WEDNESDAY The San Francisco Call JOHN D. SPRECKELS. .* Proprietor CHARLES W. HORNICK Genera! Manager ERNEST S. SIMPSON Managing Editor Address All Cw«lc«tiw ATLY CALL, (Including Sunday). 1 year $8.00 DAILY CALL (Including Sunday). « months ". 4.00 DAILY CALL— By single month 75c SUNDAY CALL. 1 year 2.50 WEEKLY CALL. 1 year i 1.00 v Trmr- • ) Dally , 18.00 Per Year Extra FOREIGN f gunday _ 4.15 Per Year Extra POSTAGE ) Weekly 1.00 Per Year Extra •Entered at the United States Postoffice as Second-Class Matter. ALL POSTMASTERS ARE AUTHORIZED TO RECEIVE SUBSCRIPTIONS Sarrple Copies Will Be Forwarded When Requested. Mail *übscr!bers in ordering: change of address should be particular to plve both ICEW AND OLD ADDRESS In order to Insure a prompt and correct compliance with their request. FUEL FAMINE OFFERS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE RELIEF CORPORATION 7^ SAX FRAN'CISCO'S refugees are suffering for coal. There is much distress in the camps for lack of fuel and the situation does not improve. A great man}' families are still sheltered — » if shelter it may be called — in flimsy tents that have practi cally outlived their usefulness. The small gas heaters that are supplied in some of the cottages are of little effect to contend with the sharp weather that has prevailed for nearly a month. It is not alone the poor of the camps, the refugees proper, that are suffering. Other people in moderate circumstances feel the pinch of high prices and scarcity of fuel. In the present condition of the market it is not sufficient to have "the price." The distribu tion of coal goes by favor. The man with a "pull gets the preference. In this emergency we believe that the Relief Corporation can do a great work for the poor of San Francisco if its controlling spirits will just get out of the imaginary rut of scientific charity, so called. That variety of charity is nothing but a state of mind at best, a form of scientific superstition, paresis ambitious to achieve paralysis. Here is the opportunity for the Relief Corporation to charter colliers and bring coal in plenty to the suffering people. It will be told, of course, that there are no coal-carrying ships available for charter. It will be told that there is no coal to be bought on the Pacific Coast; that the lumber-carrying steamers are using it up; that many of the British Columbia miners have gone to the Nevada mines — it will be told the half truths and whole lies that are being passed out to a shivering public. The people interested in tTie fuel monopoly will call the Relief Corporation fools and try to raise a laugh ar their expense. They may be accused of "butting in" where they have no business. But there is coal to be had, and there are ships ahd trains to carry it. Money can find the ships and cars and the coal to fill them. The Relief Corporation has the money — enough of it to solve tougher problems than this. If it cannot buy coal and charter ships and trains in the Northwest, there is still cable communica tion with Australia, which has coal in plenty and idle steam tonnage to hurry it here. The Relief Corporation is still bewildered over what to do with its $4,000,000 surplus. Here is a great and useful work for it — a work closely akin to that for which the fund was subscribed. "r The Relief Corporation is not expected to be a money-making proposition. Quite probably it will have to pay something more than the market for the cost of carriage or even for coal at the pit mouth. The corporation is not limited by strictly business considerations. A great need can be relieved by making a small loss. This newspaper calls on you, Mr. Phelan, and on you, Mr. Spreckels, and on you, Mr. de Young, and the other influential and humane men who are intrusted with the administration of the reliei fund. We call upon you to make a valuable precedent for a worthy object. The fact that it is a new departure need not deter. There is pressing' need and it is your business, your trust and your duty to relieve it. The fact that you will thereby assist in breaking down a greedy and heartless monopoly will be, we are certain, a powerful con sideration making for your assent to the proposition here suggested. We feel assured that one and all you have the interests of the poor at heart and will do nothing to assist the scheme to squeeze the last dollar from the small consumer; but, on the contrary, we are persuaded that this condition will most strongly address itself to your humane temper and spirit of