The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 13, 1902, Page 2

T E SUNDAY CALL fe days. BSeveral attempts have recent years to raise a fund for the Custom-house, but all Sons took rs ago at r Grand Parlor Legislature has i Gov- commission Johnson of of Pacific 1 Lucas, Hon of Santa Cruz and E Tre o super- appropriation. on became avaflable on and as scon as the lease t¢ e the Native Sons d States Goveru- cted the State ke charge of the prop- mers—all native sons, grandfather were early days—feel a the work they have ermined not to make » often robs historic interest, the mistake of ‘restoring” away most of the original the building to much boarding that 1p in recent vears by the it from ruin will, of no part of the removed to give place material. The weak spots will be artificially sf without rring the architectural character and ty, and the Monterey Custom. bouse will, declare the Commissioners, the same in appearance and real. ity as it was when Monterey was the port of entry and principal city of Cali- fornia Most of the old timbers are still stanch to stronger trengthe: CAPYT. THo5 . LAMBERT and the thick adobe walls have crumbled very little, although the house has stood for nearly a century, and the plans of the Commissioners will not be difficult to out if the work is done with care judgment. The only portior structure not or 1y there the tiled roof, and & xcept a y few of its own tlles have been car- ff by relic hunters, or broken in va- /s, the Commissioners will be obiiged to find tiles from other less nota- ble buildings of the neighborhood. After the work of restoration is com- pleted the building will be converted into a museum of California history, each room being devoted to some man of great prominence or to a particular period of istory. The work of collect- the exhibits has already been begun and a number of very interesting rel have been promised. Among these are of the the State’s i the desk and pen used in drafting and signing the first State constitution and a certified copy of the signatures (the orig- fnal document being In the State archives), twé chairs used by General Fremont while in Monterey, a chair be- to Governor Micheltorena and al relics of Rev. Walter Colton, the buiider of Colton Hall. The plans of the commissioners also include beautifying the grounds surrounding the building and ing them into a public park. There are between two and three acres of land in the Custom-house reservation, extend- ing along the shores of the bay, and no prettier site for a park couid be found. The Custom-house is, with the excep- tion of some of the older missions, the oldest public building in the State, its foundations having been laid by the Spanish Government about 1816. The north tower was nearly completed when Mexico revolted against Spain and the work of construction was stopped till about 1824, when it was recommenced by the Mexican Government and continued with more or less vigor till the American occupation in 1846. The two towers were thus completed and the central portion was under way when the United States took possession and finished the building about 180. It was used as a Custom- house and for other purposes connected with the administration of public affairs in the province under both Spain and Mexico, and after the American occupa- tion it was the headquarters of the civil and military jurisdiction of California for some time, remaining at the same time, however, the place of business for the conve Monterey customs district tili 1861, when Monterey was merged into the San Franecisco district. Since that time it has had no official status and has fallen grad- ually into its present dilapidated condi- tion, despite all the efforts of the custo- dian to prevent it. Unofficially this old house has seen many interesting and some thrilling events, and many brilliant social gather- ings, the old chroniclers say, took place within its walls. One of the most mag- nificent of tese was the ball given by the officers of the United States frigate Sa- vannah shortly after the American occu- pation. This ball was held in the im- mense central hall of the Custom-house and was worthy of note for many reasons, chiefly, however, for the fact that at- tended as it was by all the prominent Mexican and Spanish familles, as well as the few Americans who came to Monterey prior to 1846, it marked the breaking down of the natural hostility of econquered for conquerors and the beginning of the kind- lier feeling hetween the two races that has existed in California ever since. Strangely enough, the great old hall, in which the officers of Commodore Sloat's