The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-03-04
Letter from :. syphax."

SAN FRANCISCO, January 80, 1855.
Mr.. EDITOR The Taquero sailed from this On
the 18th inst, consequently the mails from Europe
and the Atlantic States, which arrived on the 10Th
60 by this conveyance. Affairs in England are LOOK.
ing better, and the Bank of France having reduced
its rate of discount to 6 per cent, confidence in johnny
Crapeau is restored.
The broken fraternity Of merchants at home are
trying hard to g recuperate,' - but the effort much re-
sembles a victim of the boohQo fever attempting to
scale Punch Bowl at IL O'Clock meridian. In Wash
ington politics seem to be getting lively. Kansas is
likely ssto bleed'' afresh. Walker with his high
toned IS southern chivalry'' adherents is trying to
place Commodore Paulding and Commander Cbatard
in the v~ocative, while the Mormon war is slowly but
surely progressing. Altogether old Buck has got q
good seasons work before him, and if he can cause
peace and harmony to well in Kansas, %impriscn
Walker, open the Nicaragua transit, start the Pacific
Railroad purchase Cuba and Sonora and reduce those
Mormons to one wife each, he will get the votes of the
American peeps for another term-at all eyentshe
will deserve theN>
The /" m "a las it is called) for suicide seems to
be rife in this city dozen cases have occurred
within the past ten days. Most prominent are the
cases Of A. F. Branda and John Harrison. Branda,
for three or four years past, has been cashier in the
house Of Macondray & Co.. with a large salary. 1t
has now transpired that he has been investing all bis
funds and some which belonged to Macondray q Co
in a faro bank, and occasionally i~ndulging in a game
Of draw deficit Of $1,000 being discovered in
his account. One Of the partners of tine house up
braided him for this direliction of duty, which %
preyed upon his mind that he at once determined on
suicide. and with what elaboration and sang froia
your readers are aware. John Harrison was a MAJ
beloved by all who knew him. He was deputy sheri1
under the notorious Scannell, but it is conceded 'hs'
as far as his duties were concerned, they were per-
formed by him with honesty of purpose, to say the
least.
1t is current that certain funds were entrusted "
him in his last official capacity which, unfortunaieE'
he deposited with q weu-known banking house, la'ey
defunct. Trembling for the denouement (aher a.
certaining that the funds we're in jeopardy, although
not morally responsible. he was overcome by chagrn,
and after walking about the city and taking sesen'
drinks with his friends, he walked down to norm
Beach. sat down ON q stone, pulled out arevOlver 'D'
shot himself.
Our money market continues in the same pos'",.
that it assumed after the suspension OF saIne /.
Church. The solution is easy. Agents for "es
capitalists and others who had always kept large y.
ances in the hands Of the bankers. Immediate! -
learning the failure Of the house referred to, witnaT'
their amounts from the other houses, who o"~
quently had nothing to loan, and now amuse %%
selves by eating peanuts ,munching apples ana ai~a
ing whisky. The merchant who requires any mp.i
beyond that which his safe contains is therefore %
to hunt up some g outsider who has 1t or !.
friend who will loan at 8 per cent. ~permonth' pSss.
in advance. This present arrangement IN m0"'
Affairs. COMING unon us 50 suddenly, is rather