The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 20, 1904, Page 8

T e e An Anarchist’s Ruse. Special Correspondence. HEADQUARTERS OF THE CALL, § HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON, July 8.—Ameri- can immigration inspectors will find it worth while to carefully examine frto the identity of returning delegates ©f American branches of the Salvation Army who have been attending the convention in London. An ingenlous echeme is being concocted to smuggle into America a lot of anarchists in the dirguise ¢ home-coming Salvation {Its stand is thin, for fuel and fence posts. The forests are exceedingly important as furnish- ing a cover for the soil and abundant food for stdck. The mesquite pods are eaten by cattle in summer, as they fall to the ground from the trees, and are gathered and fed dry all through the year. Because of these uses and the wonderful powers of reproduction and extension which the algaroba for- ests possess, they are a most valuable asset of the islands. The native forests are those of the mountain slopes, and are all essen- tially of a tropical character. About three-fourths of the native forests are composed of lehua. This tree is found in regions of heaviest rainfall and under best conditions attains a diameter of four feet and a height of 100 feet. Commercially, except for fuel, the wood has little value, for in dry- ing it checks and warps badly. Its importance is as a protective forest. but the most lux- uriant undergrowth is always found beneath its small-crowned trees. In- deed, so luxuriant is this undergrowth of ie-ie vine and similar climbers, fern growth ranging from a few inches to thirty feet in height, and mosses, that virgin forests of lehua are often im- penetrable, dark jungles. Thus an ideal condition is created for water | conservation. | The present forest area is about zoi per cent of the islands—a small frac- | tion of what it was a hundred -years | Army devotees. At present there afle ® large number of these sanguinary | disciples of dynamite and assassina- | tion in England. Many of them have | vecently reached these shores from | ¥Poland, whence they have fled to es- | cape being conscripted into the Rus- | sian army for the war against Japan. | Others hail from Barcelona, where | thirgs were made too hot for them a | year or two ago. Several of them | have been compelled to leave Italy for | their country’s good. And England | has its own share of these sworn foes | of all forms of government. They are | shadowed by the police and find no outlet for their pernicious activity here. Consequently they are anxious to get out of the country. A man named Canham, who piloted Emma Goldman through England when she was here on a lecturing tour | gome six years ago, has devised the ciever scheme by which it is proposed to transfer a goodly number of them #0 the land of liberty. He has charge of all the arrangements and under his guidance y have attended the var- jous meetings of the Salvation Army Congress here, studying the peculiari- ties of manner, speech and dress of the American contingent that they may be better fitted to assume their disguise. Only those whose feature: would ad- mit of their passing muster as Amer- icans have been selected for the at- tempt, and this, much to their sorrow end regret, has barred most of the Poles, whose Hebraic extraction is plainly stamped on their features. Uniforms have been provided for the successful candidates which are exact copies of those worn by American del- egates. Many instead of returning in a body, will en- deavor to see something of Europe be. fore taking passage for home. For | this reason it is tne intenlien of thei anarchiet understudies to sail for America from some continental port, laying their plans so that they may ar- rive about the same time that the right-seeing delegates return, but they will take care nbt to travel on the same steamer with any of them, as that would lead to their exposure and repudiation long before they reached Amvecica Fhevld they succeed in es- caping detection on landing In New Yerk or Boston, it Is their intentis>a to scatter and by various routes make their way to Chicago, which, on this side, is regarded as the center of an- erchistic activity in America. Forest Stripping in Hawaii. In the Hawailan Islands it is now recognized that forest preservation is & matter of great and immediate im- portance to the leading economic in- terests of the Territory. The chief egricuitural interest of the islands is sugar growing. In 1903 the exported sugar was valued at $25,310,684, or 96 per cent of the total exports. The supply of water on which successful cane cultivation depends comes to a Jarge extent from the forested higher elopes of the mountains, above plantations. But the situation is com- plicated by the fact that cattle raising, | whkich in economic importance stands wecond only to the sugar industry, de- pende largely on the use of the forest for range, and overgrazing has been the principal cause of injury to the water-holding power of the wooded area. As a preliminary to the