davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24
HYDRAULICS ON THE RAILROAD.

The methods of hydraulic mining have
been employed with great success in clear
ing away the heavy slides of earth which
occurred recently ON the Central Pacific
Railway above Alta. The mass of earth
was so great, and the difficulty of handling
it in the ordinary way so formidable, that
unless water had been resorted to several
weeks might have elapsed before the track
was cleared But the hydraulic miners
were called upon for help, and they found
the situation one which presented no per-
plexities to them. They brought up their
pipes and monitors, constructed aume
from a ditch which was fortunately near
at hand, and in fourteen hours piped away
body of debris which had been the de-
spair of picks and shovels. The tremen-
dous power of hydraulic mining methods
has been here exhibited in a very
practical way, and for the benefit
of the community. Those who wit
messed the swift dispatch of this ava
hnche of earth have attained lively per-
eeption of the effects produced upon the
bluffs which contain the gravel deposits.
1t is indeed somewhat singular that the
hydraulic monitor has never, so far as we
are aware, been used in making cuts on
railways where the soil is sufficiently soft
to be piped 1t might be thought that in
such cases there would be great economy
in the application of water power, for a
strong head of water directed by an expe-
rienced hand viii cut out and carry away
more dirt in one day than fifty men could
shovel and pick in week. The slide at
Alta would have undoubtedly delayed the
resumption of railroad travel very much
longer but for the happy thought of enlist
ing the monitors and little giants il the
work of clearing the track.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24
THE BEST PAPER.

For the home market, shop desk, farm, and for the
general newspaper reader, the sAoRASsNro WEEKLY
UNION is unquestionably the best paper published
on the Pacific coast There are several reasons for
this:
First-It is issued in sem-weekly parts, and hence
goes to its readers oftener than any other weekly
paper.
second-It brings news fresher of date to its
readers.
Third-Eac part consists of eight pages, making
for each week sixteen pages of matter.
Fourth-EverY department of it is conducted by
members of skilled corps.
Fifth-Its management is constantly directing the
departments of the paper toward the presentation
of the choicest miscellany, the latest news, the
progress and development of the State, the material
Industries of California, the elevation OF the home,
the dissemination of pure literature, the collection OF
the most reliable statistics and toward such editing
of the paper as will best inform, entertain and ele-
yate the people.
sixth-It makes a specially of current political re-
views international questions national policy, art,
popular science, agriculture, modern literature,
home and foreign correspondence, market and stock
quotations, commercial reviews home adornment,
household economy, irrigation and mining prob
lens.
There are other equally weighty reasons which,
like those already recited make the UNION the su-
perior paper of the coast it being in all its depart
ments, the best conducted, freshest, most newsy,
scholarly and reliable.
The WEEKLY UNION is forwarded, post paid, for one
year for the sum of 81 Within the past year the
circulation of the UNION has increased with unpar-
aeled rapdity and the rapidity of its increase is
in no wise diminished now, but continues evil
dence OF the just judgment OF the reading public of
the eoast
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24
THE HIGH RATES OF INSURANCE IN
CALIFORNIA.

During the struggle over the insurance
bills at the recent session of the Legislature
it was advanced in justification for the
proscriptive measures urged by some local
insurance companies, that swarm of
petty Eastern and foreign companies had
gone into business in this State, and that
the business they did might not be safe.
1t did not then occur to any one to inquire
why such swarm of foreign insurance
companies should be attracted to this
State, but that question must be put, and
it can only be answered in one way. The
fact is that the rates of insurance in Cali
fornia are so high that they constitute a
strong temptation to insurance companies
all over the world They are double,
treble, in some instances quadruple, what
they are on the other side of the noun
tains. This public is charged one and one
and half and two per cent, where in
Eastern States the rates would be 80 cents,
or 80 cents, or rs cents, or one dollar
And there is no excuse or justification
whatever for these inordinately high
rates. The risks in California are in no
respect more hazardous than elsewhere,
but in some localities and some respects
they are less hazardous. Rates have been
kept up by combination among the COM
panies doing business here, which is un-
questionably against public policy. All
these companies have agreed to support
one another in their extravagant charges,
and whenever an attempt has been made
by any company to underbid Board
rates" the whole pack have fallen
savagely upon the innovator, and have done
their best to ruin or drive it away. 1t is
time the Bosom of reform should be applied
to the insurance situation in California,
for the public have been feeced too long
by the underwriters. Existing rates in
this State are not warranted by any pecu-
harity in the situation. We make that as
zertion positively. There is no reason why
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24
A NEW ILLUMINAToR.

