Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-03-06
FROM THE METROPOLIS.
THE RAGE CONCERNING CHEAP
FARES AND FREIGHTS.
The Orange Oakland Poll.
-Disgruntled Democrats
Money Missing.
SAN Francisco, March 4. 1886.

About the only excitement prevalent in
San Francisco at the present time is the
railroad war Groups of idlers stand all
day during business hours IN front of the
ticket agencies, and the agents stand out
side shouting, like the man in front of a
side-show or dime museum, and woe be-
tide the luckless wight who fingers and
displays signs of being customer. The
agents and their men pounce on him like
a hawk on a spring chicken, and their
pulling and hauling of customers is some
thing after the manner of the steamboat
runners in the opposition days of the Sacra-
mento boats.
PLAcARDIHG THE RATES.
The rival lines are not making a free use
ofprinters' ink No faring advertisements
have so far appeared in the newspapers,
and the placarding in front of the offices is
done with marking brush on manila pa
per. They read as the mood or fancy
strikes their composer: =" Now is your time
and see your girl and bring her back at cut
rates. If your sweetheart is pining for
you away down in Maine, buy third-class
ticket to Boston for $50 25 and go and
comfort her. "Oh for the old folks at
home; now is the time to go and see
them cheap 1--WE are on top /:
Chicago, Sl7 50; New York, $2S So"
g Now we've got EN-; step inside
and see the guillotine work" These
are fair samples of the style of advertising
INDUCED in by the artists of the marking
pot. As to the freight cut, one sees and
hears less of it publicly than of the passen-
hr,t oh he oha, Nv
change and in the wholesale business quar-
tiers there is great deal of discussion over
it, and merchants are taking advantage of
the low rates to order goods by rail from
the East, even at the risk of overstocking.
A certain journalist was overheard, the
other day, bewailing his hard fate because
he did not possess sufficient capital to go
into big speculation which he could see
arising out of the freight cut. He wanted
Just $4,000 90--he had 10 cents for a
starter His idea was 10 get a corner on
the orange crop and ship the oranges
through to the East at the low rates. L
mention this little matter in order to lead
up to what seems to me to be something of
an anomaly.
AS REGARDS ORANGES.
Here in this city, where one would sup
pose oranges would be cheap and plentiful,
YOU C1IlllDt DuN sll IGtdlt any tlliiS ifhC SOOQ
oranges short of forty cents per dozen, and
for first quality as high as sixty cents is
asked, and fine oranges are scarce even at
these prices. 1t looks as if the select fruit
is sent East and the poorer qualities re-
served for home consumption, but why
this should be SO | cannot understand, as
San Francisco, with its numerous wealthy
and well-to-do people, certainly ought to
be good market for a first-class article. l
know that such is the case as regards i'm
ported articles, and have seen goods from
abroad side by side on the shelves of stores
with home produced goods of equal quail
ity selling more readily, and of course
commanding a higher price. A prophet
hath honor save in his own house and in
his own country. This does not apply to
oranges alone. / am told by market men
and fruit dealers that during the early
fruit season it is next to impossible for
them to procure choice fruit at prices to
permit of profit, as the best is transported
East. / also know this to be fact from
observation and experience. If you want
early fruit or vegetables on their first
appearance i'll market, you must pay a
fancy price, as the bulk of the supply is
shipped Eastward, creating scarcity here.
have seen, in the hight of the season, the
markets almost bare of fine fruit, while
the commission houses were shipping out
fruit of the finest quality overland. In the
case of the oranges at this time, | suppose
that low freights and the prospective fail
ure of the Florida crop, have something to
do with the scarcity and high prices. CAL
ifornia oranges are improving year by year
in size, flavor and appearance, and the finer
qualities are equal to any grown in the
most favored spots Oh earth, but in San
Francisco choice oranges are to be looked
a hft NOT aafa, hx- lie
THE OAKLAND ELECTION.
They have been having quite a lively
time in the usually staid village of Oakland
ever the primaries and conventions for the
city election. which takes place next Mon
day, and the unfortunate individual whom
an evil fate condemns to Oakland is almost
driven frantic by the constant iteration of
broad gauge high license slow
license or no license The fight is on the
election of Mayor, and the question of
LIQUOR license is said to enter into the con-
test; but as to that there are doubts, and il
seems more likely to be merely side issue
raised for effect. The South Pacific Coast
Railroad Company wants to extend its
local line through the heart of Oakland,
and in order to do this it must obtain GER
tain franchises from the City Council. A
majority of the Council is supposed to be
ldNOfdDie- " RIdutlilS Tue lldHCulStc, DUl 6S
that majority does not reach two-thirds, it
is necessary for the company to have a
Mayor who will sign the measures granting
the franchises. The present Mayor, who is
the Republican nominee for reelection, is
peculiarly supposed to be favorable to the
narrow-gauge interests. 1t is charged that
a great deal of money was used in the Re
publican primaries and Convention.
know it was quite a lively contest. but
pretty much all the rustling seemed to be
on the part OF the narrow-ga gauge folks.
sAcKcLoTH AND ASHES.
There is great deal of discomfort and
considerable open muttering among the
Democratic brethren over the delay of the
Administration in turning the rascais out
in California. to make way for men who
have - fit bled and died in the Democratic
cause. After gazing from afar on the prom
ised land for lol these many years, and
then to find the old party in power. with
offices as thick as two in bed, and within
sight OF plucking, and then to find that
they can't reach the fruit, makes them cry
sour grapes" in tones of sadness that
would make the fox in the fable retract his
lament and swear that the grapes were the
sweetest he ever tasted. Some of the more
cautious expectants conservatively say that
the California Democracy has no right to
expect much of Cleveland, because the De-
mocracy of this State went back on him :"
but it would be very difficult to find a
Democrat who wants an office who will not
take his solemn oath that he voted for
Cleveland and Hendricks every time he got
a chance. But, believe that were there a
Presidential election to occur tomorrow
and Cleveland was the Democratic nomi-
nee, he could not get thirty per cent. of the
Democratic vote of San Francisco. For
once the chivalry and the shovelry are in
accord. Mr.. Cleveland has snubhed both
wings with the utmost impariiality, and
the leaders of each are ready to fall on
each Others necks and weep over the de-
generacy of their party from Jacksonian
principles.
A sPECK OF MYSTERY.
There is bit of my stery connected with
the Sub Treasury in this city, which the