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6 SATURDAY.... .AUGUST 28, 1897 JOHN D. SPRECKELS, Proprietor. PUBLICATION OFFICE 710 Market street, San Francisco Telephone Main lSti-i. EDITORIAL ROOMS 517 Clay street Telephone Main 1874. THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL (DAILY AND SUNDAY) is served by carriers In this city and surrounding towns for 15 cents a week. By mail ?G per year; per month G5 cents. THE WEEKLY CALL. One year, by mail, $1.50 OAKLAND OFFICE 90S Broadway .NEW YORK OFFICE Rooms 31 and 32, 34 Park Row. BRANCH OFFICES— S27 Montgomery street, corner Clay; open until 9:30 o'clock. 339 Hayes street; open until 9:3) o'clock. 615 Larkin street; op;n until 9:30 o'clock. SW. corner Sixteenth and Mission streets; open until 9 o'clock. 2518 Mission street; open until 9 o'clock. 1243 Mission street; open until 9 o'clock. 1505 Polk street; open until 9:30 o'clock. NW. corner Twenty-second and Kentucky streets; open till 9 (.'clock. AN IMPERILED FUBLIC T N the jam and crush of struggling men at the door of Wood- I ward's Pavilion on Thursday night there was something more than an illustration of a popular desire to see an exhibition of pugilism. It was an evidence of gross neglect on the part of those charged with the duty of supervising places of public en tertainment and seeing to it that proper entrances aud exits are provided. It is fortunate the crowding at the narrow doorway of the pavilion occurred when the spectators were going in rather than when they were coming out. Even as it was, however, it is almost a miracle that no one was seriously injured in the strug gle to gain admission. The police were utterly unable to keep the crowd in order, and in someof their efforts to do so actually added to the peril of the situation. A patrol wacon was driven through the packed masses of men, evidently with the intention of dispersing them, but with out other effect than that of putting some of them in danger of being run over. As soon as the wagon passed the crowd rushed in behind it and the confusion was as great as ever. It was with no little difficulty that the Chief of Police himself was able to make his way through the mass of men and the narrow en trance which admitted to the place of entertainment. It is scarcely necessary to point out that if for any reason an alarm had occurred while the great throng of people was in side the pavilion and a rush had been made for the doors there would have resulted a most appalling calamity. There were thousands of people at the exhibition, and had they become panic stricken hardly more than a lew hundreds could have es caped from death or serious injury. One warning is enough. For no reason whatever should another exhibition be allowed at Woodward's Pavilion under the conditions which prevailed on Thursday evening. It was folly on the part of the authorities to permit it once. It will be almost criminal if they permit it again. Missouri officially charges a professor in the State Univer sity with speaking slightingly of the State. If he can't clear himself of course he can hunt another job. To speak lightly of a commonwealth that nurtured a Jesse Jame3 and then hired men to shoot him in the Back is no small offense. Aside from protests coming from the bereaved owners of dogs there will be little complaint as to the habit of stealing canines and shipping them north. As nearly as can be esti mated San Francisco has about 2000 of these animals the theft of which would be viewed with equanimity. Spain's declaration that no interference from the United States will be tolerated- is not of especial moment. When the United States Government determines to interfere it will not be for the purpose of exciting the commendation of Spain. Greater New York is considerably agitated over the prospect of having a pood Mayor. While some citizens would rather like to try the experiment there is a feeling that precedents ought not to be too violently thrown aside. Since the Australian murderer Butler has been hanged a question has arisen concerning the legality of his trial, a ques tion much less serious now than it would have been had it arisen before tbe drop fell. Evidently the West Indies have no strict quarantine law, for Princess Chimay has started on a journey there and no in timation has been made that she will be stopped on the border. Most of tho Eastern speculators who have made hundreds of thousands in wheat in the last lew days started with but a few millions capital. The Board of Education will not go so far as to purchase back the useless books that schoolchildren have been forced to buy. Apparently the Californian murderer who objects to being executed has only to make his wishes known. TO REFORM THE COURSE OF STUDY. WHILE it is to be regretted that reform in the course of studies of the public schools was not undertaken in time to save parents the outlay for books which may now be eliminated from the curriculum, there is, nevertheless a degree of satisfaction in the recent action of the Board of Education in response, tardy though it be, to the popular demand vigorously expressed through tho columns of The Call. Whatever the merits or demerits of the new books, it is now quite generally conceded that the number required to be purchased at the beginning of the present school term for the use of tbe pupils was excessive, as the patrons of the school earnestly contended and as The Call convincingly showed. The course of study in question was too severe for the child mind, according to the common opinion among teachers. It is claimed that it virtually crowded ten years' work into eight years' time. The cramming process has been the bane of schools in many parts of the country, and