 forces are the ones defeate m and led up to his An e ence of his great power end Irresistible force is afforded by the Jenator @itiiam Coebel, — nomination and election of Senator Black- burn to the United States Senate. But to understand this thoroughly it is neces- sary to relate the incidents that led up to Gosebel was convinced that the peopls of Kentucky were paying an exorbitant toll to cross the bridges over the Ohio River. He determined, in pursuance of his cor- poration antagonism, to have the tolls re- duced. He introduced a bill in the Ken- tucky Legislature reducing the tolls to one cent for each foot passenger. The meas- ure was bitterly opposed and a heated fight ensued, which Goebel finally won. Colonel John Sanford was a large stock- holder in one of the bridge companies and was Intensely incensed against Goebel, He wrote a long article and published it in a Covington paper. In which he attacksd Goebel as the father of the bill in a scath. Ing personal criticism. Goebel replied witn an unsigned article that fairly brofled the old soldier, and Sanford at once threat- ened to kill the author of the article on * sight {f he ever learned his name. Gocbel at once claimed the authorshigr of the letter, and both men carried arms about with them in expectatiog, of a meeting. At last it came on the steps of the bank of-which Colonel Sanford was cashier. Sanford at once asked Goes bel if he had written the letter, to which the Sens ator replied at once, without the slightess show of emotion that he had. ¢ ford motioned as if to draw 3 pistol, but Goebel waa a sec- ond tog shot created nse excl " the lowers tated with comm ed a Con- regiment during were bitter against Goebel, particularly as immediately following her husband’s death Mrs. San- ford went insane from the shock. Stand- ing beside bis coffin, the. most intimate of Sanford's friends—Joseph S. C. Black- burn—denounced Goebel as a murderer and swore to avenge his friend's death. It was scarcely two weeks later when the candiddcy of Blackburn for United States Senator was announced. His suc- cess was dependent upon the favor of Goebel. Blackburn secured the nomina- tion, and from that time forward became the stanchest of Goebel's friends and sup- porters. A man who could turn another from so solemn an oath by the force of his political power must be indeed powerful. He lald his pians well and never al- lowed anytking to escape him. Every li‘- tle detail was arranged a long time ahead, and his plans rarely had to be altered by succeeding events. If they were changed the contingencies which arose were al- ways provided for. It was this habit of locking a long way ahead and planning each detail to prevent failure that led to his drafting and p: ing of the Goebel election law a year before he wished to use it. It was passed for the very pur- pose for which it later became useful—to *secure his election as Governor of the State when he became a candidate last year. And it has served his purpose well, in spite of the fact that 1t led to his as- sassination. The law provided for an election ar- rangement in the State of Kentucky some- what similar to that existing in the na- tional Electoral College. The analogy con- sists in the creation of a central board. which passes upon all election returns and declares the results upon the returns which it recelves from the county boards throughout the State. The difference is that the Btate Board appoints each of the County Boards, and County BEoards in their turn appoint the election officers, so that the State Board can control the elec- tion officers, directly appointing those who will serve its will in determining what the reports of the various counties shall be. &QJ If these election officers fail to do its bid- ding throughout the State, and in spite of their work the wrong candidate is elected, they can still declare the electfon to have gone the way they wish it, and there is no chance for the opposing party to win. The difficuity with which Goebel met in carrying out this plan was that one of his lieutenants in the State Board fafled to do his bidd when it was found that in spite of the doctoring of re- turns by the various County Boards Tay- lor still had enough votes to elect him to the gubernatorial chair. Taylor alone could never have swept Kentucky as he did. It was the anti- Goebel Democrats that enabled him to do this. They were arrayed against Goebel because of his action in the convention to nomihate a Democratic candidate. The convention was pledged to te Wil- liam Stone for Governo: 1 spite of this he went In with a small delegation and won out in the brizkest kind of a fight. Of course the opronents whom he had thwarted were T to throw their Repub n candidates, and support to tk with them were the great number of Vemocrats whon ebel had offended during his long series of battles @ his Senatorial career. His man- agement of the nominating convention gives an insight into his cool and calculat- tng character. Knowing the nece: of keep- servic ak the 3 sheet writ- er of Chi- and this a tally on the ballot- ing in a man- ner similar to the way he keeps his bets in the bookmaker’'s box. As a result Mr. Goebel could Nl ) \°< O tell at a glance at any %Q time just how he stood S and just how his opponents stood. It ‘was this valuable information which caused him to be at all tifes master of the situ- ation, and to refuse to listen to his friends when they wanted him to withdraw. He knew all the defalls of the convention, and knew the standing of every delegate. He sat on the stage be- hind the secretary, with his coat off and his legs crossed. He appeared as cool s a plece of ice. He never allowed him- self to be disturbed by the exciting scenes with which the convention abounded, and at no time did he feel that he would lose the nomination. Toward the end of the convention the gigantic Ollle James, a Stone man, rushed up to Mr. Goebel. and with his whole frame shaking with excitement and In a volce of thunder exclaimed, “You must withdraw or we