New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-14
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
EX-SENATOR MLLER'S sPEECHEs-KAwE-
All NY-GRASSH0PPERS.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.I

San Francisco June l3.-Worner Miller has
aroused new interest here in the Nicaragua Canal
by his speech at the Chamber OF Commerce din
ner and by his address in Metropolitan Hall. The
Isthmus of Panama Canal did much to prejudice
Caiifornians against the Nicaragua scheme. al
though they have always been aware Of the enor-
nous benefits II would bring to the Coast. Inc
trouble here Is that many rich merchants are
extremely conservative. Their isolated lie oe-
fore the railroad brought rapid communication
with the East led TO the formation OF hapiV'
that it is difficult to break. Their sloth has
led to the stealing of nearly all the Northern Coast
trade by Eastern merchants who have captured
nine-tenths of the trade of Seattle. Tacoma ana
Portland. while the Northern Pacific Railway rs
doing It's best 10 divert the Chinese and Japanese
trade from its natural channel through San Fran
cisco Mr. Miller has done San Francisco an
immense service by shaking up many OF tncse
Sld-tne merchants, and his visit cannot fall 10
help the canal as well as to stimulate interest
in San Franciscos trade.
The Kaweah colonists, who were recently con-
victed ut hos Angeles of cutting timber on Gov
eminent land, propose 10 appeal their cases Their
conviction will be utilized by these people as u
means of arousing public sympathy Ihey pose
as martyrs of Governmental severity, as poor men
oppressed by large capitalists and corporations VINO
seek TO drive them out 0s the country In real
jty. the leaders are impostOrs. They never had
the slightest claim TO the land on which they cut
timber, for their filings did not cover It, Ihey
intended to select sections covered by superb
growth of sequoias which had not been moested by
lumber men because Of their inaccessible ioca-
ton But they made a mistake and their filings
ONLY reached TO Kaweah River. This stream be-
comes @ torrent early in the fall and cannot be
crossed during the winter; hence the chief reason
why the luubermen did not open roads to the
great body of timber The leaders of the Kaweah
colonfsts have collected thousands of dollars in
initiation fees and assessments from the members,
for which they have made no return. They have
given what they call time checks" for all labor
performed, and the only returns of the men who
have labored for two years is poor subsistence
on bacon and beans. The leader is Burnett ID.
Haskell, who came into prominence with Denis
Kearney, and has since lived schemes of this
kind
Viticultural Officer Wetmore has devised CO.
operative scheme for grapegrowers which prom
Uses good results He suggests trustee in each
wine district, to whom the grapes shall be de-
hvered for distillation into brandy In this way
the Cutting of the market with wine grapes
would be prevented and good prices could be
maintained.
An English syndicate has made arrangements
for the purchase of the American Concentrated
Must Company, in SOnoma County. AT the works
5000 tons of grapes may be reduced annually.
This product known as must, is then shipped to
London, where it is converted into good wine.
President D. G. Gilman, of Johns Hopkins, is
a leading candidate for the presidency Of the
California State University at Berkeley. The
Regents viii probably offer him the same salary as
he gets now, and it is believed that he will &C
cept the Office. His chief competitor for the place
is Professor Martin Kellogg, now acting president
F. ]: Clark, ex-Deputy Controller of State, died
this week at his home in 1ulare County. He
was a prominent Democrat, and was noted for
his honesty in public affairs He was chief as
sistant for nearly ten years of Auditor Dunn, the
only man that came into onlce under the new
Constitution who proved to be capable and honest
lie held the Controllership for several terms,
receiving many votes from Republicans.
Even the Chinese have been infected with the
mania for strikes. One hundred and fifty struck
this week who were employed on the Buhach
plantation, near MERGED, where a shrub Is grown
and manufactured into powder for killing heas ana
other insects. The manager Of the plantstlon re,
fused to pay the higher wages ueinshueu' anu
secured white workmen.
Dr. Behr. entOmologist, of the Academy. of
Sciences has discovered that the utmouse is a
deadly enemy Of the scale bug, green aphls, ana
other fruit tree pests, the birds feeding upon the
eggs of the insects Plans will be made for ac-
chmatizing the titmouse, which Is found now only
in large numbers in Monterey County.
Grasshoppers are out in force in the northern
part of the Sacramento Valley, and in several
counties they have done great damage. They
seem to have a bed In Tehama County, end the
greatest devastation has been caused by half
grown insects. Three men with sacks caught SOC
pounds of grasshoppeIs IN three hours, capturing
them on top of the alfalfa In the early morning
MANY orchard-owners have saved their crops by