to avoid the dancer of overcrowding delicite young minds should be a primary object with all in structors of the young, and especially those instructors who are employed in our free public schools. The great desire of parents, so far as it relates to our public schools, is that their children shall receive [thorough tuition in the absolutely essential studies. After a plain, substantial course in the public schools, there is time enough for the pupil's educational adornment. Better a few studies well learned, than many studies and a confused mind. The Board of Education wou!d have saved itself from much adverse criticism had it appointed a committee of experienced teachers to fix upon the course of study before the opening of the term ; but it is something in its favor that it has profited by the advice The Call and taken steps to reform the course even at this late day. Studies deemed superfluous will be dropped from the list, and (he course simplified to a considerable extent. No farther expense for books will be entailed, and the new order of things will, doubtless, benefit teachers and pupils alike, and conform with the wishes of all who are interested in the welfare of our public schools. . The yellow kid is always ridiculous and could not well em phasize the fact by any new eccentricity, bat its latest spasm of silliness has unfortunately made a number of excellent women ridiculous, too. These women have been induced to shed tears over sins uncommitted and deeds never done. They need not expect an apology, but it is probable that the pestiferous kid will not annoy them again, though screecning until black in the face instead of saffron. Oliver W. Holmes, R. W. Emerson and Henry W. Longfel low were once pretty well known to Boston, but none of them IB his prime ever met the Quick and substantial reward of the fighter. The pen maybe mightier than the sword, but neither implement it would seem is in it with the stuffed glove. THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 1897. A HALF-FORGOTTEN SCHEME THE- State Labor Commissioner for California not long since became an international figure, and suddenly rose to a prominence! not before attained by any State officer in this country in that department of official toil and nervous exhaustion, nor indeed by the United States Commissioner himself. He was invited by the Hawaiian Government to go down to the islands in a ship and tell them about their labor situation and instruct them therein from the standpoint of an expert. He needed but to look at one stalk of cane to divine the whole situation, and decided that what was needed on the sugar plantations was white labor from California, which he would immediately export in quantities to suit employers. It is be- lieved that there was some demurrer to his plan, for it is in evidence that he forced it upon President Dole by threatening to come right home and beat annexation. Whatever the incidents may have been, and like all inci dents affecting the fate of nations they must be left to time and the prospecting-pick of history, it is sure that Commis- sioner Fitzgerald's appearance in Hawaii was the most im portant event since Liholiho tightened up his gee string and welcomed the first American missionaries with the kiss of peace and poi and roast dog and sent the Kahunas to the rear and their taro patches. The missionaries went to carry the gospel of a new re ligion to the heathen in his blindness. The Commissionary went to upset the settled conclusion of ages, wipe out the tropics, nullify climate and veto physical facts as lightly as Governor Budd does an appropriation for the State Printing Office. Before he went to Hawaii it had been supposed that white men could not stand work in any country where the sugar cane will grow. From Port-au-Prince to Penang the cane fields have been always fatal to whites. Since the sugar supply came from Barbary until now only natives of the tropics or a high mixture of native blood with the Latin races or Asiatics have been able to stand the humid heat in which sugar is developed in the cane. The Scotch Darien Company found this out to Its sorrow a century and a half ago, and it is as well settled from the Teche sugaries of Louisiana to the malaria-smitten mills of Manila as any physical fact developed by human experience. Therefore, the greater the discovery made by our own Com missioner that Hawaiian cane plantations, now infested by Chinese and Japanese coolies to the number of about 40,000, re-enforced by innumerable half and quarter castes from the islands of the sea, can be worked successfully by white labor from California. But why is not the movement in motion ? Desperate men, badly equipped, have been rushing to the embrace of boreal in hospitality, where the sun slants so feebly that life flickers even on the Klondike placers. Why has not the Commissioner sent them to the sweet islands, where "Aloha " awaits them and the maidens are soft as the roses they twine," inszead of let ting them rush to Dawson City, where the latest quotations in the marriage market are : " Brides scarce, $40,000 to $50,000 ; but few offering." Why does not the Commissioner open his agency, make special rates to Honolulu, and stock the cane plantations with Californians and others who seek the work and wages to be had in the land of the Kamehamehas? Various colonizing schemes are on foot here to take up the surplus and idle labor. The Salvation Army is busy with the problem. Various and numerous charities are thumping their skulls to find a way out of the difficulty. Why does not the Labor Commissioner end all this by marching the Salvation Army into the islands? Let the tinkle of the tambourine be heard under the