flagship gave this ball, Is now used as a depot for the stones for the pedestal of the Sloat monument which the Mexican War Veterans are slowly bullding at the 0ld fort on the neighboring hill. A num- bef of these stones are shown in the phot- ograph. Another interesting room in the Custom- house is the upper room of the north tower, now used as the office of the resto- ration commission and for the past four years occupied as a studio by the talentéd San Francisco artist, Miss Evelyn Mc- Cormick. The room was the military headquarters for California when General Fremont was in command and it was here that Frempont found his wife when he ar- rived in Monterey after his long ride through the night and the storm from San Jose on December 20, 1849, to tell her the news of his election as the first United States Senator from the new State of Californja, Two objects of historic inter- est are now in this room and are shown in the photograph. They are the desk upon which the first California State con- stitution ‘was drafted and signed and a chair used by Governor Micheltorena, next to the last Mexican Governor of Alta California. These relics form the nucleus of the collection that will be placed in the Custom-house historical museum. The most important historical event in which the Monterey Custom-house tigured was that of July 7, 184, when Commo- dore John D. Sloat landed 250 men from the United States warships Savannah, Cyane and Levant, under Captain William Mervine, to hdul down the Mexican flag and replace it with the stars and stripes, thus taking formal possession of the ter- ritory in the name of the United States of America. A curious incident connected With ‘this important event and one not generally known is that July 4, 1846, would have been the date of American occupa- tion but for the cunning of the Mexican They, knowing that the proper formalities of the occasion could not be with unless the Mexican flag was hduled down before that of America was hoisted. standard and kept it securely hid for two them that the Mexican flag must be produced and on the morning of un up over the Custom- The same old flagstaff remains in its original position and is still stout enough to carry proudly the big flag which the custodlan, Captain Thomas G. Lambert, has bent to its hal- yards on every national holiday and other important occasions years of his guardianship of the Custom- V. A. L. JONES. the 7th it was house for the in the thirty-three house property. to the favored class of women who never seem to grow old, and who in the autumn of life- possesses the charm of knowing how to preserve the smiling loveliness of their youth. She is a devoted friend of lit- erature, and she is never so happy as ‘when she can celebrate the three great festivals of the year, surrounded by the The Empress of Japan. T the age of 50 years the Empress of Japan still considers that she is entitled to her family name of Haruka, the “spring,” and no one will deny it to her. Her Majesty belongs poets attached to the court. These festi- vals are those of the New Year, the church and the chrysanthemum. The Empress is herself a poetess and has es- tablished a competition for Japanese poets, and for this competition she fixes the subject. But it is for her works of ) ieiiip is the most re- the head of all rection. The great deal of r with China attendinz to charity that the Empress nowned, and she is at national efforts in thi Red Cross Society claims 2 her time and during she was very often found the wounded Japanege. »H-x—H-i-H-l-H»r*wfi-F"rf’h‘H‘%H Easy Lessons in Whist. HIS is the first of a series of easy lessons in whist for both experts and beginners. Even if you are a clever player you will find this se- 1ies full of useful hints and new glays. If you know nothing whatever about this fascinating game you can Jearn it here, after the most scientific methods. The lessons are being written ex- pressly for the Sunday Call by Mrs. E. P. Schell, who is a prominent member of the San Francisco Whist Club, where she gives scientific in~ structions to the lady members, and chairman of the whist section of the California Club. The success of the whist and euchre games at the Palace Hotel recently, with 800 players, was due to her efforts, therefore she is best qualified to present the rules of the game so that everybody can un- cerstand them. O much has been written by our local writers on the original open- ing of a whist hand that I shall take up second hand plays, covers, fourchettes and imperfect four- chettes, and shall endeavor to malke clear the importance of covering certain cards led. The rule most