The San Francisco call. [volume], August 31, 1895, Page 10, Image 10

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
10
RETURN OF THE MONTEREY
The South American Cruise
Was a Veritable Pleas
ure Trip.
SEE SPLENDID BEHAVIOR.
Failure of the Ward Coll Boilers.
They Will Probably Be
Taken Out.
The United States steamer Monterey,
Captain Higginson, arrived yesterday
from her long cruise down the coast to
Peru. She left this port April 11, reached
Callao May 20, and departed from that
place July 9, steaming north. The noble
vessel was received everywhere with the
utmost cordiality by the people of the
Spanish-American countries.
Contrary to the expectation in some
quarters she was quite comfortable in the
Topics and not the hot iron tank antici
pated. A splendid system of ventilation
kept the temperature of the fireroom and
compartments below deck cool and health
ful. The officers speak in the highest
terms of their steamer, and the crew to a
man are in love with the galiant coast
defender.
Big 10-inch "Betsey and her mate" look
as warlike as when they first poked their
long, bright tubes out of the forward tur
rets, and their two 8-inch cousins in the
after uirret are equally worthy members
of the quartet of steol Amazons that crouch
ready for battle on the deck of the Monte
rev. * But of the Ward coil boilers down in
the fireroom no such favorable report can
be' made. They are practically a failure so
far. Their peculiar construction— a large
coil of hot-water pipes circling many times
around a central drum — inside of the
boiler, or practically the furnace, makes
them burn out easily and often, and they
cannot be readily repaired.
The tubes of* an ordinary boiler con
structed for the passage of heat through
the water are from their position little
likely to be damaged and may be cleaned
or repaired without much difficulty if out
of order. The "Ward boilers, which are a
great improvement over others because
f-tearu can be generated in them about 40
per cent quicker, have not been brought to
an efficiency that will stand the wear and
tear of constant use. Those on the Mon
terey were constantly out of order. The
coils were plugged and patched, only to
have a leaK started in another place, often
far nn among the thick rings of pipe,
where the laoor of repairing was most
difficult.
To add to the inefficiency of the boilers
the condensers were not in good order and
the leaking ot salt-water into the coils laid
a saline crust on the inside of the piping
that sometimes choked it up completely
and as it could not be washed or scraped
from its place of lodgment the coil burned
out rapidly.
The four Ward boilers — the invention of
a citizen of that name — were placed in the
Monterey as an experiment and their de
ficiency in nowise detracts from the excel
lency of the coast defender's construction.
The long sea trip of the vessel fully dem
onstrates the need of improvement in
some particulars.
A complete report has been sent to Wash
ington and the steamer will be ordered to
Mare Island, where extensive repairs will
be made, the four boilers being taken out
for that purpose or removed and Scotch
boilers substituted.
The officers of the Monterey are :
Captain, Francis J. Higstinson; lieutenant
commander, E. C. Pendieton; lieutenants-
James W. Carlin, William R. A. Rooney, E. F.
Leiper and Harry George; ensiens— W. W.
Gilmer. L. A. Bostwick and A. L. Willard; chief
engineer, \\. B. Bayley; past assistant engi
neers—J. N. Pickrill ana F. Leopold; pay
master, J. R. Stanton; surgeon, R. Whitney;
assistant surgeon, C. P. Bnggs; pay clerk,
Oliver Haskett; gunner, J. R. Ward; and car
penter, W. Burke.
Captain Higginson will be detached next
Tuesday, his two years of sea service hav
ing expired, and will be relieved by Cap
tain Francis Kane. Lieutenant-Comman
der Pendleton and Ensign Bostwick will
also be detached from the vessel soon.
PAULIST MISSION WORK
Father Hedges Arrives From
New York to Begin It on
This Coast.
Ho Will Give Novel Missions to
Non-Catholics in Halls and
Schoolhouses.
Rev. S. B. Hedges, C. S. P.. a Paulist
missionary, arrived in this City from New
York Thursday, accompanied by Rev. 8.
I). Doherty. He will begin his missionary
work on the Pacific Coast immediately and
keep traveling constantly from one town
to another in pursuit of his undertaking.
Father Hedges is one of the ablest mis
sionaries in the Paulist Society, a magnetic
Key. S. S. Hedges.
roan, forcible and eloquent as a preacher
and a most zealous priest. He has circu
lated through the Eastern States, through
New England and the South, making his
western limit along the Mississippi for
several years. And now. in conjunction
with other enthusiastic members of his
order, he will traverse the western half of
America, occasionally going beyond the
Rockies as far eastward as Nebraska.
While the missions on this side will be
mainly among Catholics Father Hedces
will give lectures and hold missions among
non-Catholic people throughout the coun
try just as Father Elliott has been doing
in Ohio and Illinois, introducing a very
novel method which has pleased the au
diences who have gathered to hear these
men discourse on doctrinal subjects.