tamarind tree. Surely it will be pleasanter to climb the palm for the bia's nest than to climb the Chilcoot Pass and get chilblains for the trouble. Let the cry be "On to Kaoio, Kapunkaamani, Keahole and Ahole!" THE GRAND ARMY MUSTER. GLORY and pathos mingle at the encampments of the Grand Army. The ranks of the veterans of the Great Conflict are thinning rapidly now, and many years will not pass away before the last of the boys who followed the starry banner in '61 will have stepped from time into history. Thirty-six years have changed the Union survivors of the war from boys in blue to old men in gray. Every succeeding year, when they gather together, as they are gathered at Buffalo to-day, tho muster-call shows a greater host that fails to answer "Here." At the encampment of 1896 the roll of the Grand Army con tained 310,610 names; in 1897 the number has dropped down to 319,456, a decrease of 21,154. Death is making big furrows in the ranks, but the heroes keep closing in and rallying around the flag they love just as they did when grapeshot and canister deci mated their columns in the days when the tread of their myriads shook the earth. Their number diminishes, but their patriotism sublime as ever, is an inspiration to new generations of Ameri cans. To those old soldiers we owe a debt that never can be paid. Not one of them should be allowed to suffer the pangs of want in his life's decline. There are so-called statesmen who never smelted battle-smoke, yet who have made attacks on pensions with such violence as to preclude any idea of gratitude in their souls toward the men who offered their lives in order that the Republic might be preserved. If every survivor of the Grand Army were placed on the pen sion roll it would be nothing more than simple justice. The Union owes its existence to their devotion and their prowess. It will not bo long before the time shall have gone by when it is possible to render disabled veterans any service in requite ment for a tithe of the service they rendered the Nation. Columbia can well afford to be generous to the men who won her battles and made the United State-! truly one and insep arable. . I ■ , We are proud of the Grand Army, as we are proud of the best Nation under the sun. California would have rejoiced to pay honor to the veterans in her fair domain in 1898. The old heroes have a soft spot in their hearts for the Golden State, and we make bold to venture the prediction that we shall have an opportunity of showing our love and veneration for them in a Grand Army encampment in the city of the Golden Gate in 1899. - ' The gallows is predicted lor an Oakland lad who has a habit of threatening his comrades with a knife. However, this prophecy is not couched in correct terms. It means to say that the lad will do something that ought to send him to the gallows. The prophet evidently forgets this is California. If every newly discovered explosive were to revolutionize naval construction, as each in turn has threatened, every ship would go out of date during the process of building and slide down the ways antiquated and obsolete. While Australians are turning toward Klondike as eagerly as anybody it can be remembered that only a few months ago their own Coolgardle was sending out as big stories as are com ing from the Northwest now. • '•'.■ - ' While the correspondents expelled from Cuba naturally feel resentful it must be remembered how they have made newspaper-readers of the United States suffer. Colusa citizens might remember with profit that Urban*, Ohio, permitted itself to be ruled by a mob recently and got a stain on its reputation warranted fast color. Consul-General Lee appears to think that a lie well stuck to is not as good as the truth, but it was cruel of him to project cold facts into a sizzling climax of romance. Spanish officers who are inspecting the coast of the . United Stales will be likely to discover a number of advantageous points at which not to land troops. • /, "'■*.'; - - FRANCO-RUSSIAN ALLIANCE. Tne parting speeches of Czar Nicholas and I President Faure board the French cruiser I Pothuau have removed all doubt in regard to j the existence of a dual alliance. jit is of little I consequence to know whether a formal treaty h r been concluded just now or whether that was done years ago, though the fact that no previous public reference 10 it has ever been made leads us to suppose that the alliance is the result of the recent conference between Count Muravieff and M. Hanotr.ux. , ;-!: j\ mere fact that the most absolute mon archy in Europe has formed an alliance with a republic is in itself a matter of great impor tance. At this moment it is impossible to con jecture the motives which have induced the Russian Government to ta.fee this step, and we do not even know if it is a treaty for offen sive or defensive purpose!", or lor both. The motives of France are more apparent. That country lias occupied an ; isolated position since IS7L Its people know no greater desire than to re-establish its shattered military glory, the chief pride of every true French man, by a victorious war with Germany for the purpose of reconquering Alsace-Lorraine. The words of the Czar, that the two- nations were allied for the maintenance of peace, can not be taken too literally, for monarchs and diplomats are always very peaceful— in their toasts and speeches. Still it must not be sup posed that Russia was led into this alliance by any ill-ieeling against the Triple Alliance or any member thereof; on the contrary, the Cabinets of Berlin, St. Petersburg and Vienna seem to be on the best of terms with each other. Besides Russia knows full well that the next general war is bound to change the map of Europe out of