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ONWARD MOVES
THE HALF MILLION.
The Club Takes a Stand on
the question of munici
pal progress.
LARGE MEETING OF CITIZENS,
Encouraging Words of United
States Senator Perkins
and Others.
The general meeting of the Half-million |
Club in the Chamber of Commerce yester- ■
day afternoon was attended by several j
hundred earnest and enthusiastic citizens
who seemed deeply concerned in the pur
pose of the gathering — and State
progress.
Hugh Craig presided, and in his opening
remarks said :
San Francisco cannot to-day ignore the work
of her pioneers, who laid the foundation of our '
city broad and strong. In 1830 San Francisco!
PROMINENT MEN AT THE HALF-MILLION CLUB MEETING-.
X . \Skttched by a "Coll" artist]
was the twenty-second in the list of American I
cities. In 1890 she was the eighth; at the last
census fifth in wealth and third in wealth per
capita. There is one thing San Francisco may
be proud of. and that is her small public debt,
which is some $930,000, with a sinking fund
of $670,000, leaving a net public debt of only
§260,000— about 80 cents per capita.
Certain things in San Francisco might be im
proved vipon. The sewerage system, which was
sufficient for a population of 150,000, is insuf
ficient for a population of more than double
that number, and must, be remodeled to pre
pare for a population of hell a million, a mil
lion or several millions during the next cen
tury. We might do worse than appoint a
commission to examine into the sewerage sys
tem* of the city of Paris, th« city of Glasgow or
some of- our new American cities. The city of
Glasgow, indeed, intercepts her sewage before
it arrives at the : river, extracts from it all
solid matter, which it reduces to easily handled
blocks and sells as fertilizers. The sewer
water, when the cleansers are done with it, is
free from odor, and when turned into the river
Is about as clean as could be expected.
I take it, the keynote of any city to a stranger
is taken from the'appearanceof its streets. We
need not go far afield to realize that improve
ment is practicable and absolutely necessary.
With bituminous rock at our doors, than which
there is nothing better if properly manipu
lated, there is. little excuse for such a street
as Market' street being paved with cobbles or
basaltic blocks.
The city of San Francisco should own Us
water supply, its gas supply and its street rail
road.-, and these should not be operated by cor
porations for profit, but all economies in manip
ulation should inure to the benefit of the
citizen.
Lately I received from Kansas City an article,
•'What Makes Kansas City?" In reading this
over 1 was struck with the fact that a city
younger than San Francisco, of 170.000 popu
lation only, possesses the terminals of twenty
six railroads, controlling a trackage of 50.000
miles. Notwithstanding the fact that St. Louis
and Chicago are not very far away, the people
of 'Kansas City, by means of these railroads,
reach out and supply th» wants of a population
of two and a hall millions. Is it asking too
much or expecting too much that San Fran
cisco should in the near future, when railroad
transportation is reduced to practical business
principles, that we should reach out as far as
the west banks of the Mississippi? Outside of
these absolute necessities for the growth of
any city, San Francisco possesses advan
tages of which no other city in the Union can
boast, for on this Pacific Coast all roads lead to
San Francisco.
The entire commerce of the Pacific must con
centrate on the shores of San Francisco harbor.
Our Golden Gate will Home day be the theater
w. «i. .enormous commerce, and round the
■mores of our bay will be seen a population
reaching up to the millions. With great seats
of knowledge and research, such as Stanford
University, the Lick Observatory, the State
University and many other cenrersof learning,
desirable population must be attracted. But,
beyond the practical necessities cited, there is
much room for making provision for our people
in the shape of public halls, museums, libra-'
ries, public baths and other improvements inci
dental to altruistic nineteenth-century civili
zation. SS&sBBSSStfi!
How many public baths we have in the city
of San Francisco I am unable to say. beyond
that left by one of our pioneers, Mr. Lick, which
took some fifteen years to put into operation.
And here our civilization, much as it is boasted
of, might take a lesson from the civilizations of
some twelve and a half centuries back. It is a
matter of history that the city of Alexandria
was captured in the early part of the seventh
century by the Mohammedan general, Amru.
Reporting his success to his chief, the Caliph
Omar, he spoke of having captured a city con
taining 3000 palaces, 2000 theaters and 4000
public baths.
Some one has said cleanliness is next to god
liness. The meaning of godliness, as you all
know, is simply goodness. With all our striv
ing we shall certainly be unable to obtain the
perfection of goodness. This we can do, how
ever, work one and all for cleanliness, so that
the stranger visiting our city shall be struck
by its clean and neat appearance, in which di
rection something already has been done by
President Don r man of our Citizens' Commit
tee. But Just imagine what an attractive place
San Francisco would be with an abundance of
fresh and gait water already in our possession
and 1000 public baths spread throughout the
city.
Notwithstanding the fact that the entire
union has for the last eighteen months or
nearly two years been passing through a per
iod of unparalleled depression, we can yet point
to the fact that the financial distress in our
city and State compared with' that of Other
States is much less. In our city many sub
stantial Improvements have been made in the
past two years, and I will venture to say that
in few of the cities in the union with popula
tions similar to ours, will be found a block of
buildings in course of erection equal to those
on Market street. ■ ■ ."• .-•. ;
Evidently the pioneers of the city have not
lost confidence in the young giant which they
helped to found. The Parrott block covers an
area of 90,000 square feet, in other words
early 2\i acres, and when complete with a
flooring area of something like 460,000 square
feet, or over ten acres. Surely we need not
despair, but may go forward encouraged that
the same spirit of enterprise and faith in the
future of our city will carry us on the point at
which this club aims, namely, half a million
population for San Francisco before the end
of the century.