"We will organize permanently our mis
sions on this coast," said Father Hedges
yesterday. '-Before 1 came here four mis
sions were arranged for, in Hollistcr, Ne
vada City, Carson City and Marysville.
These will keep. us going until November,
when we shall go to Los AngeJes. There
are live fathers in the San Francisco branch
of our society now, but once we begin our
mission work two or three of us will be
away from home nearly all the time.
"Another work which we have very
much at heart and which we are doing in
the East is our mission to the non-
Catholics. In this our desire is simply to
present an intelligent idea of Catholic doc
trine, which we teach, and let fair-minded
people reason it out for themselves. We
ask'if it is reasonable, intelligible, scrip
tural, and we claim it i?. Our purpose is
not to make proselytes to the Catholic
church, but to teach* Catholic Christianity
from a Catholic standpoint. We hold no
controversies; we don't controvert, but
intend simply to give kindly, frank and
honest information.
"The practical business of it is this : We
rent a nail or secure a schoolhouse for
these meetings. The service of
the Lord's prayer and reading of scripture,
after which a* lecture is given. At the
door a box with a slot in the lid is placed
and we ask anybody who has a question
for us to write it on a slip of paper and
dropit into the box. Then the box is car
ried up to the platform and the questions
are read and answered before the audience.
This usually occupies about thirty min
utes. The lectures are upon such
subjects as 'What do Catholics Believe
in Regard to Holy Scriptures?' 'Future
Life; What Becomes of Our Dead?'
'The Divinity of Christ— Christ as Man
and as God,' 'The Historic Church,' 'Can
Man Forgive Sin?' 'Duty to Our Neigh
bors, the Charity of Religion,' 'The Eu
charist; What Is Meant by Holy Com
munion.' There are other subjects, of
course, and they occupy a man about a
week. Everywhere we "have held these,
meetings in the East the halls were packed
and it was astonishing to see the interest
taken in what we had to tell."
WHITEMAN IS SENTENCED
Nine Years in Prison for
the Brilliant Young
Forger.
The Plnkertons Declare That the
Prisoner Is a Notorious
Criminal.
Alonzo J. Whiteman, the young man of
brilliant attainments, former honors and
departed wealth who was recently con
victed in Judge Wallace's court for forgery,
was sentenced yesterday to nine years in
prison.
And the closing day of the case was not
without its dramatic features. Whiteman,
deserted by his attorneys, represented him
self, but he only further convinced the
court of his abilities.
The prisoner had seemed to be in a fair
way of getting out of the difficulty. He
had presented an affidavit that the Frank
Dixon check was genuine, but Assistant
District Attorney Black had eeveral affida
vits from the Chicago Pinkertons yester
day, declaring that the supposed Frank
Dixon is probably an accomplice of White
man, and that Whiteman is a criminal
with a very bad record.
William Pinkerton is the author of one
of the affidavits, and he says:
I know A. J. Whiterflsn, the defendant, nnd I
have never known in my whole experience in
the police busings* a more plausible talker
than the eaid Whtteman. As a liar lie Is a phe
nomenon. As to his talk about his having
been an honored representative in Minnesota,
that is groundless. He was at one time a
member of the State Senate in that State. He
gambled or dissipated away .*200,000 or
$300 ,000 which he inherited. Then he became
noted as a professional swiiidler, being wanted
in Nashville, Term., Chicago, London and in
the City of Mexico. In every case the charge
of forgery was against him.
One Robert Knox, who was convicted in the
City of Mexico about three years ago for swin
dling a jeweler out of $20,000 worth of dia
monds through a bogus check, wes a pal and
associate of Whiteman. Harry Conway, ar
rested by my Chicago office nearly a year ago
and sent to Joliet for forgery, was a catspaw in
the hands of Whiteman.
From my knowledge of Whiteman I consider
him a scoundrel and a professional confidence
man, also an able forger. His ingenuity for
getting money out of a bant is not surpassed
in the country. I know of no more polished
vagabond outside of the walls of a prison. His
sister at Dansville.N. Y.,has extricated him from
many different difficulties and nearly ruined
herself financially by so doing, and as a last
resort he repaid h«r kindness by an attempt to
blackmail her. The man is thoroughly heart
less and has no regard for the truth.
The Conway here mentioned signed an
affidavit at Joliet penitentiary that tie com
mitted a $50,000 forgery at Whiteman's in
stigation and in the statements were alle
gations of various crimes.
When the affidavits had been read
Whiteman moved that the affidavits be
stricken from the files, but his motion was
denied. Mr. Black offered to show that
the Dixon affidavit was a forgery, but
Whiteman's oojection to that was sus
tained. The motion for a new trial was de
nied.