A novel invention is described in a recent
issue of the London RaiLscay Nea0s. 1t is
luminous paint, to be used in the interior
of railway carriages, and it is claimed that
it will emit enough light to make every
thing distinctly visible. and that this light
will continue for several hours. The
review, giving an account of a partial test
of the paint, says: cat first the light
"emitted is only slight, not that the paint
sis any different in its illuminating power,
but the pupils OF the eyes of the trav-
"elers have not yet been accustomed to
the light, for, as the journey proceeds
the carriage appears to be completely
"lighted up, so much so that the passen-
gers are enabled easily to recognize the
features of their fellow travellers, while
the time by watch is clearly discern
''ible. This light lasts, not for short
time, but continues for period of few
"hours, when the carriage can be again
"exposed to the daylight, and the same
process is gone through" The paint is
said to absorb light during the day, and to
emit it at night. The experiments made
with it were witnessed by number of
scientific men, who expressed consid-
cradle satisfaction with the result.
1t is believed that this luminous
paint can be so applied to railroad cars as
to render any other illumination unneces-
sary, and thus to avoid one of the dangers
of railroad travel, namely that of a confia-
grafton in the event OF an accident. On
American railways, however, this danger
arises generally from the stoves, not from
the lamps, and it seems questionable
whether the kind of faint light emitted by
this paint. even supposing it capable of
lasting through journey of several hours,
would be an effective substitute for lamps.
The proposition to apply the new inven-
ton to buoys seems open to the same OBJ
lection. It is extremely questionable
whether merely phosphorescent light, as
this appears to be, could be distinguished
at any distance by vessels. In bad weather
at sea all guiding lights require to be very
bright and distinct, and so pale and dim a
light as this would be very apt to escape
the attention of the lookout except when
no Importance attached to its discovery.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24
THE TRUE STORY OF "HANGrowN. p

EDS. RECORD UNION: The account of the
manner in which the city of Placerville re-
ceived the name of g Hangtown," copied from
an exchange, which appeared in your issue of
Wednesday last, is not correct Allow me to
give the true version In the summer Of 1913
three ranchers residing in what is now Sacra-
mento county-William Daylor Jared Shell
don and Perry McCoon-with a number of
Indians in their employ, were mining in
Weber creek at a point about 100 yards
below the crossing of the road leading from
Diamond Springs to Placervile. One morn
ing the vaquero who had charge Of the caval-
lada tame horses) informed his employers
that he had discovered some new a. dry dig
gings," exhibiting at the same tire some
specimens of gold which be had picked up.
One OF the white men went to the place indi-
Gated by the Indian, but found that the dig
gings were not sufficiently better than those
on the creek to justify them in moving their
camp. When prOspectors came along
they were referred to the new location,
which, up to January, 1S49, went by
the name of the sold Dry Diggings." One
night during that month, three men
were in d saloon, tent or hut, engaged in
game of poker. In due time one of the party
got broke" The proprietor of the place
WAS last asleep. Lie Unt WHO Hdu lpeI IAS
money suggested to his companions that the
saloon. keeper mad goii dust on hand, and
proposed that he should be robbed The pro-
prietor was awoke, pistol presented at his
head, and told to disclose the whereabouts of
the hidden treasure. This he did; the rob
bers divided the spoil, threatened the saloon
keeper with certain death if ne disclosed any
thing about the matter, and resumed their
game.
The next day the saloon keeper mustered
courage to tell some of his friends about the
robbery; the affair became noised about; the
three men were arrested, tried by the miners,
sentenced to be logged, and the Judgment
executed with the promptness which charac-
terized that kind of criminal procedure. The
criminals were then ordered to leave. In
few days two OF the men, under the influence
of whisky, went about the camp intimating
that the men who were engaged in the trial
were ''spotted, that they would not live 10
hog another man, etc.
A meeting was called. the two men were
arrested and hung ON the leaning oak tree in
the hayward below Elstner's I'll Dorado Sa-
loon, the same tree on which, afterwards,
other malefactors expiated their crimes
For many years the camp went by the
name of Hangtown to distinguish il from
other dry diggings. baylor, Sheldon and
McCoon remained on the creek until the fall
of 1913, when they returned to their homes
in Sacramento county. Captain Charles NJ
Weber, of Weber's Embarcadero, now Of
Stockton, established camp and trading
post ON the same locality and gave the creek
the name which it has borne to the present
day. G.
Daylor's Ranch, April %, 1880.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24
FoREsHADoWINGS.

