6
CHARLES M. SHORTRIDGE,
Editor and Proprietor.
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BUSINESS OFFICE :
710 Market Street.
Telephone .^y Main-1868
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THE SUMMER MONTHS.
Are you going to the country on a vacation ? If
to, it is no trouble for us to forward THE CALL to
5 cur address. Do not let it miss you for you will
miss it. Orders given to the carrier, or left at
Business Office, 710 Market street, will receive
prompt attention.
MONDAY JULY 8, 1895
THE CALL SPEAKS FOR ALL.
The holiday season, flies.
Remember home-made goods to-day.
Trade will soon be picking up for the
fall.
♦— — '
Keep your eye on the lottery game and
your hands off it.
Enterprise in California no longer takes
the shape of booms.
A good honest home market will make
industry begin to hum.
The sumrccr thus far has well fulfilled
the promise of the spring.
San Francisco ought to hold a civic fes
tival just to celebrate her harmony.
As Dunraven says he is satisfied with his
new yacht, we have no right to kick.
The Monroe doctrine fits the Nicaragua
Canal project as if it were made to order.
The more hopeless the prospects of
Pemocracy become, the brighter grow those
of the country.
If you intend to maKe a living out of
California you should reciprocate by help
ing her industries.
Don't forget that the State Fair is com
ing and every producer ought to meet it
With a good exhibit.
The delightful climate of Napa makes it
surprising that even the inmates of its jail
should try to escape.
The Southern Pacific Railroad has its
spurs in the park and evidently intends to
ride it for all it is worth.
The desertion of the bay is a pleasing
consideration in view of the fact that all
the ships are away bearing abroad the
products of the State.
The farmer's wife can help solve the
tramp problem by giving preference to
California-made articles when she goes
shopping at the village store.
If we buy goods made in our neighbor's
factory we put him in a position to do
likewise by the home institution which we
manage and which gives us sustenance.
If all State commissions were as ener
getic and earnest as the Bureau of High
way?, the ancient demand for "rotation in
office" would have fewer promulgators.
The discovery of lubricating petroleum
at Pleasanton is another of those delight
ful suronses which a study of the natural
resources of the State is constantly bring
ing.
Instead of buying another lottery ticket
let the dupe of the lottery fraud invest
the money in some table dainty of home
manufacture and see how much more satis
faction there is in it.
The frightful cyclones and cloudbursts
that are destroying life and property in
the East remind us forcibly that we are
living in California and the people of the
East that they are not.
In substituting molasses for tar in the
time-honored tar-and-feathers form of ex
pressing a personal dislike the whitecaps
of Canterbury, N. H., have made a distinct
advance in civilization.
The generosity with r which The Call's
exchanges praise its enterprise in increas
ing its pressroom facilities and extending
its telegraph service shows what the best
of all possible newspaper critics think of
ns.
It is a singular fact, which may yet lead
to international complications, that the
first victim of the new Mexican law author
izing peace officers to execute highway
robbers without trial was an American
citizen.
Every workman, mechanic or artisan
employed in an industrial establishment in
this State should be loyal enough to his
fellow-workman to purchase only home
made goods for his own use whenever it is
possible to do so.
American railways are not equal to the
possibilities of American engineering
simply because the earnings are used up in
paying dividends on watered stock instead
of having a surplus to be employed in im
proving the roads.
In view of the fact that the Republican
National Committee is to decide next De
cember on the place for holding the Na
tional convention, it is time that all the
states west of the Rocky Mountains were
organizing a fight in favor of San Fran
cisco.
What more forcibly illustrates the folly
of the habit of buying Eastern articles
than the shipment here of a carload of
step-ladders from Michigan ? With all the
various cheap woods and idle carpenters
on the coast it would seem that the neces
sity for the importation of step-ladders
might be overcome.
The Arabic saying that all who have
sought Allah have already found him is
applicable to the Fresno committee, which
will start to-morrow to raise $50,000 or $70,
--000 for the Valley road, for its assurance
that the amount will be quickly raised
ought to mean that it is only waiting for
them to call for it-
WONDERFUL AUDACITY.
The coolness with which the majority of
the Board of Supervisors violates the law
in a manner that leaves no room for a
charitable belief in its incompetency is one
of those spectacles which make the visiting
subjects of the better-governed cities of
Europe marvel. In this country, where
there is practically no accountability ex
cept to the people as a mass, it is clear that
the possibilities of our scheme of govern
ment are not properly developed until tiie
possible rascality of officers receive as
mucli attention as their possible patriot
ism and fidelity.