Whiteman then made a brief address.
"I will appeal to the Supreme Court for
the justice which I believe has been denied
me here," he said.
As I hope for justice on the last day, I bwear
now before heaven I never committed this
forgery; but when sentence is pronounced my
life will be ruined as badly as it can, so it mat
ters not what the term may be. I would scorn
to plead for mercy by informing your Honor
that in a distant Eastern town a white-haired
mother waits for the elec-tric messenger to an
nounce the result of this proceeding, and that
at her feet is a prattling babe too young to
realize the position of its father. I would scorn
to plead lor mercy, for lam innocent. Thou
sands of dollars have been spent to prevent me
from returning to New York to give testimony
in an important case. I am confident that in
time my innocence will be proved.
Judge Wallace fixed the sentence at nine
years. He granted a thirty days' stay of
execution to permit Whitemau to prepare
an appeal.
Sentenced of Several Criminals.
Thomas Hanley, convicted of robbing
Pietro Zaput, a Brannan-street restaurant
man, of $2, was sentenced by Judge Wal
lace to twenty years in prison.
John Creely, for burglary at A. Wolff's
house on Linden avenue, near Van Ness
avenue, received a fifteen-year sentence.
Other sentences pronounced by Judge
Wallace are: "Dink" Wilson, for bur
glary at Ncuburger, Keiss & Co.'s store,
four years; Fred Cruse, swindling on the
half interest plan, four years; Washington
Frank, forgery, seven years.
SWINDLING HOUSEWIVES.
A Clever liogue Who Work* on the
Credulity of Women.
A slick swindler has been working the
old employment agency dodge on confiding
housewives during the past few days, and
has succeeded is getting small amounts of
money in several cases.
He called at the house of F. Metje at 1329
Natoma street on Monday last, and said
that he was a friend of her husoand, and
had secured the latter a lucrative position.
He asked Mrs. Metje for $2 50 to hold the
job until he could see her husband. Mrs.
Metje replied that her husband did not
want the position, as he already had one
that suited him, but finally gave the man
$2 00. Her husband did not know the man.
The same individual called on Mrs.
Turner, 831 Treat avenue, and said he was
from an employment agency, and for $5
would get her husband a position as jani
tor at $90 per month. She gave him the
money and has not seen him since.
The" swindler is described as a man about
25 years of ag«, a smooth, full face, blue
eyes and light hair. He wears dark clothes
and is a fluent talker. The police are on
the lookout fox him.
The Most Sensitive Thing on Earth
Is a human nerve. This in a state of health. .Let
it become overstrained or weakened and the sen
sitiveness is increased tenfold. For weak or over
wrought nerves Hostetter's Stomach Bitters is the
best tonic In existence, since It invigorates and
quiets thi-m at the same time. It also possesses
superlative efflc&cy in dyspepsia, constipation,
malarial and kidney complaints, rheumatism and
ueuralgliu
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1895.
FEVER FROM THE MARSH
Dr. Wemple Makes a Com
plaint About the Mission
bay Swamp.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC OWNS IT.
Inspector Kinne Interviews Attor
ney Ryan of the Railroad
Company.
Dr. Emmet L. Wemple of the Potrero,
who recently purchased 60 by 100 feet on
the northeast corner of Kentucky and
Napa streets from the Southern Pacific, in
tending to put up a $16,000 two-story brick
building there, has complained to Health
Officer Lovelace of numerous cases of
typhoid malaria, caused by the stagnant
water of the Mission Bay marsh.
Inspector Kinne called upon the rail
road company, which owns the marsh and
contemplates making it its terminal
grounds some day. He saw Attorney E.
B. Ryan, and that gentltman explained
that the condition of the marsh was due
" iwimmuanß* COVEiR'EO Kit. the t/m&. .;
THE MISSION BAY SWAMP.
to the recent dredging of Channel street.
The Pacihc improvement Company has
leased some ground there between
Fifth and Seventh streets to the
Union Lumber Company, the PacincTank
Company and Castner & Co., and the
dredging was necessary to make ground
for those concerns. Mr. Ryan said he
would call Assistant Manager Curtis' at
tention to it, and would inform the Health
Office of the railroad's intentions Monday.
"We contemplate tilling in the swamp
sometime," he said.
According to Mr. Kinne the water is
actually green with stagnation. When the
channel was dredged all the sinkage from
the Brannan-street sewer was dumped
into the swamp. This sewer drains the
City all the way from Hayes Valley.
A similar complaint was made to the
Health Department a year ago last spring
in the following way:
We, the undersigned, property-owners of San
Francisco, ask your honorable body to declare
the district known as Mission Bay a public
nuisance in its present condition, owing to the
poisonous gases arising therefrom, causing it
to be a menace to the public health of the
City, and that it be filled in.