will nominate Hardin!” James was the recognized leader of the Stone forces, and he expected this wild declaration would move the Kenton County man. But Mr. Goebel never budged. He simply said in a quiet tone, Senator (ogbel anpd the (reat Kentueky Political “All right, if you can stand it T can.” That was all; he never rgued the ques- tion; he did not ask why. It was such a surprising answer that James was com- pletely nonplused, and he retired frc the stage without another word. Goebel was nominated without much further trouble. During his campaign there was much bitterness and acrimony. Prominent Dem- ocrats all over the State came out against Goebel's candidacy.. Among them wers Senator Lindsay, General Simon B. Buck- ner, Representative Owens and ex-Repre- sentative Breckinridge. Senator Goebel defied’ his enemies, and by his abusive speeches outraged the pro- prieties. “Drunkard,” “lar” “scoun- drel,” ‘“cur,” were some of the epithets which he hurled at the most active of his opponerts. During the storm of contumely life was oft t and he prom- ised his ene t n the campaign was over he would wipe out some of the insults to which he had teen subjected It had®bee predic b blood would be shed on elect but the pc ed off it usual incident came evident that repudiated by the voters former Senator re- nfident. He clalmed returns were jugg d the inct ery pre . But flicient margin for the Repub- small but s lican Attorney General. It was hera that one of the men on whom Goebel had positively counted failed him and the result was the issue th ate of election to Taylor. rd of Election Commission December 4 to upplementary” from various ¢ of cer The State un- ma fav tors was bef Republica Knrowing Democratic tactics the men from the mountains did enter Frankfort. Prayer- meetings were held in the churches, plead- ing that bloodshed not ' result. Democratic claims were ralsed that these mountain districts—the counties of The first silver wedding dates back to the time of Hugues Capet. Two servants ng to him had grown gray In his n a woman, and what a reward? Caliling the “Your service is great— \ this man's, whose service Is ough, for the woman always finds work harder than a man and, therefore, 1 will give you a reward. At your age I know of none better than a dowry and a husband. The dowry is here—this farm from this time forth belongs to you. If this man who has worked with you five and twenty years is willing to marry you then the husband is read “Your Majesty,” sald the old peasant, “how is it possible that we should marry, having already sflver hairs?” “Then it shall be a silver wedding,” and the King gave the couple silver enough to Keep them in plenty. This soon became known all over France and raised such en- thusiasm that it became a fashion after twenty-five years of married live to cele- brate a silver wedding. The practice of the wife assuming the husband’'s name at marriage is a Roman custom and originated soon after the Ro- man occupation. Julia married to Pompey Quriclus Old Wedding d Know, Magoffin, Johnson and Pik therefore, the votes thrown out. In calling out of by the as of the After f hear and Ellis decid merely as a c not go behi whether or should be th became “Julla ied wome manne ever, during t centuries the we find C after she had land the opp always custom. There marriage, band assumes the w name Our wedding cake is the rema of & custom Roman bride heild In her left hand three wheat ears, and many centuries later an Eng re a chaplet of wheat. The b ow grains of corn or small the heads of the newly married, a guests picked up the pleces and ate The wedding cake did not com: eral use until the last century then composed of solid blocks gether, iced all over, so that outer crust was broken over tr head the cakes inside £ were distributed among tavors are of Danish o er's knot having been Danish hearts and dertving from the Danish truelofa troth.” n my “I plight suggested b cated to 1glish parties. The on was received with high favor At that time the English at- was pregnant with tunnel the Thames and Mersey and lish Channel between the English side and French recelved encouragement triends and a route for s surveyed across the bay, ve borings were made in the m al of the bay bottom along the pro- e and a long series of estimates ations were made upon the e work and the various features t and expense. The engineer employed on the work was " ¥ L] Jullan Le Conte, now one of the United i : 1 Btates Government engineers on harbor work. It was he who cted the route, arew detailed vement. Mr. nced to-day that ected negs ns of the proposed i Conte is firm | as worked upon Dr. Parsons perfect practicable, pre- few engineering difficulttes, rgely reward the investment and L t large proposition in Cal- -day. Mr. Le Con! not cticable, however, the » the bill introduced by Con- Kahn. This tu 88 10 front with the Oakland bay alon hundred and ight on tons to ht as no tu down to the bottom level on both sides of the bay would be too greai. Further- more, it is not likely that it is the char- acter of project that would coms under the province of the Government to take up. It would not be a tunnel across the border of two States, but one lying wholly within one State, and with such internal affairs of a State the general Government does not concern itself. Moreover, the scheme being injected into Congress comes agalnst the full glare of the Huntington interest; and it is-likely that this force if no other in the national council will see that it is properly smothered. The underbay tunmel is still a project for private enterprise. Yet the measure introduced by Congressman Kahn sur- vives the asphyxiating influences which will assail it, it is likely that a survey of the Government engneers of the har- bor of San Francisco, to whom the mat- ter will be referred, and of whom Mr. Le Conte, as stated, is one, will determine that the tunnel which the Government should build should be that of the Par- s route and not of the Goat Island te The proposed Parsons tunnel was