Newspaper Page Text
4 MONDAY .... SEPTEMBER 18. 1899 JOHN D. SPR ECKELS, Proprietor Address Ail Communications to W. S. LEAKE, Manager. PUBLICATION OFFICE Market and Third St»-. S. F Telephone Main 1868. I DITORIAL ROOMS £17 to 221 Stevenson Street Telephone Main 1574. DELIVERED BT CARRIERS. 15 CENTS PER WEEK. Plr.gle Copies, ."> cents. Tern » by Mall. Including Postag«: PA2LT CALL (Including Sunday Call), one year 9"-^* rAIT.v CALL (including Sunday Call). 6 months 11.00 DAILY CALL (Including Sunday Call). S months .... I.SO I>AILY CALi;~By Sir.cle Month o:i< > BUNDAT CALLOns Year *- BO \VEEKLY .'l. On? Year I<O ° All postmasters are authorized V receive subscriptions. Sample ccplea Trill be forwarded when requested. OAKLAND OFFICE 903 Broadway C. GEORGE KROGNESS. Manager Korci£r. Advertising, Marqustte Building, Chicago. NEW YORK CORRESPONDENT! C. C. CARLTON Herald Square rsEW YORK REPRESENTATIVE! PERRY LUKfcNS JR 29 Tribune Building CHICAGO NEWS STANDS. Sherman House; P. O. News Co.: Great Northern Hotel: Fremont House; Aualtoritno Hctel. NEW YORK NEWS STANDS. Waldorf-Astoria Hotel; A. Brentano. SI Union B<juax«; Hurray Hill Hotel. WASHINGTON (D. C.I OFFICE Wellington Hotel «i. L. ENGLISH, Correspondent. BRANCH OFFICES— Montgomery street, corner Clay, open until 9:30 o'clock- 203 Hayes street, open until £:30 o'clocK 639 McAlllsttr street, open until 9:30 o'clock- 615 LorK'.r. street, open ur>tH 9:30 o'clock- ISA) Mission street, open until 10 o'clock. 22C Market street, corner Sixteenth, open until 9 o'clock- '09* Valencia street, open until 9 o'clock- '06 Eleventh) street, open until 9 o'clock- NW. corner Twenty second and Kentucky streets, open until 9 o'clock,. AMUSEMENTS. Oixbeum— Vaudeville. Tivoli — "Lohengrin." Columbia— "Marie Antoinette," Monday evening, Septem- ber •::,. Alcazar — "Too Much Johnson." Grand Opera-house — "The Drum Major's Daughter." Chutes, Zoo and Theater— Vaudeville every afternoon and evening. Olympia. corner Mason and Ellis streets— Specialties. Sutro Baths— Swimming Races, etc Mechanics' Pavilion — Mechanics' Fair and Philippine Ex- hibit. Sherman-Clay — Reception Recital, Thursday evening, September 21. Circus — Sixteenth and Folsom streets. Saturday, Septem- ber 23. AUCTION SALES. By Davis, Belau & Co. — M >nday, September IS, at 11 o'clock, Furniture, at 2511 Pacific avenue. STILL BUYING RIGHT AND LEFT. ATTENTION ha? been frequently called of late, to the surprise <n' commercial authorities, that the general and sometimes slurp advance in prices the United States has in no wise checked the demand Buying in all sections is reported as lively as ever and the advance in quotations has thus far produced no effect whatever. Evidently the pur chasing limit of the people has not yet been reached and the fears of the aforesaid commercial authorities not been realized. \ good illustrai the enormous volume in August, according to the monthly statistics just received: "Exports were $20 ,082,815 larger than ever before in August and exceeded imports by $37, --partly because exports of staples were $9,366, --978 larger than last year, but also because exports of Other products, mainly manufactures, were $10,349,000 larger than those of last year, and larger than in any : of any year." In fact, the business of the country this year has never been equaled. Of course, there must be a pause some time, for this enormous purchasing of merchandise cannot go on forever without cessation, and when that pause will come and in what shape is a question now bothering the heads of financiers. The great staples continue highly profitable point, both to the producer nufacturer, if we except wheat, which remains comparatively low in consequence of good crop pros pects. Purchases of wool are large, but somewhat stive. The iron trade is still exerting itself to fill all orders, but finds it impossible, and many are perforce refused. Woolen poods are strong, but man rs are complaining that the advance in the raw material has outstripped that in the manufactured t, thereby cutting down profits. Coal oil has made several advances of late, largely on account of the rise in tin, and hides and leather are enjoying a kf-en and continuous demand at very firm quotations. in gone up at several centers and the is seemingly as sharp as ever. Cotton has I off a fraction, owing to good crop prospects, r the refusal of spinners to believe otherwise. I ) sh<nv the effects of overproduction is brick, though it would seem that lumber and brick to go hand in hand to a considerable extent. tics, on which financiers base their views on the state of trade, continue encouraging. The country's bank cleafings last week were 28.7 per cent larger than for the corresponding week in 1808, and not a single city of importance in the whole country showed a decrease. The failures were 149, against 174 last year, both records being small. The local situation stands about the same, being characterized by a fine home demand for all sorts of goods and a demand for export which cannot wholly be filled, as it is in excess of the tonnage available to take the merchandise away. The call is general and embraces lumber, groceries, canned and dried fruit, beef and pork and their products, clothing, etc. The vineyardists are smiling over a sharp advance in wine grapes to $20*023 per ton here, which means $17 50(0) 20 in the country, though the admitted shortness of the crop will cut down the gross proceeds materially. P.nyers are scouring the country for grapes at the high prices. The output of canned fruits has unfor tunately been cut down about 25 per cent by the recent scarcity