(Signed) William Hollis, John T. Dare. Bank
of California, A. Hay ward, Wilson & Wilson,
John Center, Ciaus Spreckels and George W.
Gibbs.
At that time it was proposed to have the
City fill in with sand all the swamp land,
consisting of 133 acres, covered by the
Mission Bay. City Engineer Fitzhugh
then estimated that it would require
about 2.981,000 cubic yards of sand, and
that it would cost about $300,000.
G. H. Thompson, representing the Bank
of California and the San Francisco and
Fresno Land Company, George Center,
representing John Centers interests, and
E. H. ClarK, representing the Real Estate
Development Company and the Potrero
Land Improvement Company, were all
eager to have something done to abate the
nuisance.
The swamp district about which Dr.
Wemple more particularly complains is
that bounded by Channel, Kentucky,
Ninth nnd Mariposa streets. The grading
of Kentucky street left it no outlet. He
suggests that a culvert be run somewhere
under Kentucky street to the bay so as to
allow the marsh to be partially purified by
the ebb and flow of the tide.
WANT ALL OR NOTHING
South of Park Citizens De
mand Streetcar Service
or Forfeiture.
Why the Market-Street Company
Stopped Its Cars on Carl and
Cole Streets.
Members of the South of the Park Im
provement Association think thej have
discovered the real animus of the Market
street Railway Company in stopping the
streetcar service on Cole, Carl and I streets,
from Clayton to Ninth avenue.
And this animus is described as being
the desire of the Market-street Company
to kill the boom that south of the park
real estate is just now enjoying and divert
public attention from that part of the City
to the north side of the park.
It is pointed out that the Southern
Pacific people have no property interests
on the south side of the park, whilo on the
north side they have large holdings.
Crocker, Huntington, the Hopkins and
the Stanford estates own the Bay District
tract, and the Market-street Company is
interested in booming that section of the
City.
The property-owners south of the park
have no objection to their neighbors on
the north side enjoying a boom. "They be
lieve that a boom in any part of the City
would be beneficial to the whole, and they
are willing to rest securely on tiie merits
of their property for their own boom.
But the discrimination against them
they do not like— nor will they submit
without a struggle that will at least bother
the Southern Pacific oificials a good deal.
They consider it an outrage that they
should be deprived of a streetcar service
the franchise of which was granted with
the distinct understanding that its opera
tion would be continuous for the benefit
of the property-owners and residents of
that district.
Tuesday evening next a big mass-meet
ing will be held at the old Foresters' Hall,
20 Eddy street. At that meeting a com
mittee will probably be selected to make
every possible effort to have the whole
Metropolitan Street Railway franchise for
feited.
"We shall certainly be content with
nothing short of a forfeiture of the fran
chise or a resumption of the streetcar ser
vice," said C. W. Pope, chairman of the
South of the Park Improvement Associa
tion, yesterday, "and all reports to the
contrary are untrue.
"1 Know, or rather I see by some of the
newspapers, that there have been meetings
of persons who claim to represent this dis
trict, and that they have signed a petition
requesting the Market-street Company to
furnish a morning and evening half-hourly
service.
"These people have no authority to act
for anybody but themselves, and when
they pretend to represent the entire dis
trict they make cJaims to which there is no
foundation.
"And besides this, we are satisfied— l
mean the members of the South of the
Park Improvement Association — that
many of those who signed this petition
praying for the very thing that Vining
wants to have the people contented with
did so without knowing the full text of the
document. Mr. Sweeney talked with some
of those who signed the petition, and they
told him that if they had known the real
purpose of the document their names
would never have been put to it. Other
members of this organization have had the
same experieuce, and we are prepared to
say that the petition is not genuine, or
that the names to it were secured with
out a full knowledge of the text of the
document.
"It would appear that these separate
meetings and so-called new-club organiza
tions were devised for the purpose of split
ting up the interests of the South of the
Park district and playing into the hands
of what should be the common enemy.
Perhaps this is not the case, but it cer
tainly looks so, and plays into the hands
of the enemy. However, our club repre
sents all the large property-owners in the
district, and we are determined to be
quieted with no half-way measures. We
want the full service or a complete relin
quishment of the franchise. There are
lots of other people who would be glad to
take that franchise and run cars every few
minutes on it."
Solomon Getz, the real-estate man, who
is also a large property-owner in this dis
trict and a prominent member of the
South of the Park Improvement Associa
tion, said he was satisfied that the mem
bers of the association would accept no
compromise with the Market-street Com-
pany.
"All the offers of compromise, such as
increasine the service on the Ocean Beach
steam road, or running a half-hourly ser
vice on Cole, Clayton and Carl streets
morning and evening, have come from Mr.