five miles in length and ran from a point on the San Francisco side west of Hunters Point and east of Butchertown, across to West Alameda. This tunnel would have run under seven fathoms of water for three miles ncarest the San Francisco side, an aded from three fathoms up for two miles on the opposite side. Ap- proaching the San Francisco shore the tunnel would have deflected somewhat from the straight line, bending to the west to avold a deep sink of some fifteen fathoms near Hunters Point; but for this ssion in the bottom, the iine would been straight from West Alameda ro dep have to Hunters Point. This position across the bay would have fixed the mouths of the tuncel about three miles to the east of the business center of San Francisco and about two miles to the east of that of Oakland; this, of course, would be un- desirable, it being much preferred that the subway should start at the foot of Market street if possible; but it was found that the point selected was (he lowest place down on the bay where the water was shallow enough to admit of the tunnel. The cost of this work completed was computed to be about one and a quarter millions per mile, or about $6,250,000 in all. It was calculated that the sum of seven and a half millions of dollars would buy all necessary lands, rights of way and else, bufld the tunnel and lay and equip all rallroads needful as a part of the tun- nel system. This money Dr. Parsons believed to the day of his death he would be able to raise, and year by year he kept working on his scheme, corresponding w i capltalists, planning, preparing ing. When electr! use their advent was hafled by him with delight, for thereby he perceived an addi- tional and forceful argument in behalf of his project. Electrical raflroads emed to solve many of the questions affecting tunnel transportation. In the place the trains were much lighter than those of steam roads, and hence did not jar a tunnel so much in passing through it; the vibrations produced by train rumblings of the earth have been known to cause serfous caves, and many tunnel disasters which perplex the railroad officials as to their causes have really had their origin from these “train tremors.” Furthermore, an electrical rallroad was cheaper to bulld and equip than & steam h nd hop- al railroads came Into road and it could be 5 per cent less cost operated at about But the great ad- vantage was that the problem of tunnel ventilation was theroby solved. Ventil- ating a long tunnel used by locomotive engines is the most bafling of all Aiffi- culties with which the engineer has to grapple. The engine is constantly throw- ing out smoke in the tunnel and this has no ready means of escape. The conse- quence is that the alr within soon be- comes vitiated and stifling. When the ris- ing incline is reached the engine must re- double its efforts and large quantities of smoke and fumes are thrown out which rer n in the tunnel and float through it, so if trains enter it frequently the air bécomes dangerous to breathe. The length of the entire trip from Mar- ket street, San Francisco, to Broadway, Oaklan would have been ten miles 1 the trip accomplisk in about the same time that 1t tak a passenger by boat n at present. The passenger would have the advantage of a continuous ide without change of cars, and the trips would been at 15-minute intervals. ntage which the tunnel ited over the boats 1 have been no delays on account of weather. The great feature, however, presented to the passenger by the tunnel would be of cheapn of fare. Fiy ents would be the highest fare c.arged. Com- mu with all punches good until could be sold at 4 cents, used As Dr. Parsons’ scheme was greally assisted by the tunnel sentiment in Ei land growing out of the success of first borings of the English Channel tun nel, so his project was marred by the snuffing out of that work, which came about as a Parliamentary matter. T1he ation tickets the interests which in England and France would have been harmed by the construc- tion of the tunnel, when they saw such a fact was possible from an engineering standpoint, and remarked also that tha financial backing behind the scheme was ample to carry it to a successful end, took an entirely other tack in their fight against {t. They raised a hue and cry that if the tunnel were built England would be exposed to an invasion by France in time of war, or, in fact, at any time. The panic won; was condemned the channel tunnel by Parliament ‘“on strategic grounds.” The magnificent hand of commerce which would have stretched across the channel in five years was closed Into a fist of war and shaken at France. When this scheme fell a feeling of disgust perd vaded the whole nation on all tunneh projects, and this reached even to San, Francisco and lay coldly on the enterprise, of Dr. Parsons. All the structure which: he had erected tending to the commence- ment of work fell to pleces; his English: correspondents ceased to answer his let- This continued for several years, the doctor went to England and rred things up in, and the tun- project took a w lease of life. Just then, when it Jhe was getting into operation agatn, the doctor died and the Junnel great schems was . agaln snuffed out. in It promises now to = be revived by Con- OPera“on. man Kahn's in Congress. CI1SCO? Whether the Government conld undertake the bullding of it or not, its consent to the use of Goat Island for the purpose would be necessary, which would properly bring it before Congress. Once In that body, If it is not chloroformed by opposition in- terests and if it has the full support of the California delegation, it may go far: it may at least draw the attention of the investing and econstructing world to the fact that there is here in California a great opportunity for a large Investment in a property which will last foreyer and which as time passes will enormously In- crease in value, GUSTAV DIETZ. —_—— The cost of the worid's wars since the Crimean war, it is estimated, has been $12,265,000.000, or enough to give $10 to every 4