The Nation recently published some i'm
aginary reports of rulings of United States
Courts, for the purpose of showing the
scope and significance of the late Supreme
Court decisions One of these suppositi-
tious cases is as follows: The Supreme
Court of Illinois is represented as ruling
that it is in the power of local school
boards to make obligatory the reading of
the Bible in the public schools. This case
being removed into the United States Cir
cult Court in Chicago, the decision of the
Supreme Court is reversed on the ground
that it is an invasion of the Fourteenth
Amendment, in that it deprives Roman
Catholics of an equal enjoyment of
their civil rights in the matter of educa-
ton. The Supreme Court of the United
States, however, presently comes upon
the scene and reverses a decision of
State Supreme Court made in harmony
with the above ruling of the Illinois
Circuit Court, ON the ground that Protest
ant Christians have their rights under the
Fourteenth Amendment SIT had been
"objeete1, on the argument, that this
"position was inconsistent with a ruling
Sin Chicago, by the United States Circuit
"Court there sitting, to the effect that
reading the Bible in the schools could not
&c be constitutionally enforced, as the
EFFECT was to impair the civil
"rights of the Roman Catholics" But
this objection was triumphantly refuted
by Judge Strong. cit proves, he
said, that under the Fourteenth
Amendment the right of no class can be
invaded, and that the Fourteenth Amend
"ment, as it was lately rendered by a dis.
tinguished Federal Judge in Virginia
"(Riyes, j., in fact as well as in theory
"proclaims liberty throughout the land.
cit might, indeed, be argued that this
g breaks up the schools, since they cannot
cat the same time read, and not read, the
edible. The objection, however, is ire
"levant; and if the schools interfere with
"civil rights, so much the worse for the
"schools." The point of this satire is
very keen, and it shows how easily the late
doctrines of the Supreme Court may be
used to support any and every invasion of
State sovereignty, and how the most con-
Trajectory and mutually destructive propo-
sitions may be based upon it.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24
NEWS OF THE MORNING.

MINING STOCKS were in limited demand in San
Francisco yesterday morning, but prices as rule
were a trile firmer than ON Thursday. Union Con
solidated rose 81 %, and several other Comstoek
shares were from 1Oc to Use higher.
THE Shasta county Republicans wi be repre-
scented in the State Con, ention by John V. Scott
aud C. c. Bush.
ADucRs from Lower California indicate that a
collision Of the opposing forces is at hand.
A. E. BsIEsEN, German, killed himself in San
Jose yesterday.
D. G. SARGENT was murdered at Iyanpah, San
Bernardino county, Monday, by A. j Laswell and
Jack Riley.
The outbreak among the Chimehueva Indians is
growing exceedingly serious, according to news by
way of Cotton, San Bernardino county.
CHARLES DE You've shot and killed in the
Chronicle Office at San Francisco last evening by l.
NJ Kalloch, son of the Mayor Full particulars are
given in another column.
Much news and other matter of interesting
character will be found in the inside pages of to-
days RECORD UNION.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24
THE FALL IN IRON.