Vining and his friends. I understand that
a few people who live out in the neighbor
hood and are anxious to stand well in the
eyes of Mr. Vining are in favor of accept
ing these compromises, but I am unalter
ably opposed to them, and I know that
this is the unanimous sentiment of the
association With us it is either the old
lifteen minutes' service or else a forfeiture
of the franchise."
MECHANICS' PAIR.
Attendance Reached the Maximum Yes
terday — K veiling of Wagner M usic.
The attendance at the Mechanics' Fair
reached its maximum yesterday. The
Pavilion was throneed last evening, the
Wagnerian music by Scheel'sband proving
not only a strong drawing but holding
card as well. That body of musicians dis
tinguished itself by its fine rendition of
every number on the programme.
To-day's musical programme 18 aa
follows :
AFTKRNOON.
March. "Park Sounds" Horst
M wlley, "Jolly students" A über
Waltz, "American Student's Song" Missud
Coruet solo (selected) ftluner
Medley overture. "NiKtat owls" Keclter
Overture, college sougs, CnlTerslty of Califor
nia Tobanl
Waltz, 'Jolly Fellows" /...Volkstedt
Selections trom "Kobin Hood" De Koven
"Cavalry Charge" (descriptive) Loeders
KVKSiJia.
March, "Our Bloomer Uirls" A. Canha
Overture, '-Jolly .students" Suppe
Waltz, •' American Students' Songs" Missud
Flugelnorn solo, "Trumpeteer you Sacklngen"
Neusser
Played by F. Hell.
Medley overture, "University of California"
Tobanl
••Plantation Echoes" Conterno
Overture, "Academic Festival" Brahms
"Jolly Fellows" Volkstwli
Xylophone, solo Performed by J. Adderman
Descriptive fantasle, "In the Clock Store"
Charles J. Orth
M ed ley, ' 'Upidee' ' Y ankee
March, "Honeymoon" Kosey
Mr. Kendrick announced tnat an attrac
tion for next week will be a Chinese im
perial band.
THREE ATTEMPTSON HER LIFE.
Mrs. M. Woodley Tries to Die by Drown
ing and I'oison.
Mrs. M. "Woodley, a young woman, 20
years of age, who lives with her husband
at 9 South Park, made three attempts to
commit suicide yesterday. In the morn
ing she walked down to Folsom-street
wharf and was about to jump overboard
when a policeman, who was attracted by
her strange actions, caught her and re
turned her to her home.
Then she made a second attempt on her
life. She tried to swallow a quantity of
rough-on-rats, which was snatched from
her hand before she could succeed.
Eluding the vigilance of those who were
watching her, she again made her way to
Folsom-street wharf and was caught a
second time by a policeman as she was
preparing to plunge into the water.
Mrs. Woodley was taken to the Receiv
ing Hospital, where the physicians pro
nounced her mentally unbalanced and had
her put in a padded cell. She imagines
she is suffering from various diseases, but
ia physically robust.
Italian Opera.
The Italian colony is greatly interested
in the production of "La Traviata" to be
given at the California Theater to-morrow
evening by the Italian Philharmonic So
ciety, Giuseppi Verdi. The best voices
obtainable will participate and a large and
fashionaoleaudience will undoubtedly bein
attendance. The participants will be Sig
nora Carolina Beschien, who comes here
with an excellent European reputation;
Dr. A. Hodghead of Berkeley, who has
been studying in Milan for a number of
years; Miss Jennie Nicholson, and Signors
G. Almagia, Cesare Crespi, C. Vitalini, E.
Merani and Hentra.
TITLES ARE AFFECTED
Judge Slack's Decision on
Street - Extension Law
Causes Trouble.
AN OLD ASSESSMENT REVIVED.
In Extension Districts Land Titles
Are Burdened With the
Tax Fees.
Since Judge Slack rendered a decision
about three weeks ago declaring the act of
March 23, 1893, providing for street exten
sions unconstitutional, exceptions hare
been taken by searchers of records, the
Title Insurance Company and attorneys to
deeds of transfer of land within districts
affected by street-extension assessments.
The result is that many buyers of real
estate in those districts have become fright
ened and some transactions have been
quite seriously influenced. As the matter
stands at present no title in the assess
ment districts is taken as clear. The usual
way of meeting the difficulty is to note an
exception on account of the decision, inas
much as it affects the property to the ex
tent of a possible assessment, which was
declared null by the Legislature, but has
been revived rrost unexpectedly by Judge
Slack. In some cases the amount of the
assessment is deducted by agents from the
purchase price and held pending a de
cision of the Supreme Court. Every lot
inside the limits that were originally as
sessed may or may not have to pay from
a few to a hundred dollars, according to
the location. And so the matter rests.
The property-owners don't know "where
they are at. *.'