incorporated relief and inspire you to immediate action. It is, in fact, the poor of San Francisco who are suffering from the present scarcity. The big business houses, the manufacturers and the corporations have the first call on the fuel "in market. The small consumer can bring neither fear nor favor to help him fill his coal bin. Charter ships or trains and bring cargoes of coal from the sources of supply open to anybody with money and carrying facili ties. The thing can be done with the expenditure of little energy, and yoiH.can afford to sell the coal to small consumers, at normal prices for fuel. It is a great opportunity fo show whether- you are big enough for the trust that the generous people of the , United States have placed in you. v , s , GREAT MORAL AWAKENING AT SACRAMENTO SF'one might construe the bills introduced at Sacramento as ex pressions of opinion and policy by their putative parents the conclusion could not be escaped that this is a Legislature of all the virtues, and that an extraordinary and, indeed, unexpected "moral awakening" had swept the membership like a tidal wave or some other convulsion of nature of the sort that brings sinners to repentance and their knees. We should not, for instance, call Grove Johnson a hoary old reprobate because we find him right on' the side of the ten commandments with a searching Sunday law that might. make Connecticut look blue. We don't know whom or what Mr. Johnson is after this time, but we welcome* hinv to the ranks of the elect. It was time he got religion, and he seems -to have it \>ad. We hope it will last for at least two months. We scarceh' know whether it was the same dim religious spirit moving Mr. Johnson that inspired his bill .to permit criminals to select their" own judges— it is suspected that some of them own judges — to try them. There is a haunting suspicion that this John sonian measure was designed in the interest of Abe Ruef— our own honest Abe — but -ivrnzy be merely the natural cussedness of John- EDITORIAL PAGE son, who wants to clutter up the criminal and civil practice of the courts some more, as if the procedure were not already com plicated and bedeviled to madness by the perverse ingenuity .of lawyers. The inevitable conclusion compelled by the two measures i described is that Assemblyman Johnson is in favor of the ten commandments, but against their enforcement. Leaving the versatile Joftnson in the attitude of a foxy saint, with one leg on either side of the fence, let us take up the case of Senator Hartman, who appears among the many who are called. Mr. Hartman offers the commonwealth of California a bill that! puts in plain prose the sentiments of the eminent Dr. Isaac! WJ ZlttQ Til W* lT* ' \u25a0 * ~ ' - Let dogs delight to bark and fight, For God hath made, them so; Let bears and lions growl and fight, Birds in their little nests agree. V V.;l Fall out and chide and fight. 'Tis the voice of Hartman speaking, but one seems to feel the hand of Ruef, which is a natural-born reaches We feel sure that the prizefight trust will take notice. *" In a word, the bill file points the way of salvation, but none need make the mistake that in Sacramento virtue is its own re ward. To the casual observer, indeed, this Legislature looks too SOME critics of the Panama canal management were free to say last month when no bids for the contract were made on the day assigned that gross blunders had been committed, and they did not disguise, their belief that similar mistakes would postpone indefinitely the letting of the contracts. These prophets of evil are confuted by the event, and tlie contracts will .-: without doubt be let to some one of the bidders who appeared on- Saturday .'The basis of compensation, if the lowest bid is^accepted," will be 6.75 per cent on the estimated cost. Certain important modifications in the contract have been made since December 12, when it was found that the_requirements were such as to discourage bidders. 