all recognition, and there is no certainty that Russia, even with the help of France, may come out of it conqueror. On the other hand, if Russia should be van quished, the reign of the Romanoffs would surely come to an end, and it Is not at all likely that the imperial Government would jeopardize its very existence. But Russia and France have a mutual in terest in many other political questious, as, for instance, in the maintenance of the status quo on the Balkan and in Egypt. Both nations have valuable possessions in Asia, which are liKely to letd them into conflict with Great Britain, and in such a conflict neither Russia nor France could single-handed cope with England on account of the superior naval force of that country. Furthermoie both countries border either directly or through tributaries on the Mediterranean and are naturally very much opposed to the preiom inance of England on that sea. It is, there lore, probable that the referrcd-to alliance is pointed against England and the near future Will make this point clear. As the dual alliance has now been officially published the next steps will be taken by the Cabinets of Bsrlin and Vienna, which will require assurances from Russia and full in formation in regard to the treaty clauses. That is always customary in such cases and Germany did the same to Russia when the Triple Alliance was concluded. In fact, it is almost certain that such assurances and in formation have already been given, but tne particulars may not become public property until they have been discussed in the German Reichstag. ________________ P£R*:ONAL. J. Adams of Los Gatos is at the Russ. G. C. Lyon of Catalina is at the Kuss. Frank H. Buck, a Vacaville banker, is at the Palace. Rev. C. Ben-Ham of Napa is at the Occi dental. James F. Peck, an attorney of Merced, is at the Lick. F. Barrett, a banker of Pacific Grove, is at the Lick. S. W. Newell, a Stockton banker, is at the Baldwin. H. Vandenhoff of Mount Eden is at the Cos mopolitan. 11. Casey, a liquor-dealer of Sacramento, is at the Grand. , M. J. Curtin and wife of Sonora are at the Cosmopolitan. E. Younghatns, of Bonita, Ariz., is at the Cosmopolitan. I. Kahn, a merchant of Plymouth, is a guest at the Baldwin. S. 11. Rice, an attorney of Sulsun, is regis tered at the Grand. . .:,:-. Mrs. Stanton and nephew of Arbuckle are at the Cosmopolitan. B. 11. Upham'of Martinez, proprietor at that place of the Gloriana Winery, is making a short stay at the Lick. H. N. McKenzie, a banker of Fresno, is a guest et the Lick. Henry Levy, a merchant of Half moon Bay, is registered at the Lick. W. 1. Smith, a mining man from Elko., Nev., is registered at the Palace. J. D. Culp of San Felipe, the California to bacco-giower, is at the L.ck. , W. 11. Dixon, railroad agent at Orovllle, ar rived at the Grand last night. Charles Sweeney, a miniug man of Spokane, Wash,, is a guest at the Palace. J. A. McAuslan of Nevada City is at the Russ. accompanied by his family. Dr. A. W. H. Lindsey of Halifax, Nova Scotia, is a guest at the Occidental. E. E. Bush, a real estate dealer of Hanford, is among the late arrivals at the Lick. M. L. Elliott of Nevada City, formerly a min ing matt in South Africa, is at the Lick. Superior Judge George H. Buck of . Redwood City arrived at the California last night. W. R. Radcllff. proprietor of the Pajaronian, published at Watson is at tne Grand. William A. Chapman, a merchant of Cotatt, Sonoma County, is registered at the Grand. William C. Clapton, a New York merchant, is among yesterday's arrivals at the Palace. W. A. Bremer, one of the teachers at St. Mathew's Hall, Sin Mateo, is at the Occidental. James H. Kinkead, ex-Governor of Nevada, is at the Palace, registered from Virginia, Nev. if. B. McDougall, an old mining man, now of Diamond Springs, is registered at the Bald win. '"'iv-tVi Dr. M. Valdes of Fresno is at the Baldwin, accompanied Dy Dr. P. E. Pellerle of the same place. , Charles Rule, a lumberman and proprietor of a creamery at Duncans Mills, is at the Grand. Felix Loeb of New Orleans, accompanied by his wife and son, arrived at the Palace last night. William H. Hudson, associate professor of English of Stanford, is at the California with nis wife. Dan McKenzie, manager of car No. 2, travel ing in advance of Main's circus, is at the Russ with twelve assistants. William Bedell, district passenger agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad, returned yester day from a visit to Los Angeles. . C. B. Moorman, a large whisky merchant of Louisville, X;.-., arrived fiom the East last night and registered at the Palace. E. A. Mudgett, city ticket agent of the Bur lington route, who has b:>en in the East lor the past month, will return to this City to day. ■ ■:.•]■". ■',"■/'/':■• •■• Astronomer A. L. Colton, formerly of Mount Hamilton but now of lonia, Mich., is at the Lick, accompanied by his sister, Miss Mary A. Colton. Captain Charles Anil, Warden ot Folsom State Prison, Is in the City on a short leave, occasioned by the recent death of his wife, to whom he was deeply attached. _ CALIFORNIANS IN NEW YORK. NEW YORK, N. V.. Aug. 27.