New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-19
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
oprUM sMUGGLNG-THE WEAIHLh-hAlL
ROAD TRAvEL-SOCIAL
,roy,pu To THE TRIBUNE


~ TIL rcRAPH TO THE rRIBUSE-l
-, reb 17-Custom House circles
A. have been much wrought up over stories OF
DC big opium ring, but nothing more s"os.an''"'
CIV rnmors has vet been produced. Collector
1.m.- SAYS he cannot order an investigation on
-. cbarces unsubstantiated by legal proof and
.hhoneb some Of the smaller smugglers have no
Aoph, talked. there would be the greatest diff
sultv in getting them on the witness stand The
newspaper which gave the names Of the alleged
epium smugglers has been sued for 100000
for libel by one of the accused men.
Work on the new cruiser Charleston is being
pushed night and day at the Union Iron Works
and the vessel will be ready by October at the
latest The contract calls for August, but the
delay is caused by the failure Of the Carnegie
Phipps Company TO supply the steel in sufficient
quantities No such delay is expected in the con-
struction Of the new cruiser, the San Francisco
as the steel is now being made for her
Mild warm rains fell throughout Northern CAN
fornia during the early part OF this week inere
ere few places in the State which have not re-
eeived more rain this season up to d"te IMAM l'S'
season. The rain fall averages from eight to ten
inches in Sacramento and the San Jose Valley,
and from twelve 70 twenty in other parts OF North
ern California Very heavy rains are reported
from several parts of the southern country
Greot activity has been shown by wheat ship
pers within the past few days. and not less tnan
thirty-six vessels sggregating about $4,000 tons
Are engaged II is important TO get wheat out
of the way this month, as it might be assessed IN
March Charters have been raised also Ivy the
coal famine and thirty -four wheat ships nave
been engaged to go TO Newcastle, n. B. W., ana
to Manila in ballast and return with coal Most
of these vessels will return in time for wheat
charters next fall.
The scarcity Of coal has led to much discussion
here over the use of crude petroleum for manu-
featuring The fire department objects to the
storage Of petroleum in the city, and underwriters
demand that the cash test be raised to ninety &C.
grees The oil men say they will store petroleum
in iron tanks underground, but that eighty de-
grees fash test is high enough No decision
has been reached
The Southern Pacific Company's record of west
ward overland travel shows an enormous increase
over last year. In January last year this rail-
road system brought 300 passengers to Call
fornia This year in January it brought here
s,649 passengers
The Benhayon mystery is revived by the trial Of
DINING the book gent who is accused Of murder
inc the supposed suicide. 1t will be remembered
that Benhayon was found dead last October with
bottle Of cyanide Of potassium beside him, and
that he left letters declaring that he ana not "
Bowers poisoned Mrs Cecilia Bowers. Inc ponce
suspected the genuneness Of the letters ana Oh Ihe
suicide and finally arrested DINING for the murder
Of Benhayon The theory is that Dr Bowers now
under sentence Of death, forged the letters ana
hired Dimmig to carry out the plan that ehded III
BenhavOn's death Great difficulty Is found Is
securing Jury II is said that DINING Will re-
fuse to testify. and that the mystery promises
never to be cleared up.
The cold wet weather this winter has helped
the vineyards by depressing the tendency OF une
vines TO bud too eagerly Pruning was also late
SO that the prospect for the wine season Is good.
The scheme for founding the Viticultural Bank
IS exciting much interest and several San Fran
cisco capitalists have agreed to make up any de-
ficiency in subscriptions so that the project Is an
assured success.
baby that is heir TO 81 90 600 was born in
Oakland this week It's father old Million
aire Wilzerlv who died several months ago. He
made will leaving tho above amount to the in
fsn' ~ born alivv ard an equal sum 10 tic young
mother. The heir proved to be BOY
The public administrator has pettiOned for
letter on the estate OF Dolly Adams the notorious
Water Queen" who died recently on n emma
steamer The estate consists mainly OF diamonds
clothing and money.
Among the deaths Of the week is that Of Alex
andcr CamDb H. wel-known lawyer: ne c ile
since 1855 He served several years as Judge OF
tho Superior Court, and he was chiefly instru-
mental in securing the widening OF kesrncL-s,;;
He was learned in the law and OF unolemished
reputation.
Tho chief social incident Of the season took
place on the night before Lent. This was the
Mard Gras festival Of the San Francisco ATT
Association The bohemian Club gave the use OF
it, fine rooms and the apartments were crowded
with gayly dressed maskers.