New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-30
TOPICS IN LEADING CITIES
SAN FRANCISCO.
SCANDALS - PLAGIARISM - JOURNALISTIC
AND PERSONAL
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUye.l

AND PERSONAL.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUye.l
SAN FRANCIsCO, Sept 29.-The trial OF
Gray tho defanlting secretary OF the Harbor
Commission was brought to a close by the disagree
ment of the jury. The trial was only on one OF
forty -fonr charges Of embezzlement. The Jury at
first stood eleven to for c0nvlction but finally
the one obstinate man gained two associates Tho
proof in this case was clear AS day that Gray had
stolen money from the beginning OF his official lite.
falsfyng the receipt stubs to make the books bal
ance Half dozen clerks aud wharfingers were
in colluson with him. The last month he WAS in
office he stole S22 O0O-every cent he collected
ana then when unable TO compromise With the
State Controller. he fed to Guaymas. In fine. 10
was tho most barefaced robbery. committed hero
for years. Yet three jurymen opposed Furnishing
Inn.
There are here also, men awaiting trial for max
ing false pay-rols IN the Street Department. and
deputy-cOroner who was getting rich by bxIng
juries and verdicts for coin. Yet these meo all ex-
pect to go, and doubtless will 60. unwhipped oil
Justice
The long conference of railroad freight agents
fro.i all parts of the country ended Ia an agree
ment 70 make an overland pool and keep rates up
to their present figure The Northern Pacific was
put on the footing for California frieghts as
the Central anu SouIucTu io1ho, "u" "A'--
ager Muir is confident that he get large slice Of
business. Those who know the Central Paciho
managers however, say that these concessions to
the Northern road will not add much to its bust
ness as the Central will give up its grip on
the California freIYht business
The conference has proved one fact, that tho
promises OF reducing overland rates. made bg the
Willard management when they wanted their im-
mense land grant approved will nos be Kept.
Their rates are higher than those of any other road
in the country except few Southern lines that do
little business.
The Governor tly ousted the State Prison
directors whose chief offence was that they were
epublIcans and men OF property and standing,
who had been appointed by his predecessor. In his
letter of removal he said plainly that the sound
Democratic doctrine, :" TO the victors belong the
spos" was tie ma in cause of the change, but he
drew his moral stamina from some halt-dozen petty
charges which investigation showed were nmsy.
The new board consist of three Democrats aud ons
Republican, but the lone Republican refused to
serve in the hopeless minority, and the two DEM
ocrats would not lend couutenance to party meas
ures So the Governor will probably fall back on
some of the lights of Bourbon chivalry. who re-
gard 1t AS great sin to refuse office to decline
drink of good corn whlskey.
When some directors have been lass0ed, then
the wardens head will fall in the basket The pres
ent warden is the first who has introduced manu-
features into the prison a large scale thus max
ing the institution almost selfsupporting but
according to the Rourbons, the reformer and econ
omit must go.
The new street cable road, Of which Ex-Governor
Leland Stanford is large owner, has obtaiued
franchise to construct underground road across
the southwest of Golden Gate Park. IN order
to extend its linz to Ocean Beach. great outcry
has been raised what Is called the decoration
of Il @ Park but 1t is difficult to SEQ how the Park
is injured Il, no one wants to walk in that corner
of 1t. The road will be Of great advantage to the
public. as it will furnish ride line to tho
beach for five cents.
One brutal murder-the victim bel ng the wife of
drunken mechanic, who annga burning cOal-oll lamp
at hor-and two shooting ailrays q at narrowly es-
capped fatal results, make up the weeks criminal
record. With fourteen unhanged murderers in the
ia the city is seen to be an Asatla for cutthroats
The transfer of The alta California newspaper oc-
Cured yesterday. 1t appears now under the man.
agernent of Registrar johnson. aud in the interest
of th railroads.
Another journalistic venture Will soon be made
here bya Democratic politician named Donney.
He has modest fortune and immodcst political
aspirations. lie will probably lose both in trying
to prove that his party yearns for another local
mouthplece.
Some mouths ago THE TRIBUNE did good service
for the cause of literature by exposing the outrag-
eous plagiarism OF Mr.. Warren Cheney. then Editor
of The Orerland Monthly, who stole an article on
Bret Harte from one Of Mr.. E. e. Stedman's early
essays. Now comes a contributor under the nsme
of Annie Montague who lifts bodily one of Mr..
LowelPs poems, the only disguise being IN the
changed title The editor did not discover the fraud
until subscriber informed him of it. The great
trouble with The OrerlaHd is that It is run on the
principle that people will write good articles for
the sake of seeing their names In print. Tue mag
azne is a standing libel on the literary people of
the Coast. aud unless it gets change of heart and
pays for contributions, the sooner 1t dies the
better lor the credit of the State
Mr.. S. ). Montague, late Chief Engineer of the
Central ana Southern Pacific roads, who died at a
camp near Shasta vas buried on Thursday in
| Oakland. He was invaluable TO railroad manag-
| ers AS he had no hobbies and carried new roads
| wherever they wanted the tracks laid, overcoming
| ali natural obstacles. Some of his engineering
feats never have been excelled in this country OF
abroad.