Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-02-27
THE DOWNS WILSON BULLETIN LIBEL
CASE.
The first libel case of Downs Wilson of

CASE.
The first libel case of Downs Wilson OF
the late Santiago mine, against the Even
ing Bulletin still drags its slow length
through the 18th District Court, and an
end will probably be reached on Friday or
Saturday next. The testimony IS being
published in full in the Alta and Bulletin,
and I shall therefore content myself with
saying that the public sentiment here Is
strongly against Wilson, and the members
of the editorial fraternity are satlshed that
on the issue of this suit, will depend in a
great degree the condition of the press on
the Pacific coast for years to come. II
Wilson wins and gets verdict against the
Bulletin, it is not merely n triumph over
the paper, but blow at independent
journalism everywhere on the coast.
Place it out of the power of the press to
expose swindle and condemn wrong,
and you offer premium on rascality at
once, and place the entire community at
the mercy of swindlers and sharpers, who
may then operate unchecked. The general
opinion here is that Wilson will be badly
beaten, but whether this opinion is well
founded or otherwise will probably be
made known to you by telegraph about
the time that this letter is going to press.
THE CUSTOM HOUSE FRAUDS.
The trial of the case of /" the United
States VS.. Nine hundred baskets of cham
pagne," which has been on trial for some
days in the United States District Court,
Is bringing to light some startling disclo-
sures in regard to the management of af-
fairs in the San Francisco Custom House.
1t is now evident that the United States
Treasury has been systematically defraud-
ed out of fully one-half Its dues on i'm
ports at this port for years, through delib-
crate perjury, the manufacture of false in
voices, and the like operations on the part
of importers, and the ignorance. careless
ness, or worse, of the Custom House Off
Gals themselves. Of this there can be no
doubt, whatever may be the issue of this
case. The mission of Mr.. Farwell to
France is now fully understood to have
been undertaken with view to obtaining
full information on the subject of the diff
ference between actual and Custom House
valuations of French goods of all descrip-
tons imported here, and it is more than
conjectured that the sudden departure of
large importer for France, on the very
eve of the trial of this case, was influenced
by something connected with this matter.
ART.
Just now we are having dearth in the
musical and Grammatical lines, and /" Art -
is all the go. The town is full of "art
critics." "connoisseurs. judges of thu
"old masters" and all that sort of thing.
The critics, or those who fancy themselves
such, squirt by the gallon at each other
through the columns of the daily press,
and manage to bring out more real, gen.
uine. unaffected, unadulterated ignorance
on the subject, in all Its bearings, than I
would have been willing to believe existed
on the whole earth, taking the whole hui
man race into the account, and making no
deduction for lunatics, children under age,
lovers and idiots. The great bone of COIL
tennon is the merits of the respective pic
lures collected in the little hall over Jones
& Southerlands store On Montgomery
street, and digni6ed with the title of Gal
ifornia Art Union" Now, the facts of
this matter can be soon stated. The COL
lection embraces several hundred pictures,
taken from the private residences of vari-
Gus private citizens about town. 4 few
of these pictures are originals, by some
good European and American artists
| and will repay examination if one has n
few minutes leisure time. More are cheap
copies of pictures, of which nearly every
body has seen the originalsa at some time,
| and there are quite number which
would make passable fre-screens for back
parlor CRATES, where the proprietors are of
! the sort who want to "keep up appear
ances" and make the greatest possible
show on the smallest possible amount OF
money. The collection is worth seeing,
undoubtedly, but that there is anything
there to 60 into raptures over as some peo-
Pile, who don't know the first cost of put
ty, pretend to do, is not true, unless, in
deed, the aforesaid people are very hard
up, indeed, for subjects for raptures-
which your humble servant is not.
Woodward, of the What Cheer House,
having cleared fortune off his customers
at five and ten cents per plate" vege-
tables thrown in, has gone into the fine
arts heavily, and has imported several
tons of pictures, statuary and things, with
which he has decorated his villa +" in an
astonishing manner, and now throws open
his grounds every month or two to the
public at fifty cents per head for the bene-
fit of the Sanitary Commission. As these
exhibitions have never realized any very
large sum, they look blamedly to me as if
they were simply advertisements of the
shop, especially as do not see his name
down on the lists of contributors to the
Sanitary Fund, for any large amount,
such as he is amply able to give without
resorting to Fine Art Exhibitions" to
raise the wind.
The opening of the San Francisco
Anatomical Museum" during the last
week, has been quite an event, and I
assure you that the hall is better worthy
a visit than either the What Cheer House,
the Fine Art Union" or "Woodward's
Villa" There is nothing to compare with
it in New York, Boston or Philadelphia,
but of course 1 cannot enter into the ex-
PLANTATION of details.
wAsH1NeToN's BIRTHDAY
Business is suspended all over town to-
day, and everybody is celebrating Wash
ington's Birthday. The weather is not
favorable, as the air is cold and row, and
the wind and dust intolerable, but the
town is literally sea of bunting and the
military parade a success. And such
news! "Charleston has fallen !" How
this sends the blood tingling through the
veins of loyal man. Had this news
came year ago we should have gone hall
crazy with excitement. Now we simply
exult over the accomplishment OF what we
have for months looked upon as certain