Here in San Francisco we have a condi
tion against which it will be extremely
difficult for the progressive agencies to ex
ercise an adequate countervailing influ
ence. The Board of Supervisors can do
harm which will counteract the efforts of
the Half Million Club, the Manufacturers'
and Producers' Association and all the
other similar bodies combined. Thus,
while there is an active sympathy for these
organizations, there is no effort to check
the one audacious agency which is undo
ing their work. Even the elements of
shame and secrecy are wanting, and not
one intelligent man or woman in the City
has the least doubt of the motives which
inspire the board. The facts of the con
test between the Market-street Company
and Behrend Joost fox a street railway
franchise out the Ingleside way, to reach
the new race-track, may be set in array,
thus:
The board refuses to obey the law by
offering the franchise to the highest bid
der.
It violates the law by regarding the
franchise as an "extension" instead of a
new matter, and proposes to sell the "ex
tension" privilege forssoo to the company
of its choice, thus shutting out the compe
tition in bidding which the law requires
and accepting an amount which the law
does not authorize.
It refused a franchise to liehrend Joost
over the Ocean road for the reason that a
railway would "spoil the drive," but pro
poses to give it to the Market-street Com
pany.
When, thereupon, Mr. Joost asked for a
franchise over another route to the same
destination it was refused him because
there was no assurance that he could se
cure a franchise over Mr. Sutro's inter
vening land, when there is good reason to
believe that he could have secured it, and
when that has nothing to do with the
matter at all and is no reason whatever
for the refusal.
As the antagonism between Mr. Sutro
and the Southern Pacific makes it impos
sible for the Market-street Company to se
cure a right of way through his land, not
only was there a stronger reason, if any ;it
all, for refusing that company the fran
chise on that ground, but there was all the
less reason to sacrifice the Ocean road to
the Market-street Company when there
was every reason to believe that Mr. Joost
could have got the road through without it.
Believing that the Mayor, in view of
these gross perversions and violations of
the law, would refuse to approve an ordi
nance granting the Market-street Com
pany a franchise under these circum
stances, the board proposes to put the job
through by resolution, thus hoping to cir
cumvent the Mayor's opposing veto power.
Mr. Joost hints that he could have se
cured the privilege had he bribed the
Supervisors, and leaves the impression
that bribery was resorted to in order to
secure it. This is merely his assertion.
That is a very disheartening array. It
seems incredible that the sense of the
community will permit these acts to go
unpunished and that the privilege which
they grant will be allowed to stand.
A RECEDING EVIL.
While it is gratifying to learn from Chief
Crowley that "since The Call's crusade
against the lottery traffic began the sale of
tickets has fallen off 50 per cent in this
City," we are as yet unable to say that the
evil has been suppressed. Chief Crowley
explains the partial reform by saying that
The Call has awakened self-respect and a
regard for the laws, but that the greater
effect has been produced by The Call's ex
posure of the swindling operations of these
outlawed concerns. An excellent point
made by the Chief is in these words:
"Now, if the other daily papers would only
follow The Call's example in this matter,
or at least refrain from advertising these
illegal fake lotteries, we could get the busi
ness under our heel in this City." He
adds: "If The Call will only keep up its
fight a little longer I am in great hopes
that every intelligent man and woman in
the City will soon become aware of the fact
that the best lottery ticket ever sold in this
City is a very questionable coupon, to say
the very least, and that nine-tenths of all
the other tickets are p>alpable, transparent
frauds."
If the efforts of one paper have proved
so beneficent, it is easy to imagine what
the combined efforts of all the dailies
might accomplish. Regarding the mutter
from a strictly business point of view,
without reference to its moral side, the
newspapers which advertise the lotteries
and induce their readers to buy tickets are
depriving the community and themselves
of a considerable amount of money. We
put it in this light in order to appeal
directly to that manifest sense which in
duces the other papers to encourage the
swindles. This can be only the desire to
secure the money which the lottery com
panies so generously spend on newspapers
which support them. The Call is in a
position to make just as much money as
any of them out of the lotteries, and its
prosperity in spite of the fact that it re
frains from doing so, seems to prove that
lottery money (which is only a species of
bribery) is not necessarily essential to a
newspapers success.
We give the conduct of our contempora
ries in this matter so much prominence
for the evident reason that without their
support the lotteries could do but very
little business, and that newspaper sup
port is the leading factor in their suc
cessful operation. Cupidity is naturally
aroused by these fraudulent announce-
ments of fabulous prizes won, and so the
evil thrives. Such advertising will have
to be stopped sooner or later, unless news
paper influence prove sufficiently strong
to prevent the enactment of a law to suj)
prcss the evil, and it would certainly be
more graceful and dignified for our con
temporaries to abandon their practice
before being forced through fear of tines
and imprisonment to do so.