A communication was read from Mayor
Sutro expressing his regret at not being
able to attend the meeting. He wrote:
I am in closest sympathy with its object and
r* far as in me lies stand ready to co-operate
in their furtherance. San Francisco should be
a city not of 500,000 people, it should be the
metropolis of th« Western world, as great as
London and as beautiful as Paris. it has every
natural quality to make it bo.
Ex-Mayor Ellert wrote in a similarly en
couraging strain. He delighted in the
thought that the community has suddenly
woke up from its Rip Van Winkle slum
ber and esteemed it as a happy omen of
he future : He said :
The growing sentiment in this city for the
advancement of our material interests arises
j from a conservative element in the community
which you represent that believes in action
I rather than words, to bring about a regenera
i lion of our ideas as to how confidence can be
| restored an j encouragement given to many
; enterprises that will develop the grand re
' sources of our State.
j J^^g£ t^^?\Z£&ZK«*
] suits and progress, while adding to our State's
advancement, is * the only way to t secure to this
city the fruits of these b?mlicent results.
f he outlook or your labors, therefore, will
i be fraught with all that will endear San Fran
! Cisco to our sister counties and do away with
i the un j ust i mpress i on that our citizens are
1 selfish and are striving to build themselves up
: at the expense of those we most need. Your
! labors will demonstrate that we appreciate the
situation and know that only on the advance"
ment and prosperity of the other counties of
the State depend the success and advantages
which will be our reward for the enterprise in
! this and similar movements to bring about a
community of interests.
This movement will tend to herald the ad
vantages of our State, and will, as these efforts
and labors are reported in the chronicles of
! the thiu»», induce many of the citizens of other
States to seek hare their opportunities for for
tune's favors. Thus will public opinion pre
dominate and glowing accounts or our great
and glorious resources and enterprise, faith
: fill It narrated, attract, and not prevent, an mi
i flux of population to our State.
This movement, wise, prudent and intelli
! gent, will make reforms which no species of
I legislation could ttffect in our political system,
i and make this not alone a model, but a' great
; city.
W. M. Bunker explained the origin and
j growth of the Halt-million Club and pre
| dieted good results from the excursions
that were to be run from Los Angeles to
1 San Francisco and vice versa during the
! fiesta at the former city.
Mayor McCarthy of San Rafael made an
, earnest and energetic speech. He .said :
"I have only words of praise for San Fran
cisco, the city in which I was raised. Judging
from th* size of this assemblage and the spirit
that prevails here to-day, great good is to come
of this movement. Some of us may live to see
the day when San Francisco will be a city of
2,000,000 people and a state of 5,000,000
souls. Energetic and steady work is needefi.
--' I can say to you that the entire population of
the State is applauding this splendid effort of
this city.
Mr. McCarthy spoke in praise of the
press and said the newspapers were doing
a great work.
"As Berlin is to Germany," he said in
conclusion, "Paris to France, London to
England, San Francisco will be to Cali
fornia."
State Senator Ford was then introduced
and delivered a speech brilliant of thought
and eloquent of expression. He said :
If au?ht were needed to indicate the re
awakening that has come to our fair city the
' enthusiasm and determined energy displayed
by this admirably equipped organization lur
nishes the needed" proof. With the advent of
the Half- million Club, backed by men of sound
: business judgment and commercial sagacity,
' there comes a cheerful hope and a widespread
1 belief that the night of our financial depression
has run its course and that the dawn of com
mercial prosperity is at hand. It also fur
nishes the gratifying proot that the business
men or San Francisco and of California, liavo
mads the valuable discovery that only through
an intelligent and united display of -business
' enterprise can we ever hope to attain that de
j gree of commercial and financial supremacy to
which our geographical position and natural
advantages clearly entitle us.
I would not presume to criticize the business
men of this city, for I know they are public
i spirited citizens and are filled with an earnest
; desire to see San Francisco occupy a leading
; place among the world's commercial cities,
i but somehow the impression has gone forth
\ that we have not always been fully alive to the
: supreme advantages with which nature has
i so bountifully supplied this favored portion of
j tne earth.
Mr. Ford said he feared that our people
had relied too much upon legislation and
| natural advantages and not enough upon
their own exertions.. He referred to the
enterprise that had brought competing
railroads and unprecedented development
to Southern California, and s the mighty
: march of commercial progress ; that had
made such headway in the Northwest from
! Portland to Vancouver. Continuing, he
j said:
Shall we be'unmindfnl of the lessons taught
! us by our more enterprising brethren? ♦ Shall
, the great central valleys of California, with
j their fertile plains and natural waterways be
! left behind in the onward march of commer
, cial advancement? Shall San Francisco, with
j her magnificent harbor and geographical ad
vantages, be left to flounder among the rocks
I of legislative uncertainties?
Thank heaven, the time has arrived when we
! can proudly answer these : questions by point
i ing to the awakened sentiment aroused by this
| enterprising body, and to the inspiring hopes
created by that laudable enterprise now speed
; ing so grandly, along under the controlling
. ; and masterful hand of Claus Hpreckels. :
- 1 hay« no doubt of the future. Ctilifornians
i never do things by halves. The spirit of " '49 '
I has awakened from its temporary sleep, and is
I breathing new life into the energies '"95."