formulation of a far-sighted policy In the interest of the islands 2s a whole, the Terri- tory a year ago asked for an exapmina- tlon of the whole question on the ground by an agent of the United States Department of Agriculture. The report of William L.. Hall of the Buresu of Forestry, who made the examination, is now being printed as bulletin No. 48, “The Forests of Hawail.” Doth from a scientific and practical standpoint it gives much in- formation concerning these Hawaiian forests and their uses. Only five of the eight islands are Jjerge enough to be important in a forest study. In thesc there are two distinct kinds of forest; one near sea Jevel in the drier portions of the islands, the other in the regions of heavy rainfall on the mountain slopes. They never blend or even meet. The forest of the nea level is made up ex- clustvely of mesquite, 8o prevalent in the drter sections of the southwestern part of the United States. In the Ha- watian Island=, however, it grows much denser, tsller and straighter than in the States, having changed its kabit of growth i response to aitered - onditiops. It i¥ not native, but was ‘ntroduced in 1537 Ly a seed planted ! i. Yionolun. The trec st'll stands In . bealthy condition, having a diameter of two feet and a height of fifty feet. i'~om it hgve sprong 50,000 acres of mesquite, or, as there called, algaroba forests, Civiled among the several islands. The wood is chiefly M of the genuine Salvationists, | the | ago. The destruction of the forests can be traced to three chief causes: Clear- | ing for agriculture, stock grazing and | grass encroachment. Cattle were taken | to the islands in the eighteenth cen- | tury and for years were protected by rigid laws forbidding their slaughter. | By 1815 they had so increased in num- | ber as to become a menace. The anti- i slaughter laws were repealed and grad- | ually their number has been reduced to the needs of the islands. But their | work of destruction has been accom- plished. Much of the undergrowth of the native forests was of a succulent | character, peculiarly agreeable not only | to cattle,-but also to goats, pigs and deer; all of these preyed upon the for- est and year by year their trampling and grazing showed more plainly in forest areas wrecked and ruined. The encroaching grasses occupied the ground and prevented reforestation. In the rainy districts the Hilo grass and in the drier sections Bermuda grass was the offender. Between them they pceupy vast stretches of country that ‘were once well forested. Clearing for agricultural and home- stead purposes Is responsible for very | much of forest destruction. Since the | best use to which the lands of the is- lands can be put is agriculture, no fault can be found with such cutting, provided it is not carried so far as to curtail the water supply on which agrieulture fitself depends. The rain- fall of the forested portion of the is- | lands is from 50 to 200 inches a year | and the native forests furnish the best floor conditions for storing away this | water for future use. But when the forest area is made smaller the storage supply of water is lessened. In addi- tion, it appears to be true in Hawail | that forests influence the amount of moisture precipitated. ‘Where the mountains, with their cooling atmos- phere, do not extend their elevations above 3000 feet, forests are especially needed. The trade winds bring in fogs | and mists and the forests perform the | excellent function of changing these | to water and leading it to the ground for storage. Thus continued forest | cutting means danger both to the amount of water precipitated and to | the supply husbanded for the crops. | Both “the principal crops, sugar and | rice, require much water for their suc- | cessful growth. Already public opinion in the islands has taken form in prac- tical forest preservation work. Sugar | companies have established merves" for local protection, the area in one | case being as large as 50,000 acres. Tree planting has been done on a large scale by a number of land owners. The Government began tree planting was taken when the last Legislature and utilize the forests to the best ad- wvantage. The first act to this end must be the establishment of forest reserves, which should include practically all the mountain forests. Fortunately the Government owns most of these for- ests, although at present they are Jands can be brought about. When the reserves are established, a first neces- sity will be the extermination of the wild cattle and goats and the creation of a ranger service to keep out fire and stock. Chronometers on Ice. Each year the time chronometers of the United States navy are subjected to a test to determine their accuracy and to correct any irregularities. operation commences in January and usually lasts until the middle of June, and during that time it is no uncom- mon sight to see 100 of these delicate timepieces on ice at the United States Naval Observatory. It is not for any fear that these timepleces will spoil that they are subjected to this frigid experience, but it is necessary for the