VOLUME LXXXIQ.-KO. 32.
ENGLAND'S
IRON HAND
IS SHOWN
Situation in the Orient
Becomes Exceedingly
Grave.
_____
Backed by the Power of Great
Britain China Shows a Dis=
position to Resist
Germany.
BRITISH FLEET
READY TO ACT
LONDON, Dec. 31.— A
dispatch from Hongkong to
the Times says there is the
greatest activity in the
naval - yards there, while
profound secrecy is main
tained. The movements of
the British fleet and its
whereabouts are not known
at Hongkong. The cruiser
Grafton, having taken on
supplies of coal and ammuni
tion, leaves to-day.
Vice - Admiral Sir Ward
Hobart Seymour, X.C.8. ,
who has been appointed
British Commnnder-in-Chief
on the China station, suc
ceeding Admiral Boiler,
started for Hongkong to-day,
accompanied by h;s staff.
LONDON, Jan. I.— According to a
special dispatch from Shanghai, a sud
den stiffening has taken place in the
attitude of the Tsung Li Yamen toward
Germany, resulting in a demand for
the evacuation of Kiaochau and lead
ing to the belief that Great Britain is
bringing pressure to bear upon Peking.
A dispatch from St. Petersburg says
that on Thursday Emperor Nicholas
granted an audience to the Minister
Plenipotentiary, Yang Yu, who handed
the Czar a personal letter from the
Emperor of China. It is reported that
the conversation turned on the pro
posed Chinese loan.
The St. Petersburg Herald announces
that some Russian vessels have left
Port Arthur and gone into the harbor
of TaMen-wan, with China's consent,
the harbor at Port Arthur being too
email for the movement or" the Russian
vessels.
A special dispatch from Paris says
that M. Roume, head of the Asiatic
department of th-* French Colonial
Office, starts on a secret mission to
China Sunday in connection with the
crisis in the Far East.
The dispatc-i states that a special
military misio-i w m &]so Bta^. t for
China shortly.
BERLIN, D.-c. 1.-The German first
class cruiser Kals.rjn Augusta arrived
yesterday at Kiaoc, au Bay.
The Norddeutscht Allgemeine an
nounced in big type t_ nignt that Em _
peror William arrive unexpectedly
from Potsdam and had onferred with
Prince Hohenlohe. the Chancellor, the
inference being that the rieeting was
of special importance. Th paper a i so
prints the following evidem v inspired
paragraph :
"Whatever talkative perso, 8 may
write or say about Germany. new
naval departments, this much i. ccr _
tain— that when the muse of hitt ory
turns the pages headed 1897 she vju
pensively linger over the place.^he^
in shining characters 'tis writV x o .
the landing of the Germans on\ the
sand of the Yellow Sea," \
There is more of the soaring cL r 
acter, indicating its origin. Liberal a,^
Radical politicians, however, are bouVl {
to confess that the enthusiasm iAj
creases and spreads daily, and especi\
ally In Prussia and Northern Germany.
PARIS, Dec. 31.— The official news
papers still insist that the reports of
French occupation of Hainan Island by
Admiral de la Bedolliere are absolutely
unfounded.
RUSSIA AND ENGLAND
AGREE TO COMPROMISE
ON KOREAN FINANCES.
This Will at Least Re mo k e One of the Causes
Leading Up to the Present Difficult
Situation.
PEKING, Dec. 31.— Advices Just re
ceived from Seoul, the capital of Korea,
say a compromise has been effected by
an agreement according to which J.
McLeavy Brown, the British customs
agent, and M. Alexieffi, the Russian
agent, to make room for whom Mr.
The San Francisco Call
Brown was removed, will work the
Korean customs together. The British
warships which were present at Che
mulpo and Seoul are there in order to
give moral support to Mr. Brown.
It is regarded here as significant that
Queen Victoria should have bestowed
the Order of St. Michael and St. George
upon Mr. Brown at this time.
Although desirous of obtaining a
British loan, the Chinese Government
refuses to agree to foreign control of
the internal revenue, either immediate
or in case of default. Li Hung Chang,
however, is disposed to favor the con
trol of the internal revenue in case of
default.
In the event of a loan not being pro
curable. China will not pay her war
indemnity until 1902, in acocrdance with
one of the provisions of the treaty of
Simoneski. The final decision is post
poned until after the holidays.
Further German missionary trouble is
reported from the Shantung province.
It will prossibly delay and complicate
the negotiations.
SEEKING TO CONTROL
THE TRADE OF CHINA
TO EUROPE'S ADVANTAGE.
That Is Perhaps the Whole Purpose of the
Present Warlike Demonstration
in the Far East.
NEW YORK, Dec. 31.— A Washington
special to the Herald says: "Civilized
nations have equal rights in opening
the trade of China to the world, and
those powers that attempt to accom
plish it by war and conquest will do no
more than to strengthen the Chinese
wall."
This warning is given by Consul John
France, in a report which has just been
received at the State Department. Mr.
