Weekly Trinity journal., 1871-02-11
SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.

DAN FRANCISCO, February 3, 1871.
{" The Politicians Corner" as the junction of
Washington and Montgomery street has been
not inaptly termed, has commenced to be the
scene of those mysterious confabs which usually
prelude the opening Of political campaign. |
Little groups of well-dressed men (city politi- |
clans always affect an acre of broadcoath,
vast expanse of white shirt aad a stove pipe hat
with redundancy of watch chain and immacu-
lately polished boots) stand on the sidewalk dis
cussing political probabilities, comparing notes
on the strength and availability of prospective
candidates and endeayoring TO shape matters so
that however they may be rough-hewed by the
popular will the event will in the end conduce
to the pecuniary profit or ambition of the de-
signers.
Yesterday the corner was especially lively as
II was known that Convention of
coYGREssMAN's JoHNsoNs FRIENDS
was in session counseling with one another as to
the best means to be adopted to secure his cleo
tion to the Governorshp Many were the spies
and scouts sent backwards and forwards be-
tween the Bank Exchange and the Grand Hotel
and thick and fast few the rumors about states
formed and broken and names of subordinate
candidates taken up and rejected. Towards
evening it was announced by those who claim to
be well posted that the 'tgame was made" the
plan Of proceedings being that the northern por-
tion of the State where Johnson is strongest
should be put up directly for him, while San
Francisco and as many other places as could be
secured should go in for McCoppin. compro-
.mise, it was said, would then be effected in Con-
vention, johnson being selected for the first and
McCoppin for the second place the ticket,
thus leaving Iaght altogether out in the cold.
Haght and Roachs adherents do not seem to
relish the outlook as much as they did a couple
of weeks ago. The Alta is pouring a terribly
destructive fire into the pretensions of the for
mer, and the latter now relies for a nomination
entirely on the Workingmann influence. Some
$4,000 copies of his report Chinese labor
made to the Legislature when he was Senator
from Monterey in 1919, are being printed as
campaign document, and in this connection we
may shortly expect re-opening of the AntiCoo-
lie agitation. Amongst other things decided on
yesterday at the Johnsonian gathering was the
time and place for holding the Convention
June was selected for the one and this city for
the other, and until then "the politicians cor
ner" will be the centre Of continual conspiracies
the hatching ground of innumerable combina
tons and the scene of more assumed friendships
solemn promises and unfedged aspirations than
any other corner between San Francisco and
Chicago.
Mr.. BRET HARTE,
the late editor of the Overland Monthiy, went
East on Thursday, under engagement to write
exclusively for Osgood Co. of the Atlantic. 1t !
is announced that Mr.. W. G. Bartlett of the Bull
etin will succeed him as conductor of our popu-
lar magazine. 1t has been the fortune of few
men to achieve such sudden literary fame as Mr.
Harte. Two years ago his nams was hardly
known outside the boundaries of this State
True, his CONDENSED novels" had been well re-
ceived bot4 by Eastern and European critics,
but critics a not the public and to the great
public he VII virtually unknown. Then came
his "Luck Roaring Camp'-a simple maga-
zine tale of few pages and strange to say, CAL
ifornians who had hitherto shown the liveliest
appreciation of his abilities, passed this gem by
almost unnotced. But it did not escape the
keen eyes o! Eastern readers and in a few weeks
every weekly newspaper and literary journal
from Main to Texas had copied the sketch into
its columns, and even the London Repiev men
toned it as the most charming magazine article
of the season. From this time forward every
thing that Bret wrote was eagerly read, until his
name has now bsflfne household word. His
" Heather Chit'" has been for the last few
weeks perhaps MIST frequently quoted poem in
the English language, though as poem it is far
inferior to many of his other productions. It's
quaintness of language and incident together
with the fact that il struck popular chord by
mildly satirizing the exaggerated fears of those
who see in the introduction of Chinese the ruin
of the country, accounts for its adoption as a
public favorite. Many people look upon Mr..
Harte as the most promising writer in the whole
field of American literature but whether such
expectations are realized not, every Californian
must feel prouder of his State for having devel-
oped the most widely read author on the Cont
nent.
ELDER MILES GRANT,
the Second Adventist preacher, continues to at
tract very large audiences. Platts Hall has
been filed three nights this week with people
desirous Of hearing him, and be has awakened
widespread interest in theological questions.