Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-07-29
SAN FRANCISCO.
Items of Interest from the Me-
tropolis.


the Convention to appoint committee of
five to meet and confer with the Executive
Committee of the State Central Committee,
withs view of reconciling the present differ
ences in the San Francisco Democracy. The
suggestion was adopted, and a committee of
five was appointed. when the Convention ad.
journed to await the result.
MISCELLANEOUS.
A mad dog was killed in the HAYES Valley
Grammar School yard Wednesday.
Charles A. Colby died Wednesday as was
supposed from poison, but an inquest proved
it TO be from natural causes.
John S. Ecker, who was Deputy Sheriff
assigned to duty as bailiff of one of the
Criminal Courts, and who mysteriously dis
appeared some time since, has come to the
surface again, alive and well.
The British ship Orihamme, Captain
Green. from India for this port, was burnt at
sea in lS II south, "a u west. The crew has
just arrived at Wilmington by the Italian
bark ST. Andrea. The date of the disaster is
not given.
A special session of the San Francisco
Stock Board for the sale of local miscel-
laneous stocks was commenced little over a
year ago, and it is still maintained. 1t locks
as though it might be as permanent as the
other calls.
Money is easy in this market. There is o
fair demand for wheat loans. These are
negotiated at 6@7 per cent. where the
margins are satisfactory. This is great re-
duction from the rates in vogue on such
loans few years ago.
The collection of personal property taxes
is progressing rapidly. Two thousand eight
hundred dollars was received from banks
Wednesday morning. The total tax on per-
sonal property is 500, 29i "a, of which
amount about S14, 600 has been collected to
date.
The Citizens and Taxpayers Nominating
Convention placed in nomination the follow
ing: For Mayor, Robert Howe. Supervis-
ors-Sixth Ward, James Dewing; Eighth
Ward William Winter: Twelfth Ward, Ed
mond A Wallazz. For School Directors.
II. Culver, DIR. p J. Schmits, w. J. Has
sest, w. B. Ever. J. j. Richenbach.
Michael Thorton, stevedore, was put
ting hatch cover on the spar.de of the
ship Macbeth, lying at Paciic-street wharf,
when he slipped and fell into the lower hold,
distance OF twentyfour feet. On picking
the unfortunate maa up it was ascertained
that his skull was fractured. Death ensued
before physician could be summoned. Thor
ton was native of Ireland, aged % yo'-s,
and was unmarried.
Ex-Lieutenant-G Governor Purdy, of =
city, has received the news of the death of IS
son, General Erastus S. Purdy, in Cairo,
Egypt, on the Dist ultimo. The sad news
was conveyed in letter from Secretary
Blaine, inclosing dispatch from the United
States. Vice Consul for Egypt. It states that
taI ir4 f,o, . L.
els. General Purdy was born in New York
in 1871. He came to this city about 1857
and on the breaking out of the civil war
Joined the California Regiment, of which he
was elected Adjutant He was later appoint
ed Assistant Aajutant.G General on General
Franklin's staff. He served all through the
war, up to the battle Of Antietam, when bad
health forced him to resign and return to San
Francisco. Returning again to the field Of
battle, he served successfully on the staffs of
Generals Wright and Mcdowell. On the
termination of the war he entered the Egyp-
tan service. Before he had been there long
he was promoted TO Colonel of Engineers
and shortly after raised to the rank of Gen
eral on the khedfve's staff with the title of
Pasha. He was in the Egyptian service at
the time of his death. His death is a great
shock to his aged father, it being entirely un.
expected. In fact he received letter from
him dated only six days before his death, in
which he expressed himself as being in the
enjoyment OF good health. General Purdy
has a brother in Yuma, proprietor of the
ATizond Press.
In the Mint investigation Wednesday
Alex. Martin, the meter and re6ner, test
fed that he had occupied the position since
October, 1874. Was appointed under Gen
eral LaGrange. Had knowledge of the
nh IS b,1lI T.,
Dodges administration cannot tell the pro-
portion of Northern Belle bullion received
during the last three years cannot distinguish
Northern Belle bullion from any other base
bullion except by the distinctive marks.
About two thirds of the Northern Belle
bullion was turned over to NE to be cast into
ingots. l have seen Northern Belle ingots
break at the rolls I have seen very few
brittle ingots in my department. l have also
seen the Northern Belle ingots crumble in
coiner's department. In my judgment some
of the Northern Belle bullion was fit to be
cast into ingots for coming, without refining,
and some was not. The existence of other
base metals than copper makes bullion unit
for coinage ingots. [ suppose the SuperiR-
tendent determines what bars are to be run
into ingots for coming, and what bars are to
be refined. | have seen bullion under 900
fine fit to be run into coming ingots; was
requested by the Superintendent to make
series of experiments to determine whether
or not Northern Belle bars could be used, un-
refined, for coming. [ do not consider I'M
refined copper fit alloy for coming
purposes; copper in the Northern Belle
bullion urdergoes process of refining in the
melting in my department. That makes it
fit for an alloy, and the process entails loss
in my department.. The Northern Belle
copper, after the process of melting, is az
good as refined copper for alloy purposes /
have never received orders from the Super
intendent to melt pure metal with the North
ern Belle ingots. The coiner has complained
to me concerning the Northern Belle ingots.
[ have never complained, officially, OF the
Northern Belle bars. but have growled
little, unofficially, of the bars, and com.
planned that there was loss in running the
bars into coming ingots without refining. l
have talked with the Superintendent and
others about there not being any refining
charges collected on the bullion. When the
first deposits of Northern Belle were received
along in 1878, the bullion was much finer
between 500 and 900. Now it is between 700
and 500. 1t was lower last year than this I
would have had the Northern Belle bgllion
refined ii there had been any charges i'm
posed en- it TO pay for the acids used. Still,
would not make any bullion into ingots
winch L lDOugnL WDuiu LOU make COlllS. Inc
loss incurred in my department in casting in
COTS which turn out to be unfit for coin, and
which have to be remanipulated, consists in
the wages of men. loss of precious metals,
fuels and crucibles used, and general
wear and tear. have sent very few ingots
to the coiner which were entirely unfit for
coming l knew before my last annual state
ment that there would be an unusual loss in
my department. There was loss of $4,000
ounces of silver, or SO, 0G0 in coin value, and
it resulted in great measure from the thar.
acter of Northern Belle bullion.I melted into
ingots, ando on which there was no reduction or
charges for refining. The COUNSEL and Com
missioners here went into long debate over
the question of refining and reducing, and
put many hypothetical and complicated ques-
tons. Mr.. Houghton was at great loss to
know how it was that bullion could not be
separated and the copper saved The wit
nesses statement, that in refining bullion the |
copper went into the sewers of the city and
county of San Francisco caused general sur
prise. 1t occurred in the general FIRE of ques-
ions and answers that in 1879 so the use of |
Il, COO pounds of copper alloy had been saved |
the Government by the use of the copper in |
the Northern Belle bullion for alloy. In |
1881, 20, 600 pounds Of copper had been saved |
That is, if the Northern Belle bullion had not |
been used with its own copper if the bullion |
had been refined 20, 900 pounds of other cop.
M L. y. 4