Should the Supreme Court sustain Judge
Slack an additional burden of about $400,
--000 will be put upon the taxpayers owning
land or real property in the street exten
sion districts.
Tlie expenses for widening and extend
ing streets as proposed under the exten
sion movement aggregated nearly $1,500,
--000. Including the Laguna survey, Mis
sion-street widening and the extension- of
Seventeenth street it went far beyond this
sum. A recapitulation of the various
items for salaries, surveys, commissions,
etc., gave the following:
Widening Mission street $ 166,978 94
Opening street through Lagima sur
vey 161,275 75
Exu-Nsion of Seventeenth street 35,757 16
Amount paid by City to cover defi
ciency—
Mission street 1,977 70
.Laguua survey 10,857 00
Total ?36H,840 sft
To extend Sixteenth street 344,614 30
To extend Howard street 83,550 00
To extern! Post street 101.750 15
To extend Nineteenth street 120,444 45
To extend Market street 402,000 00
To open, etc., Twenty-fifth and Twen
ty-seventh avenues; also New street 34,022 67
To extend Potrero avenue 241/202 67
Total cost of projected widening
and extension of streets $1,694,424 79
All the extension schemes excepting
Market street have been revived pending
the decision of the Supreme Court, which
is awaited with anxiety by many property
owners and taxpayers in San Francisco.
The proceedings had to open and extend
streets in the Board of Supervisors were
begun in most instances on petition of
property-owners, many of whom, being
speculators in real estate, desired to make
successful business ventures in the dispo
sition of their property. The Legislature
at their behest passed an act to enable
city councils throughout the State to open
and extend streets and to condemn and
acquire property for that purpose. The
power was given to appoint commission
ers, who in turn were empowered to incur
such incidental expenses as they might
have deemed necessary, the expense of
each proceeding to be assessed upon the
lots and lands deemed benefited within a
district to be delined by the city council.
The exercise of the powers granted under
the act was such as to impose improper
burdens upon owners of property, and its
operation in San Francisco was not under
stood until the proceedings culminated in
reports and assessments iiade by the
Commissioners being completed and filed
with the Board of Supervisors.
The Legislature of 1893 passed an act,
approved March 23, 1893, applicable to
cities and counties containing over4o.ooC
inhabitants, enabling the city council to
inaugurate proceedings to open, extend,
etc., streets upon the petition of the own
ers of a majority of the frontage of the
property to he taken for the opening or
extending of a street. It also provided
that when proceedings had been com
menced and objections made to the so
called improvements by the owners of a
majority of the property of the frontage of
all lands to be assessed for benefits, the
city council might, after hearing the ob
jections, sustain the objections and stop
all proceedings for the period of 12 months.
The act gave the supervisors power to con
tinue any existing commission until its
work was completed, but in all other cases
declared the assessments, plats and reports
null and void, and provided for refunding
all money collected to the persona from
whom it was taken.
The Commissioners were also removed
from office and the Mayor, Tax Collector
and City and County Attorney constituted
a board of audit to examine all the ac
counts and the salaries of the Commie
sioners with power to allow such amounts
as might be just and reasonable, and to re
port these amounts and to whom payable
to the Supervisers. The Supervisors were
given power to provide for the payment of
those sums in the tax levy, made after
hearing of the report.
Mrs. Helen A. Landers, who was inter
ested in seeing the Potrero-avenue exten
sion become a reality, entered suit against
the Board of Supervisors for having an
nulled the Potrero commission. In her
complaint she attacked the constitution
ality of the act of March, 1893. She repre
sented property along Potrero avenue
from Serpentine to Army street. There
were two similar cases from other inter
ested parties which abided by the decis
ion in Mrs. Landers' suit.
After tedious delays Judge Slack handed
down his decision, "in bri«f he held that
the act of 1893 was special legislation, be
cause it applied only to cities and coun
ties of 40,000 inhabitants and over; and
being special legislation it was unconsti
tutional, because it applied to a case, to
wit: eminent domain, where a general
law could be made applicable, contrary to
the constitution.
The decision was an intense surprise to
real-estate owners and dealers, and has
f>roved a most disturbing element particu
arly in cases where nervous people are
buying land in the large districts affected
by the assessment. This is above and be
yond the prospect of an assessment in the
near future of over $400,000, for Judge
Slack's abilty as a constitutional lawyer is
highly respected among his colleagues,
who expect that his opinion will be up
held by the Supreme Court.
A PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTEB.
She Is Dusky but Chic and Drives a
Stunning Tandem.
A dusky beauty is exciting a great deal
of comment on the park boulevards on ac
count of the extreme fashions in which she
indulges. Her identity was known to but
few friends, and it has only recently be
come known that she is the daughter of
Hippolyte, the negro President of Hayti.