of tin, but even with this drawback the fruit grower has nothing to complain of this year. Unless present conditions be overturned by some now unfore seen commercial check the current fall trade will be the largest for many years, if not, indeed, the largest ever known. Sir Thomas Lipton is to decorate his yacht with i electric lamps upon the occasion of Dewey's re turn. Even these will not afford a strong enough light to enable him to find the cup. It is admitted in the dispatches that there are a good many "amis" at the Chicago trust conference. It will undoubtedly develop later that there are also a many grannies. The people of San Domingo have money to burn since the success of Jimenes as a revolutionist. Mer chants there refuse to take paper currency. STAND BY THE PLEDGE. TO-DAY is the day set by law for the Board ot Supervisors to fix the rate of the tax levy. The Mayor, the Board of Supervisors and the Mer chants" Association will all have something to say in the matter, and it is expected that whatever is done will be for the best interests of the whole city. For months the question has been discussed, not | alone by the officials directly interested but by every [ head of department and every taxpayer in the city. \ The amounts which should be given to the various ' departments have been adjusted and readjusted, and 1 there has been a constant difference of opinion regard , ing the most equitable distribution, and following this divergence there has always been the paramount ques ■ tion of whether or no the city of San Francisco can be run on a $i rate on the $100 with a total vaulation of $300,000,000. Both political parties in convention said that it could be done, and the candidates of those conventions were ; pledged to see to it that the dollar limit was not ex ; ceeded. The Mayor and the various speakers of both parties on the platform during the campaign preached the doctrine of a dollar limit, and in every instance the candidates pledged themselves before the people to maintain it. ; It is now time for the question to be officially set j tied. The city departments may suffer because of a ! shortage of funds, but it is the duty of the Supervisors !to stand by their pledges. A majority of the board IS ! Republican, and The Call calls upon those members to i stand by their party's pledges and let it be shown \it this city can be run on the dollar limit. Every i member of the board should stand by the pledge, and j at the same time deal fairly with every department, in : such manner that the adjustment will not bring hurt ] to the city. The Call has reason to believe that the members of ! the Board of Supervisors will stand by their pre-elec- I tion pledges, and the people will then have an oppor tunity of knowing just what will be the result of an : attempt to bring the levy down to an arbitrary point. , The Republican members especially have a duty to perform to-day, and it will not do for them to heed the cries of poverty and raise the assessment, thus I giving the Democrats an opportunity of saying that ; had they been in control the dollar limit would have been adhered to. If any member of the Board of Su pervisors now goes back on his pledge he will do so '. at the risk of bringing down upon his head the con ! demnation of those who were cajoled into voting for him by his pre-election pledges. The torpedo boat Talbot will shortly be given a run through the newly constructed Dismal Swamp canal. There will be trouble when she meets the mosquito fleet. A Russian electrician announces the discovery that will greatly interest poker-players. He says he can restore sight to the blind. A BOSTON VIEW OF IT V reason of the fact that New England ha? cer- Btain large interests which can be promoted by Canadian concessions the press of that section is inclined to favor the pretensions of Canada on the Pacific Coast. Indeed, some of the leading New Eng land papers seem disposed to grant whatever the Ca i nadian Government may ask in Alaska, provided it yield in return what New England desires. An illustration of this peculiar way of looking at the issues at stake between the two countries is afforded i by the comments of the Boston Herald on the Alaskan boundary controversy. It begins by saying the Cana dian authorities have a reasonable desire to obtain an : ocean port for their Northwest Territory; that if we j occupied the position of Canada we should make most urgent demands for accommodations of that kind, and that "on the ground of international comity ! it can be fairly urged that this is a concession on our part which can be reasonably asked for and reason- I ably accorded." It then adds: "The ground for ob ! jection on this side of the border is based almost ] wholly on the selfish interests of three or four Pacific ! ports that now have a species of monopoly in the out \ fitting of miners going into the British Northwest : Territory." Having laid down those propositions the Herald ; goes on to say: "The question of our relations with Canada should I be treated not by the desires of local or special inter ': ests, but on the ground of broad national considera tions. The Canadians have a great market, the larger part of which we now possess, and which we not only want to keep but to materially increase in the future." There will be no objection to the statement that our ! relations with Canada should be treated on broad na tional considerations, but few people outside of New i England will deem the retention of our Alaskan pos | sessions unimpaired a local issue. If there be any I such thing as a national policy, it surely