— At the St. Cloud. E. C. Dooley; Gilsey, E. W. Brltt; Im perial, E. R. Collins, Mrs. A. Ottinger; Mor ton, F. Beckeile. A PROPHECY THAT FAILED. New York Sua. Hon. William Jennings Bryan continues to revolve through the Western country, but the reports of his speeches do not reveal that he has ever mentioned the present striking veri fications of his : prophecy that wheat would fall to 25 cents if Mr. Me Km ley should be elected Piejident. . DINGLEY'S HENS. Baltimore Herald. Chairman Dlngley his tho largest hennery in Maine, and he announces that under the in spiring Influences of the tariff act the lay of t-gis is the finest on record. ' INVISIBLE PAINT FOR WARSHIPS France.it is admitted by naval authorities of other nations, is In possession now of the most mysterious but most potent.agent yet devised by science for making terrible the naval warfare of the iuture. The new inven tion will, it is claimed, multiply a hundred fold the power of a naval squadron and render useless the armaments of opposing fleets, no matter what their numbers or their strength, says the New York Journal. A Paris inventor has devised a chemical composition which, applied to any solid substance, will make it invisible at night, even under the glare of the most powerful electric searchlight. Naval circles in Europe are greatly agitated over the reports which, in spite of the efforts of the French * war authorities to keep the matter secret, have beon published concern ing the results of experiments with this mar velous discovery made a few days ago near Brest. Repeated trials wera hart 'during the protracted naval maneuvers off that port of the working of the 'invisible paint." Torpedo-boat No. 01, one of the most formid able in the French torpedo fleet, was assigned to assume the role of a hostile craft endeavor ing to make its way into the harbor Dast the vessels of the defending squadron, which In cluded the most powerful men-of-war in the French service, nearly all of them equipped with tremendous searchlights. The fact that the new paint was to be employed— in THE INVISIBLE TORPEDO-BOAT. truth, that such a thing was in existence— was not made known to any save the command ers. It was tried, however, with a success which, even in these wonder-working days, is startling. The torpedo-boat succeeded "in traversing the entire reach oi water patrolled by the guarding warships, and, though cov ered again and again by the glaring lights of vessel after vessel, made . Its way into port, and three hours after the beginning of the maneuver was safely at anchor off the town. JOKED WHILE HE GRIEVED. The Late Gov. Curtin'a Reminiscences of Lincoln in War Times. The Independent. We had been talking of tho war, and the Governor broke out suddenly and said : "It was just after the battle of Frcdericks buig. I had been down there and came up to Washington by the night boat. I arrived at the foot of Seventh street a little after mid night. Just as 1 landed a messenger met me, saying that the President wanted to see me at once at the White House. I took a carriage and went dirt ctly there. I sent In my card, and word came back that the President had * retired, but that he requested me to come up to his bedroom. I found him in bed, and as I entered the room ho reached out his hand, shook hands, and said: " 'Well, Governor; so you have been down to the battlefield?' 'Battlefield? Saughter-pon 1 It was a ter rible slaughter, Mr. Lincoln.' I was sorry in a moment that I had said it, for he groaned and began to wring his hands, and took on with terrible agony of spirit. lie sat. up on the edge of the bed and moaned and groaned in anguish. He walked the floor of the room and uttered exclamations of grief, one after another, and I remember his saying over and over again: 'What has God put me in this place for." I tried to comfort him, and could nardly forgive myself for not being mere care ful and considerate of his feelings. "By and by I got him into bed again, and alter a long while succeeded in quieting htm down, until at last he told me a story, ana then I thought it would do to leave him. * This was the story he told: i: ?-""..: " "Governor, I'll tell you just how I feel. There was a farmer in Illinois who had a fine apple orchard; and there was one young tree that was bearing its first fruit, and he was anxious to know what sort of fruit it was. Well, he had two boys, little imps, up to all sorts of mis-chief, and one day they were in the orchard sampling thisfruit for themselves. The man had, also, a wild boar, imported, and this boar was in the orchard. Seeing the boys he went for them. One of them saw him com ing, and climbed up into an apple tree; but the boar was too quick for .the other shaver, and was after him as he dodged around one of the apple trees. First the boar would snap at the boy's retreating legs, and then the boy, spurred on, would grab the boar's tail, and so help himself to keep out of the reach of the boar's head. By and by he sang out to his brother: "'"Bill, Bill, come . down here— come down!'' " • What for?" says Bill. - ".*'; = . " ' "To help me let this boar go," says Jim. " 'Now, Governor, I am in the position of Jim, and I wish somebody would help me let this boar go.' " Speaking of the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg and Mr. Lincoln's famous address delivered on that occasion, November 19, 1863, Governor Curtin began by saying that there had been much discussion as to how and when that address was written, and he continued: "I can tell you all about that. Of course, I was there, and the President and his Cabinet had arrived and were at the hotel. Soon after his arrival, a** we were sitting around in the parlor, Mr. Lincoln looked thoughtful for a moment or two, and then said: "I telieve, gentlemen, the committee are expecting me to say something here to-day. If you will ex cuse me I will go into this room here and pre pare it. ' After a time he returned, holding in his hand a large yellow Government envelope, on which he had written his address. " 'Here, gentlemen,' he saia, 'I want to read this to you to see if it will do'; and, sitting down, he read it to us, and then said: 'Now for your criticisms. Will it do? What do you say?, '--ai'VfiBtf'MfINTCMHIHMBH "Several spoke in favor of it, and one or two commended it in strong terms. 