An important reduction has recently
been made in the price of iron. This re-
duction has been necessitated by the con-
dition of the trade. Last year the bust
that the attempt of the iron men to get
rich suddenly had the effect of paralyzing
the market. They put prices up so ex-
travagantly that the demand fell off, and
the importation of foreign iron, despite the
tariff increased largely. An exchange OF
recent date says in this connection One
''of the heaviest iron manufacturers OF
"the East, who is also largely interested
Gin Western railways predicts that within
six months the prices of iron and steel
"will be down to where they were year
"ago. Whether this is true or not, we
"believe that the present low state of the
'tmarket is not mere temporary matter,
"but that it will be found that, while the
"supply has vastly increased as result
of the high prices, the demand has been
greatly lessened by the same cause.
The fact is that the iron men have over
discounted the business revival, and as a
consequence have brought a renewed de-
preston upon their trade. As late reports
from England indicate the probability OF
reduction in the prices of iron there in con-
sequence of stagnant market, it is evident
that foreign inlportations must increase
this year unless American manufacturers
are wise enough to put down the rates so
far as to make importation improbable.
Their attempt last year to force iron up to
famine prices has had the effect, first, OF
preventing the commencement of many i'm
portant enterprises, and second, of driving
those who were compelled to have the
metal, abroad. So much harm has already
been done in these ways that the condition
of the market is critical, and it is now
doubted by good authorities whether
present reduction will so far restore It's
tone as to remove the necessity for clos
ing many of the works. There is scarcely
anything which so retards enterprise as dear
iron, and therefore a wise government
would be careful to remove every obstacle
from the sale of that metal. Our iron
manufacturers, however, have so COM
plete control over Congress that they
are enabled to fetter all the industries of
the country at will. What they cannot
do is to make the people buy iron when
they have put the price up to the top
notch Had they not been so greedy, or
had they not been bolstered up as they are
by the tariff, they would not have got
themselves into their present difficulties,
but would have helped instead of hinder
ing the business revival, and by contenting
themselves with moderate profits would
have secured steady and growing trade.
Should the price of iron in England fall
considerably, they will soon be obliged to
reduce heavily themselves, and the prob
ability is that they will in the end lose far
more than their high prices last year
brought them.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24
THE GOVERNMENT OF GREAT CITIES.

We suppose that there are few subjects
regarding which the American public is
better agreed than that of the abuses which
have grown up OF late years in the govern
ment of great cities. The facts, indeed,
have been so forced upon public attention
that they could neither be ignored nor
Inexperienced. Everybody thus knows
something about the proletariat, the rise
of the "boss" system, the corruption of
party government, the regime of dema-
gogism, and SO forth. So far as the exhi-
bition of all the downward steps is con-
cerned there is a general harmony of opin-
ion. It is all very bad, we say, but when
it becomes a question of remedies, a
strange silence falls upon our delineators
of abuses. The reason of this is that most
people who have examined the matter care.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24

relieve us from the alarms which have
heretofore required at intervals, and which
exercise SO bad an influence upon the repu-
tation and prospects of the city. What is
needed is to make Sacramento precisely as
safe as though every foot of it was twenty
five feet higher than it is. That is the
ground to take, and when that is accom-
plished we shallhave no more disabilities
in any regard than city twenty-five feet
higher has. There must, in short, be no
room for doubt on the subject of our
safety. That is the only wise policy to
pursue, and it is the one which our people
appear fully agreed upon now.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24