'These modi fications are chiefly: •• . Reduction in the amount of the bond required; relief of 'the contractor from liability for defective material, throwing upon the Government the expense of replacing any that may be discovered; a .Government guarantee to cover fluctuations. in the wage, scale on the* isthmus; and "a- stipulation by the Government that no contractor shall be held in loss on account of faulty engineering data. . The last mentioned provision was demanded by prospective bid ders because the Government engineers had been proved guilty of certain astonishing blunders. Among these were the plans for, the Gatun dam and the three locks to be constructed at that point.. The plans called for locks of 900 feet in length. uWhen the Senate com mittee investigated the canal management last spring a witness pointed out that the drawings called for- locks of only 790 feet in length. Commissioner Noble disputed this statement and insisted that he had sketched the .plans for the locks himself and they pro vided for locks with .900 feet inside space. That was very well, but on examination of the drawings he found that the locks had in fact been cut down to 790-feet. The cause for this reduction was quite simple, although not very creditable to the. Government engineers. It was found on measurement that there was not room enough on the hill for locks of the original length, as designed. In a word, the de sign was a good deal in the air. We may hope there will be no further blunders of this magnitude to correct. It.'may be true that the world is growing more honest, but, we observe that the thefts, embezzlements, etc., of the. United States for 1906 totaled up the sum of $14,739,653, which does not include any part of the fruits of endeavor gathered by. {he* San Francisco F. W. McDonald, Industrial com missioner of the Santa Fe, had a, narrow - escape from death on last Monday afternoon. • He \u25a0 was In his office In the Monadnock building, when the west wall of the Palace Hotel was being torn down. A part of the fire escape tore loose from the falling bricks and was hurled across the alley. It broke through the win dow of McDonald's * room .and also smashed the- glass partition that di vides his office from that of John Duffy. McDonald , Jumped from "his chair, and so saved his skull from being fractured. „ H. O. Wilson, who attends to the freight Interests of the Union Pacific, and S. F. Booth, who Is the general passenger agent of the. same com pany, left yesterday for San Jose to attend the annual banquet, of-: the National Union last night.- !L. M. Cheshire, the local agent of the Union Pacific at San Jose, Is the pres« ident of the union. J. IL Griffln, district freight agent of. the Canadian Pacific. In speaking of his line, said: "I was all through Canada .before coming out *iere. and I was astonished at the general pros perlty of "the., country. An Immense amount of business Is being done in Montreal, Toronto^and London, arid •Winnipeg will one .day be , the Chi cago of Canada. ..The 1 Canadian ' Pa cific- has . several branch ,' lines, under construction, especially In Manitoba and .Alberta, as to 'tap/ the ' grain country. These lines "will- fce v the first SOME BLUNDERS CORRECTED ' NOTE AND COMMENT Gossip in Railway Circles Legislative Attaches at Work to be finished, as .the biggest busi ness Is in these .two \u25a0 sections. I . un derstand the work of "completing the Crows Xest line is to beiuhdertaken shortly. It Is "already built from Dunmore Junction, to Midway, B. C. but no date has been', set -when It Is to be connected with* the' main line east of Vancouver. When finished we shall have the shortest route to the coast." J.i'J. ; Byrne,; assistant .passenger traffic manager: of >. the- Santa . Fe. ar rived In the- city yesterday.' His head quarters is InlLos Angeles. - ; \u25a0/ \u25a0\u25a0.\u25a0\u25a0-;\u25a0. .'JT : •'*';': "\u25a0•.-.'. ->\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0.: ' '.'.>': S." A. Story, manager of ithe Lake Shore and. Lehigh -Valley' \u25a0.\u25a0Dispatch; was in the city yesterday and, called upon the different 'railroad offices. .lie stated /that he. "was -In' Los : , Angeles for fourteen days,." and -only; saw the sun twice. Her. said! that v he; was astonished at the of building that was being done 'in; San Francisco, and declared \u25a0 the work spoke volumes for the. grit and enterprrse of -the people. . ' , . , , , , .John. Brock, president? of . life Tono' pah \u25a0 Railroad, \u25a0 is \u25a0 on ; alyisit to the city. He ; says Nevada Is only, in the", com mencement of ; her gold ' production.* F. Al.;A 1 .; Valentine, j; district 'passenger agent of the ; Canadian; Pacific,. Is; on a. visit to" Los f Angeles, : and -is : . expect ed back" within a -few -days. . . 