GEAND JURY EEPOETS.
Until Judge Sanderson pointed out the
fact nobody seemed to reflect that there is
no law either requiring or authorizing
grand juries to make such reports as have
been customary. "The law," says the
Judge, "contemplates action by that body
and not the expression of opinion. If pub
lic officials ha<i been guilty of offenses cog
nizable by the Grand Jury, it should pro
ceed against them by indictment or pre
santment in the manner prescribed by
law, and not by the filing of a report cen
suring them, nor, for that matter, prais
ing them."
Judge Sanderson thus shows not only
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, MONDAY, JULY 8, 1895.
his own good sense, but the wisdom of the
law. It is presumed that every public of
ficer does his duty. If he is found neglect
ing or betraying it, he should be punished,
and the law directs the Grand Jury to pro
ceed to that end. It has been the custom
for grand juries to make elaborate reports
on the condition and conduct of the County
institutions, to give praise where it is due
and to point out shortcomings that were
not sufficiently grave to warrant action to
oust or punish. It has been presumed
that the public had a right to this infor
mation and that the moral effect of the re
port was beneficial. At any event, while
the law docs not authorize such reports,
they have been accepted as proper.
Now and then, however, a Grand Jury
grossly abuses the privilege of the custom,
and in doing so works grievous wrongs for
which there is no redress. An instance of
this was the recent report of our Grand
Jury on the Supreme Court, which Chief
Justice Beatty exposad for its unfounded
statement^ It was shown by him that
the jury had made no investigation what
ever into the subject matter of its charges,
and hence that this part of the report had
no value. The natural presumption is
that all the rest of the report was as care
lessly made.
It was this outrage that has opened the
eyes of the public to the abuse of power
and privilege on the part of grand juries,
and Judge Sanderson has dropped a hint
that may prove of service to the
Judges of the Superior Court in future.
In the case of the report to which we have
referred the Judge was not aware of its
character until it had been filed and made
a part of Ihe public records. It is so in all
cases. Even if the custom of riling reports
be not abandoned it would certainly be
well for Judges hereafter to scrutinize
them before permitting them to go on
tile and to exercise discretion with regard
to accepting them, otherwise they cannot
claim exemi.tion from participation in the
wrongs which the reports are likely to in
flict.
THE RAILS ARRIVE.
There is a cause for general rejoicing in
the fact that the steamship Washtenaw ar
rived in port yesterday with 2000 tons of
rails, spikes, fishbars and bolts for the San
Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Rail
road. The vessel was greatly delayed by
stormy weather at Cape Horn, and at one
time her loss was reported. But she is
now safe and sound in port with her
precious cargo, which will be at once for
warded to Stockton. This is the first con
signment under the contract by which the
Valley road is to receive a similar cargo of
iron every month. The ships to follow
wiil bring the material as it will be needed
for construction purposes.
Already there have been sent to Stock
ton two schooner loads of ties which ar
rived in this City from the northern coast.
Bridge timbers are in preparation for minor
bridges, and the contract has been let for
the steel bridge over the Stanislaus River.
Everything, therefore, is in readiness for
beginning at once the work of actual con
struction.
Meanwhile, the company's surveying
parties are at work in the valley and rights
of way are being rapidly secured. The
first spike will be driven in a few days, and
that will be one of the most important
events in the history of the State. It will
mean the beginning of a movement to de
liver California from a bondage which has
operated so effectively against her progress
and development, and will be an invitation
to public-spirited citizens to show their
pride in the State and their wilJingness to
advance her interests and their own.
AN ADVERTISING IDEA.
At a meeting of the Santa Clara County
Board of Trade the other day Mr. Stevens
reported a novel scheme for advertising,
which had produced most excellent re-
BUlts; and as it is BO sensible and simple it
ought to serve as a suggestion. He said
that he had sent some dried fruit to his
brother in Vermont, who had distributed
it through the interior towns of the State,
with the result that a demand had been
created and a market secured for a good
part of Mr. Stevens' crop.
It happened in this case that the grower
had a brother, an advantage which all
growers do not enjoy; but the essential
fact is that a simple distribution of sam
pies of the fruit informed the people of its
superior quality and induced them to order
it for their use. Something like this was
done by the Southern Pacific when it sent
out its train called "'California on Wheels,"
but the main object of that enterprise was
to induce people to settle in the State by
showing them the superb quality of our
products. It requires a great deal more
money to move to California than to buy
what it produces, and hence the task of the
Southern Pacific, though expensive and
praiseworthy, bore small results.