He sent her to Paris on account of the
political troubles threatening the republic,
and committed her to the care of a friendly
diplomat. She is very handsome, her fine
profile being admirably set off by the dark
color of her skin. She drives a chic tan
dem rig to the Bois de Boulogne every lair
afternoon.— Philadelphia Record.
NEW TO-DAY— ! GOODS. i r
QIITMIT SALE!
An Idea of the OVERWHELMING REDUCTIONS at which ALL
BROKEN LINES, ODDMENTS, ETC., are offered for clearance, can
be obtained from the following SPECIMENS OF THE UNES TO BE
FORCED OUT TO-DAY REQARDLESS OF SACRIFICE.
MEN'S NECKWEAR and S I RTSI
; - -. . • >\.t 15 Cents.
95 dozen MEN'S AND BOYS' ALL-SILK NECKWEAR, made up in the newestshapeg
of tecks, four-in-hands and dress bows, in a variety of new, stylish patterns, usually
sold for 25c and 35c, will be closed out at 15c each. V j..: ■
A.t 45 Oen.
25 dozen MEN'S FANCY PERCALE SHIRTS, made with deep yokes and laundered
collars and cuffs (odd sizes), regular prices 75cand $1, will be closed out at 45c each.
LADIES' WAISTS
At S5 Cent 3.
LADIES' WAISTS, laundried collar and cuffs, in fancy stripes and checks of blue/
pink and tan, will be closed out at 25c.
At 5 5 Cents.
LADIES' LAUNDRIED SHIRT WAIST, in fancy stripes, checks and figures, full
sleeves, yoke back, regular price $1, wiil be closed out at 55c.
GLOVES! GLOVES!
At GES Cents.
200 dozen LADIES' BIARRITZ KID GLOVES (with 2 hooks at wrist), Foster, Paul <&
Co. make, in dark, medium and tan shades, good value for $1, will be closed out at-
-65c a pair. h; - ■j.v' -:
-A-t
75 dozen LADIES' 8-BUTTON LENGTH MOUSQUETAIRE DRESSED KID?
GLOVES, in dark and medium colors, also black, extra value for $1 50, will be*
closed out at $1 a pair.
RIBBONS! RIBBONS !
. - . At 1O Cents.
No. 12 2-INCH ALL-SILK BLACK SATIN AND GROS-GRAIN RIBBONS, will b<*
closed out at 10c. . U.vs
At lSi Cents.
No. 16 2^-INCH ALL-SILK BLACK SATIN AND GROS-GRAIN RIBBONS, will b#
closed out at 12^c. - - ;
! VEILING! veilingi
At 5O Cents a. Yard.
DOUBLE-WIDTH CHENILLE DOTTED TUXEDO VEILING, in black, navy,
brown, cream and black on white, worth $1, will be offered at 50c a yard.
LACE NECKWEAR!
.. At $5.50 Bach.
BUTTER POINT LACE YOKES, with epaulettes of lace, regular price $5. will ba
offered at $2 50 each.
jf M /lr^^ MTJRPHY BUILDING', /
(/(/ Market Street comer of Mn, /
PARTNER OF THE KING
A Californian Secures Valu
able Concessions From
Korea's Ruler.
The Concession Covers the Mo3t
Valuable Mining District in
the Kingdom.
One of the most important concessions
ever gained by an American from a foreign
government has just been secured by
James R. Morse, formerly of San Fran
cisco, but more recently of New York and
Yokohama, Japan, from his Royal High
ness, the King of Chosen, otherwise known
as Korea. One feature that renders this
concession of more than ordinary interest
is the fact that Mr. Morse has not only
gained control of the richest mining dis
trict in the kingdom for the independence
of which China and Japan fought so sav
agely, but has been actually taken in as a
partner by the King himself.
This is probably the first instance in
modern history where the king of any
country has deigned to look upon an ordi
nary mortal in any other light than as a
menial, ana it is the more remarkable
coming from Korea. For over thirty years
enterprising Americans and Europeans
have vainly endeavored to gain a foothold
in the rich mining districts of the king
dom of Chosen, but until this concession
to Mr. Morse every effort has been met
with promises that never materialized or
with flat refusals.
The readers of The Cali, will remember a
series of letters by Frank G. Carpenter,
published in this paper about twelve
months ago. In one of these letters Mr #
Carpenter discussed at length certain min
ing and railroad concessions which the
American Trading Company sought to
obtain from "the King. of Korea. Some
thing over three years ago Mr. Morse,
then president of this company, persuaded
the King to grant them exclusive mining
and railroad rights throughout the entire
kingdom for a period of fifty years. This
concession was to have been signed on a
given night at 12 o'clock, but half an hour
after the appointed time Mr. Morse re
ceived the curt information that the King
had concluded not to place his royal
signature to the coveted document. It
afterward developed that the Queen, who
hails from the household of the Emperor
of the Flowery Kingdom, in some way
heard of the proposed concession and
forthwith put her precious little royal
Chinese foot down on any such transaction.