'Well,' says the President, 'haven't you any criticisms? What do you say, Seward?' "Mr. Seward made one or two suggestions bearing on some slight verbal changes, Which, I believe, Mr. Lincoln incorporated. ■■ •♦Now, if you will allow me, gentlemen,' continued the President, 'I will copy this off' ; and again withdrew and made a copy of the address.'' *■' -* •""■"*. ■•/"- MEN AND WOMEN. Charles Cramp, of the Philadelphia ship building firm, Is in Germany, engaged In in vestigating the recent progress made there in shipbuilding. '^f*'tftf': The Paris Figaro denies that the adoption of an official uniform for the President of the French republic has ever been mooted, and also contradicts the statement that it is pro posed to confer on M. Faure the colonelcy of a Russian regiment. It Is a pretty well known fact that most of the deaths that occur on the field of battle re sult from bleeding to death betore surgical aid arrives. The French Government has under consideration a scheme of tattooing the soldiers of the French army with a certain mark over each artery, so that a wounded man would be able tostoneh the flow of blood himself and thus increase his chance of living. V^fj Spartan virtue survives in Pond Town, Me.' A young miss on Skunk Hill is doing penance .lor carrying a bottle of elder to a sick neigh bor. A cousin of hers, requested to go to the store for a plug of tobacco, resolutely declined to handle the weed lor love or money. A few years ago the village restaurant was deprived of half its profits because the wife of the keeper ie:used to serve customers with cigars. The Countess of Miranda, better known as Christine Nilsson, has just made a trip to Sweden, her native country, where she visited . the exposition at Stockholm. Her visit was a constant succession of the proofs of public ad miration, and crowds of people waited in the street for her to pass. ' She sang only once, at Upsala, the old university city, where : the students came to serenade her. C. C. Cole, ex-Chief Justice of the lowa Su preme Court, and now dean of . the lowa Law College at L»es Moines, says that institution has just turned out the youngest lawyer in the United States. The young man is Homer Mlllsap, a Californian, 16? years old. His standing was between 90 and 100 in the col lege examinations. His youth, of course, pre .eludes his admission to practice, - AN ACCEPTABLE CHARTER. To the Editor of : the San Francisco Call— Sir: There are probably 3000 voters in Sin Francisco who are Identified with such cor porations and bosses as find big profits under present chaotic municipal conditions and who quite naturally will oppose a new char ter, which will deprive them of these advan tages. There are about 70,000 other voters who have no share in these profits but are the victims of loose laws which force them, through high taxes, to put up the money which the bosses. and corporations find so ac ceptable. Shall the 3000 prove to De able once more to defeat the movement to secure a charter for the 70.000 instead of the 3000, as they have repeatedly done heretofore? Ido not hesitate to say that the present movement to secure a new charter will cer tainly foil, as the others fa'led, unless ample safeguards are wisely cons meted* and placed in it which will effectually protect the public alike from the manipulations of the 3000 and the adverse decisions of the courts, for It ap pears certain that the voters of San Francisco are intelligent enoueh not to vote for a char ter, but rather remain as they are unless it is such a charter as they want. The safeguards which must be incorporated in the new charter are necessarily funda mental and unassailable. In a word, they must underlie all other provisions, otherwise the 3000 will soon undermine the charier. The 3000 arc of one mind and are united- The 70,000 are of many minds, but they can be unitea in a common cause and will then be irresistible. The new charter must provide a way in which to unite them. Three things must be done by the charter makers to insure the completeand permanent victory of the 70,000 plundered victims over their wily and resourceful 3000 oppressors. The first condition is that the new charter shall be acceptable to the 70,000, because It will not fail to protect them when adopted ; the second, that they can at once understand it because it is honesty plain and simple; the third, that it shall escape slow death by tor tured construction in she couns. The new charter will never fail to protect the 70,000 and render the 3000 wet less to plunder them if all authority end responsi bility are vested in a large City Council or Board of Supervisors.and all their ordinances**, nets, and orders are subject to veto by the 70,000. The 70,000 can at once understand a system so utterly plain and simple. The courts cannot "construe" the life out of it if it Is mace to conform to the State constitution. It is not surprising that the veto ty the voters should seem somewhat difficult of uni versal and ready application to the ordinances and acts of the Supervisors at first thought to those who have not made a study of this method of preventing the plundering of a city. Forexample, it has been objected tnat some orders are by their complex nature out side the orders that voters can pass on wisely, finance orders being instanced as examples. It is a surface objection. Finance orders are by nature simple. Au order fur the payment of money can be undtrstooa*bj most voters, to say the least, and tho-e orders n^ed not be made compi. x. Tne Governor can legally veto some items in a bill passed by the Legis lature and let the other, stand. The people can do so too. And tho Mayor can suspend an order also, and he will do it too if ho has a chance. Joseph asbury Johnson. 