fully have reached two conclusions First.
that the only possible means of reform is
restriction of the suffrage and second, that
restriction of the suffrage is impossible.
As to the first of these, we think there cam
not be any doubt about its soundness. Evil
IDENTIFY the only way to prevent the evils
which originate in the abuse CT political
power consequent on ignorance and indif
ference, is to remove political power from
those who are too ignorant or Indifferent
to make right use of it. The second
conclusion, that thisremedy isimpracticable.
is, however, by no means so clear. 1t is
in fact nothing more than an assumption,
and it is an assumption without strong
foundation. 1t rests on the supposition
that all men set an equally high value on
the suffrage, but experience certainly does
not bear this out. On the contrary, the
manner in which the suffrage is used by
those who do the most mischief with it
shows that they do not understand it well
enough to care much for it in any way.
Indeed, the more carefully this branch of
the subject is examined the more doubtful
will it appear whether the popular notion
OF the impossibility of restricting the suf-
frage has any just support, and whether in
fact it might not be practicable to effect
such change without arousiDg any of
those volcanic forces which it is customary
to bring on the scene whenever such a re-
course is limited at. And it is the more
necessary to examine this possible avenue
of relief with care because if indeed it be
not available there remains nothing but to
despair of democratic government, and to
prepare for the shooting of Niagara.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24
GOING To PIECES.

The San Francisco stock market is going
to pieces rapidly. We predicted, when
the Braunhart-Tutt mining stock bill
was defeated by the lobbying of the brok-
ers, that they would discover how fatal a
blunder they had made, in few months,
but the collapse of the stock business is
proceeding more rapidly even than We had
expected. With the failure of the last ef-
fort to give the public some protection
against fraud, the decline of popular con-
fdence in the Boards has eliminated.
They are doing no business, and there is
no ground for expecting that the situation
will improve. In their desperation they
have proposed to raise the rates of COM
mission, the presumed object being to cut
off the outside and curbstone brokers,
and thus secure to the regulars what
little business remains. But as
the outsiders always contribute very
materially to the receipts of the members
of the Boards, by creating good deal of
business which would not otherwise be
transacted, this proposition would seem to
be as suicidal as the opposition to the late
bill. The fact is that the California pub
lie have had their eyes opened very thor
oughly at last on this stock business, and
SO long as the mines are owned as at pres
emit, and managed as at present, and
sold as at present, there will be no
revival of the business. Those who
realize this earliest will waste the least
time by hoping against possibility for a
new "boom."
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24

TESTING WIFE's AFFECTION.
London Sunday Times, under the caption
of The Green-Eyed Monster" states that
a veteran son of Mars, in Scotland, lately
married young wife, not half his own
age, and, after the honeymoon, became, of
course, jealous. One evening, ON return
ing from labor, he complained of collie, and
rolled in agony. His young wife proposed
to run for assistance, and the next minute
she was fleeing across the moor to lordly
mansion, to alarm the servants and send
for doctor. One OF them was in the sad
die in a moment, but 10 ! an apparition
clothed in white was seen approaching.
The affectionate wife supposed it could be
nothing else than her husbands wrath,
but it turned out to be the old soldier him
SELF The pretended collie was all a ruse
to test his wife's affection. On seeing the
promptitude with which she ran for assist
ance, his jealousy was subdued, and he
started after her in his shirt and trousers.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24

rates should be higher in Sacramento, for
instance, than they are in Albany, New
York. There is no reason why they should
be higher in San Francisco than in Boston
or Chicago. Property is in all respects as
safe and as well protected here as anywhere
in the East Incendiarism is as uncommon
here as there. The danger of sweeping
confagrations is no whit greater on this
than on the Atlantic coast. In word, the
insurance rates in California to-day are
arbitrary, extravagant and exorbitant, and
they ought not to be submitted to longer
by the public. If the local companies want
to drive out their foreign competitors they
can do it without any protective discrim-
mating legislation. All that is requisite is
for them to reduce their own rates. If the
California rates were once placed on level
with those of yse rest of the country, the
temptation to establish agencies here would
be destroyed, and thenceforward the insur-
ance business would rest ON a legitimate
basis. As it is, the people are being robbed
by means of sinister combination which
has all the elements of corner" and
they are deprived of the benefits OF free
competition by conspiracy which should
not be countenanced by the law.