must be that j of protecting and maintaining the boundaries of the ! republic. The local interests in the case are those i vhich New England would like to advance at the ex j pense of surrendering a part of Alaska to the Cana | dians. Such selfishness as appears in the argument is not !on the side of the Pacific Coast. The demand of the ! Canadians for an Alaskan port appears to our Boston i contemporary quite reasonable, but what would it I think if Canada should desire a port on the coast of ! New England? THE ARMY IS NOT FRANCE. LOUD was the outburst of popular indignation in this country over the second condemnation of Dreyfus and for a time it seemed we were about to act against a whole nation with as much prejudice as the French are said to have acted against the ac cused. In Chicago one large establishment dis charged all of its employes of French birth, and from one end of the Union to the other there arose a wild demand that the French exposition be boycotted. The passion of the day, however, has already passed and the people look at the issue with a better understand ing and a more reasonable judgment. It was in fact a foregone conclusion that the clamor against all France and all Frenchmen would not long continue. The American people may not be by nature more just than other people, but by reason of the fact that nearly all great questions are in some manner sub mitted to their judgment they have become accus tomed to act from reflection rather than impulse and to look at things in the light of common sense. They are hard-headed, practical business people and excite ments do not carry them off their feet nor last long. Thus it has come about that they have revised their first passionate judgment of the case and are now pre pared to give to the French people that justice they demand for Dreyfus. The conviction of Dreyfus was brought about by a THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1899. few officers of the army, and not by the French peo ple. It is not the army that is going to hold the expo sition, nor is it the army that is going to profit by it. The Parisian mobs that clamored for the conviction of the Semite do not represent all Paris. Labori, De mange, Zola, Picquart, Jaures and other supporters of Dreyfus are representatives of a strong element of the French people, and they have stood out bravely for justice. It is clearly foolish to condemn a whole nation on an issue of such a kind under such circum stances. Our sympathies will be with the brave band of truth-speakers in France who have so long fought for justice against prejudice, and we will not by de nouncing the whole nation make their task harder by giving to them the appearance of acting with for eigners against their own country. COLMA is to be congratulated upon the victory achieved by her business men and taxpayers over the gamblers who have been seeking to incorporate the district for the purpose of making it a place where their poolrooms could be run wide open. The plans of the gamblers were cunningly devised, and but for the exposure of them by The Call and the earnestness with which the genuine residents of the district opposed them they would have been successful, and that attractive suburb would have been converted into a resort for all the rabble of touts and toughs that follow in the wake of gamblers. The benefit accruing to San Francisco from the resolute action of the good people of Colma is hardly less than that which has been obtained for Colma itself. The establishment of a wide-open gambling center so near to the city would have been almost as pernicious as was the notorious gambling carried on at Ingleside. The temptations to the unwary, which were so strong before, would have been renewed, and we should have had repetitions of the old stories of women as well as men led to ruin by the evil influ ences of the poolrooms. Now that the victory has been gained it behooves the people of Colma to be careful lest the beaten en emy steal a march while no one expects it. The profits which would accrue from a gambling place of the kind which was designed for Colma are large, and will be a continual temptation to gamblers. They will not give up trying so long as a chance for victory remains. They may next turn their attention to some other dis trict of San Mateo. In any event, the people must continue watchful and wary. TAXATION IN WASHINGTON CITY. rOR years past the cost of maintaining the ad ministration of Washington City has been borne equally by the citizens and by Congress — that is to say by the taxpayers of the rest of the United States. At the last session of Congress it was pro posed to compel the city itself to bear the whole bur den of the cost of opening and improving the streets when extended into the suburbs. Against that plan a vigorous protest has been issued by the Washington Board of Trade and in. the argument of the protest a good deal of interesting information has been given concerning the economic conditions of the city. It appears in the first place that hardly more than half of the property in Washington is subject to as sessment, nevertheless so high is the assessment that in 1890, the census year, when the count showed that the taxes fell upon a population of less than ißg,ooD, the assessed valuation exceeded the combined assess ments of Cleveland, Ohio; Portland, Or.; Dcs Moines. Iowa; Kansas City, Kans. ; Sioux Falls, S. D.; Chey enne, Wyo. ; Fargo, N. D.; Tucson, Ariz., and Vir ginia City, New, with an aggregate population of 437, --339 — between two and three times as large as that of Washington. In San Francisco