■' There is much to be done, but there is no
! doubt of its accomplishment. ;> Engineering
skill muni point out the way to take from the
gravel-beds of the Sierras the untold millions
1 now locked up in these eternal hills. Our
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1895.
great valleys must be wrested from the land
monopolist and converted into a broad
domain of small, happy and prosperous
homes, with a schoolhouse and the American
flag on every crossroad.
San Francisco must become at once the
manufacturing as well as the commecial cen
ter of the entire Pacific Coast, and the com
merce of the Orient must find its natural route
of travel through the Golden Gate.
The Half-million Club is on the right road.
Let it persevere in its glorio-us work and may
God speed its cause. Let there, be no laggards.
Let capital and labor join hands and move
forward with a common nurpose and with a
high resolve that here, on the shores of the
Pacific, the energies of man shall lind their
fullest fruition and their highest reward.
United States Senator Perkins made a
strong speech. He grew eloquent in pic
turing the resources, Deauty and greatness
of California. The Senator received an
ovation. He said :
lam a Californian. I came here to-day as a
spectator, but I am glad of the privilege of ad
dressing you. 'What you require most is action,
not words. You want to resolve that you are
going to support home manufacture, home in
dustry, home interest!!, a few weeks ago citi
zens met and raised several hundred thousand
dollars to build a railroad down the valley.
That is action.
What advances the interests of San Francisco
advances the interests of the whole State. San
Francisco is not jealous of Oakland, Sacra
mento, Fresno or Los Angeles. Therefore, this
movement to build tip San Francisco should re
ceive the co-operation of other cities.
Contrast the climate in this city with that at
Washington or Chicago. Here you can work
out of doors all the year round without suffer
ing from inelementweather, as In Those East
ern cities. Chicago is a wonderful city, huilt
up by the enterprise of its citizens. But some
day San Francisco will equal it. Here we have
the finest harbor in the world, and should con
trol the tre.de of Asia and the Orient.
Your representatives in Congress have no
politics niter leaving California. They are all
Californians. They work together in the inter
ests of the State. While they have not suc
ceeded in getting appropriations which the
State is entitled to, yet much has been accom
plished. We will have a new postolfice one of
these days. Work on the foundation will be
begun shortly, giving employment to hun
dreds of men. We hope some day to have the
Presidio as beautiful as the park.
San Francisco must move forward. It is to
day the fifth city in the Union in point of ex
ports and third or fourth in its imports. We
must wake up and not leave all the work for
Jones or Smith to do. We must work together.
California last year produced 40,000,000
bushels of wheat and 90,000,000 pounds of
raisins. It can produce anything that grows
on the face of the earth. We' must encourage
the farmer and the manufacturer. Let us not
send to London for a suit of clothes, but buy
them here in California. Let us buy home
made clothing, home-made shoes, drink home
made wines, and smoke home-made cigars,
a4)d beautify our homes with the works of our
home artists and home talent.
California has progressed. Our fathers have
left us a splendid heritage. In point of educa
tion we have a great State university, where
the son of the humblest citizen can receive an
education without price, and we have the Le
land Stanford Jr. Univcn-ity, where rich and
poor alike may drink inspiration from the
fountains of learning.
1 congratulate yon on this step in the right
direction. May God speed yon in your labor.
Henry E. Highton read the following
report from the committee on promotion,
•which was adopted:
1. That the results of their practical work
speak for themselves and the details would be
tedious.
2. That they find an enthusiastic sentiment
in ail classes of the community in favor of the
Half-million Club.
This last is the salient point upon which
they make a few observations.
In many respects a great building is like a
great city. It combines strength with beauty.
It Is at once massive an>l Bymmetriofcl. It is
diversified in its party but harmonious as a
whole. It unites the intelligence, the special
training, the industry of men, to the products of
the mine, the quarry, the forest, the manu
factory, the studio. " It depends upon the
world, and particularly on its own situation
and surroundings, for' its existence and its
maintenance, and yet in a true sense it is com
plete iv itself.
These fundamental and suggestive facts,
joined to ihe aspiration forsolid aud attractive
srriv tli ami development, are taking deep root
En San Francisco. The separated and often
conflicting sections of population are rapidly
blending. Heterogeneousness is changing to
homoKen^ousnesSj and there is a steady ap
proach to a genuine cosmopolitanism, which
i< the vital element in vigorous and permanent
cities.
Upon these lines the Half-million Club was
established, and. in these directions, the labors
of your committee have converged. They ere
gratitied to observe the extraordinary success
which has attended their initial movement*.
From the manual worker to the millionaire,
througli all the phases which represent labor
and capital, they observe a spontaneous mani
festation of that form of patriotism which has
not inaptly been christened— "Civic Pride."
This sentiment is broad and yet concentrated.
It includes Vital sympathy with the Ktate and
with all its parts and with the country at
large, aud also just appreciation of our rela
tion, present and prospective, ta the business
of the world. It grasps opportunity in every
quarter. It estimates, without exaggeration,
our local advantages and recognizes ail the re
sources that contribute to civic prosperity.
And, in this wide range of thought, effort and
sympathy, the upbuilding and the expansion
of Ban Francisco are the supreme objects.
Sound government, equality before the law,
improved education, diversified and co-re
lated industries, the multiplication of homes,
ciran and orderly society, attractive recreations
and amusement*— in brief, the right conditions,
intelligently conveyed to every part of the
world, are the means through which it
is clearly discerned, the kind of population we
require can be secured and the purposes of the
Half-million Club speedily attained. Henry E.
Highton, W.M. Bunker, H. P. Sonntag, Stewart
M.-nzics, 1.. C. McAfee.