'Jay Adams;.of' the Nickel: Plate left last night ~'for v * ah': extended trip through the Northwest. \u0084 Progress of the State Noted by Press of California AMERICAN cities have found It profitable to learn from the example of Paris. Many of them have expended vast sums to make themselves attractive, and all that haye \u25a0 done so .have reaped financial rewards while gratifying the civic pride and the love of the beautiful of their inhabitants. Among: California cities .Los Angeles was first to realize the value of attractiveness as a commercial asset, and her people, actuated by wisdom as well as a broad spirit of local patriotism, have voted bond issue 'after bond Issue to beautify their, city. They have proved that It pays to improve and beautify, and they are reaping a reward that they have Justly earned by their enterprise and public spirit. — Oakland Tribune. "The sunset of Rockefeller's life is touching," writes a sentimental Eastern girl. Well, just try to "touch" his pock et book, or ask him to reduce the price of oil, and see what kind of a "set" he will give you.— Berkeley Gazette. Up in Alpine County there was a tie vote on the office of Superior Judge, and now- a new election is to be called to settle which one of the candidates shall wear the ermine. " A singular fea ture in connection with the contest is that in the whole of, Alpine County there are only, ninety voters. It Is often ii difficult matter to secure a jury in a criminal case, and if the court were to order a venire of fifty Jurors the Sheriff would have to-vlslt, every portion of the county and "serve more than -50, per cent of the" citizens:— Bakersfleld Call fornian. \ " The ordinary man would still much rather glorify woman and set her on a mock throne,*where he can depose her at will, than have to acknowledge in * her a # real title to regard. It is Press of the Nation Comments on Current Events MME. , MELBA sang., at the-Man hattan Opera-house, New York, the other night. Of course she sang well, but her notes were unheeded because of the bleat ing, of the golden calf. There was $50,000,000 worth of diamonds on display. 'The house shone with 'won drous Jewels. The noise made by the barbaric pearl and gold was deafening. It was one of the most successful so cial functions of the season. There was no let or hindrance. .Everybody .who was anybody, accepted the license 'and Joyously made an uproar with all the precious stones she had. Melba? Melba sang. But who heard or cared for Melba? Think of the main fact—sso, 000,000 worth of diamonds— and then dare to say that we, are not a great people. — St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The captain of a ' Brooklyn lighter .was dug out, alive a'^day or'two since after ,being;buriedfor forty hours un der.a cargo of coffee. He will" prob ably drink something else for the rest of his life.— Boston Transcript. ,'.- J •.The' scattered returns 7 from the Christmas shooting affrays in the" South contlnueito "come in." ' Their 'frequency would* carry"; the, impression, that '.\u25a0' :•:. ;.. >~-y..iX \u25a0\u25a0'vvi'.-'A '.:-:' "Indeed !" /exclaimed ;dear . girl No. ; 2. ; VI had no Idea there was a man jthat old allveI"-^-ChIcago T Xews. ' difficult for a man to overcome his essential self-importance. Most of us. perhaps, prefer to have inferiors around vs — an objectionable trait of character, but natural. And only very slowly have we men been getting to prefer our womankind as friends and equals, .rather than as queens and pets, ruling us as a baby oV a spoiled dog does.— -Eureka Times. ' From Los Angeles comes the an nouncement that the Chamber of Com merce of that city purposes to get up an "official excursion" of Its members to Honolulu, that "the start will be made from \u25a0 San Pedro" and that "the purpose 13 to impress the people of Hawaii with the desirability of making San Pedro and Los Angeles their port of entry Into the United States." • • • \u25a0 However, all these matters will adjust themselves. The •speedy construction of the direct line •of railway from San Diego to the East, and the subsequent utilization of the harbor here as the port of all Southern California and the entire Pacific Southwest, will put a quietus upon silly schemes to push San Pedro to the front. In the meantime* by all means let the Hawalians be "im pressed." — San Diego Union. A man must be in a peculiar con dition of mind who will attempt to commit suicide and afterward assert he did not know what he was doing. What are our insane asylums for?