we 'demand the dollar limit and consider our tax burdens intolerable when that sum is exceeded to any considerable amount, but the people of Washington, in addition to their high assessment, have an invariable tax rate of $i 50 on every $100. It is further noted that in matters of tax ation Washington is at a disadvantage with other cities, inasmuch as thousands of persons who own real estate there and live there claim residence else where, and whatever personal taxes they pay are paid where they technically reside. This state of things grows out of the peculiar status of Washington as a political and not a business city. A very large propor tion of her population go there to serve the Gov ernment in some way, and this gives them a right, under existing law, to claim their old homes still as their residences. They cling to the right because it is the only condition of their having a vote. The fact that so large a proportion of the inhabit ants of the capital claim residence elsewhere has -a political as well as economic effect on the city. It is that more than anything else which deprives the community of the advantages of self-government, for, as it is said, since so many of the intelligent citizens would have no right to vote there, the political control of the district would pass at once into the hands of the irresponsible class if popular government by ballot were established. One of the leading men of the capital is quoted as saying it would be possible to get rid of both the disfranchisement of the District and many of the evils of the spoils system by the simple device of a law re quiring every person accepting employment under the Federal Government in Washington to become a resi dent of the District pro tempore. According to hi 3 argument, if every Government employe in Washing ton became a voter there, self-government could be provided for the District at once. The political question is, however, but a side issue at present. The main point on which Washington in sists is that Congress should continue to pay half the expense of her government, and inasmuch as the na tion owns and exempts from taxation about half of all I the property in the city it would appear the claim is a just one. Effusions of some of the English correspondents give evidence that the silly season is still on in Lon don. One of them cables from London that "Presi dent Kruger's rumored refusal of the latest franchise demands has lost him many friends in London." Kru ger probably had it all figured out that he could not depend upon any of these so-called friends to shoulder any guns in his behalf. Germans in this country cannot fail to be pleased at the latest utterance of Emperor William. He says they sing better than the Germans at home. The same old story of the songster that has liberty and the one that has not. Transvaal delegates to the Agricultural Union which has just concluded its sitting at Cape Town, were greatly impressed when Cecil Rhodes presented them with a lion. They are lucky it was not a white elephant. Sir Thomas Lipton seems never to have heard about "carrying coals to Newcastle." The other day, at any rate, he sailed with his salts to New Rochelle. General Mercier has been burned in effigy. Wait till they get him on the grill in the other place. THE VICTORY AT COLMA A WEEK IN THE MINING FIELD. "The Quartz-crowned Empress of the Sierra" is going to do the right thing by the members of the American Institute of Mining Engineers when they call on that distinguished member of the Amer ican Order of Gold Mining Districts. That, of course, is Grass Valley, where California quartz mining began, where phenomenal veins lure men downward. and to which Nevada County largely owes yet Its primacy among the gold pro ducing counties of the State. Leading citizens met in the City Hall the other evening to consider the entertainment of the institute on its visit there next week after the annual meeting beginning in San Francisco next Monday, and the Daily Morning Union of Grass Valley says: "The American Institute of Min ing Engineers, when it visits Grass Val ley the latter part of the month, will re ceive such a whole-souled welcome that the members will vote it one of the pleasantest features of their lives." !Mter speeches and resolutions and provision lor various committees, a resolution of lorrnai invitation was adopted. Suc ceeding the preamble, the resolution was: "Resolved, By the citizens of Grass valley, assembled in mass-meeting this Juth day of September, that we extend greeting to the Institute of Mining En gineers and invite them to visit our city and pledge them a cordial reception by the Quartz-crowned Empress of the bferra and a true miner's welcome and entertainment." These proceedings are given here main ly to illustrate the spirit and method of the preparations lor the occasion throughout the State. Of course many other communities are making similar preparations in a similar spirit, as is Grass Valley's neighbor, Nevada City. Many organized parties have come to California before and have been enter* tamed and shown California resources by local communities during junketing trips aboul the State, but in the past these visits have always been to the prune and orange orchards', the big trees, the fine valleys, the flower gardens, etc. Now, for the first time, comes an association of people who, though they like nice Cal ifornia prunes as well as anybody, are interested in what is under the ground and in the raising of or.'S rattier than oranges, The bill tribes now, for once, have a chance to show off the moun tains of California and their