The movement to bring the National Re
publican Convention to San Francisco was
indorsed, and the Knights Templar were
asked to make an effort to bring their con
clave here in 1898.
John H. Marble, J. H. Bartlett and Ed
gar Biggs delivered brief addresses.
THE 800THEEN FIESTA.
Fresno Sends a Delegation to Oonfer With the
Merchants.
The Merchants' Association of San Fran
cisco has taken active steps to make the
fiesta at Los Angeles and Santa Barbara
successful.
In order that both ends of the State may
come together and work in harmony a
committee was suggested to the Half
million Club yesterday, and by thnt body
appointed to carry out the arrangements
of transportation between the north and
south and return.
In this regard H. P. Sonntag, George A.
Newhall. I. W. Hellman Jr., Frank 1 Hil
ton and H. J. Crocker were selected as the
finance committee of the organization.
They will meet this afternoon in the oflice
of tW Union Trust Company, to consider
the business appertaining to their end of
the arrangements. Sessions will be held
every afternoon at 4 o'clock until the work
of the committee has ended, but this after
noon they will assemble in room 29 on the
second floor of the Mills building im
mediately upon the adjournment of the
meeting of the Half-million Club.
The object of this meeting is to outline a
plan for the financial success of the north
ern end of the two fiestas.
In this matter they will not be alone,
for the Fresno Board of Trade has dele
gated Arthur R. Briggs to represent that
section of the country. Before the com
mittee assembles it is expected that other
interior towns will have elected delegates
to represent their interests in the move
ment.
Probably no better idea could be given
of the proposed fiesta and the expectations
of the same than is conveyed in the re
marks of W. M. Bunker, who said :
We of this city and Northern California are
going to the floral festival; at Santa Barbara,
and mlly prepared to enjoy and appreciate to
the fullest extent the climate, scenery aud
flowers of that favored country. We propose
to go with the intention of winning the respect
and attention of the people of Southern
California.
When we return we will bring with us such
residents of Southern California and .such resi
dents of the .East as may desire to see our por
tion of the State. We will treat those visitors
cordially, and endeavor to make their visit one
of mutual pleasantry and cordiality.
Under the new condition of affairs, the man
who proposes* to stay our progress should be
shot on the spot.
We must show the interior from one end of
the State to the other that this city is big
enough, broad enough and strong enough to
lend assistance to every section without re
garding itself.
We must keep pace with the spirit of prog
ress, and we must above all thingsshow to the
people of the interior that the deys of mis
interpretation, narrowness and prejudice have
ptinwl a way forever, ami that the act of
courtesy, from which we derive great benefit,
must lie performed in a graceful way.
This we will do first, last and all the time.
Langley's Directory has 2594 more names
than the opposition. Two maps.
COLIN M. BOYD A
FIRE COMMISSIONER
A. J. Martin Asserts That the
Board Stole a Quick
March on Him.
TO CONTEST IN THE COURTS.
What Martin's Attorneys Say
of the Legal Status of
the Case.
Colin M. Boyd was seated as a member
of the Board of Fire Commissioners to
succeed A. J. Martin at a special meeting
of the board at 11 a.m. yesterday. Mr.
Boyd was appointed by Governor Budd on
the 23d instant, and thereby hangs a tale
of the past which will probably develop
into much litigation in the future.
A special meeting of the Fire Com
missioners was called to take place at 11
o'clock, and notices to that effect were
sent out by the secretary. Mr. Martin re
ceived his notice at 10:49 a.m., which gave
him thirteen minutes in which to reach
the new City Hall from his place of busi
ness at the corner of Bush and Kearny
streets.
Mr. Martin had a suspicion of what was
to come, and he immediately proceeded to
the office of his attorney, Charles Hrg
geity, of the iirm of Knight & Heggerty,
and accompanied by Mr. Heggerty he
COLIN M. BOYD AND A. J. MARTIN.
[lie produced from photographs.]
went to the new City Hall and entered the I
commissioners' ottire just a? the board was
taking a vote on adjournment. Colin M.
Boyd, the Governor"-* appointee, occupied
Martin's former ollieial seat.
Martin turned to the chairman, Frank \
G. Edwards, and asked to be recognized
and heard on the matter just acted upon
by the board. Mr. Edwards replied by
saying:
"The board has adjourned. Besides, yon
are no longer a member, and therefore
have no right to be heard here at all."
With that, Edwards repeated his an
nouncement that iht JJoai'l of Fire Com
missioners stood adjourned. Martin's pro
tests and his further requests to be heard
in the matter were fruitless. He and At
torney Heggerty also adjourned and pro
ceeded to consult law, precedents and
Supreme Court decisions:
Mr. Martin will combat the action of the
Commissioners and the seating of Mr.
Boyd by laying the case before the courts.
j He said" yesterday afternoon :
I do not particularly care for the office, but I
do want to be treated like a mau and with
some courtesy. In the lir>t place, Governor
BudU hud no authority to remove me or ap
point any other man to take my place. But
that matter will be settlnl In court.
What I most object to is the way I was treated
this inornin*. Mr. Edwards and all of the
other Commissioners know that as Port War
den I have duties to perform on the water
front, and that I am never Ht my place of busi
ness before 11 o'clock in the forenoon. Know
ing this they called a meeting for the unusual I
hour of 11 and (rave me thirteen minutes' no
tice. It was merely by accident that I goi that !
much time. Well, they hud Boyd there, all j
rendv, and before I could appear to enter pro- |
test they had seated and sworn in my sue- |
cessor. Chairman Kdwardb was chiefly instru- <
mental in this, and that is the queerest part of ;
it. Why, Edwards was in precisely the same |
boat once. His successor, Parsons, was ap- j
pointed. Edwards refused to give up hisoffiee.
