The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-21
MEN ABOUT TOWN.
Short Stories Picked Up in the
Hotel Corridors.
Salmon Catching neutrality-suspicious. as
Detectives-An Indian Round-Up-It
Was'the Other Man.

John N. Palmer of Portland, Oregon, is
among the guests at the Palace, and is in
terested in the salmon fisheries on the
Columbia River.
There are." he said, "fully 1000 men
engaged for portion of the year in catch
ing, cleaning and canning salmon, and from
this you may realize the stupendous nature
of the business. The method employed in
catching the fish is very interesting. os-
pecially what is known as the wheel fishery.
The most notable of the class is that
at Dallas City. Imagine a wheel forty feet
in diameter and eight feet across the face,
resembling huge water wheel. Instead of
paddles, this wheel is fitted with three
buckets, made OF coarse and strong wire
screening. The wheel is fastened to a shaft,
to which is attached machinery that lowers
and raises 1t at the will Of the operator.
The buckets are so constructed that any
thing that enters them is thrown toward the
center OF the wheel and to one side, where
there is an opening above the water line
that leads to a large tank The buckets
open down stream. When in operation the
wheel is lowered six feet into the river, up
which the salmon are making their way in
untold numbers. The force OF the water re-
wolves the wheel, the average revolutions
being five per minute. As 1t turns the buck
cts scoop up the salmon, which are forced
back and out of the opening in the side of
the wheel into the receiving tank. One
bucket may be safely calculated to run in to
the tank seventy-five SALMON minute, or
225 a minute for the three"
REPORTERS AS DETECTIVES.
SIN my opinion" said prominent poll
tician at the Grand Hotel yesterday. as lie
leaned over the bar and carefully followed
the movements of the bartender as he COM
pounded Il large-sized cocktail, "the day is
near when defined police-power viii be
conferred urUn newspaper reporters. Why?
Well, simply because it is evident by their
present methods the police have reached the
limit OF their capabilities 50 far as the ap-
prehension of criminals IS concerned. 1t is,
| think, only through the employment OF
the wide-oyed reporter that an Improvement
can lie made. Look. for instance at the
difference in the methods employed. The
police cOnfine the detection of criminals TO
small number of men, the press makes every
citizen a detective. Any man with the neces-
sary pull can get OH the police force, while
it requires peculiar intelligence and special
fitness to be reporter. A policeman is
bound up by red tape reporter knows no
law but 10 get the information. With this
in mind the reporters dig with a perSever-
ance and intelligence that is remarkable,
and the police annals of the country show
that some of the most noted criminals have
been put behind the bars by the press, with
no aid from the police"
AN INDIAN ROUNDUP.
J. p. Fell, special agent of the Interior
Department, arrived in this city few days
ago. from Washington, and was seen at
the Grand last night. He is under instruc-
tons from Secretary Noble tn examine into
the condition Of the California indians, and
has already begun his work by inyestigat-
ing the affairs of the Round Valley Agency.
Af... fs-.a To-.
into certain discrepancies existing between
the reports OF the agents and those of the
census cnumeratOrS. The latter have ac-
counted for a much smaller number than
have been provided for with provisions and
blankets, and naturally the Government is
DESTROYS of ascertaning the cause. They
consider it worth looking into at all events.
81 have just returned from the Round
Valley Agency, and l find that that tribe is
rapidly diminishing in numbers. Ten
years ago there were 1000 all told. and to-day
they number 800, of whom 800 are off the
Walton. Consumption is killing them
of at rapid rate.
Zone curious thing developed by the CEN
Sus, however, is the total disappearance of
one tribe. Which it is | am not able to state,
but the chief of department from whom l
received my Instructions informed me that
an entire tribe had been lost, and no trace
OF them can be found. Agents are now out
hunting for them"
II WAS THE MAN.
1.-The general scrambl that is now being
made Tor State offices recalls 10 mind story
once told of Jack Stratman,' said o. A.
bearing last night. During war times
Jack was one OF the great political powers
in California, ard to his efforts was largely
due the loyalty of the State during the
troublouS days from 81 to 60. Shortly after
hlncon's second election he journeyed TO
Washin gton for the purpose of securing a
diplomatic appointment and of course ca led
at tile State IleHnr,mant IN
Seward. His fame as politician had pre-
ceded INN, and he was given most cordial
reception by the dignified Secretary of
State.
Il am glad to seeyou, Mr.. Stratman." said
the latter, and especially so rs | am in
formed that the success of the party in Cali
fornla was largely due TO your efforts"
mat Is not exactly true replied STRAIT
man with knowing smile.
You surprise me, assure you, but to
whom, pray, is the credit due?"
On, to the man around the corner
whispered Stratnlan cOnfdentially.
MIR. Seward immediately assumed his
gravest air and said: You will pardon me
II detain you no longer as my time is
greatly occupied at present When you re-
turn to San Francisco please tell the man
around the corner tomake known his wishes
and We will be pleased to reward him for
his services. Good-day, Mr. Stratman,' and
Jack was politely bowed Out
The strange part of it all was that he
never got his appointment"
THE SHOCK WAS TOO GREAT
Walter b. Cook, the welLknown society
reporter, met a few days ago with a most
cruel disappointment Even now his face
grows sad when the subject is recalled. In
the course of his journalistic duties he at
tended private dinner at the house of n
gentleman who carefully abstans from the
use of wine, but who keeps an abundance of
the rarest vintages for his guests For his
own use decanter of cold tea had been pro-
vded, from which he occasionally flied his
glass, and which had all the appearances OF
the purest of WHISTLES. When the dinner
was concluded the decanter was placed
rather earelessly on sidebuad, where the
genial Walter soon espied it. 1t struck him
as gOod-looking article of liquor, and lie
lohged TO sample it. Champagne.puncli was
offered him, but he refused, and gradually
edged his way to the decanter. Hurriedly
he filed glass, and bolted it with unse4mly
haste. With crash the glass fell from his
nerveless hand, and he fled to the cloak
room. Tne shock was more than he could
bear.
AN AFRICAN EXPLORER.
Captain K. C. Howe, Fellow Of the ROYAL
Geographical Society, who has spent thir-
teen years in the exploration of Equatorial
Africa, is in the city, having arrived on the
British ship Monowai. Contrary to most
African travellers he states that the natives
of the dark continent" are perfectly docile
and that one can travel from end to end of
nil that vast territory without being sub
jected to ill-treatment Of any nature.