purpose of accurate adjustment that they should all be maintained in a con- stant temperature. The necessity of having the ship's ‘clock- all absolutely allke will be real- ized by the layman when he is remind- ed that an error of four seconds in the chronometer means an error of a mile in calculating the vessel's location. The temperature varies at different times of the test from 50 to 90 degrees and the losing or gaining qualities of the chro- nometers under these conditions are ac- curately kept. Thus, with a chart ex- pressing in curves just what he may twenty-two years ago, with an appro- | priation of $12,000. A conclusive step | provided for a forest policy and en- | tered upon determined work to protect | largely under lease to private individ- | uals, mainly to cattlemen. It is thought, | however, that an exchange of these | This | expect from his chronometer under dif- ferent conditions of climate, and, with his thermometer and barometer close at hand. the sailing master may cal- culate to a nicety the correct time and get his lecation to a certainty. “Misery likes company, don't he?” “Yes; but w'en I sees him comin’ I never is at home.”—Atlenta Constitu- tion. ‘THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1904. THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL JOHN D. SPRECKELS, Proprietor . « « « « « « « « . Address All Communications to JOHN I&!Apsar.'_lmm ecsesesesassnaneins hbwo‘s. e THE INDEPENDENT PRESS. INCE the St. Louis convention the tendency of the S independent press of the country is to the support of President Roosevelt. The Chicago Chronicle has long been the only independent Democratic paper in that city. It is a strong paper and under the able man- agement of the late Mr. Scott it achieved a reputation and influence that even survived its support of Bryan in 1900. Since then it has repented of that one false step and has been a constant advocate of sound finance and common sense. But the St. Louis convention was the last straw that broke the back of its patience with a party that it had tried to discipline without avail. When the convention left out of its platform any.u[. erence to the monetary standard and said that the standard was not in issue, and that Judge Parker advised it that the gold standard is so much in issue that he would not run for the Presidency if the party did not ac- cept his views on that subject, the Chronicle said there was too much jackdawing and it would carry its sup- port where all issues are considered and all principles are firmly declared without reservation or sinister multi- plication of words, and it supports President Roosevelt. This leaves the Democracy without a newspaper in Chi- cago. The anarchists, socialists and dynamiters have an organ in Hearst’s paper, which the party will probably use as an occupant in common with the gang of social disturbers of the peace. In this State the most influential of the independent press is the Sacramento Bee. It has supported Bryan twice and was prepared to support an honest Democratic nomination this year. But the St. Louis convention was too much for it. A Belmont candidate on the head of a ticket, with an anti-trust platform and a member 6f t!le Standard Oil trust for the second place is a combination that may be overlooked by some who have the same view of the game of politics as David B. Hill and Bel- mont, but the Bee is not that kind and declines to shout anti-trust while supporting a Standard Oil candidate. The Bee is to be complimented on its consistent hon- esty. It has criticized President Roosevelt and recalls nothing it has said, but it finds in him an honest and courageous man, who may in some matters of adminis- tration be wrong, but who does things aboveboard and takes the consequences. The Bee prefers to do its full American duty rather than support D. B. Hill's candi- date. Mr. Hill's surrender to socialism in the last cam- paign in New York is not encouraging. Then with his expropriation platform he was out in the open crying to the people: Slaves and fools, Pluck the grave wrinkled senate from the bench, And minister in their steads! * ® ® ® Bankrupts, hold fast; Rather than render back, out with your knives And cut your trusters’ throats! * ¢ * * Piety, and fear, Religion to the gods, peace, justice, truth, Domestic awe, night.rest, and neighborhood, Instruction, manners, mysteries, and trades, Degrees, observances, customs, and laws, Decline to your confounding contraries, And yet confusion live! Now he is smirking under Belmont's wing and shed tears when the two accomplished “a sane and safe” nomination. No more offensive personmality could grin and gambol as the power behind a Presidential candi- date than he. He long ago lost the confidence of the people of his State and the distrust of him is general throughout the country. Judge Parker is unfortunate in his Warwick. The situation affects not only the inde- pendent press of the country but the independent voters and thinkers. Bourke Cockran said that he left St. Louis with not a ray of hope of the election in sight, but Judge Parker’s