Parsons sued, and Judge Shatter decreed thßt
Edwards was out and Parsons in. Edwards
appealed to the Supreme f'ourt, and that tri
bunal reversed Judge Shaffer's decision and re
seated Ed wards. This ense of mine is exactly
similar. The power that appointed F.d wards
appointed me. Now that the other Commis
sioners have taken this snap judgment on me
I shall make every effort to regain my teat in
the board. My attorneys are Knight & Heg
gerty and Senator Frank HcGowUL
Mr. Boyd said:
'I did not seek this appointment and had no
idea ni running into any lerral complications.
Governor Budd sent me word to call and see
him at the California Hotel one evening last
week. I went as requested and became first
acquainted, personally, with the Governor. He
informed me that he wanted to appoint me as a
member ot the Board of Fire Commissioners
because he thought ray past connection with
public affairs in this city and county had well
qualified me for the position.
Of course I felt complimented by the Gover
nor's tender of the appointment, and when he
asked me if I would accept the office I gave him
n favorable answer. Nothing more was said or
done until I received my commission.
What will I do in ease of a legal contest by
Mr. Martin? Well, 1 shall endeavor to hold the
Dosition until I tin declared ineligible by the
courts that have jurisdiction in such matters.
Back of all this turmoil of commis
sioners on various boards and appoint
ments by the Governor that are combated
in the courts there is a long string of con
tests, decisions and precedents. Charles J.
Heggerty, one of the attorneys for Mr.
Martin, "gave the status of the case — as
viewed by him in law and decisions — yes
terday afternoon. Said Mr. Heggerty:
There will be a complaint filed in the Su
perior Court to-morrow against CoJin M. Boyd
to determine his right to hold the office of Fire
Commissioner, vice Mr. Martin. The case is
identical with that of Ed ward sand Parsons. In
order to give a comprehensive view of the
situation it will be necessary to refer to legal
actions of the past.
In March, 1878, under the act providing for
a paid Fire Department in the city and county
of'yan Francisco, the Board of Fire Commis
sioners, which was created by the act of March,
18(36. and continued by the acts of April, 187'J,
apd March, 1874, was in existence in San
Francisco. There lies the basis of the con
troversy.
By section 8 of the act of March, 1874, the
persons comprising the Board of Fire Commis
sioner* then existing were permitted to serve
out their terms of office. Three of these terms
expired in December, 1875, and the other two
in December, 1877. The law further provided
ttint ut the general election in said city and
county, to be held in November, 1875, three
persons should be elected to serve an Fire Com
missioners for four years from the lirst Monday
in December, 1879, and any vacancy should be
filled by the Board of Supervisor*.
On March 28, 1878, the Legislature reorgan
ized the Fire Department of Han Francisco,
creating a new Board of Fire Commissioners,
consisting of five members, but who were not to
be appointed until the expiration of the terms
of office of the then existing board, three of
which would expire in December, 1879, and
the other two in December, 1881. It was pro
vided that the three vacancies occurring in
187H should be filled, one by the Board of Su
pervisors, one by the Judge of the Municipal
Criminal Court and one by the Judge of the
County Court. The other two were to be ap
pointed in December, 1881, by the Board of
Supervisors. The act also provided'th&t there
after the appointments of Commissioners
should be. made in the same manner, and the
terms to be four years from the date of appoint*
ment. Any vacancies occurring were to be
filled by the same power which made the origi
nal appointments.
On December 1, 1879, Frank G. Edwards was
appointed Fire Commissioner by Judge Selden
S. Wright, Judge of he County Court. On June
20, 1889, Governor Waterman appointed
Thomas J. Ptirsons to succeed Edwards. The
latter refused to give up his office. Parsons
sued and Judge Shafter ousted Edwards and
seated Parsons. Edwards appealed to the Su
preme Court, and this court reversed the judg
ment of the lower court and seated Edwards.
The grounds oi the decision, as stated by Justice
Paterson in his written opinion, were that the
questions in Edwards' case involved the same
principles as were determined in the
Hammond Police Commission case, by
which he held that the constitution of
1879 having abolished the appointing power
and, having failed to vest power to appoint
successors to Commissioners then in office in
any otner person or tribunal. Mr. Edwards was
entitled to hold bis office until the Legislature
should vest in some person the power to ap
point his successor, expressly holding that the
expiration of the term of office did not create a
vacancy, and that the Governor had no
authority to appoint Mr. Parsons or any one
else to succeed Edwards while he was iilling
the office. Governor Waterman appointed An
drew J. Martin to fill a vacancy caused by the
death of a Commissioner. In December, 1891,
Governor Markhaui appointed John D. Daly to
succeed Martin, and William Proll to succeed
Pardons (the case of Edwards against Parsons
in the Supreme Court not having been decided
at that time). Parsons and Martin both re
fused to give up their offices. In February,
1892, the Supreme Court handed down its
decision in the Edwards case, reseating Ed
wards and ousting Parsons, and thus settling
all controversies of like character at that time.
GROPING IN TEE DARK.
No Clew to the Ulan Who Shot Walter
Blake.
The police are groping in the dark for the
man who shot Walter Blake in an alley in
rear of the Palace Hotel on Sunday night.