California should never lose sight of the
fact that the finding of a market for our
products is the first and most essential
factor in the prosperity and development
of the State. On that proposition and the
one of profit hanging upon it, depend the
strongest arguments for the growth of the
State by an increase of its population. In
spite of the fact that the growers have ac
complished wonders already in this direc
tion, and are now selling fruit in the East
in sufficient quantities to make sure of a
profit, they have as yet reached but an ex
ceedingly small proportion of the con
sumers and have not sufficiently educated
those whose territory they have invaded.
The simple action of the San ia Clara
grower carries a whole volume of sug
gestion. Every grower has some friend or
can secure some reliable agent to do just
as the Santa Clara grower's brother did,
and thus secure a market for his own pro
ducts. Some of the best profits in the
State have been made by building up a
private clientele. A few winemakers par
ticularly never place their products on the
open markst, but have worked up a pri
vate trade that relieves them from all anx
iety and secures them a larger' price than
could be otherwise found. The work need
not be confined to individuals, but might
be prosecuted by companies, societies and
unions to an indefinite extent, and the
beauty of the system is that in the case
particularly of our non-perishable products
the remotest corners of the country could
be profitably reached.
A BEITISH OPINION.
Alfred Ross Colquhoun, the well-known
explorer and lirst Governor of Mashona
land, who has just returned to London
after making an inspection of the Nicara
gua and Panama canal routes, has, in a
recent interview, confirmed the hopes of
those who have had the most sanguine ex
pectations of the Nicaragua project.
Mr. Colquhoun says the Nicaragua route
is, from our engineering point of view, a
fine one. Of the 189^ mile;?, total length
from Greytown on the Atlantic to Brito
on the Pacific, the river ways and easily
constructed basins will form a total dis
tance of 142^ miles, in which ships can
travel with little or no restriction. Thus
there will be only twenty-six and three
quarters miles of actual dig-zing to be done.
These statements in a certain sense are
not news, for the facts relating to the pro
posed route have been repeatedly pub
lished, but it must be remembered there
was sufficient doubt raised on the subject
in the last Congress to induce the Govern
ment to appoint a commission to make an
inspection of the route to satisfy Congress
of the advisability of passing the canal
bill. The commission is now in Nicaragua.
Mr. Colquhoun, while there, met the mem
bers of it and speaks of them very highly.
It would seem that he must have drawn
his information largely from the sources
whence they will obtain theirs, and it is
likely therefore that the report of the com
mission will be about as favorable as that
Which Mr. Colquhoun has made public.
Of the benefits to be derived from the
canal the British investigator has no
doubts. The climate of Nicaragua he
found to be healthful, pleasant and fit to
enable a European to work during the hot
test season of the year. The canal, when
completed, will be, he says, universally
greater than the Suez canal and will largely
revolutionize the shipping routes of the
world. The Southern States and the Pa
cific will, in his judgment, derive the most
profit from it, but all the great region of
the Mississippi will be benefited.
The greatest interest in this report from
a competent expert is the promise it gives
of a favorable report from the Government
commission to Congress. Public opinion
is ready to support the Government in un
dertaking the great work, and as Congress
is now in the hands of the Republican
party— always favorable to American de
velopment and progress — we may reason
ably look forward to the passage of the
canal bill next winter, and after that the
prompt prosecution of the vast enterprise
to completion.
PERSONAL.
Mr. nnd Mrs. O. P. Grillin Jr.. of Merced, are
at the (irand.
Commander J. J. Read of the Olympla is at
the Occidental.
11. Hirschfi-ld, a capitalist of Bakersfield, is a
guest at the Lick.
A . B. Glasscock of Yosemite Valley is a guest
at the Occidental.
S. F. Wiles, a mining man of Hermosillo,
Mexico, is at the Russ.
S. G. King, a merchant of Marysville, regis
tered yesterday at the Grand.
J. 11. Martin, a stockman from Woodland,
was one of yesterday's arrivals at the Boas,
Thomas R. Vernon, editor of the Delaware
County American, published at Media, Pa., is
here.
William F. Coffman, proprietor of the Yo
seinite stage line, registered yesterday at tho
Lick.
If. Jevne, a merchant of Los Angeles, and
Mrs- Jevne registered yesterday at the Occi
dental.
Adjutant-General Barrett came down from
Sacramento yesterday, and is at the Cali
fornia.