— Nevada City Miner-Transcript. The new Mayor of Los Angeles has sent to Washington for a duplicate Big Stick/ ;. , The saloons are in. -his way. — Berkeley Gazette. Scotty's mine Is located. Now watch the rush for Death Valley. Also watch out for the stock announcement — San Bernardino Index. oratory and his racial history would make an Indian a striking figure in the Senate. — Chicago Chronicle. An Item of art news* in Governor Pennypacker's last message was that 60,000 people have already visited Har rlsburg to see Pennsylvania' 3 new Sjate Capitol building. , Its art excellence, in the Governor's opinion, was what drew them — not the graft. Thank heaven for that!— Springfield Republican. With passes and discriminations abol ished, we believe the rate can be re duced to 2 cents .without injury to any real railroad interest. This rate should grave an ample profit to the roads. It will be necessary for them to show that it will not be sufficient to pay all expenses and a fair dividend in order to convince the public that a 2-cent rate bill should not be passed.— St. Louis Post-DlspatchJ To think* of the President and Sena tor .Foraker joking with each other at the New Year reception at the White House on the subject of the colored troops! Apparently, only out siders take the differences betwixt these two distinguished gentlemen as something seriously personal.— Boston Herald. \ \u25a0 , ; A wealthy Little Rock planter be came highly -incensed the. other day because he was offered a $20 gold cer tificate; bearing the signature of the colored register of the treasury. You could never make us mad that way. — Washington Post. c ..'_.'-.- It is "nevertheless -worth noticing*that since the entente cordiale between the mother '.cbuntry. and France was con summated" the St. Petersburg corre spondents of the Londan dailies, who reside in the British capital, no longer compare anything in Russia to the French revolution. — Chicago "Inter Ocean. Answers to Queries > BEER— A. ,O. S-, City. This depart ment does not .furnish information, on the. subject" : of adulterating beer or food. Beer, pure and simple. Is said to-be- a tonic if taken In 'moderate quantity and * not : calculated to* affect the nervous system;-but if adulterated It fs sure, to be harmful. PIMPLES— X. Y. Z.. City. If you are troubled -with pimples do not \u25a0'monkey wlth. ;them." It' is an "evidence that your' blood Is out of order, and the best -tiling ybuican do Is to consult a first-class physician, .who will give you a "proper prescription"; .then the pim ples will disappear. : I LITTLE BOY BLUE— Reader, City. The poem entitled "Little Boy Blue." in which; are; the; lines: "Under^the haystack 'Little Boy Blue % ,VSleeps • with hls\head under, his arm." was written by Abby Sage Rlchard- JANUARY 16, 1907 The Smart Set No more beautiful affair lias taken place this winter than tho elaborate dlrfaer given last night by Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Hopkins for Miss Lydia Hopkins at their handsome home on California street. The guests were seated at four round tables, each deco rated simply in different colors. In the bay window of the large dining-room was a table, gay xrlUx brilliant daffodils and ferns, with pale yellow shaded candelabra, and there «at the attrac tive guest of honor; The other table* were, respectively, decorated with lilies of the valley and delicate ferns,- with faint green-shaded candelabra; pink Bridesmaid ro«es and plrfts candle shades, and vivid red roses with hand some gold filigree candle shades over red silk. /\u25a0 Those present were Mr. and Mrs. Fred McNear. Mr. and Mrs. Gus Taylor. Mr. and Mrs. Henry T. Scott. Mr. and Mrs. Donohoe. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Blanchard Chase. Mr. and Mrs. King. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Sharon. Mr. and Mrs. Evan S. Plllsbury. Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Schwerin. Mr. and Mrs. Mountford Wilson. Mr. and Mrs. J. R. K. Nuttall. Mr. and Mrs. "William Hob kins. Mrs. Eleanor Martin, Mrs. Crock 1 ett, Miss Flood. Miss Maizle Langhorne. : Miss Helene Irwin. Miss Mary Keeney. Miss Margaret Hyde-Smith. Misa Emily , Wilson. Edward M. Greenway. Franlc > Owen. Robert Eyre. George Cadwalader. Gerald Rathbone. Samuel Hopkins, Dr. Harry L. Tevls and Charles Feltcn. Miss Carrie Gwin was the hostess at a very enjoyable bridge party yester day afternoon at the Town and Country Club, on Franklin street, at -which she entertained five tables of guests. Among those present -were Mrs. George C. Boardman. Mrs. E. B. Pond. Mrs. Rosen stock, Mrs. J. R. K. Nuttall. Mrs. M. P. Jones, Mrs. H. M. A. Miller. Mrs. Emma Butler. Mrs. Henry L. Dodge, Mrs. Hen ry Clarence Breeden, Mrs. Gale, Mrs. Horace