, 1877-12-16
Premonitory Symptoms of the Ap'
proach Of Christmas.
Rumor that the Palace Hotel Will Be
Sold to the Government
Uncle Sam Has His Eye on It for
Post-Ot1ice Purposes.
The Low Will Case---Sorne Ugly
Developments.
In lroirdupeis T'aable...Eaut Of the GloFio1s
Climate On Ladies.

Theatrical Gossip-The Thorne Brothers.
Close Of the California Theatre.
Sprcfal Correspondence Of The Tribune.
sAE FnAxc1sco Dec 9.-Christma 9. seems tt
begin with Dec l, for the Lhristm as ehoppin!
begins On that date The shutters are thc1
put up 1t 9 in the evening instead OF in ths
afternoon. About this time wives invite the
husbands Tor an evening promenade, and, aftel
much perambulatiou, wino up before gas-li
window, where the baublc which has caught hcl
eye has been placed By the obliging salesman
according to pre-arrangcment.
The prernonitorg toots Of the tin horn hcgtr
Dec. j, and the balloon-man. the jumping-mau
and others Of kindred occupation, begin to Gu
gage in active business on the street corners.
Christmas shopping, however, to be kecnlE
enjoyed, must be done in atrocious1y bad wealth
CT. Watcrproofs, rubbers, and umbrellas should
be component parts Of it. Baffeting with the
elements gives sparkle to the eye and q rose
to The check OF the women. It WARNS the
blood and opens the heart.
Our weather just now is omnously fair.
It Is crisp, clear; and cold. and the wind fights
shy Of the warm South.
BIG FOST-OFFlCE.
The inmates OF the Palace Hotel hare been
much unsettled Of late by tho rurnor that Sena-
tor Sharon was about to dispose Of that vast
structure by selling it to the Government for
Post-Officc, military headquarters, Circuit Court
rooms. etc
The Coo guests who are now sheltered beneath
lis roof immediately began to consider the avail
sbil:ty OF other accommodations.
The other hotels quite as promptly raised their
oriccs.
In fact, the shifting schedule OF prices is quite
feature Of California hotel-lIc. When the
Palace Hotel was about to be opened, every
other hotel reduced its rates. When the Palace
Hotel did open, its prices we're SO high that it
did not depletc tie other houses to any extent,
SO they Immediately raised again. When the
Palace found 1t could not fill up. and the Bald
win was upon the threshold of completion. the
Palace also fell into fashion and reduced its
figures.
As it is now, people pay all sorts of prices in
all the hotels. It depends altogether upon
which notch Of the schedule marked their intro
duction.
People who have lived In --.--:
THE PALACE HoTEL
wifi find it difficult to be satisfied elsewhere,
the rooms arc SO spacious, light, and airy the
furniture, though as ugly as the mind Of the |
designer could conceive is SO substantial and SO
abundant: the closets arc so numerous and SO |
deep; the baths are 20 roo1ny and ample; the |
windows are SO vide, aud light, and open; the |
court is such wonderful place, where at some |
time through the day everybody who is any
body is apt to be seen together with many bod |!
les who are uobo3ies.
As matter Of course, the Palace is the resort
OF all Travellers the magnifcence OF its size hay
Ing made it famous to the confines OF ciyiliza-
tfon,
One meets q motley throng in its court, its
corridors, or its elevators.
The unmistakable English tourist is here in
large numbers, in all lengths Of jacket, and all
degrees Of whisker-
Occasionally there is
AN AUSTRALIAN INVASION,
when the women are known by their caps and !
shoes, and the men are known BY the women
Sometimes an East Indian or Hindoo strolls
into tho dlning-room and excites q passing
comment
Japanese students arc numerous There are
artists and writers, singers and nctors md
lecturers. There arc famous generals, and oc-
casional'y stray Ambassador from some Of the
Pacific Islands.
There are politicians in all stages, from the
man who wants an Office to the man who has
lad big Office and has been investigated and |
has retired.
It. is rather q singular thing that, though
these celebrities are in quantities, and there
fore should not be remarkable, there is vet
something about each and every one which
prompts people to inquire, Who is shea or, Who
is he2
Ii the Palace Hotel should be sold, no other
house would become such focus. The pat |
ronage would be scattered as before.
THE BALDWIN
would probably become the fayorite hotel.
What it lacks OF tile space and general iu-
1ncpsity OF everything in and about the Palaee
ii makes up in its nagn;ficcncc Of furniture aid
adornmcnt~ Also its table is rarely fine. When
ANYTHING is not good at the Palace they blame
Chicago for It, as they claim to import the bet
ter parI of the bill OF fare from your city.
III that case you must have wooden hens in
Chicago FOR the principal flavor OF Chicago
egg is sawdust~
remain in considerable doub. for 4 time, as Mr..
Sharou also submits to the consideration OF the
Government the Grand and Cosmopolitan 10
tells and the California Theatre, Of each OF
which he owns .two-thirds-
He also invites their attention to q lot near |
the big hotel, SO that the Palace is not threat
cned with instant disruption.
4 WILL CASE.
A broken will only divides interest with
murder trial in which the defendant is woman.
The Low will case, which has quite absorbed
attention during the past fortnight does mt
fuvo}yc fabulous amount OF property, But tits |
interesting for two different reasons. TIE con-
testant, Mr. Charles T. Low, is OF high social
standing, and his wife is by many considered |
the most beautiful woman in California
Two such advcntitious circumstances give in
tcrcst to almost any case:
III tA45 4H6t4HcE h1l. I0afie5 LON is seeking |
to break the will of his father After HAVING
been Tor many years an exceedingly induicenf
parent aud most lavash in his gifts to his only
son, the old gentleman died, leaving q viii
which gave llis entire fortune to bis wife. n
lady With whom be contracted what his sob is
STRIVING 70 prove to be an altogether uuucces-
sary marriage.
Ihe evidence giyes some usly Developments,
"nlcn people seem to consider it would be ,,ore
becoming in the son to cover up
!lso u has revealed the skeleton of the |
]nnos ]nna lev household, and caused quite com
Mr; Low is seeking to prove that bis obi-c. |
nonable stepmother Was already wife when I
4 Us iather fell into her tolls and married her.
IN tne ooNager Mrs Low is not only endeayor1ne /
xsEEpoA PROM MATRIMONIAL Born.or c
a. aoas 1ae PIT also intrcnchesIhcrself behind
.sha sdn lam IN tnat " Low sr, was broken man II
Hnen sue met him, and that the cntirc fortuna y
life. A 3'e1 married !!
:, lhe ultimate disposition of the money is ~. l.
the most interesting feature of the c,so = not a