telegram on the gold standard dispelled the gloom. Why it had this effect is not explained. Judge Parker is not the hero of the gold standard battle. He is a camp follower. The heroes of that battle are the Republicans who made the fight at St. Louis in 1896 and the Democrats who were the come-outers in the same campaign. Governor Flower and John R. Fellows, John G. Carlisle and Senator Caffery were leaders in that great group who were battling for the gold standard while Judge Parker and Hill were voting for Bryan and free silver. Not all independent men hark back as far as 18¢6 in giving reasons for opposing Parker. Mr. Timberlake, Democratic nominee for Congress in the Steubenville district, Ohio, who had begun hig caeipaign, resigns irom the ticket, giving as a reason the raw work of the St. Louis convention in nominating a trust ticket on an anti-trust platform. David B. Hill is cunning beyond most men, but his artifice has overreached itself this time. Within a year plans for the general adornment of San Francisco will be placed at the disposal of the public spirited citizens that have set in motion a worthy agi- tation for the betterment of the town. The time is, therefore, short for discussion and preparation for active and definite work to develop these designs for civic beauty into realities that will attract visitors and be of permanent advantage to us. CANDIDATE PARKER, SWIMMER. E -are beginning to learn more about Alton W Brooks Parker. The latest is that the Democra- tic standard-bearer is an enthusiastic swimmer. Nothing interferes with his Honor’s daily dip in the waters of the Hudson. No matter the size of the Judge’s mail—and it is growing every day—it remains untouched until Mr. Parker has enjoyed his swim; delegations are compelled to wait in blessed patience until the personal pleasure of the leader of the Democracy has been in- dulged to his heart’s content. We do not blame him for postponing the tasks of the day until after his natatorial exercise, for he is then in more desirable condition to withstand the many Democratic shocks that daily fall to his lot. It must be an inspiring sight to behold candidate Par- ker standing on the bank of the river at Esopus pre- paratory to his matutinal plunge. Clad in a woolen bathing-suit of attractive hue the physical picture must be fair for Democracy’s hosts to look upon. And when the standard-bearer makes his already celebrated dive into the waters of the historic Hudson there must be en- thusiastic thrills up and down Democracy’s backbone, that is, if there be any remaining after the physical tor- ture its poor old decrepit body has endured during re- cent years. We suppose that long ere this the kodak enthusiasts have taken many shots at the Judge, and that the maga- zines soon will permit us to feast our orbs upon half- tones of the athletic proportions, accoutered in swimming garb, as the sphinx-like celebrity of Esopus. And then | at the vaudeville houses the moving pictures will give | the health authorities ought to be upheld by every good us the Judge in action. That, indeed, will be both highly interesting and instructive to the followers of the Demo- cratic band wagon. If their leader makes a graceful dive, as indicated by the moving pictures, all good Democrats should attempt to do likewise. If the Judge shows a preference for the side stroke in cutting through the water all loyal Democrats should follow his example. If the Judge seems to find pleasure in “fetching” un- der the water all good Democrats should make every ef- fort to do likewise. In Democratic swimming circles we now expect to hear of the “Parker dive” and the “Par- ker stroke,” both of which assuredly will become popu- lar, and no one will be considered in the swim until he has added them to his accomplishments. Democrats, who have always had a happy faculty for “pointing with pride” when they have not been roundly condemning, will now point to the Democratic standard-bearer and say with an excess of pride: “Behold the man. not of words, but of action—the swimmer.” Mexico is evidently striving to demonstrate that in her tremendous industrial progress she has reached the stage of the marvelous and is able to challenge the world for a duplication of her fortunate condition. It has been announced on what appears to be g()od authority that the gigantic smelter trust of the southern republic is in such serious difficulties that it is about to dissolve. i DAIRIES AND PUBLIC HEALTH. HE attempt of the San Francisco Board of Health T to make sanitary the dairies that supply milk to the people of this city is responsible for a threat, by certain dairymen, to increase the price of milk to twenty cents a quart if they are compelied to conform to the regulations of the board. At the same time these dairy- men aver that they are willing to comply with all rea- sonable rules and provisions that may be devised to keep milk wholesome and fit to be consumed. It is safe to say that the threat to double the price will not be carried out | under any circumstances. When an advance was made in the cost to the