N. B. Wiley, ex-Governor of Idaho, who has
been staying in town several days, left for
home yesterday.
E. D. McCabe, the Governor's private secre
tary, came to town with his chief yesterday
and put up at the California.
George L. Arnold of Los Angeles, a member
of the State Board of Equalization, was one of
yesterday's arrivals at the Lick.
Jesse M. Baker, a State Senator of Pennsyl
vania and a resident of Media, was one of yes
terday's arrivals at the Occidental.
Alfred Daggett, an attorney of Fresno, who
was a candidate on the Populist ticket for
member of the Supreme bench last fall, is at
the Lick.
Captain E. W. Holmes of the steamer Wash
tenaw, which came into port yesterday with a
load of rails for the Valley railroad, registered
at the Lick.
Commander George W.. Pieman of the navy
arrived here yesterday and registered at the
Occidental. He sails for the Hawaiian Islands
on the Australia on the 9th to relieve Com
mander Thomas of the Bennington.
H. \V. Van Sendcn, private secretary to the
Secretary of the Treasury, and Mrs. Van
Benden, arrived here yesterday from Wnsh
ington, and are staying at the Palace. Mr.
Yn:i Benden has come out to join Mr. Wilder
of the Treasury Department, who has been
here some days, making the annual count of
bullion at the Mint.
MEN AND WOMEN.
Experts value Mrs. Langtry's jewels at over
$830,000.
Mitrnon, the eight-year-old daughter of Mme.
Emma Nevada, is said to have a wonderful
voice and to be a marvelous dancer.
Queen Victoria detests the odor of tobacco
and smoking is therefore forbidden at Windsor
Castle, Balmoral and at Osborne.
Lillian Russell, who is spending the summer
on Long Icland, has rented a yacht named
Take Me. According to the matrimonial
record, Lilliau has already been "taken" pretty
often.
Rev. Father Field, a young Oxford-bred
ritualistic' clergyman, is devoting his life to
work in the negro shims of Boston. He is going
to celebrate his birthday, July 10, dy giving a
gigantic picnic to the colored children of
Boston.
J. Sterling Morton is the most approachable
member of the Cleveland Cabinet, just as his
predecessor in the agricultural department
was the most approachable of Harrison's Secre
taries. Morton likes to talk and is also a good
listener, caring little with whom he carries on
a conversation.
King Oscar is said to be the only European
monarch who possesses the ideal kingly dig
nity. He is a very tall and handsome man,
with graceful and easy carriage, a striking
courtliness of manner and possesses a most im
pressive appearance of dignity.
People call Rev. Dr. F. E. Clark, who orig
inated the Christian Endeavor movement,
"Father Endeavor" Clark, greatly to his dis
gust, for it gives people the impression that he
is an old and withered patriarch, while as a
matter of fact he is only 41 and is in the prime
of his strength and vigor.
The late Lord Alcester of the British navy
was noted for the scrupulous care and neatness
with which he dressed. In later years he was
known as "the ocean swell." So punctilious
was he about uniform regulations that on one
occasion he chased along the whole length of
the Strada Reale, at Valetta, a luckless mid
shipman who was smoking in the streets in
uniform.
SAID IN REPARTEE.
"Oh, my!" cried the woman who was reading
the paper. "Here's the ship Golden Eagle ar
rives at New York from Africa and they find
several large makes in her hold. How
strange."
"I'd like to know what you'd expect," re
torted the president of the temperance so
ciety. "Isn't that the ship that sailed for
Africa last season with a cargo of rum?"— New
York Kecorder.
"Did you hear that the daughter of the late
Hon. Friend toall, one of the founders of this
town, is suffering for the necessaries of life?
The people ought to subscribe a fund for her
support."
"Well, that's too bad, but the town has just
built a $10,000 monument to her father. I
should think that ought to satisfy her." — Buf
falo Express.
•'I am very much afraid that Van Daub is
never going to make a success of painting."
"Why?"
"None of his brother artists have any but the
kindest things to say about him. They don't
seem to be a bit envious."— Washington Star.
"Hello, Jones, buying a bicycle?"
"Yes."
"But you're not going to ride it, are you?"
"Oh, no, I merely wanted the earth, and I
bought the easiest way to get it was to owu a
>icycle."— Detroit Tribune.
She— Don't you think my new hat is aspretty
as a picture?
He— Oh, no; the hat is a pretty frame for the
more beautiful picture that goes with it.— New
York Tribune.
LOVE, LABOR AND NOVELS
A Brave Japanese Student
Who Is Making and Writ
ing Romance.