generally laid down is, if. you hold high cards, from which you would lead a high card, you'play a high card. For the same reason when a low card !s led with a low-card combination secona hand you should play a low card, as a high card will only assist in estab- lishing 7our opponents’ suit more expedi- tiously. For example, if you hold king, queen and two small and you play low on a low card led you are taking the same risk as if you were leading low from same com- bination. ¢ Also when your holdings second hand consists of ace, queen and one or more small, and jack is led, you should cover with ace; it is seldom right to play other- wise. You should usually cover a card led late in hand to prevent underplay. Another most important play is with king and two small on ten being led. Y should hold off, as more than likely originally led it is from ten, jack, « and others. Even if it is from an irregu- lar opening it would be wise to hold off in any case. If you put up the king and ace cards immediately above and below the one led, such as ki Ji \k ‘d‘ a queen led, or a queen ten on a jack led. An lmpgrlec' fourchette is the cou_:blng- tion of the card immediately above t ‘ one led and the next but one below ! such as ace jack on king led, or king ten on queen ied. Suppose that the queen is led, and second hand holds King, ten and others. By covering the queen he not only prevents the third hand from finessing i he hold the ace, but he may make the jack good in fourth hand. =~ If the jack is in third hand W_!th the ace, second hand still gains an advantage by covering, because the lead Is then on his left and his guarded ten must be led up to, whereas if he passes the queen hls King, ten will be led through a second time, and ace, queen, jack will all take tricks against him. If the original leader holds the jack and the queen is passed, the second hand is in the same disadvantageo osition, for he will be led through again with the jack. By putting on the king, even if be loses 1it, ge remains with second Dbest uarded in the suit. EA very instructive deal criticism by C. B, Comn:‘d St e (a) Avold changing suits. (b) Lead through the strong up to the weak hand. (¢) It not strong enough in trumps to lead them; you are weak enough to force opponents. —North and west c ong suits in the con v South leads through probable west's hand up to declared east avoids changing suits, arent reason for chang- inues his clubs, which -k 5—West properly continues to lead monds, which north trumps and eads the comman a_trump cept the last, in west’s hand at the third tric points by s« advantage strong,” but w 1 trumps with no good suit 1 none indicated In his partner’s hand. Thi sulted in two tricks, but left the queen in command with Sor then opens his long suit of hes which is won cheaply by west, who pr. erly continues his diamond suit, which won by. north, who, knowing that the ace of clubs is against him, returns his part- ner’s smit of hearts. which falls to the major ten-ace in the west. West now leads his commanding trump which takes them all out except the one im south's hand, which he forces with his queen of diamonds. s leaves him in command of the suits and he brings in his diamonds. Monday evening, March 24, the top scores .at the San Francisco Whist Club were made by Mr. Foster and Mrs. Adolph Meyer, N. and S.. plus 8; Mrs. Henry Pavot ‘and S. Mever. E. and W.. plus 4 Wednesday evening, March 2, the top scores were de by Mrs. Adolph Meyer and Mr. Foster, N. ‘and 8., plus 10 Mrs, G. E. Bates and Oscar Samuels, B. and W.. plus 12 Wi ok Thursday afternoon.. March 27, at the ladles’ game, Mrs. William N Mrs. Palmer, N. and S ploiTay and Hess and Mrs. Frank Weston, B. plus 8. Saturday eveninz. March 29, Summerhayves d Judge Free W.. plus 4: M Hess and Mr. F and S, p The Bates trophy was played for on Sat- urday afternoon, March 29, for teams en. tering the contest. The successful team lies third hand you have cleared your op- ponents’ suit in one round. If you do not cover on second round more than like.y third hand will have to play ace to un- s block and clear his partner’s suit. You will still retain the command of your op- gonema‘ suit, which is most generally ac- nowledged the best play. A fourchette, as almost every whist player knows, is a combination of two was composed of Mrs. Georse E A . torge B Ao s E. B. Grace, Mrs. Hovey and soms Blackwood, The ‘highest individual Jiores were made by Mrs. Bates oo Mrs. Grace, E. and W., plus 4; Mt ur Moreton and Nirs. Palmer. Mes Hovey. ane . e Dluxd‘.’.ums Blackwood, N. and S., Xt week I hope to furnish of the play at the Trist Whi:t Ctlril:b.uor“