11 Essex street. August '27, 1897. WOULDN'T IT BE NICE? Now, wouldn't it he nl.-e . tin a plunging *-hlp of lee To sail away where Arctic waters roll? To fare and fare away Where It's frees ng -very day. And hang our summer straw hats on the pole? To present our tickets there Where the ciarcliu polar hear Gives the only entertainment— without price? To shake his U,*.! pans. Ana to give him oar applause, In a comfortable theater of ice? —Atlanta Constitution. AN INTERESTING EXHIBIT. Philadelphia Times. The caterer's bill lor the legislative trip to the dedication of the Grant monument is worth reading. It is an interesting exhibit for the taxpayers to study and think about. Here it is : Table supplies $1,678 36 Wines and liquors. 3,026 60 Supper st Philadelphia ; 6190 Cigars ; 4SOOO Hire of silverware ib 7 s*-t Services of waiters 'jio 00 Stoves. 70 00 Freight 8 27 Building kitchen 175 00 Carfare of waiters 21/9 50 Total $6,100 16 To liquors returned 157 00 To sale of stoves. 3 2 00 Net amount $5,911 16 In addition a boat was chartered at a cost of $500, and expensive badges costing several hundred dollars were ordered. The entire bill as passed by the Senate was $7500, or at the rate of $30 for each of the 250 senators and Representatives, which probably in cluded very little for railway fare. OLD IRONSIDES. New York Sun. There has been some discussion in Congress and in various soclet es of the uses to which Old Ironsides should De put. A favorite pro ject has been to have her towed 10 Washing ton, and there held as a floating museum, filled with various naval relics, or illustrations of naval progress. It has also been proposed that she should be assigned to the instruction ot naval militia, the view bJing; that her very career would be Inspiring lor this purpose. But whatever the merit in such objections, the important point is that Old Ironsides needs no further utilization. She is a monu ment to the erent deeds and naval heroes of the war of 1812. Simply to preserve her is to make her of sufficient use, and the employ ment most suitable for her is that which will alter her least, and make her surest to escape the wear of time and the danger of the seas. In the case ot the Kearsarge we had a bitter experience of the false economy of utilizing a historic ship for routine drua gery, although incompetency In those who had charge of her was tbe real cause ol her sad fate. There is no danger that the Constitution, older and till dearer to the country as a whole, will be sent to face any such perils as those of Ron cador Reef; but we must make as little change In her as possible, and her final resting-place should be chosen with a view to keeping the centenarian ship for the admiration of genera lions to come. WITH YOUR COFFEE. "Every man needs a wife to brighten up the place." . "Yes; but suppose he hasn't any piece."— Chicago Record. . Wilton— Do you agree with David, that all men areolars? Wilby— How can I tell? Just think of the number of men that I never saw!— Boston Transcript. Snrockett— l was proposing to her when she told me that her lather had failed. Wheeler— What did you do? Sprockett— back-pedaled.— Truth. Wickwire— That is a rocky-looking umbrella you are carrying, Mudge. Is it the best you could buy ? , Mudge— lt is the best I could get.— Chicago Record. .. ... Trivvet-Mlss Cahokla" has become a new woman. _ t '■ ■„., ':'■".' ;.*■;. '. Dicer— isn't as old as that, is she?— Judge. Scribbler— Does your wife laugh at your jokes in the paper? Punster— Yes; but only on payday.— Pick- Me-Up. . Mrs. Youngish-Oh, Bob, what shall I do? Baby is crying because 1 won't let him pull all the fur off my new muff. Mr. Youngish-Well, that all right. Give him the cat.-Tit-Bits. - . : v,*i -*;;;-,,-■; ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENTS. For the University— H. N., Cal. The de partment cannot advertise the school you in '■ quire about as to whether it prepares students lor the university or not. You should write to the principal of that school. *,■*; Fourth- Class Postmaster— A. S. The bonds of a fourth-class Postmaster are regulated by the amount or business transacted in the office. The bonds arc- not less than $1000. The pond* of a security company are accepted if the company is satisfactory to the Govern ment. : Butter and Eggs— B., Santa Rosa, Cal. Un der theMcKinley bill the tariff on butter was 0 cents, under the Wilson bill 4 cents and un der the Ding'.ey bill, the one now in force, the duty has been raised toOc-nts. The duty on eegs under the JlcKinley bill was 5 cents, un der the Wilson bill 3 cents and under the Ding ley bill 5 cents. Five-Dollar Piece— A. P., City. The ques tion, "Is there any premium on a $5 gold piece?'' is not definite— no date is given; but this department will announce that the oniy $5 pieces of United States mintage that com mand a premium are those which bear date of 1795 to 1800 iiiclu-Mve, 1802 to 1815 in clusive; 1818 to 1834 inclusive. The pre miums ou these vary from 25 cents to $45. right of a Tree— G. A., Oakland, Cal. The simplest way to determine the height of a tree is to adopt the Indian method, which is to walk away from the tree uutil a sufficient dis tance has been reached by the individual to enable him to bend down and lorward and see the top ot the tieo by looking through the upper point of the triangle formed by spread ing his legs slightly apart and then pacing back the distance to the tree. This will ap proximately give the height of the tree. States and Territories— M. E. M., City. There were thirteen States in the original union of the United States. Since March 4, 1791, thirty-two States have been admitted into the Union, making forty-five