William Ziegler and Henry Mull in were
released from custody yesterday afternoon
by order of Captain Lees. Detective By
ram made a thorough investigation into
the statement made by the two young men
and found no reason to doubt it. They
had been drinking together on Sunday,
and between 4 and 5 o'clock that afternoon
went to Ziegler's room in the St. David
: House on Howard street, near Third. They
j went to bed and were aroused by Police
i men Ryan and Tuite about 1 o'clock Mon
-1 day morning.
Steve, the night clerk at the St. David
! House, saw them enter, and was satisfied
; they did not go out again, as he could not
have failed to both see and hear them if
they had.
The iady and gentleman who were near
' Blake when he was shot have not yet called
! upon Captain Lees. He is particularly
! anxious to see them, as they might be able
, to give him an accurate description of the
\ robber-. The man who helped Dalton to
lead Blak»- to the Grand Hotel has also not
been heard from.
BOCK WITHOUT A LIMIT.
Opened on Taber's Ranch in the
Vicinity of Hunters
Point.
To Be Dumped on the Alameda
Mole and on the Fair
Property.
I
One of the largest rock quarries ever
j opened on this coast has been opened
| by Warren & Malley, the well-known con
j tractors of. this city, and the rock to be ob
| tamed from there is to be used for two pur
| poses; filling in the Alameda mole for the
: Southern Pacific Company, and complet
i ing the contracts on the Fair property near
I Harbor View. Mr. Malley said yesterday:
This quarry is located on Taber's ranch, in
i the southern part of the county, just south of
! Hunters Point, and it is situated a mile and a
i hull from the shore line. The rock is put on
I cars and conveyed to the water's edge, where
I is run on • wharf, and from there to barges es-
p ecially built for the purpose. These are very
i large and will carry sixty cars, each having in
them about six tons of rock, or a total of 360
tons as a fright load.
j The Southern Pacific on the Alameda side
i have arranged one of their slips to fit our
barges, so when a towed barge runs into the
slip an engine hooks onto one of the trains
. ! hauling it to the point where the rock is to be
dumped. The cars are of such a pattern that
; they are hauled to the point desired and there
i they are tipped and rock drops into the bay
■ ■ where wanted. , •»
! The amount of rock that will be required is
i indefinite, as it is impossible to even estimate
: how much will he wanted for the nil, but we
i will continue to furnish all that is wanted.
The limit of the quarry? Well, there is
practically no limit to it, for it is in a mountain
500 or 600 feet high. The quality is a blue
I rock that is hard and solid. It is of a quality
! that would make first class building stone.
The Indications are that the further we get into
it the better the rock will be and the greater
the blocks that can be obtained. Of course all
j will depend upon the developments and the
freedom from fissures. If it should turn out
! as we expect we will devote our attention to
I getting out some building stone in connection
I with tilling-in rock. By the way, that is the
I quarry from which basalt blocks were taken
j for pavements some twelve years ago.
At present we are running about 100 men,
j but will employ a greater number as develop
j ments progress.
You ask about our contracts for filling in
I the Fair property at North Beach. Well, we
are going right on to do the work we con
tracted to do for Mr. Fair in his lifetime. There
I has not been any stoppage of the work, but we
I have not had so many men at work there as
; ! formerly. We have only about 75 men there
now. Thus far wo have tilled in about 1,500,
--i i 000 square yards, and there remains about
2,000,000 or 3,000,000 more to be tilled. This
includes a rock facing along the line of piles
■ on the north side of tiie property and a sand or
I earth filling inside of that. The rock for the
■ I facing or bulkhead will tome from our new
quarry. This tilling will be from fifteen to
, twenty feet.: .:.-■. } , : ;, •
No, this is not a new contract; it is carrying
■ out the old one we entered into with Mr. Fair,
and we propose; to cany it out. The rock
r barges will be towed over the same as they will
■ be at the Alameda mole and the rock dumped.
By this system it avoids the necessity of hand
i ling the rock twice. • . .
; W. : S. Goodfellow, one of the executors
of the Fair estate under the first will, said,
, when asked what was to be done with the
North Beach property: . :
; Nothing will be done in the matter, beyond
carrying into effect the contracts already ex
isting as to the tilling in.
!
;
;
i
;
I
•
.■..'■." . . « ♦ » — v
... Smith Disinherited Them.
The sisters and brothers and other relatives
of Frank L. Smith, who died in possession \of
an $8000 estate, have combined to break the
| will, by which it is all left to his brother Ter
i ranee. ■, It is alleged that while the testator was
! down with his last illness at Terranee's house
'; he came unduly under his brother's influence,
| and that i the estate: thereby became diverted
from its natural trend in their direction to the
pockets of Terrance. The estate was all left to
him," and hence the trouble. ;•„ ;
■ ■■:.^: ■■:,..; .: .' ■ ",.»1.'": --.'. ■■■ ; .
,'You! need "not despair:. Salvation Oil will heal
' your burnt arm without a scar. 25 cents.
IF ITS ANNALS
WERE WRITTEN.
where the most pathetic of
Histories Are to Be
Found.
STORIES OF THE ALMSHOUSE.
A Mother May Rear 14 Chil
dren, but 14 Children Can
not Support Her.
John Fell, a hale old man of 71 years,
went into the Health Ollice on Saturday
last with a friend and a permit to the
Almshouse. The friend did ail the talk
ing for the old man would no.t trust him
self to speak. He tried to look brave and
the effort called for all his resource. "When
he attempted to say good-bv and to
thank the friend for several little kind
offices he had shown him he simply said
that he could not.