C. Covert, who is stationed at Lyons, j
Covert says four great nations — Eng- |
land, France, Germany and Russia — '
are each engaged in a determined
struggle for the trade of China. While
the great nations of Europe are fight
ing for Chinese territory, it is probable
that the most widespread conquests
NEWS OF THE DAY.
Weather forecast for San Fran
cisco: Fair on Saturday, January 1,
1898; northwesterly, changing to
easterly, winds.
' Maximum temperature for the pant
24 hours:
San Francisco 62 degrees .
■Portland 50 degrees
Los Angeles TO degrees
San Diego 70 degrees
FIRST PAGE.
San Francisco's New Year.
England Hacks China.
Oakland's Crew May Be Safe.
SECOND PAGE.
Hanna Confident of Winning.
Greater New York Celebrates.
To Help the Klondikers. V v^/
Sloan Likes the English.
THIRD PAGE.
John Sherman to Retire.
Russians Incite Indian ' Rebels.
Work on the Valley Road.
Eastern Mills Reduce Wage* .
Spain Weakening in Cuba.
Mystery of a Bunko Man.
Tragedy in a Saloon.
British Officer Killed.
FOURTH PAGE.
Pasadena Rose Fair.
Mexicans Haul Down Old Glory.
A Jail Escape Shot.
Mill Valley Brakeman Killed.
Dark Story of a Murder.
Secretary Long on the Navy.
FIFTH PAGE.
Hope Flees From Durrant.
Railroad Runs Into an Army
Bold Assault on a Chinaman.
, SIXTH PAGE.
Editorial.
That Separate Law.
The Prospects of the Tear.
A Plethora of Normal School*.
Reason for Gratitude.
. The Pasadena Fete.
Astronomical Phenomena for 1898.
Vail and Winter Literary Fashions.
lersonals and Queries.
\ SEVENTH PAGE.
Teachers Go Home.
A Cirloslty in Law. . / .
Newt Along the Water Front.
Deadly Due! for a Mine.' • "
Hoff Win Make His Defense.
I EIGHTH PAGE.
\ Sports of the Season.. ; ;
A 4 NINTH PAGE.
YllY 111 * the Commercial Traveler*
1 Vatures for the Jubilee.
1 \nger In Shrimps.
' \ TENTH PAGE.
1 *-\raerclal News. ■
1 _A ELEVENTH PAGE.:
1 Ne \From Across the Bay.
1 v \ TWELFTH PAGE.
1 2 XP !j[ to the Ori «nt Checked.
1 Racist Ingleslde.
1 _,_„. YURTEENTH PAGE.
I Births.\ arr , D eaths.
1 • PAGE. ;
I PensionA r S|x p oUcemen
> PlymoutlV hurcn . 8 New Pastor.
» Salvation \ my . Barbecueii i^Pfe
> A Mysteri\ Burglar. <SP
> Tender TalV a T errler..
SAN Fit Ay .CISCO, SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 189 S.
may be achieved by peaceful methods.
American business men will leave
nothing 1 undone to advance their inter
ests in the empire. The advantage that
France has- consists in her open fron
tier through .Indo-China. which will
furnish a short route when the Red
River is dredged. Another advantage is
possession of an abundance of cheap
capital.
Mr. Covert transmits a statement
from the report of the French commis
sion which recently returned from
China, where it made a two years' in
vestigation of trade conditions of the
empire, and the report is important as
showing just what nations of Europe
are contending for the Chinese market.
France sent a commission to China
some years ago, and upon its return
published its report. England saw the
advantages set forth in the report more
quickly that the French, and as a re
sult England reaped a better harvest
in the way of additional Chinese trade
than did the subjects of the Paris Gov
ernment.
'The last commission," Mr. Covert
states, "found that the Germans had
become formidable rivals of the Eng
lish in China; that they and the Rus
sians had established cotton factories,
tanneries and feather-cleaning shops,
and that the Russians had established
tea factories and wore growing coffee.
The commission states that the coun
try is rich in copper, iron, lead, silver
bearing ores, tin, zinc, native silver
and immense deposits of coal. The de
velopment of these mines will open a
great field for the use of French tools
and machinery and furnish employ
ment for thousands of French mechan
ics. The commission made a thorough
investigation of the silk industry, and
brought back over thirty specimens of
silk absolutely unknown heretofore in
the Lyons market. The commission
styles Ou Tchang, capital of llawp, the
commercial heart of China.
"It has a population of 1,500,000 in
habitants, is the central market of
about 70,000,000 people, the seat of a
number of industries conducted by
Europeans, and will soon be united to
Peking by a railroad now in course of
construction by the Belgians.
"The commission sees a great com
mercial future in store for Tonkin,
Cambodia and Cochin China. It re
commends the establishment of mills
and factories in China, co-operation
with Chinese in the opening and~con~
duct of mines, the development of cer
tain lines of agriculture, the opening
of better wagon roads and the build
ing of railroads by French companies.