consumer, some months ago, families curtailed their quantity for daily use. A practically pro- hibitive price will throw into disuse, at least partly, plants of large size, and capital invested locally in dairy cows and dairy equipments will be, to a considerable ex- tent, dead money. There can certainly be no justification for a threat to cinch customers 100 per cent unless it can be clearly shown that the cost of production will be doubled when sanitary conditions are enforced. At any hazard, health is the first consideration. The State Board of Health has recently reported that 10 per cent of the deaths in Cali- fornia are unnecessary and that they can be traced to bad milk. The connection between bacteria and diseases of deadly effect is too clearly established to be open to reasonable questioning. In legitimate precautions for the preservation of the:lives and health of the people citizen. The Health Board is appointed for the purpose and draws pay from the citizens to safeguard their homes by compelling hygienic conditions, and such offi- cials have no other excuse for taking salaries derived from taxation. TALK OF THE TOWN The Original Hoodlum. local lexicon, Is toughs who have no respect for sex. age or the rights of decent people and ing in the character of him to whom the epithet is justly applied—a hood- lum to-day, a criminal to-morrow. well understood by the people few the word and how it came to be forced into our language. It is this: It was in 1872 when the Odd Fel- lows held a picnic at Redwood City. {On that occasion a gang of toughs “butted in”" with the otherwise orderly attendance. Among the gang who went from San Francisco was one whose name was Hood Lummix. Na- | ture would seem to have had a far- | cical part in the creation of the orig- {inal “hoodlum,” for Hoed Lummix |.was a most peculiarly formed crea- | ture. Clumsy, big-footed, with a big | mouth and protruding teeth, thick lips, a big bushy head of hair of a dirty brick color standing out like the quills on a porcupine, this almost mal- formed specimen, as is usual, attract- ed the attention of a lot of young rowdies who picked upon him as be- ing an “easy guy” for a day's sport. Go where he might, he was followed by a gang who hooted and yelled and. in brief, made things unpleasantly lively during the day, but more partic- ularly in the afternoon when the steam beer commenced to do its work. | The amusement of the gang did not confine {tself to the picnic grounds: on the contrary they went outside, broke into erchards and flower gar- dens, destroying valuable property and finally wound up the day by shooting a valuable horse belonging to a rancher. This last act was more than the Sheriff of San Mateo was prepared to stand and as a result he bagged a couple of dozen of the chief offenders. When the cases came up before the Justice of the Peace in Redwood each and every one of the accused laid the entire blame on Hood Lummix. Poor, | simple-minded Hood got six months in jail and in sentencing him the Jus- | tice, who was very much displeased that he could not send the entire gang to State prison, delivered a lecture to the offenders, in which he said: “I now warn you to keep out of this county; we want no more of Hood Lummix or his gang to visit us." Hence the word became coined by dropping the last syllable of the name, making the word as now used, “hood- lum.” Gluten in Wheat. Merced, July 16, 1904, Editor of The Call—Dear Sir: In | your editorial of the 15th you mention- ed the fact that the millers of the What public sentiment can effect for the general good is manifested forcibly at Seattle at this immediate time. The dairies in the country surrounding Seattle were dis- covered to be filthy and to be conducted in a slovenly. way, with no regard for anything except direct profit to the dairy owners. A popular outcry was occasioned. At first the parties who were supposed to be responsible for the making of proper analyses of milk declined to act. A change has been wrought. The King County Medical Society has been stirred to action and has just made a | report. It is found that all the dairies supplying milk to Seattle are filthy. Samples of milk from thirty-six dairies have been examined. Each contained multitudes of germs of disease. Judged from the lowest acceptable standard of purity, fully two-thirds of the milk furnished to Seattle | is unfit for use. According to the standard adopted in Boston, Seattle receives absolutely no good milk. The majority of the methods of Pasteurization employed in Seattle are farcical for inefficiency. Dirty water 1s used to adulterate the milk. The King County Medical Society has therefore sub- mitted recommendations for an ordinance to govern the care and sale of milk in Seattle. Very likely this ordi- nance will be fought by the dairymen of King County, whose willingness to comply with health rules may be estimated by their neglect of ail such rules in the past. The question of reasonableness in the formulation of regulations in this regard should be judged only from the standpoint of efficiency to protect the