riches, and the Grass Valieyans are only prominent among them. A suit of exceptional interest to mmmg 1 men and involving a novel issue was de cided by Judge Bennett in the Superior Court of El Dorado County last week. In Northern Xl norado County is a series of peculiar formations, usually of hornblend slate, much decomposed near the sur face, composing bolts, in places several hundred feet wide and being traversed in ail directions and at all angles by many veins, or starns, which are of varying width and which carry gold and frequent ly develop pockets. They are called '•seam belts." These deposits have been worked since early days, and most ex tensively north of Georgetown, near the Georgia Slide, which is generally taken as the northern terminus of the mother lode. They have been worked a good deal by reducing everything in stamp mills and as pocket mines by tunneling along the seams in the usual way, but mainly by the hydraulic process, which gave rise to the issue. The slates are soft and de composed, and with a shattering of the formation it has been piped away through sluices like a gravel deposit. In the Cranes Gulch mine, on the Georgetown st am belt, this plan was adopted In early days, and when operations were suspend • '1, in 189 L there was a pit 360 feet long, t wide am! 160 feet deep. This was in the Cranes Gulch mine, which was pat ented ::s a placer mine in 1x72. The patent was supposed, "I' course, t>> convey linal title. Under tne law the patent to the ','placer claim" conveyed also all lodes of mineral deposits in place thereafter dis covered, but excepted valuable lodes then known to exist. A year or more ago Joseph Scherrer ana others located some of the exposed veins in the patented property as lode claims, on the theory that they were valuable lodes, known to the patentee to be such when patent was applied for. The Crane s Gulch Mining Company brought suit in ejectment. The question before the court was, of course. Were, these veins, or "seams," or the formation carrying them, "lodes"? Was this a placer or a lode min<? The formation had been worked in both ways in that region. The lawyers brought out a lot of geology but no deci sions. Plaintiff argued the formation to ■ ■'.logically "joint seams" and "stock work." There was no reasonable contin uity of ore or accompanying mineral mat ter'occupying a well-defined main channel of mineralization. The defendants argued that the gold came from veins of quartz "in place"; that it was not diffused through the mass; that the law did not designate the length of a lode or vein, and that these veins were lodes within the meaning of the statute. The court took the plaintiff's view that this was a placer mine and bore no lodes, and gave judgment against the defend ants, with costs. The case will be ap pealed. Many old-tlxners will romPitilifr Bpn?on vllle. In early days a busy mining village a half mile below what is now Columbia, Tuolumne County. It disappeared, like many other little mining towns have done, burned, torn down and blown away—dis appeared, all but one old cabin. There Matthew Burns, one of the pioneer gold diggers, lived alone for forty years, mak ing enough from year to year by washing old gravel and creviclng around to pro vide beans and- bacon for all that was left of lionsonville. He and his cabin were familiar features of the highway crossing there. Not long ago the fiat was bought, with the idea of reworking the ground that yielded fortunes long ago. According to the Mother Lode Magnet, Matthew Burns got drunk In town re cently and died from accidental Injuries. Then another old, wornout miner moved into the cabin to eke out a living as Burns had done, but the owners wanted all the gold there was left, and so tore down the cabin, and the last of Benson vllle has passed into history. Mono County chips in with Its little mining excitement, according to the Bridgvport Chronicle-Union, which says: "This week has been a busy one for some of our prospectors, and those anxious to get rich in a hurry. The first of the week Mr. Page, who is at the Arnot mine, came to town with some very rich speci mens from a new find on the extension of the Arnot ledge on Green Creek, and created quite an excitement, and Wednes day a number of our citizens quietly left town and have been locating claims on the extension and vicinity, several hav ing been filed with the County Clerk. We hear this morning that a body of rich copper has been strruck In the Copper Mountain mine at Jordan. Mono County will soon be In the swim again." The Alcatrnz Asphalt Company, at Its Sisquoc mines, has been making rather unusual developments In the industrial applications of electricity, says the Santa Barbara Press. A novel use to which they have just put electricity is in operating a regular naval' searchlight for the illu mination of their asphalt mine at night. This mine, being an open cut Jn the moun tain side, offers a very natural field for the use of this light. Outside of the city of Santa Barbara no place in the county has such a complete electric plant as is found tucked away in these mines. The complete equipment of an electric station has been installed. In addition to a high speed and torpedo boat style of electric light generator, the company has just completed putting into operation a large power engine and generator to supply the electric current for use solely for power machines, as electric pumps, shop motors and their huge electric crane or excavator This last machine is in itself quite an electric novelty, being nothing less than a large dredger, but applied to asphalt