New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-31
SAN FRANCISCO.
A DRY RAINY SEASON"-POLITIGAL-
SOCIAL.

A DRY "RAINY SEASON"-POLITlCAL-
SOCIAL.
lFRoM An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
san FRA CISCO, Dee. 2l.-Ihe almost unprece-
dented stretch of farweather has beena great thing
for the shopkeepeYs UUsualy Christmas buyers
nre compelled to ford the walksa and steer their
tortuous way among q multitude of umbrellas
which. con sidcrng the fact that few pedestrians
here observe the rules of the road, is not a light
task This season there has been the OF rain
nearly every day, but the heavens have descended
in genuine California style only once. Never have
the shop windows been 50 bright as this year and
never so the dealers say, has there been so great
demand for costly presents. The Christmas card
mania So infected the town last year that every
small sationer and pcayuna dealer IN toys laid IN
$40 K this year. The market is evidently glut'ed,
md there Yill be large assortment left over for
another year. 1t is noticeable also chat the cards
for which the publishers paid the highest prizes are
III least demand.
General Stoneman, the GovernOr-elect, has been
in town ali this week. lie has been beseged By the
warehouses of the Democracy, who are eager to get
their m4zzles up to the public crib. The General
has held n levee at the Palace HO!el nearly every
day. and talked politics froia breakfast until
midnight All the boys have seen him, but al
though he IS cordial and ready TO receive sugges-
teres of the great party that is on the threshold OF
power, 10 one seems t. have wJrned any promise
ont OF him. In fact he has developed shIewdness
in his respect which not even his friends credited
him with. lie departed this morning for Sacra-
mcpto where no Will remain until after his ill.,
augura,i len.
In the local camp there is great deal of long and
short division to get the army of place-hunters into
the small number of Offices In several of the city
Offices IL mas been the custom to employ women to
DO portion of the clerical work. The Democratic
bo.s. however, announces That he will change all
this No Office is to be gwen to any other than a
genuine Democratic voter; and doubtless, the
oftener he voted the better his chance of reward.
The prospect Of any municipal reform from the men
who are soon 10 assume Office is hopeless as the
chanc. of unc0yerug new bonanza on The Com
stock
cur representatives, trying to get bill before
Conci S, for a new Post Office in this city. Ger
taiuly the need Of one is greater than stranger
would imagine. Here is city with population
OF oycf 300, 600, and with busin that represents
twice chat number Of people; yet Il ma Post Office
inferior to that OF Bdfal0 OF Rochester The old
builalug erected when the fearo. earthquake hung
over al our architects sits squat upon large lot
It's rooms are low, dark and oramped, and wholly
inadequate the pressure Of business. At tins hoh
day time the lobby is chokod with people, and
prolonged struggle is required to reach a'lock-boX.
Yet with sinister satire, every illustrated article on
San Francisco which appears IN Eastern news
paper or magazine gives picture OF the Old Post
Chce in this il Is ested with that jauuty air of
youth with which the willy photographer is apt to
endow even the human ruins that come within
Iauge Of his camera.
Tie recent arrival Of an excursion party Of sixty
ID. nd iar ,o1t- ,f Nh Inn
land marks new departure III touri travel TO tins
coast These visitors OF the opinion of Whittier
that it takes a lifetime to get fairly acchmated in
the home of the Puritansi hence, having ample
leisure they have come ont here for the winter
They are now established at Monterey in the beam
tiful rotel del MOnte-an ideal caravansary, which
stands in the midst Of a great parh, looking, with
it, live oaks End its acres of gently rolling green
sward, like the grounds of stately English cOun-
tIy-house. There they purpose remaining during
The winter with occasional jauntS 10 inter
estiDg places in the southern part of the State. The
IDEA is a happy one, and the selection of Monterey
is also fortunate. The Southern Pacific Railroad
Company has spent many ia usands of dollars in
the effort to add TO the ural charms of the place
The climate is one of the most eQuable in the world
but the winter months are more pleasant than the
summer by reason of he absence of all fog With ia
cilites for sea bathing, fishing diving it IS place
which a Sybante would be lCath to leave. This
curslon party is personally conducted by Bos-
ton man who has already brought out several
hundred people for brief trips during the early
mer.
The decorative art mania has not yet gained
firm foothOld here, but much good work beng
done il the cmamentaton Of private houses A re-
cent instance is found in house in Caliiornia-st
Two fresco pictures for the ceiling Of the drawing
room have been painted on strong linen canvas
They represent scenes from the " Iad,' with gods
and godiesses in diapbanous drapery floating
through the rosy ar The colors LAID IN OIL and
wax, which admits Of washing without injury to the
briliancy of the pigments. The paintings were
transferred from roller 10 the ceiling which had
been treated with coat of white lead. BY this de-
vice the may fold up his irescOed ceilings and
depart into another hahtatiOn.
MP NApIESOk AND MADAME TTrCH