"This old man has two sons who are
well able to work and support him," suid
the friend when the old man had gone.
"One of them is an engineer at work for
the Fair estate on Pacific street and the
other is at Los Angeles. They will do
nothing for him. This old man has been
a steady-going workman and it is a long
illness that brings him here— and the re
fusal of his sons to help him. lam going
to write those sons a letter they will not
forget."
The old man had turned into the little
room where he was to wait for the Alms
house van.
A "canary," smoking his pipe with
cheerful complaisance, the air of a man
taking his ease in his inn, sat on tin
bench opposite the door and greeted the
newcomer with airy heartiness, volunteer
ing the time at which the van was to be
expected. He knew it well. Two dismal
old women moved along a little to give
him room on the bench. It was still an
hour before the time for the wagon, and
towards the end of it this rugged old
man's face had taken on that melancholy
hopelessness of expression that distin
guishes all of them — all save the cheerful
old "canaries/ as they are called, to
whom it is all familiar.
But when roused at that time by a ques
tion from an outsider as to just how lie, a
workman, could have touched this extrem
ity, a look of alarm came into his face as
he instantly devined the purpose.
"For God's sake don't put this in the
newspapers," he said. "I am seventy-one
years of age, but 1 will soon be able to
work again~and then I will leave the place.
It must never be known that John Pell
went to the almshouse. No! No! My
sons are all right. The one that is em
ployed by Mr. Fair tells me that it is more
than he can do to support himself and the
other that is in Los Angeles has been look
ing for work for a year and cannot find it.
I was at work in the navy-yard and hurt j
myself. I will soon be all right, so please
don't put it in the newspapers."
Out of respect for his plea, therefore,
John Fell, as given above, is not his name.
"Ii the annals of the poorhouses were
faithfully written,' said Mrs. Weaver,
matron of the San Francisco Almshouse,
speaking of this case, "they would form
the most pathetic of histories. Just the
other day an old man who has been a
faithful employee of the Pacific Mail
Sfeamshu) Company for forty-three years
reached here at last. He had occupied
responsible positions for a great part of
that time. He represented the company
for years at Acapuico. But fevers and
other misfortunes kept him poor. For
several years past he has been watchman
in the company's coalyards here, and he
says he was just getting upon his feet
again when some change in the manage
ment resulted in his summary discharge.
After a lifetime of steady industry, an un
relieved struggle, he is here — separated
from his wife, somewhat younger than
himself, who has taken up the struggle
alone.
"But speaking of ungrateful children,"
continued" Mrs. Weaver, "we have Lear's
story repeated here with variations almost
I daily. The old saying that one mother
j can care for for fourteen children, but
fourteen children are often unable to care
for one mother is shown to be a common
place truism.
"We had a recent instance: A neat
little old lady of an intelligence imme
diately apparent arrived with the others
and went through the ordeal of being
questioned and assigned to her room— that
moment of arrival that is most trying to
those of any refinement when the full
horror of being in the poorhouse is upon
them— with a hard, steady face that meant
to accept it and not waver.
"I divined something of her case and
did what I could to make her comfortable
and cause her to feel that her days here
might still be bright and cheerful.
Scarcely an hour after she arrived a car
riage drove up and two well-dressed young
women came in and asked if this old lady
was here. I told them she had just ar
rived.
" 'She is our mother,' said one of them,
'and we are well able to take care of her.
It is a mere caprice, her coming here.
Please tell her that we have come to take
her home.' I did not do that, but without
saying who it was told the old lady that
she was wanted in the office.
"When she stood in the doorway and
saw her pert daughters in their stylish
dresses her eyes lit up with anger, but
she waited until they spoke.
" 'Mother, we have come to take you
home. \Vhat in the world do you mean
by coming here? You know very well
yo^i ..q^^^ a g greatt reat
► r T^^^ \Xv£/f//Gi The Opening Chapters of J
• WsKsß% j|l^ Persona! Recollections j
l i^M&\ JOAN OF ARC j
* j^w<^ooW^/S l^i^^j By ho Most Popular American J
► >/«ft / \f^ )^ iX"^ /*""' Magazine Writer
> / j^i^rr-^^K^il* (S>4^ The Illustrations are by F. V. DU MOND, 4
► : .»' - /« ])raxi«-^-^ vC^ ;T • who gathered his materials amid the
,"\ ...' //?Vl^^W?i?^e .V ■ ■ ' -■■ 'x scenes associated with Joan's career.
* «*. ■ iSar ' r Ht 1/ ' SOME • OTHER FEATURES: ' '
*In ' Vl' U ~ " "■~^ ■ aUfllis uixic*xt rjiAiurLJco*
■• NiAflA^" -» /'< / MC\A/ Our.. National Capital. By Julian '
' II W / l& nCW Our National Capital. By Julian '
» - nil ■"' ■■ Ralph. -With 10 Illustrations. _ : !
* . . riM 5 l)j£EDl\T Paris in Mourning. By Richard i
' Jm -.L >VUWr*."\ OIKIAL Harding Davis. With 6 Illustra- '
! TT *W\WM ' tions by C. D. Gibson. \
* • iv VII I M Club Life among Outcasts. By
' - W 7 I ■ J|M Josiah Flynt. With 12 lllustra- ■;
, :* ; <• , 9 VI / / I tions by A. B. Frost. J
' \ f^ V li II \\ ? . A Venice in Easter. By Arthur Sy-
»Vv J> Jsea /V . ■■■■*-• 4^ mons. With 10 Illus. by Guy Rose.