in all at this time. Utah, the last of the States admitted, came into the Union January 4, 1896. The Territories at this time are New Mexico, Ari zona, Indian, Distrlctoi Columbia, Alaska and Oklahoma. The House of Representatives July 28, 1894, passed a bill admitting New Mexico into the Union as a' State. In tho Senate no action was taken. The House of Representatives. December 15, 1893, passed a •bill admitting Arizona. In the Sena to the bill was referred to tne Committee on Territories and no further action was taken. Indian Ter tory has as yet no organized territorial gov ernment. FRATERNAL DEPARTMENT. * Court Aurora, Foresters of America, Celebrates Its Nineteenth Anni versary in Style. Court Aurora No. 2 of the Foresters of Amer ica, one of the very much alive courts of tho jurisdiction of California, celebrated its nine teenth anniversary last Wednesday nignt in grand style. There was.early in the evening, in the court's hall in the Alcazar building, which was dec orated with American flags, garlands of ferns and with colorea lanterns, a reception by the officers of the court aud members to a large number of ladies who had been invited to par ticipate In the festivities of the evening. "While we are waiting for the coming of the hour when we are to adjourn to another place." said one of the committeemen, "wo will inaugurate a dance." And then the or chestra struck up a waltz. That was followed by several dances, interspersed by vocal tal ent. At a given signal' a grand march was formed and 205 individuals, at least one-half ladles, marched to the Mason-street Germain, where they were by John J. Cordy and J. Label of the committee escorted to seats pre- ■ served for each at a banquet-table. There was presented to each a souvenir menu, which contained not only the names of the delic** ces that had been prepared by the chef lor them, but under each the name of some prom inent member of the court and a line expres sive of his characteristics. - ~* After the disposition of the good things laid before those assembled had been made, 1 John J. Cordy, who Is the grand secretary of the order, assumed the duties of toastmaster and discharged them in a manner that caused many to remark that the line on the menu under his name. "The Only One," was all right. In a few well-chosen words he introduced each toast and speaker, and the first called upon was Dr. G. W. Day wait, a member of the court, who responded to the toa*t of '"The Court Aurora." Then followed "The Forest ers of America," response by HugoK. Asher; "The Ladles," response in a neat humorous speech by J. Label; "The Companions of the Forest" was responded to by Ira W. Coburn, grand sut-chiet companion of that' order; | "The Press," by E. C. Stock; a comic song was | sung by Thomas Crouch, ana "The Guests of ! Court Aurora" was responded to by John i Ileenan. The responses were all brief, but to i the point, and they were well received. The toastmaster then expressed the hope i that not only all who were at the festive board would b2 present at the next anniversary of Court Aurora, but that the number would do increased. With three cheers lor the court and good wishes for its continued prosperity, the party separated, the orchestra, which during the dinner played sweet music, rendering an appropriate good-by selection. Ivsnhoe Circle, C. O. F. This evening Ivanhoe Circle of the Compan ions of the Forest will give an entertainment and ball in the social hall of the Foresters' building, and from the preparations that the committee of arrangements has made for the occasion it is certain that the entertainment to be provided will equal any heretofore given by this circle. ■__ Prosperity Lodge Kntertaim. Prosperity Ledge No. 309 gave an entertain ment and ball last Friday night in the Alcazar building to a large number of members of the lodge and their friends. The tff.iir was under the direction of the following named: Pro fessor Martin, Dr. Fredericks, G. Riding, R. P. McPherson nnd L. Leonard. The programme presented included the following number-: Overture, musical selection, A. Bohm; special ties by M. Brown, the colored champion cake walker; violin solo, Dr. M. W. Fredericks! wonderful one-legged dance by Miss Gerard; musical tam-tam by R. Walsh and Miss A. Le*. gone; com'c songs, William Hynes; fancy dane ng. Miss Sadie Reinods; musical selec tions by Professor Grater's pupils, and a dance by Processor Martin. This- whs followed by dancing and there was enjoyment until mid night. " ■ California glace fruit?. 50slb. TownseaJ , fc» Special Information dolly to manufacturer*-!, business houses and public men by the Press Clipping bureau (Allen'*-), 510 Montgomery. • The Par's Figaro denies that the adaption of an. official uniform for the President of the French Republic has ever been mooted, and also contradicts the statement that it is proposed to confer upon M. Faure the colonelcy of a Russian regiment. The President will be escorted to Russia by two warships only, and will embark at Dunkirk. No stoppage will be made at Copenhagen or Stockholm on the outward or. return voyage. Mas v causes induce gray hair, but Parker's Hair Balsam brings back the youthful color. Hlxdkrcorxs, the best cure for corns. 1& cts. *> ♦ • — The Viscount de la Rochefoucauld has ac cepted the offer made to him by the president of the International Olympian Committee to direct the organization of the Olympic games in 1900. Those of last year at Athens were directed by the Crown Prince of Greece. The next games are to be held in Paris. >>' .•;',' HEW to-day: iiii ■—— ■win mn ***■■ riw Royal makes the food pure, ■-■ v '. r wholesome and delicious. pTCU POWDER Absolutely Pure ';" - H ROVAI BAKING POWDER CO., NEV/ YORK.