Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-08-29
wAsH1seros NEWS AND GOSSIP.

nav .om. attention TO the state OF the
streets and alleys of Washington, which are IA
far worse condition than ever before az 'ui'
season of the year. We are just enter
what used to be known as the ." --s Oh
here. The number of sewer -.'Aiy seaSoi
-. .,ro.t. IS and drains open
-. Is .h;nrs. -nt:rely changed the ole
o,u in Washington, making tn,
',' ne - healthy in the fall as at an,
o'ne' period of the year. But no such pre-
- Ations can avail, with heaps of nauseou.
Nth left steaming and sweltcring under tn,
glare of the sun for one hour, and the moistur,
OF showery atmosphere the next Ague and
fever is already becoming prevalent all owe,
the CITY, for the first time in some fifteen years
at least Itresults wholly from the failure Of
the authorities properly to discharge their re.
spectlve duties, and in that way only Go
where one will, even in the most freouented
thoroushfares of Washington, offensive smells
greet ones olfactories, and nauseating sights
meet cne's eyes Such nuisances, we regret to
have to write, have become the general rule of
late N our streets-not the exception, as for
merly. If, in the Providence of God, the seed
of the scourge which isnow devastating Norfolk
and Portsmouth should be brought to Washing
ton by some one of the fugitives from that quar-
ter daily arriving among US, our corporate au-
thorities would have more to answer for than
pen can express. They would be, virtually,
the murderers Of it may be, thousands of
their fellow-citizens, whose death would be
chargeable wholly to their shameful negli-
gence of the existing filthy condition of the
city they were placed in Office to keep clean.
The Value Of Probity.-All the world know
how little common honesty has been valued
almost up to this time, in California, as dedu-
chile from the position in business and society
VIGOROUSLY occupied there by men whose his
tory here or there proves that they are utterly
lost to those sentiments of integrity, in their
dealings with their fellow-men, without which
on this side of the Rocky Mountains, man
cannot hold his head above water. We know
that the temporary elevation of scamps to ap-
parent position" in new communities is q
very common thing, resulting from want Of
full knowledge of them on the part of the
public and their own cunning and impudence
But in California it has appeared that the
Standardization of such men has been the gen.
eral rule-not the exception, as elsewhere.
The last mail from the Pacific brings infor.
| nation affording just ground for hope that
rogues have had their day there; that the
people Of the new State have at length be
come thoroughly Disguised with the frauds
robberies and murders committed by scoun-
drels and bullies among them, and that a new
leaf in that connection is being turned over
A gentleman, formerly we'll known in this com
munity, is the chief actor in the occurrence.
to which we refer his conduct being the theme
Of unmeasured praise from all the newspaper:
of the State of all parties, we rejoice to per.
ceive. We allude to James King, of William
Esq. Mr.. K, (the son Of the late venerable
William King, for fifty years an undertaken il
Georgetown) commenced life in the mail pack
ing room of the old Washington Globe Office
and was transferred from that establishment,
into the banking house of the late firm OF
Corcoran & Riggs, where, through his indus.
try, integrity and il telligence, he was gradu
ally promoted until ne came to occupy lead
ing position in their celebrated bank.
When the golden dream of California broke
on the public, Mr.. Hing enigrated to the Pa
oii, side, to act as tie agent of his employer:
and northern bankers, who were transacting
more or less business on the western coast Hi
house in San Francisco (of James King of Will
liam) succeeded admirably, and by combining
itself entirely to legitimate banking business
it earned high repute, and soon amassed for
its proprietor what is deemed a handsome
competency in the old States. Suddenly, how
ever, it was sold out by Mr.. King, to the nam.
moth banking and express concern of Adams 4
Co., into whose service Mr.. King went at a
| salary of 81 900 per month. The California
public were taken by surprise at this retirement
of Mr.. King from business on his own account
though no one was the wiser concerning his
| reasons for the change until very recently. II
seems that an agent of the house Mr. X. 's) in
the interior had misapplied some $50 900 of the
funds Of Mr.. King, which he could not make
good in cash, the only staple in which the true
banker can deal. He foresaw that if a rur
was made upon his bank, while that larg,
amount Of itscapital was unavailable, he Nigh
be unable to pay, on demand, its depostors
and those on this side who had entrusted
| funds with him. So, as a man Of honesty
doing the business of o banker should hay,
done, he refused pressing offers of advance
Qoans) TO cover the whole deficiency of $50 600
made by Burgoyne Co. and Adams 4 Co
whom he consulted; preferring to sacrifice
rather, every dollar of the accumulation of hi
| years of untiring labor by entering into an ar
| rangement with Adams 4 Co., under which
they took all his assets, Chen worth nominally
much more than his liabilities,) and agreed t,
meet all claims against him.
The result was, that every man to whom h,
owed dollar was promptly paid, on demand
before the general crisis came, while the cred
itors of almost every other banker in Sa,