I Mimnrrcifehu (ihhfi\K\C fl ready march 22
'jflnlir ClaO I inUAiIMG^ HARPER & BROTHERS, Publishers
that we are able to take care of you,' the
manner being anything but kindly and in
viting.
" 'That I do, indeed' — with a steady,
low, tense voice and taking a step toward
them— 'but I have been made welcome
here and here I shall remain. The dread
of going to the poorhouse has hung over
me for years as the terrible alternative of
living in my daughters' house, and know
ing that my daughters did not want me
there. Indeed, I know quite well that you
are able to take care of me, but when have
.you allowed a day to pass that you have
not given me to understand that I was a
burden to you? What did you expect? .
Where was Ito go? Did you imagine that
I would lwe on always that way? Well,
you are rid of me. I hope you may be sat
isfied. I am certain that I shall be hap
pier. I have taken the step; lam in the
poorhouse. where you have sent me. I
shall compose myself to remain here to
the end of my days. You may go home
with the knowledge that I shall no more
spend my nights in weeping as I did when
under the roof of my ungrateful daughters.
lam glad that you came, so that these
people may know how wicked you have
been, and to what they are indebted for
my coming here.'
"With this the little woman turned and,
without waiting for tiieir answer, although
they began at once to protest, went back
to her room. The daughters made a long
defense, of course, charging their mother
with imaginary slights that never were in
tended, and all that. They wanted to fol
low and entreat her, but I refused to allow
it. They linally went away, declaring that
they were sure she would soon be willing
to return to them. But she never has. Not
only that, but she refuses to accept the
clothes and other things which they would
be glad to supply her with, and seems —
whether or not she really is— perfectly con
tent with her sewing, at which she is
always busy. Her 3i3 by no means the
only case of that kind that is here.
"But we had quite a different situation
not long ago, with much the same :tyle of
characters, as one might say, of a "play.
Think of a woman designed v an inmate
to a poorhouse being brought here in a
carriage. She was just such a trim little
body as is the other, having a rich Irish
brogue, though, and a keen, alert manner. .
I was not in at the moment of her arrival,
and the knowledge of the carriage came
later. They brought her up the front way,
turned her over to some of the attendants,
patted her on the shoulder, fussed about a
little and went away. When I arrived on
the scene the little woman was just begin
' njng to get hysterical. The two women
win. brought her here were relatives, near
or distant, and they had represented to her
that they wen- taking her to a hospital.
IShe hadjust begun to realize/that there
had been some deception, and she turned
defiantly to me to know what this place
was. I told her as soothingly as I could.
"She made a bound past me, and, like a
14-year-old girl, dashed down the hallway
and through a screen door without stop
ping, and out upon the portico. The range
of wooded hills that form the horizon im
pressed her instantly, no doubt with the
sense of being far from home. On the
half-mile of road that may be seen from
whore she was even the dust had settled
behind the carriage that was gone. She
took in the scene and the impression that
went with if In just an instant, and wheel
ing round ran back and threw herself
; prostrate on the floor of the hail, and
while kicking her heels, now like a nine
year-old girl, uttered the most piercing
screams. I. had to remain with her almost
I all that night. It was a Ion:: time before
she would listen to me at all.
'• 'Look at me,' I said. 'Do I look as
! though I would harm you? lam your
I friend and mean to help you.'
"At last when somewhat exhausted she
; did look at me and mutual confidence was
established. The next morning some other
relative came to the office to make Lnqoi
-1 ries about the old lady, evidently being
uneasy about the transaction, but she got
away too before I saw her. I learned her
name, however, visited her at a very com
fortable home on Kddv street, and the next
day she came and toot her away. As she
went, full of resentment to her relatives,
upon whom she really had a claim to take
care of her, and with the intention, no
doubt, of making it hot for them, she
turned to me and in her rich brogue ex
claimed: "Indade, Mrs. Weaver, the worst
that may be said about this place is the
name of it."
EPICUREAN BURGLARS.
They Tarried Too Long at their Supper
and a "Bobby" Nipped Them.
The burglars who stayed to supper at a
house in Ham pstead, after clearing out the
premises, were not so very far out of their
reckoning of impunity. They were caught,
indeed, but by the police, and not by the
owner of the premises, who had twice
heard them breaking into the house, and
had twice allowed himself to be satisfied
by a search in the upper rooms. They were
at work in the basement, and were natu
rally in no hurry to leave a place guarded
in that perfunctory way. After securing
their booty they took a "fowl from the lar
der, cooked it over a stove in the green
house and made a hearty meal. This, with
a tumbler or two of toddy and cigars,
brought them to the end of their night's
work, and at 6 o'clock they set out for
home. But a policeman saw them; that
policeman carried a whistle and a stout
heart, and the rest need not be told.
The owner of the premises may be a
philosopher, but there is no alternative
to this supposition. It is in evidence
that on hearing; a "loud, rumbling noise,"
he searched the upper part of his house,
and, ~ finding nothing, went back to bed.
Another loud, rumbling noise induced
him to extend his search to some of the
lower flights, with the same result. A
third would, no doubt, have taken him to
the basement, but by this time his guests
were taking their little bit of supper and
they were under no necessity of further
disturbing the repose of the family. The
wnole incident shows a touching confidence
on both sides that raises our respect for
human nature. A little more and such
ehieyes would, have been capable of con
sulting such a victim in their choice of his
tpoons.— London Daily News. ~?..'Jf.'
, v • ♦ — « — • ;
Even little Belgium spends every year
francs on her army.
9
