, 1877-12-23
Why Duncan Farland Mcdonald
Was Afraid to Dec.o
An Interesting Duel Where No wom.
an Was Concerned.
Some Of the Characteristics Of Oakland
Mr. Bacon's Gift.

Sn>eto1 Corretpond<nce o} The Tribune.

acty hayinga water front Is the facility it afford
] tue suicide Tor simple and expeditions shut
fling oil OF this mortal coil. 1t is but rarely tha
any one blows Ills brains out in San Francisco
Tic takes to water as naturally us duck.
| Sometimes he jumps OF the dock. More fire.
quently he takes the Oakland ferry and jump
off tho boat. In this manner he is surer OF dee,
water.
| Within Il few weeks two unknown women ant
| one unknown man have jumped of the fcrrY
| boat aud nothing has been heard Of them.
| Another unfortunate attempted suicide tht
other night hy jumping from tho dock. Un
| happily ho Landed in sand bank covered b,
! only two feet Of water, and had his misery
thoroughly drcnched out OF him. He had fool
! ishly removed his clothing before taking tl.e
fatal plunge, q circumstance Of which the
wharf rats took swift advantage. The would.
be suicide found himself obliged to make his
way to the station-house without any trousseau,
and now finds tai1or's bill pinned on to all the
other ills Of his life.
An entcrprising Scotchman, who chose a
watery grave rather than marriage, inuitcd a
farewell cpistlc to his sweetheart in these
touching words:
DEAR ASStE: When you receive this shall be
II
cold, but Mcdonald Of Glcngarry is not afraid to
die. DUNCAN FANLASn MCDoSALD.
It transpired that the water was really much
colder than, in Glcngarry, for Mcdonald could
not stand it, for Mcdonald was next heard of in
Santa Cruz, like Sheridan, hundred miles
away. and Annic is left to wear the willow.
Mcdonald has bccome famous, and his dying
words have become incorporated with all the
popular local songs, bnrlcsqucs, and farccs.
Suicide is a terrible tragedy, but fiasco in
that line seems always something supcrlatively
funny.
STREET DUEL.
The crack Of pistol is always so unmista}i-
able sound, even in the noise and hustle OF a
busy street, that it COLLECTS crowd i'll an incon-
ceiyably short space OF tinic.
\ couple OF gentlemen, who were amusing
themselves by making targets OF each other III
front OF the Stock Exchange yesterday, drew
quite large audience III very few moments.
It seems absurd for people to bring them
selves within range of miscellaneous shooting
match of this character when there is such q
Ycry uncomfortable uncertainty as to which
direction the balls may take.
The sca1npcring, however, was very general
when it became evident that the bclligcrcnts
intended to keep up the shooting Until some
thing was hit.
They finally succeeded in sending q bullet
through the sS00pan Of plarc-stass which is at
once the glory Of Pine street and the pride of
the Stock Exchange.
This stopped them in their wild career.
The quarrel was not about woman
Or course that means that it was about stocks,
for there is really nothing else left about which
people could reasonably have a deadly fight.
The active trouble began the day before in
the elevator of the Stock Exchange, where
Scyenoaks anu Buttcrticld, the contending
parties, Glanced to meet "
the elevator boy, not knowing exactly what
to do with such an uncomfortable cargo. ran
them up to the roof. As this did not seem to
them desirable field Of action, they suspen1ed
operations until their next meeting on the street.
Bullets were as thick rs assessments for a time,
and toms. very fofcible and explicit English was
induIged in.
As It happened, nothing was damaged but the
big elnss pane and several counter tops, where an
assortment OF heel marks were added to the moro
ornate embellishments.
\ MAGNIFICENT GIFT.
Oakland, our neighbor city over the bay, is o
young Boston in its tastes. its characteristics. its
The pubic speakers always alludc to it as the
Athens Of California, and its people are inclined
to think 1t degree in advance OF the Athens OF
America, and very material Improvement upon
the Athens OF old Greece,
its prevailing feature is the small boy in the nni
trimmed in red, gray trimmed in black, gray trim
med in blue, or gray trimmed in gray.
At all events he is gray figure hutterins athwart
the landscape, md indigenous to the soil os the
scrub oak for which the burg is named.
The school girl not uniformed, buts she is unmis.
taxahle At certain hours Of the day schoolgirl
Every very arge building is an academr, when 1t
Every very small building is 4 private school.
The ordinary sized buildings are handsome resi-
dences and they are generally for sale.
Ono Of the suburbs Of Oakland Is Beskcly, where
is located the California University.
r{Hh Ia
sdcring the newness Of the country and It's remote
position from the more celebrated institutions Of
learning.
especial patronage Of all the notable men who arc
both wealthy and cultured.
It has received some OF the most maniacent gifts
branches Of mathematics, physics, chemistry,
mining and agriculture, history and literature
Mr.. II. D. l,acon, prominent citizen OF Oak
land, and head OF one OF the largcst and oldest
printing houses in San Francisco has always taken
The ,i,ecst iaterest in the welfare Of the Cniycr-
SHY.
broad enough to embrace instruction in the fine
That his interest is very genuine is evidenced by
the fact that nc desires TO present to the University
s own nriyate collection OF paintings and scnlp-
turc and library OF several thousand volumes OF
and miscellaneous works-
Mr. Dacon's beautiful home has long been one OF
the principal objects Of interest in Oakland-there
beautiful homes are not rIte. Although they have
nadc n cty of the little village 1t is almost desc
ration tt cali 1t so, notwithstanding It's tWo OF
.brcr business streets. |
It ia essentially rural in its features. I
Il has MI thc stiily peacefalRe=s OF the country,
md. as there are no clubs. no theatres, no down,
nwn disspations OF any Sort its people. men and |
women, hive taken to tue building up Of beauty in
In this way It has conc to pass that some or the
3ncst art treasures on the PAchc coast nave founa
heir permanent abiding place in Oakland: ooo
Nr. bacon places the modest value ol si'o. oou
ar beneath ita real value. 1t has been lannon's
listing place for connossenrs In the arts who LOOK
,non II a. Dciug greatly unaercstimated.
ia the art collection ard the library he alao AIDS
| cift OF S25. 600 in cash:
Nr. Eacon's only condition is, that the Lee1s!a-
ure viii appropriate 500 600 to oe used
n erecting thc first subdivision Of building to be
dedicated to art purposes.
The building for mechanic arts is going M this
With 70 fair start for the fine arts, We shall not
IN iana in getting IN some pride in our University.
THE TWO ORPHANS.
tn NIGHT VIC are to hnve resurrection OF that
play. ''The Two Orphans, by thc
;uinn souarn Theatre Company. We nave had
ery large dose OF those two >tstlmaole Young re-
,afrs Int their attrnctivenes5 seems perennial IL
iii draw this time. for Miss Maud HARRISON. with
cr little plau interesting face, her SMALL plant
~ voice with its Nelson 1ntonaticbs, HIS occome
ycrv great favositc. ,::u
$ Lyutse, The blind sirl. ru,..o
she WIS familiar figure IN the san Francisco
, tha aide Of her weird mother. wnose unhappy
istory was identified SO strongly Win th1s p'aee.
frhey were very poor, and the strong summer
nds haunting their scant gowns seemed 10 EN-