GLIMPSES OF HIS NEW BOOK.
Shigal Morikubo Spurns Family and
Wealth for His Lovo and His
Ambition.
San Francisco is full of Japanese stu
dents, and many of them are bright and
promising, but not one of them is as inter
esting as young Shigal Morikubo.
Morikubo has a romantic personal his
tory and, what is more interesting, he is
writing novels portraying Japanese life
mixed up with the American style of ex
istence.
Morikubo is a high-born little fellow who
is fighting with desperate resolve a hard
way toward fame and he is in love with a
pretty and cultured young American girl
who makes every minute of his life a season
of rapture and a spur to high ambition.
This is part of the story of Shigal Mori
kubo. He was born in a valley ten miles
SHIGAL. MARIKUBO, THE AMBITIOUS YOUNG JAPANESE AUTHOR.
[Drawn from a photograph.]
from Tokio, twenty years ago. His father
was the Isanoshi or chief officer of the
Mula of Takahata, a political division of
the Province of Kanagawa. The family
had held the hereditary office for genera
tions and his grandfather attained some I
eminence as a writer during the time of i
"old Japan." His father died when
Shignl wus 3 years old.
Morikubo says that when he was study
ing geography in a country school in the
valley where lie was born he looked on the
map of America. He was 11 years old and
made up his mind that he was going to see
America because its shape, was so funny.
When he was 15 he knew more and had
better reasons for running away from
home and coming here. His family sent
him money for two years and then
stopped. Then he went to work as a ser
vant. A few months ago his family
heard that he was going to marry an
American girl, ana to save family disgrace
acquaintances h^re were sent to him with
pictures of fine houses and horses which
he might enjoy if he would come home
and behave himself, but he laughed at
them and was cast off as a hopeless rene
gade.
When Shigal Morikubo came to San
Francisco at IS years of age he knew very
little English and went to a Japanese Mis
sion School for two months. Then he
went to a public Grammar School, but the
teacher's appreciation of his presence
jarred his sensitive soul, and after two
weeks he quit. Since then he has acquired
his knowledge of English almost solely by
his own private studies, except for six
months' tuition under Professor F. H.
Hackett. He has carefully read Shakes-
Keare, Irving, Hawthorne, Longfellow,
tacaulay and other English authors. He
speaks and writes the English language
with more grammatical correctness than
the average half-educated American, but
with that odd lack of idiomatic mastery of
English that is peculiar to the Japanese
who study the language. For a long time
he had long hours of work after he began
his iirst novel, but he set for himself the
daily and nightly task of writing 600
words.
Morikubo* s iirst long novel was finished
four or live months ago. When he got it
done he was consumed with the idea that
it would be published and bring him
money to go to a university. His disap
pointment was a bitter dose, but he has
just begun another. He takes paper to
the kitchen of kind Mrs. Miller on Devisa
dero street, where he is a servant, and
dashes off page after page during live and
ten minute spells.
The completed first novel is crude, gen- (
orally commonplace, and the manuscript
is entertaining largely because of the odd
use of English, but a hasty glance through
the immense stock of manuscript reveals ,
an astonishing abundance of incident, in
vention and almost wild imagination, to
gether with flashes of originality and
genius that make one pause and wonder.
It opens thus:
Upon the pleasant shore of a river, under a
weepinu vriilow casting a quivering shade on
the blue waters, stood a cottage. Within it
was seated before the lire, rendering all
around sweet and serene, the family.
Father, mother and Shigal, the son, and
Taki, the daughter, the latter two destined to
do and feel wonderful things, are there. The
rumored war with China till the four hearts
with patriotic flame. Quickly come two vil
lains to the humble home, one of whom de
clares, "My master demands your daughter to
be his."
There are noble words and noble acts,
and then in the second chapter is a
glimpse of a noble but outcast follower of
the late tyrant, Shogun, whose dynasty
was overthrown in the last civil war.
This valiant Kato, true to the fallen
dynasty, dwells amid rocks near the
"dews of Veno, where the last hope of the
tyrant was crushed."
All this makes a magnificent start for a
novel of Japanese life. Shigal and Taki go
forth from home to save their own and the
hnmble family's horor.
In his preface Morikubo explains that
"to write in this foreign toneue is almost
frantic," and that he has got friends to
"mend sentences" for him, so that most of
hia work is '•mended" somewhat in
phraseology. He is often entertaining
from the very fertility of his imagination.