An effort will be made to make Indo-
China into a workshop for China and
an entrance way for French goods des
tined for the Chinese market. The aim
of France will be to make China pro
j ductive, so that her 350,000,000 inhab
j Hants may have something to sell and
the wherewith to buy."
JAPANESE NEWSPAPERS
TAKE AN UGLY TONE
UPON AGGRESSION.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31.— A high
Continued on Second Page.
PASSING THE CLAUS SPRECKELS BUILDING AT MIDNIGHT.
OAKLAND'S
CREW MAY
BE SAFE
Started in Lifeboats
From the
Vessel.
Shipping Men of the Opin
ion That All Hands
V/ere Rescued.
Evidence That They Took Their
Time in Preparing for the
Departure.
PILOT HOLDS OUT HOPE.
Believes the Missing Men Were Picked
Up by the Schooner
Laura May.
Special Dispatch to The ' Call.
PORTLAND. Dec Maritime mfe.\
express themselves : as feeling jno un
easiness as to the safety of the crew of
the . bark Oakland. When this < vessel
was picked up three 'miles oft Cape
Flattery on Wednesday afternoon she
was entirely deserted •: and ,.: full of
water, with heavy seas running. Men
who examined the Oakland say that
her boats were evidently carefully un
fastened and lowered, and ':, that 'I the
crew either rowed safely "I to snore or
was picked up by some passing vessel.
A. Whitney was the master of the
Oakland and her second mate was Mc-
Tberson, formerly on the British ship
Selkirkshire.- One her sailors was
named Gasman. ' , These , "are V all the
names obtainable." * The old crew quit
when the Oakland arrived here and
Captain Whitney shipped a new crew
under "coast articles" which he . had
on board and which he is : not required
to file with custom* authorities.' V No
record of the crew was left at the
Custom-house at Portland.'
, Captain Whitney shipped his / men
without the intervention of the sailor
boarding-houses or rct-iilar, agencies. .
"I knew she coulrl :." i [ live , through
another trip," s|tM JU . iTcdfrejvthe
colored pugil'^t. .now j in ' this j city, /who
I shipped as cook on the Oakland' on
her trip up. "She was In a terrible
Continued on Second Pag*.
BLEW OUT THE OLD,
BLEW IN THE NEW
Noise! More noise! Still more noise!
All kinds of noise. Tinhorn noise.
Noise of bells. Noise of rattles.
Any old kind of noise, Just so it was
noise. San Francisco noise. Noise!
That was the impression gained by
a walk along the streets last night. It
was New Year's Eve, and with one
accord the whole population seemed
imbued with an overwhelming desire
to be heard.
That was the impression obtained by
degrees of intensity. There were cow
bells, dinner-bells and gongs. There
were tin whistles, tin drams and tin
horns. There were, rattle boxes— well,
if there is anything that will make a
noise that was not on the streets of
this city last night it was because it
has never been heard of in this part of
the world. Even the Chinese residents,
who are noted for their peculiar kinds
of noise, were amazed at the varied
assortment of sounds produced by
those who were eager to notify the
world in general and their immmediate
neighbor in particular that they were
glad the old year was going and the
New Year was coming.
Market street was the favorite
stamping ground of the sound-pro
ducers, and from away up toward the
City Hall down to Montgomery street,
sweeping out Kearny over the hill to
the Latin quarter, there was a roar
which came from the conglomeration
of sound heard nowhere else in the
world than in San Francisco. Other
peoples have their ways of expressing
their happiness, but here the manner
is particularly sui generis. It is San
Francisco's own way of telling 1 every
body that she is enjoying herself.
Humanity has divers and various
ways of showing its enjoyment. Some
times men get drunk and think they
are happy. Sometimes they make a
noise. Last night was the night for
noise. The intoxication came from the
volume of sound and not from the
alcoholic stimulation. That part came
later — after the noiße had stopped.
Early the crowd was only noisy; later
it became boisterous*. There grew a de
sire to do more than make a noise. The
inevitable horseplay followed, and then
it was time for the ladies to go home.
Man is a peculiar animal. There are
times when he seems to forget all that
is due to others, and even to forget
PRICE FIVE CEXTS.
that he is supposed to be human. That
is what occurred last night after the
first boisterousness of the noise waa
over. The rudeness followed.
It was entirely useless to get angry
last night. That but made matters
worse. The crowd was eager for a
victim, and when a man was mad he
was immediately the target for every
horn within reach. The country cousin
who was down seeing the sights was
the victim until he, too, fell into the
custom and purchased a tinhorn and
made a part of the immense volume of
sound that roared up from all parts of
the city.
San Francisco has one night to howl,
and that night was last night — and she
howled. It was a hot time, and every
body enjoyed it except a few pessimists
who can see nothing in this return to
savagery except foolishness. That sort
of man can never appreciate the in
ordinate desire that sometimes takes
hold of one and makes him turn him
self loose, so to speak, and announce
to the world — through a tinhorn — that
he is happy.
It is peculiar, perhaps, but it is the
way San Francisco shows her joy over
the birth of the New Tear.