New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-17
TOPICS IN sCALIFORNIA.
WEED oF RAIN--PUBLIC LIBRARY-RAlLRoAD
EWENSION-BEE CULTURE.

Icy TELEGRAPH TO Ihb 1hAoSNa
Gan Francisco Feb. 16-Rain is awaloeo WIN
Great eagerness by California farmers ruie
s,rowers and miners, and the possibility Oh
s.outb is beginning to cause serious alarm There
hos heen no rain in the valleys since Christmas
and in the mountains the snowfall has been ,ignt;
tha resnlt is that the artificial reservoirs are
erontv and il is doubtful whether heavy snow
..-orl5 beln tbcm as the ground is so thoroughly
r.rned that the snow would be meited' rtulo
and crane growers report that rain is padly needeu
A heavy north wind has been blowing ZOE three
DAYS and when this changes ram VIII probably
80. t. ;s raining in the northern co8ues and
snow is falling in the mountains
LEGISLATURE this week was treated to
- -, +J,e form of letters from Warden Nc
- 80 Gan Quentin Prison, and several prison
s;~ao.ors discussing political jobs which they had
s--ar.sd with Boss Buckley Most of the letters
80 from McComb to his deputy, Captain Cham
ters = McComb was once a militia general, ana
no then caught mania for issuing written orders
IN his officers As prison warden he has ioiloweo
the same plan, and instead of giving verbal IN
situations to Chambers, he wrote long letters 10
him every night In these letters he ana not con-
fine himself to business, but gossipped ABOUT every
thing and INDUCED in uncomphmehtary anu
s;ons To the Governor and to the prison directors
whom he did not fancy These letters were stolen
nv a convict and sold to one of the directors, VINO
is Mteomb's enemy. They are now III the hands OF
+. special investigating committee. McComD de-
elares that the offensive portions. and many en-
tire letters. are forgeries, but the investigation
bids fair to end in his removal.
The dedication Of the new First Unitarian
Church this week was memorable occurrence'ln
religious circles This was the church which was
first brought into prominence by Starr Kings eio
ouence on the eve Of the Rebellion When hlng
died his body was buried in the shadow OF tne
church When the advance of business IN Geary-
ST. compelled the abandonment of this church,
sne new building was erected at Geary and Frank
lin SITS The Rev. DR.. Horatio Stebblns, the pas
tor. presided, and in his dedicatory sermon no
eulocized Starr Kings work. The new churcn
is the handsomest religious building IN the ci'y'
and is constructed Of cream-colored sandstone,
found on this peninsula. 1t cost s6o,ooo' anu
after all the bills are paid the church has Dai-
ance on hand of S., 900.
The free public library now numbers oZ,ooV
volumes. and is installed in rooms IN the new oi'y
Hall which do not offer sufficient accommodations
for natrous. The librarian declares that the pup
lie of this city like solid reading, as his recoruS
show only SO per cent of fiction called lor' ino
library now is allowed only $4,000 per year. pu'
an effort will be made to have the appropriation
raised 70 $4,000 The wel-known poet, John
Vance Cheney, is the librarian
The Press Club had benefit at the Baldwin
Theatre on st. Valentines Day, and the audi
ence ives the largest matinee house ever seen
IN this theatre The actors and musicians Voiun-
teered their services and fine bill was presented
The net receipts will be something over Sl'Ooo.
The club proposes to secure better rooms ana
may take portion OF the Bohemian Sluo roUns
The Bohemians will soon move into the quarters .i
Of the Poetic Club which has united WIN inc
Union Club.
new fast mail service to Chicago and New
York went into effect tonight The mail VIII
be carried on the vestibule train which leaves
here now every Saturday night ana mere vii VII
he pouches for through Chicago and New iorK
mail Letters will go through TO New-iork III
iI3 hours, or seven hours less than hve days
The mortgage of s6,25O.oOo, fled at San
n;eco this week on the Cuyamaea hallroad a mas
soad ia TO run from San Diego to Los Pasos'
on the Southern Pacific, in the Colorado DESERT
This mortgage will give funds Tor building
road ,d from R S1r From The Needles to the
te,n,inuS Of the Utah Central is only $50 miles
and as Charles Francis Adams Is preslaea IN s u
merits is that the Union Paclne is Dehinu Ills
Enyamaca extension, and would use tins 1or
short 70 Southern OanIoIna aor, al as,ad es and
the Engineers report no serious difficulty on the
projected line.
The Southern Pacific Company has for some
.;rae been irving to make arrangements with the
Northern Pacific for an entrance INTO oeaS rae
Nn,thern Pacific is jealous Of its powerful rival
however, and would make no concessions Hence ace
the Southern Pacific has decided to oulid lts
own road into Seattle, laying las mics OIL new
track. Az
caIifornia,s Weld of honey last year was
. soa 600 mounds and of beeswax 10000 pounds.
The quality of the honey was good but there
maS vo WIS hacked in cans once used for coal
eli California comb honey. is whittier and finer
than any other in the world. yet the aplarls,s
jnure its sale by refusing to put IL ID ohe-pouho
packages