digging. Us current is supplied by an overhead trolley line over a hundred feet high in the air, and is stretched from one mountain spur to another, and directly over the mine. The mines are now in op eration and eating into their mountain of asphalt, the mill being in regular run ning order and asphalt being transmitted through its twenty-mile pipe line to the sea at Gaviota. The shortage of water in the mountains is the talk of most mining men who have been there recently, says the Stockton In dependent. The Tuolumne Water Com pany is having trouble with Its dams, and on that account many of the mines are being worked with reduced forces or have to shut down their mills altogpuier. Most of the mines are running, however, and the ore is being stored for such time as water enough can be secured for turning the mills and operating the stamps. Some new mills are being put up, and many more will be built early in the spring. An issue concerning a quartz ledge on a patented placer claim slightly similar to that in which the Cranes Gulch mine of El Dorado C<sunty is involved has just been ruled on by the Interior Depart ment. The decision is probably of inter est, and if It had been given ten days earlier it would have saved the life of "Jake" Randall. The property over which the issue arose was composed of two quartz claims and one placer claim within the townsite of Keswiek, Shasta County. Joseph A. Kahny ap plied for patent to the three claims, in which quartz and placer propositions were mixed in some way not clearly ex plained in existing accounts. One of the claims was Jumped, and the General Land Commissioner sustained the jump ers. Now the Secretary of the Interior has reversed the decision on grounds not made clear in the brief reports received. Randall had located a claim overlapping the one in dispute between Kahny ana the claim jumpers, and was killed wnne asserting his right to possession. A full account of the case would probably pre sent some interesting points In mining law. In several counties of the State both talk and experiment concerning the use of oil on highways to reduce both dust and the impediment of sand to traction is going on. It is possible that this use of oil will yet add a good deal to the home demand for crude petroleum. In Modesto County Supervisor George W. Abbott recently put 100 gallons of crude oil on l?, 0 yards of sand road, under un favorable conditions making it dustless and the draft on horses more than one third less. In Los Angeles oil would now cost 5 cents a gallon in tank car lots. Our mines are all busy getting out ore, and the mills have to run night and nay to keep up with the mines. The Butte mine is running three shifts. The Ken Dog mill, at Johannesburg, is running full tilt, and averages from 300 to 400 tons per month.— Randsburg Miner. Even Placer County has a gold-areng ing enterprise in view. R. G. Hantorrt of San Francisco has secured 1600 acres or land two miles from Lincoln, which will be prospected with the view of -working the gravel with a dredge. , Another electric proposition Is tnat which has recently been floated under the name of the Sierra Water Power and Light Company. Its power plant is to be located somewhere near ( a,rtfc'rs, and its projectors propose to supply an of the east belt nnd part of the mother lode with light and power. The water power is to be obtained on one or tne forks of the Tuolumne River.— Stockton Independent. . [saac Trumho, one of the new proprie tors of the Golden Cross mines. San Diego County, has succeeded C. W. 1 aui\ as receiver of the property. There are thirty-seven gold-producing counties in the 156,000 square miles or California's area. San Francisco has hern investing money in mines for fifty years and Is to-day more heavily inter ested in mines in California and else where than ever before. In one county in California San Francisco has put over $5,000,000 In the last three years. There are fewmining districts in an; part of the west half of America in which San Francisco capital is not invested, but ten San Fran ciscofl could not furnish the requisite amount of money necessary to develop the multitude of deserving mining pro jects daily brought to its attention. Since the discovery of gold in California this one State has produced gold to the value of over $1,300,000,000. There are now over 17.000 undeveloped mines in California awaiting capital to become profitable pro ducers.—Mining and Scientific Press. J. O. DENNY. AROUND THE CORRIDORS C. M. Root, a Hot Springs Mining man, Is at the Grand. O. J. Woodward, a Fresno capitalist, Is registered at the Lick. W. A. Temple, a wpalthy mining man of Redding, is at the Russ. Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Hamilton of Lon don are registered at the Palace. Judge John F. Davis has come down from his home and is at the Palace. W. W. Otis, one of the loading lawyers of Stockton, is registered at the Lick. J. N. Taylor of the Boston Globe Is a guest at the Occidental, where he arrived yesterday. J. I. Coleman, a large mine owner of Redding, is one of the recent arrivals at the Palace. H. C. Short, a prominent railroad man of Topeka. Kans., Is among the arrivals at the Occidental. M. L. Isham, an extensive rancher of Courtland, is in the city enjoying a short period of recreation. He is staying at the Grand. J. A. McKenzie, a rancher and land owner of Fresno, Is staying at the Lick, where he will remain during his short visit to this city. Dr. and Mrs. Hernidi of Budapest, Hungary, and E. R. yon Prethein of Aus tria are a party of foreigners traveling for pleasure. They are at the