Morning journal and courier., 1885-12-31
and for that the people should have the first right to it and whatever loss of power would result'to the mills could be supplied by steam frarn eoals


 An examination of the musical sands of California, which have excited so much in terest on the part of geologists and others, shows that they possess peculiar microscop- ical structure The grains are found to be chiefly composed of small portions of coral and apparently calcareous sponges; they are all more or less perforated with small holes, in some instances forming tubes, but mostly terminating in blind cavities, which are ire quently enlarged in the interior of the grains, communicating with the surface by small opening. There were also in the sand small black particles, formed principally of crystals of augite, nepheline, and magnetic oxide of iron, embedded i'll glassy matrix. The structure of these grains explains, it is thought, why sound is emitted when set in motion; that is, the friction against each other causes vibrations in their substance, and consequently in the sides of the cavities they contain-and these vibrations being communicated to the air in the cavities, un- der the most favorable conditions of produc- ing sound, the result is the loud noise occa- stoned when any large mass of sand is set in motion, there being, in fact, millions upon millions of resonant cavities, each giving forth sound.
 Ten years ago James Lick, the California millionaire, died and left the larger portion of his vast estate to public institutions and enterprises. But the testator's will devolved so much labor and pains upon the trustees charged with it's execution that several of it's I, of the San Francisco papers gives long ac count of the present condition of the nuner- ous benefactions, from which it appears that the snlRss of s288, ,oeo has been spent upon the obaaervatory at as Mount Hamilton, for which S70O,uaa was beqdsatneda4 the object glass, the largest in the world, thirty six incles in diameter, is airi1osu done-the resp,Se nine teen attempts at Yezsting. Tbss sum of sf5o,- GOO was set apart faF, fee public baths for San Francisco, of hieh 1000 has been paid over. Mr.. Story is at work upon the statue to the autherof the s@Star Spangled Banner" which he H ses to complete in thFee years. One clause in the will ordered the erection at the City Hall i'll San Francis co of a group of statuary we'll worth $100,- 0G0, which shall represent by appropriate designs and figures the history of California from the early settlement of the missions till the year 1874. This provision the trustees have done nothing about, not knowing ex- actly what to do. Another bequest as yet undisposed of is that leaving $540, 900 to an institution to be called "The California School of Mechanical Arts" the object Of which is to give to both sexes an education in the practical arts of life, such working in wood, iron and stone. The total sum thus far paid out of the estate is $S01, ,000, and the amount yet to be paid is $1 ,226, 900. It is estimated that there will be left s675, GOO to the residuary legatees, which are the Pioneer society and the California Academy of Sci ences