children, the in- valids who are compelled to have a milk diet and the public at large. Of that medical men are the best judges. It lies in the profession to know what conduces to and what injures health. To leave the question to laymen and to reach a ‘“‘compromise” based on any ground other than the welfare of the public is a sin against the community. The Board of Health has once more been arraigned by the Board of Supervisors for serious and various al- leged delinquencies in connection with a proper respect for the civil serviee law of the city. The only glaring State are not pleased with the wheat grown here because of the fact it is de- ficient in the quantity of gluten com- prared with that of the starch in the California wheat. You think that the flood of scientific knowledge, - based | on experience, will in the long run be of value to wheat growers. While I have no sclentific knowledge of wheat growth I have had plenty of experience. Twenty years ago or more, as 1 remember, the millers desired wheat containing a great deal of starch, as white flour was the kind they most desired. I think there is no wheat raised in the East that contains more gluten than the variety formerly raised extensively in this State. The only objection to this wheat was that it shattered very badly when ripe, which could be prevented by using self- binding reapers, and cutting the wheat before it was thoroughly ripe. H. J. OSTRANDER. Where Science Fails. The new science of criminal anthro- pology has done much to disclose the cause of criminal disposition in men, but it has no suggestions to make as to the prevention or punishment of crime. It can only classify the facts it observes. Suggestions from expert criminologists are of no more value than suggestions from any other kind of men. The criminologist can tell us (and small comfort it is so to be told) that the professional thief is born and not made, and that thief he wifll re- main by nature his whole life long. The criminologist can tell us that it is impossible to “reform” the criminal's character without reforming his brain. The counterfeiter who has spent forty years in prison and is returned thither at the age of 73 does not argue much hope for the reform of criminals. But what is to be done with him? How Is it possible to prevent a typical primi- tive, reversive man such as the late Czolgosz, from using political methods which were quite common and naturai with the savage ancestor of whom he flaw in the arraignment is the palpable fact that the Su- pervisors know no more about the secret policies and purposes of local civil service than the rest of us do. It is evident that in the administration of local civil ser- vice no man shall know it by its virtues. e The Mexican Government has ordered ten murderous robbers, who had dishonored Mexican citizenship, to be shot to death for the assassination of three Americans. The news should be sent broadcast among the South American republics as an object lesson in the treatment of outlaws who commit a double crime in assaulting strangers within the borders of a civilized nation. It has been announced with authority that Alton B. Parker will make few campaign speeches and will re- main at his Esopus home most of the summer and dur- ing the fall. And the American people will demonstrate to him in November that there is nothing in their af- fairs that will disturb the continuity of his residence at the New York hamlet far into the spring and summer of next year. —— Several attempts hava. recently been made by desper- ate military convicts to escape from the prisons 'to which Uncle Sam’s military arm has consigned them. In every instance death has been the penalty of these offenders. Military guards shoot quickly and accurate- ly. It is a pity that even by example they cannot teach a lesson to the custodians of some of our State peni- tentiaries. * ’ 'was a type born out of time? Czolgosz did not slay because he was an anar- chist. He slew because he was a prim- itive man. He was not an habitual criminal, and it was possible that he might never have acquitted himself in an extraordinary manner had not his environment, joined with his reversive brain, set up the association of ideas and the comsequent chain of cireum- stances that culminated in his amaz- ing deed. The normal man is stupe- fied by the conduct of Czolgosz and his kind; nor can the normal man under- stand the conscienceless burglar or highwayman who slays to rob. It these things are to be remedied, it is not anthropology that can tell us how. —From “New Dawns of Knowledge,” by M. A. Lane, in National Magazine for July. Cleveland No “Quality.” The late General John B. Gordon was a.brilliant raconteur. He had a fund of anecdotes and stories, not only of his war experiences, but dealing with the most prominent men and women of to-day with whom he was thrown in personal contact. Among his warmest friends were ex-President and Mrs. Cleveland, who on one occa- sion visited Georgia as his guests. The general, who was at that time Gov- ernor, was very fond of telling how “Aunt Sue,” his family