Palace. Colonel Rice, commanding the Twenty sixth United States Volunteer Infantry, is among the late arrivals at the Occi dental. Mrs. Rice accompanies her hus band. Rev. B. C. Anderson and C. F. Mcßoy, missionaries from Virginia, who are wait ing for the Coptic to carry them to Japan, the field of their future labors, are at the Occidental. NEWS OF FOREIGN NAVIES. The British cruiser Terrible is billeted for China to relieve the Powerful. The Terrible has been at the Portsmouth dock yard for several months, furnishing con siderable work in repairing of her ma chinery, and the ship will be missed as an old landmark. The Japanese torpedo-boat destroyer Sazanami, built at Yarrow's yard, has passed through her trials, averaging 31.382 knots during a three hours' run. The steam pressure stood at 230 pounds, vac uum 24% inches and the air pressure l l^ inches, giving 392 revolutions. The high est speed reached was 33.333 knots and the lowest 29.268 knots. The Sazanami is one of four 360-ton boats built by Yarrow and all have given satisfactory results. The savings of the enlisted men in the British navy amount to nearly $2,000,000, all of which is on deposit with the Gov ernment. The number of enlisted men is 110,640, giving nearly $19 to each man, as represented in the total sum of savings. The number of enlisted men in the United States navy was, on July 1, 1898, about 10,000, exclusive of those serving tempo rarily during the war with Spain, and the sum total of their deposits with the Gov ernment was nearly $316,000, an average of $31 60 to each man. The Italian cruiser Garibaldi recently launched at Genoa from the yard of th.c Ansaldo's, was launched nine months after the keel was laid. This would be a pretty good record for a British yard and the tendency in all countries, even in France, is to materially reduce the period of building. The Garibaldi had 3000 tons of material in her hull when launched and she is of .6840 tons displacement, her di mensions being 362 feet in length, 59 feet beam and 23 feet draught. The Swedish Wrecking Company, which is trying to raise the Russian armor-cla|l Gangoot, or as her Tartar name is spelled, Hango Udd, has met with serious re verses. In endeavoring to get the vessel on an even keel iron hooks at the end of chains were attached to each side of the vessel. The strain was too great for the hull to stand this pull and portions of the upper part of the hull were ripped off and the deck was also serioußly damaged. The indications are now rather unfavor able for raising this vessel from her watery grave, where she was dropped a little over two years ago. New regulations for the promotion of officers have Just been promulgated by the British Admiralty. Captains to be promoted must have had six years' ser vice at sea during peace time or four years on war service at sea, both of which requirements, however, may be compro mised by a record of five years under both conditions. Commanders for promotion must have had sea service in their gra.la of at least one year, nnd lieutenants, in order to become commanders, must have been four years in the grade of three /feari at sea. The latter may also be pro moted for gallantry, provided he has been two years at sea as a lieutenant. The Austrian torpedo cruiser Zeuta, built at Pola. has just completed her steam trials. The vessel is of 2300 tons on c draught of 14 feet 2 inches and la ."02 feet in length and 39 feet 4 inches beam. The average results of the four hours' forced draught trial was 7990 horse power and 20.59 krot speed. She has eight Yarrow boilers, with an aggregate heat ing surface of 20.000 square feet and 300 square feet of grate. Steam Is carried at 200 pounds. The battery of the Zeuta is unusually heavy for so small a displace ment and is composed of eight 4.7-inen quick-firers, ten G-pounders. two machine guns and one bow torpedo tube. There is trouble with the new British battleships Ocean and Canopus. which bad their trials last month. The Ocean lias been found slower than anticipated, and although the contractors have com plied with the conditions of the contract. as far as horse-power and coal consump tion are concerned, the Admiralty will ar rnnge for another trial to ascertain lf *£* lops in the first trial were at fault. The same difficulty has arisen on the ststersmp Canopau, and the two battleships have been taken to the dockyard, where the machinery will be opened up. It will take at least one month before they will be able to resume their trials. The Canopus and Ocean are identical with the Albion. Glory, Goliath and Vengeance battleships of 12.9. r >o tons. 13,500 horse-power and a cal culated speed of 18% knots. They have all been launched and four are in an ad vanced stage of completion. Their avr apre cost, exclusive of armament, is about $4,100,000 for each ship. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. MINERAL LOCATIONS-E. W. A.. Lathrop, Cal. Neither Yosemlte nor Se quoia Parks are open for mining loca tions, nor h.-ivf they he*>n since they were declared national parks. ART FIRM— ML. City. This department does not express opinions on the merit or standing of a business house or firm. You should make your application to one of the mercantile agencies. THE SHERMAN'S ARRIVAL— E. O. M.. Untie. San Luis Ohispo. Cal. The name of the one who guessed nearest to the time of the arrival of the Sherman was published in The Call of Sunday, August 27. CLEARY AND BURKE— P. H. 8., City. The fight in San Francisco between Mike Clcafy and Jack Burke, "the Irish Lad." occurred on the night of November 23. 