There are things in this story, which is
named "Transient Tears," that would
seem commonplace at their best on pages
written by some men, but which are at
least surprising when found in the manu
script of an untutored Japanese boy. Scat
tered through the pages, that of course are
but the monument to raise boyish hopes,
are such things as these:
Strange is the human conception that in it
they make Light dark and Dark darker. Error
begins its start at curiocity and ends in illu
sion. While no one can see in the dark every
one would step into it and after a fruitless
search they return and pretend that they had
seen something. This is called philosophy and
religion.
A Japanese proverb says: Even the rustling
of the sleeves has some consequence, so our
incidental conversation with strangers brings
us warm friends and cold enmity.
Poverty ana hunger are ever life's concomi
tants, sighed the fisherman. The blood is ever
so cheap an.l the bread «> dear.
In hardihood and in poverty I struggle my
way to the River of all good.
Advices are better to the ear as medicine is
to the tongue.
She trembled from limb to limb.
Virtue is indeed like the sun to rejoice the
heart.
My conscience smarts me.
Sinners, mother, are long-lived, and so I can
not die.
"Transient Tears' is chuck full of
death, love, joy, tragedy, and brings in
beggars, Buddhist priests, Buddhist tem
ples, a "Catholic temple," the Salvation
Army, beggars, a rich Jewess, refuge in a
convent, a footsore, distracted girl in a
graveyard on a moonlight night, weeping
willows, murders in temples and a few
score more of just such things, and if Shigal
Morikubo keeps practicing that way a
few years more he may some day see his
name printed after "By" on a title-page.
It won't be his fault if he does not. But
he is in an awful hurry to sell a book and
get money. One of the works that he has
planned is a history of Japan for English
people.
Poor Morikubo's energy and ambition
are marvelous, and maybe some day he
will take with him to Japan the white
skinned girl who has intoxicated him,
drive those fine horses at home, and be a
nice novel himself.
UP-TO-DATE IDEAS.
A novel street-sweeping machine was put
into actual work last Monday night, says the
Philadelphia Times.
It is called the Philadelphia Sweeper. The
decided novelties of the machine are that it
THE PHILADELPHIA SWEEFEK.
carries its own sprinkler— the rear part of the
tank holding water; that instead of sprinkling
the street in order to keep the dust down the
revolving brush is kept dampened all tha
time, thus avoiding the mud and water on the
streets necessary in the old methods; and the
most important of all that the dirt taken up is
thrown directly upon the endless carrier,
which takes it up and empties it into the tank
composing the front of the machine. This
tank is removable, and when filled is lifted out
and an empty one substituted, while the filled
one is carted away, dispensing with all shovel
ing and dust. The machine weighs but 1300
pounds, and in its trials has demonstrated its
merits in a way very gratifying to those inter
ested.
The difference in valuation of property
at the last census was very remarkable. In
some States the assessment was no more
than 2o percent of the real value of the
property, while in other cases it is believed
to have been as high as the selling price.
In 1380, according to the returns of the
tenth census, the United States was the
wealthiest of all nations, Great Britain be
ing second ; and there is no doubt that the
last fifteen years have greatly widened the
gap between us and the English.
\
\
_■ ■ .
I O \J r\ The pieces of furniture which surround
you in your home— these are your constant
A-\IVT OT« A XT»-t^ companions. You abide with them; they
V-/U IN bTANT are continuously in your sight. If they be
artistic and refined in style your home is
r>/~\li.im A »tt^»»^ made attractive - y° ur life pleasanter. We
PAN lONS sell artistically designed, well made and
properly finished furniture at really low
• prices. We don't want you to THINK so,
/ we want you TO REALLY KNOW it— you
y must see it to do that.
/ Carpets . Rugs . Mattings
y CALIFORNIA
/ FURNITURE COHPANY
/ (N. P. Cole* Co.)
/ 117-123 Geary Street
A HELP FOR GOOD ROADS.
Cheap Crushed Rock From
Folsom Will Encourage —
Improvements.
WHAT A. B. MAGUIRE THINKS.
State Rock Should Not Compete
Unfavorably With Labor
San Francisco.
The announcement in the dispatches
yesterday that the rates offered by the
Southern Pacific for the transportation of
crushed rock from Folsom to San Fran
cisco had been approved by the Governor
and the State Prison Directors, and that
the rock-crushing plant at the prison
would be erected immediately, was re
ceived by the good roads enthusiasts of
tbis city with much satisfaction.
"It means," said one of them yesterday
afternoon, "that the expense of street im
provements will be materially lessened.
At present the cost of rock for street im
provement purposes is about $4 a ton.