When peace was finally restored be
tween China and Japan, Mr. Morse re
newed his efforts, though this time the
American Trading Company was not in
terested in either hia success or failure.
The result of this second attempt is briefly
told in a letter bearing date of Yokohama,
Japan, August 3, and addressed to his
h/other, M. H. Morse of this City. The
letter in part is as follows :
For some years past, as you know, I have
been trying for a mining concession In Korea,
nnd have at lasi secured for twenty-five years
the best district in that kingdom, in 1880 Mr.
Townsend. who was at that time associated
with me in business, visited the Nhusan mines
by request of the King and reported them to be
very rich. Some of the ore sent me was assayed
here and went $7 50 gold per ton. He reported
the mines easy of access, the ore soft and free
milling, and with modern appliances they
could be made to pay handsomely. In fact, he
pronounced the place a perfect El Dorado, but
as the Koreans had no machinery, not even
ordinary well pump?, they could not do very
much mining on account of the water, although
in their primitive way of working— bailing out
the shafts by hand, none of which were over
50 feet- in depth— they managed to extract
enough gold to pay them fair wages. Very re
cently—last month, in fact— this particular
district was made over by the Cabinet Minis
ters to his Majesty the King, for his sole benefit,
and the King has made me his "partner," as
you will see by the inclosed copy of a docu
ment duly signed and lodged in the United
States legation safe at Seoul.
I want a practical mining engineer to come
ont here and examine these mines — not a scien
tific •'cuss," but a man who will takeoff his
coat and use pick and shovel if necessary to get
at the true inwardness of these mines, and at
the snme time one who is capable of making an
intelligent report. It will be necessary for him
to start at once in order to visit the district be
fore snow falls, so please cable me as per in
closed code when he will start. The place 19
about 180 miles from Seoul, and it will take a
week on horseback to reach there. Possibly
Mr. Townsend, who lives in Korea, will accom
pany him. Every protection will be given Xhn
party by the Government, as one of the King's
royal messengers will be sent along as a guar
antee that they will in no way be interfered
with.
Mr. Morse has already secured a com
petent engineer, who will leave for the
Orient on the steamer Peru when that
vessel next sail?.
From a commercial standpoint this is
one of the most important concessions
ever secured in Asia. It not only opens
the way for future concessions, but it gives
employment to American miners and
allows the importation of American-made
mining machinery free of duty. The arti
cles of copartnership between Mr. Morse
and his Majesty, the King of Korea, read
in part as follows:
Whereas, his Majesty, the King of Chosen
(Korea), is desirous of havinsr the mines be
longing to the royal household developed ac
cording to modern methods; now for that pur
pose he decrees and agrees:
That he, through his Department of the
Household, associates with himself James R.
Morse, an American citizen, and his assigns, as
a company for the prosecution of this work,
said association to be known as the Korean
Development Company. Said company shall
have as a first privilege the ri^ht for twenty
five years from the date of this decree to de
velop and operate a sold mine or mines in the
district of Nhusan, kingdom of Chosen.
This mine or mines shall be selected by com
petent engineers sent for the purpose by said
James R. Morse, and shall include all territory
within the limits of said district of Nhusan.
His Mnjesty the Kins of Chosen, through his
Government, agrees to render said company all
possible assistance ift dealing with the native
people and in affording rights of way for trans
portation purposes. Americans shall be al
lowed to be employed for work in these mines
and their properties and they will be furnished
passports and protection. All materials n<'tvs
sary for the use of said mine or mines mar bo
imported free of duty, and further no taxes
shall be levied on any* of their properties.
This document is signed by Kirn Chong
Han, acting President of the Household
Department, bears the great seal of state
and is further witnessed by H. N. Allen,^
secretary of legation at Seoul. When ther^
machinery and other necessary expenses
are paid for out of the gold taken from
these mines, all of which is stipulated in
the contract, the net profits are to oe di
vided in the proportion of 3 to 1, Mr.
Morse holding the bi« end.
San Francisco will, of course, be largely
benefited by the opening up of Korea, for
that is bound to follow close upon the con
cession granted to Mr. Morse.
Campanini
writes of
THE IDEAL TONIC: I
<*In cases of fatigue no reme-
dy can so thoroughly be relied
upon as the tonic and stimula-
ting effects of • Yin Mariani.' "
! Mailed Free.
• Descriptive Book with Testimony and
\ Portraits
: OF NOTED CELEBRITIES.
Beneficial and Arjreenble.
Every Test Proves Reputation*
Atolil Snhstitut ions. Ask for 'Tin Mariani.*
At Druggists and Fancy Grocers.
MARIANI & CO.,