1885. After seven rounds it was declared a draw. Mlkp Cleary came to San Fran cisco February 20, 18ffi, and on the Bin of March encaged in a match in the Me chanics' Pavilion with Jack Brady. CATTLE INSPECTOR— Restorere, City. To be a Government Inspector or assist ant inspector of cattle for the United States, the individual must be a veteri narian in order to secure an appointment. There is connected with the service a stock Inspector, who. while he Is not re quired to be a veterinarian, must have had experience in the care of stock. Ail nre under civil service rule, consequently the term of office is unlimited. Dr. G. S. Baker is the inspector for San Francisco, and Dr. T. F. Shannon is the Inspector for Los Angeles. VISITING FRANCE— E. S., City. Every male citizen of France is required to per form military duty. If he should leave France shortly before the time arrived when he should enter that service, and he came to the United States, became a citizen thereof and then returned to France, he would be forced to perform that military duty. The United States could not claim his exemption from ser vice on the ground that he became a cit izen of the Union, for the reason that the United States as well as other countries, under the provisions of International law, will not protect one It received into cit izenship in the matter of any obligation he owes to the country from which ho renounced allegiance, and which was In curred prior to change of citizenship. THE WEATHER BUREAU— AII posi tions in the Weather Bureau of the Uni ted States are under civil service rules except that of chief or forecast official, who is named by the Secretary of Agri culture. To enter the service the appli cant must start in as an observer unltss he apply for the position of messenger. He should be possessed of at least a high school education, but a still higher edu cation will be of value. He must have a fair knowledge of meteorology, and under the classified civil service rules for this year he has to undergo an examina tion in spelling, arithmetic, letter writing, penmanship, copying from plain copy, copying from rough copy, meteorology, essay writing and geography. In the San Francisco office the positions are fore cast official, $3000 per annum; local ob server, from $1500 to $1800; observers, from $S4O to $1400, and messenger. $360. Thera is also a printer connected with the office, but the one engaged in that work now is one of the observers. Good Worit of the State Fair Club. Breeder and SDortsman. An example has been set by the citizens of Sacramento this year that can be emu lated with profit by the residents of other cities where annual fairs are held. Realiz ing the fact that the fair was an immense benefit to the capital city and that it de served their hearty support, a number of the leading business men organized themselves into a State Fair Club and be gan an energetic and concerted move ment to boom the State"s exposition and show the visitors from abroad that Sac ramentans were alive to its value and appreciated the benefits derived from having- it located permanently in their city. Knowing that the racing end of the fair would take care of itself, the State Fair Club centered its energies on the pa vilion exhibit, and raised a fund which was expended in decorating- the building, aiding exhibitors, providing amusements and attracting visitors. The result has exceeded the expectations of the most enthusiastic among them, and has not only tilled the pavilion nightly with the largest crowds ever seen within its walls, but has attracted the attention of the State to the fair, and brought to Sacra mento people from all parts of the Pa cific Coast. What has been done by the State Fair Club of Sacramento can be accomplished by similar organizations in the towns w"here district fairs are held. It only needs concerted action on the part of the citizens of each district to make the California circuit of fairs a great fea ture of the State's summer season, and attract not only the attendance of thou sands of visitors, but result in an actual financial benefit to the towns where the fairs are held. Nothing that the citizens of any California community can do will bring their locality into notice more gen erally than the organization of a District Fair" Club that will have for its object the securing of a first-class exhibit of all products of the district at a fair to be held next year. The State Fair Club has furnished an object-lesson of what organization and energy will accomplish. It can be studied with profit by the cit izens of every district in California- Cal. glace fruit 50c per tt> at Townsend 8. • Special information supplied daily to business houses and public men by the Press Clipping Bureau (Allen's), 510 Mont gomery street. Telephone Main 1042. ♦ "So you have decided to spend the summer in the country this year?" "No, sir, I have not. My wife has de cided it."—Philadelphia North Ameri can. " Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup " Has been used for fifty years by millions of mothers for their children while Teething with perfect success. It soothes the child, softens the gums, allays Pain, cures Wind Colic, regu lates the Bowels and is the best remedy for Diarrhoeas, whether arising from teething or other causes. For Bale by druggists in every part of the world. Be cure and ask for Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup, 25c a bottle. » m ■—" HOTEL DEL CORONADO-Take advantage of the round trip tickets. Now only |60 by steamship, including fifteen days' board at ho tel; longer stay, $2 60 per day. Apply at ' New Montgomery street, San Francisco.