washerwoman, snubbed the Clevelands. Wishing to show the President something genuine “Hoodlum,” that word which has found place in the vernacular of the well understood to apply to a class of objectionable young no sense of what is proper or becom- While the meaning of the term is there be who know the derivation of — -—h and entirely of the old South, hksent his carriage out to his country home | for old “Aunt Sue,” an ex-slave and a | lifelong servant of the family. ‘When the coachman reached her cabin he found the old woman hang- ing out her week’'s wash. He told her | that the general had sent for her to come in to see the President of the United States. “Who's he asked the old woman. “Who's he?” replied the coachman. “Why, Mister Grover Clebelan'—who You ‘spec?” Aunt Sue looked at him a moment. Then, in a mingled tone of dignity and scorn, she said: “Clebelan’? Clebe- |1an’? 1 ain’ never hurn tell er no Clebelan’s. You go long home en tell Mars John he ca’ fool dis ole ‘oman. Dem Clebelan's must be some er his | 'election friends—dey ain’ no qual'ty. en’ I ain’t gwine fol wid um.™ | And the old woman turned back to | her tub, and would not be persuaded. The conversation, much to the amusement of Mr. Cleveland, was re- peated in his hearing, the general hap- pening to question the coachman while the President was near.—Harper® Weekly. Seppuku. A vast amount of misconception prevails in Eurape concerning what is vulgarly termed harakiri. This word is never used by any other than illit- erate persons in Japan. Among the ed- ucated classes the term employed Is seppuku. It is wrong to suppose that Japanese soldiers and sailors are prone to throw away their lives vainly. Seppuku, in ancient times, was an honorable death, but it is only resorted to in extreme circumstances. As the Jap- anese proverb puts it, “Sei wa katashi, Shi wa yasushi”"—“Life is difficult, death is easy.” For any person to commit suicide merely as a way out of a difficulty was esteemed, and is stlll, a cowardly act. To take one’s own life is easy enough as a means of procuring relief from treuble, but te live on, despite difficuities, being a harder matter, is the more creditable, and this is the meaning to be attached to the proverb, which has quite as much force to-day among Japanese as it ever had. The cause of so many soldiers and sailors—take the case of the Kin Shilu Maru as an example—preferring death to capture was something, widely dif- ferent from that which has been as- signed. The people of Japan at large, soldiers and sailors included, had | heard so much of the Russian atroci- ties at Blagovestchensk, of the Rus- | sian treatment of the Chinese at the time of the Boxer troubles, and of General Mitchenko's famous utterance that the Russians had “no ropes, but arms,” significant of the short shift that would be given to captives, that the prospect of falling alive into Rus- sian hands came in reality to be re- garded as far worse than death. It was the firm belief that barbarous treatment would be meted out to them that led so many, despite the in- junction convened in the proverb, to shoot or stab themselves when cap- ture was inevitable. Cases of seppuku, as a matter of fact, were extremely rare, and cases of ordinary suicide, though more fre- quent, were the expression of a wide~ spread conviction that only in this way could an ignominious existence be avoided.—London Morning Pest. Anstwers to Queries. DRAW POKER—W. M., City. If in a game of draw poker A deals and antes 1, B goes 2 blind and C and D put up 4 each, A is required to put up 3 more and B 2. GANS AND M'GOVERN—A Sub- scriber, City. When Joe Gans and Ter- ry McGovern fought in Chicago, De- cember 13, 1900, the former pulled down the scales at 134% pounds and the lat- ter at 133 TARNATIONS—A. H. F., Slippery- ford, El Dorado County, Cal. The car- nation is one the finest of florist's flowers, being a double variety of the clove pink, existing only in a state of cultivation. The carnation is not de- void of fragrance any more than the clove pink. Many people confuse the ordinary pink with the carnation. ROUND ROBIN—City. “A round robin” is a circle divided from the center like the famed Arthur's table whenece it is thought to have origi- nated. In efich compartment of the robin is a signature, so that the en- tire gircle, when filled, exhibits a list without priority being given to either name. It Is, however, stated that the round robin, without which a sailor would think himself deprived of his right of petition, was first invented in Athens, on the occasion of the con- spiracy of Aristogeiton and Harmeodius against the tyranny of Plsistratide. The Romans, in imitatidn of the Greeks, not to indicate thelr preference to any, either among their guests or friends or selves, wrote thelr names in a circle in such a manner $hat it was impossible to say which was first, second or last in their choice. —_— " Townsend's California Glace fruits in artistic fire-etched boxes. 715 Market st.* — — Special information aas Press Clinning Bureau (Allen's). ;&.}. ifornia street. Telephone Main 1042. *