Under the rates quoted for the Folsom
rock it will cost laid down in this City not
over $ I 05 a ton, and that allows 85 cents
for hauling and 20 cents for the cost of
getting it out at the prison.
"There may be some opposition to the
use of the rock on the ground that it is
crushed by convict labor, but I do not
think such opposition would be well
founded. "While a few men now engaged
in crushing rock may find themselves out
of employment, the increased amount of
road work due to the decreased cost will
far more than counteract any ill effect."
A. B. Maguire, who is one of the most
enthusiastic men in the City on the subject
of good roads and street paving, and to)
whose advocacy and tact is largely due the
organization o"f the entire south side in
favor of the bituminizing of Folsom street,
said:
I have always been in favor of macadamizing
streets where any better pavement could not
be provided, and it hardly matters from what
source the crushed rock comes, so long as our
local quarries are given plenty to do. Of
course, there are objections to macadamized
streets in a large city, owing to their dusty
condition in summer and their muddy state in
winter.
There are some roads which might well be
paved with crushed rock all the way out to the
county limits, such as the San Bruno and Mis
sion roads and San Jose avenue. They have
some macadam on them now, but are full of
holes and very uneven. Now, if these great
arteries to the southward could be put into
first-class condition, like Point Lobos avenue
is, with little expense to the City, it would be a
grand thing.
The only objection I have to the crushed
rock from Folsom is that I fear it might oper
ate unfavorably against our local quarries. We
all want good roads, but we do not want the
bread taken out of the mouths of our own
■\Yorkingmen.
This, however, I think could be easily com
promibed. Let the Board of Supervisors give
the preference for the inside streets to our
local quarries, and then, after taking care of
them, spend a few thousand dollars to good ad
vantage by using the crushed rock from Fol
som on the main roads runing southward,
which the City could not probably put into
proper shape by any other arrangement.
You understand my position? It is that San
Francisco by all means should have good roads
and streets. The tax levy will, however, be
fixed at a certain limit. That will allow just
so much and no more for street improvements.
Well, this appropriation should be so used as
to get the best returns without allowing State
labor to compete unfavorably against our own
labor.
I think a small portion of the appropriation
could be applied to advantage in using some of
the Folsom crushed rock on the main roart%
running southward to put them in good condl-T
tion — a condition that could not be produced
perhaps, by any other method.
The fact of the matter is the City ought to
have a big crushing machine of its own to con-c
vert all the old, worn-out basalt blocks and dis- *
carded cobbles into splendid macadam.
You know that I am interested just now in
only one thing, and that is the bituminizini?
of Folsom street from the wharf to Tweiuy
nintli street. The only thing 1 care to say mr
some of the other streets whose need of* im
provement is imperative is that if the City can
not afford to pave them with bitumen or basalt
blocks the best thing it could do would be to
properly macadamize them like the roads in
Golden Gate Park. To macadamize them would
cost about a tenth what it would to lay basalt
blocks.
When it comes to properly paving the streets,
I would say that if the Board of Supervisors
fovors concrete foundations in the future for
its pavements, then bitumen is from 5 to 7
cents per square foot cheaper than basalt
blocks and infinitely superior to it for ail pur
poses as a street pavement.
George D. Cooper, who was formerly
treasurer of the Merchants' Association,
expressed himself as well pleased with the
proposed innovation. "I favor good roads,
and" everything that tends to improve the
condition of the roads meets with my ap
proval," said he.
"The present matter will not. however
in my opinion, affect San Francisco so di
rectly as it will the surrounding country.
It is usually in the country districts that
the roads are so notoriously bad, owing to
the great expense of any improvement of
them. But now that the cost of the
crushed rock is so materially reduced, an
era of better roads should ensue, and
doubtless will."
Bacon Printing Company, 503 Clay street "
Wine-drinking people are healthy. M. &K.
wines, 5c a glass. Mohns &. Kaltenbach. 29 Mkt.*
According to the eleventh census the
wealth of the country was distributed very
unevenly, the Northern and Western States
being far heavier in proportion to popula
tion than the Southern.
The aged find needed strength In Hood's Sarsa
parilla. It vitalizes the blood, invigorates the
liver and keeps all the organs of the body In good
condition and insures healthy action.
"Mrs. Winslow'B Soothing Syrnp"
Has been used over fifty years by millions of moth
ers for their children while Teething with perfect
success. It soothes the child, softens the gums, al- V
lays Pain, cures Wind Colic, regulates the Bowels
and is the best remedy for Diarrhcßas, whether
arising from teething or other causes. For sale by
Druggists in every part of the world. Be sure and
ask for airs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup. *Jso a,
bottle.