New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-05
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
a NOTEWORTHY wEEK-COLORADo DESERT
-HIGHBINDERS-EAR FRUIT.
10y TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. ]

lBr TELEGRAPH THE rKIBUNE.l
San Francisco, July 4.-This week has been the
most noteworthy for years in California, because
of the excessive heat, the violent fluctuations of
the mercury, the first authentic cases of snnstroke
in the great valleys, the curious phenomenon OF
the appearance Of a great lake at the lowest part
of the Colorado Desert and the filling up of
Tulare Lake the largest body OF fresh water in
the State. The figures of temperature are nus
leading to Eastern people, as l 0 and 1l3 degrees
in the shade would be simply unbearable with
the Eastern amount of humidity in the atmoS-
phere Here the air is extremely dry, and harvest
hands may work with safety when the mercury
is over 100 The great heat this year, which
came in one day and remained nearly throughout
the week, has been sore trial TO fruit-growers,
as it has rpened too rapidly peaches and apricots
while many of the finer varieties have been so
badly sunbumt as TO he unmarketable. II was
fortunate that the heat did not come earlier in
the month, as it would have been disastrous to
nearly all kinds of fruit AS it is now, there
will he a good average yield. whereas one week
ago it promised remarkable returns. Orchard
owners are having much trouble to secure help
to pick the fruit crop. The cities and towns
are full of idle men, but, though good wages are
offered, they do not like to get out and work in
the sun Since the reduction of the number of
Chinese, this question of orchard help is serious
The singular rising of a lake on the salt
marshes at Salton in the heart of the Colorado
Desert, has given Pacific Coast scientists a good
subject for speculation. Few passengers who have
crossed the drcary desert have ever seen Salton.
as it lies in a sink several miles from the main
track. 1t is an exceedingly forbdding part OF the
desert as even tie coyotes shun it, and in several
years residence there Manager DisbrOw, OF the
salt works, declares he has seen only raven
and a few butcher birds. The glare from the
gltering salt deposit is distressing to the eye, and
one looks ont continually on a panorama of mi
RACES When the flood came the salt works were
about to shut down for the summer no one
except an Indian can endure the terrific heat.
Two plausible theories are held TO account for the
inflow of water One is that the waters come
from a break in the Colorado River, and that the
overflow has made its way across the desert from
New River which receives the surplus of the
Colorado. The other which is held by people llv-
ing about Yuma, is that the waters come from
the Gulf Of California, and that thcy are simply
occupying a portion of the desert which there is
good evidence 10 believe they once covered. 1t IS
probable that the interest excited by this lake
viii lead TO Government exploration Of the Col
orado and Mojave deserts. which are almost as
little known Death Valley before the re-
cent explorations. There is no mystery about
The rise of the wafer Of Tuare Lake This is
due wholly to the phenomenal snowfall in the
Sierra, and to lack Of absorption of the water ny
the valley lands II is only noteworthy because
of its conjunction with the desert lake
A committee of lawyers will soon ask the State
Supreme Court for n ruling on a new law regard
ing the disposal OF community property This
law provides that gift OF community property
without valuable consideration cannot be made
by husband without the written consent of his
Wifi Tho franz in in establishing thp
fact whether the transfer is gift or sale,
and wife may appear and demand half of a
piece Of property which has already passed
through several hands. The last purchaser if
the law be construed rigidly, would suffer for
the deceit of the husband who made the original
transfer This law has been a great annoyance
TO bankers and capitalists. 1t passed in the
interest of several rich California women, whose
husbands have given too much property to chart
table institutions.
The police have determined TO stamp out the
Chinese highbinders Recently they destroyed
all their headquarters. hut this week society
attempted to initiate new members. The police.
learning Of the meeting broke il up and arrested
several men who bore murderOus Chinese swords.
Backmail is still levied, however. on rich mer-
chants, and police ingenuity is match for
Celestial cunning.
Inc death of Dona Bandine this week at Los
Angeles removes one Of the last survivors of a
distinguished native Californian family. At her
house in old San Diego generous hospitality was
dispensed in the early days, and it was Dall at
this mansion Of which Richard H. Dana wrote 50
graphic description in his Two Years Before
the Mast" She also entertained Fremont and
Sherman and Commodore Stockton.
The State Reform School was opened at Whit
tier Los Angeles County. this week. 1t has pro-
TiSOn for both sexes. The main building is sur.
rounded by cottages, in each Of which will live
family of fifty boys. under charge of a man and
his wife and teacher.
Growers Of early fruit in California this year
reapcd n bonanza Early cherries, peaches, pears
and apricOts were shipped East and brought large
prices. Ii is singular that of the earliest
reaches sent TO the East came from around MaryS-
vile. region formerly given over entirely to
wheat.