Davis. Mrs. Lucy Otis. Mrs. William P. Morgan. Mrs. Ira Pierce and Mrs. Cyrus Walker. • • • Mrs. J. Leßoy Xlckel was the hostess at a very charming luncheon yesterday at her home, on Lacuna and California streets, at which she entertained sev eral of the debutantes of this season and last, and one or two who are to be among the buds of next year. The table was artistically decorated in daf fodils and ferns. Those present were Mrs. Nickel's cousins. Miss Emma Ken yon and Miss Anna Kenyon: Miss Mary Keeney. Miss Margaret Hyde-Smith. Miss Edith Page, Miss Margaret Hayne. Miss Julia Langhorne. Miss Marguerite Barron. Miss Frances Coon and Miss Lydia Hopkins. • • • Mrs. E. Walton Hedges entertained last night at another of the delightful little dinners for which she is becom ing quite noted and whlco invariably J prove so enjoyable. After dinner Mrs.j Hedges took ber guests to a theater^ party. The table was prettily deco rated with lilies of the valley and Bridesmaid roses, the candelabra hav ing pink shades. Those present wer* Dr. and Mrs. McEnery. Pay Inspector Reynolds, U. S. N"., and Mrs. Reynolds, Miss McEnery. Mrs. Hantord. Mrs. Dar ragh, Mr. Carpenter. E. J. VogeJ, Percy Towne and Elmer Harris. * • • The third of the Gaiety Club dances for the season will take place this evening at the Paris Tea Gardens, and Miss Emily Wilson and Miss Gertrude Josselyn will be the hostesses at what promises to be one of the pleasantest events of the winter. There will be quite a number of guests. -beside* the regular members of the club, and the younger members of the most exclusive society of the city will be present. • >\u25a0-••• • Mrs. Frederic Kellond. formerly Miss Katherine Self ridge, was among ths arrivals' yesterday on the transport Lo gan from Manila and is a guest at th° home of her parents. Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Selfridge, on California street. Lieu tenant Kellond. U. S. A.. Is still In the Philippines, but will arrive with his regiment in the spring. Mrs. Kellond Is very popular here and has a host of friends who are rejoicing in her return and the fact that she Is to spend sev eral months in California. \u25a0• • • Mrs. Deane and Miss -Marie Rose Deane, who have been, making their home across the bay since the fire, came to town yesterday and will spend several months here. They are llvlny for the present on Pacific avenue, neark Laguna street. w • • • I Mrs. Lloyd Baldwin and Miss Grace Baldwin expect to leave on February 2 for New York and will sail from there shortly for Europe, where they will spend six months traveling. • -\u25a0'\u25a0'• « Mr. and Mrs. William Wallace Chapln — the latter formerly Miss Helen Wil son \u25a0 of Seattle — whose wedding was celebrated early In December, arrived in Paris recently, and after spending some time there will go to Belgium to visit Mrs. Chapln's uncle, who Is United States Minister to that country. Personal Mention M. A. Allen of New York fs at the Palace. R. G. Lunt is at the Palace from Los Angeles. Charles J. Kuhn of San Jose Is at the Majestic. P. Burns of Calgary is registered at the Palace. W. B. Press Is at the St. Francis from Eureka. William Whelan of New York Is at the Dorchester." Frank C. Robertson of Spokane Is at the St. Francis. James T. Barron and Mrs. Barren are at the St. Francis. J. W. Thorn of Philadelphia is regis tered at the Palace. ! Richard F. Armstrong of New York : City Is at the Majestic. Carl Spuhn is registered at the St. Francis from Portland. E. B. Gage of Tombstone is regis tered at the St. Francis. H. Cullinan and Mrs. Cullinan of St. Louis are at the Palace. Mraf. Lillie Slapoffskl of Australia Is registered at the Majestic. J. LJndstrom of Aberdeen. Wasiu, Is registered at the Jefferson. J. E. Rahra and Mrs. Rahm of Kan sas City are at tho Majestic. -Dr. M. L. Gray and Mrs. Gray of Seattle are at the Jefferson. E. O'Connell and Mrs. O'Connell of Coos Bay are at the Majestic Charles W. King end Mrs. King are at the Jefferson from Red Bluff. 'XT. E. Bender and F. W. Bender : - of Hamilton. Ohio, are at the Jefferson. B. Cochraife and Mrs. Cochrane arte registered at the Dorchester from To ronto. H. R. Burke, manager of the Port land branch of the Royal Insurance Company, Is at tho Jefferson. Judge Fletcher A. Cutler of Eureka, law partner of Governor Gtllett. ar rived In San Francisco yesterday and la registered at the St. Francis. . Townscnd'sx:*!. jriaee fruits ana caWT dies at Emporium. Post and Van Ness! 1250 Sutler mi. and 1203 «nd *r» vS