The morning call., 1892-03-27
BY THE WAY.
BEING a RamhlGr'S Observations on Things
in General,
Prospects in Population-7he Growth CT India.
Costly Dinner-California Wiues-A
Live Whale for Chicago.

looks forward 10 the time when IulS cOun-
Try VIII have a population of 500.000,00o,
and will be so peacefully minded as to cas-
tiga,e any other country that dreams of
going to war. The United States is to play
DR.. Birch in the school Of nations. Per-
haps we need not concern ourselves with
the p.nblem how our system Of government
IS to be maintained on anything like the
present lines when the soil OF freedom
sroans under such a multitude. 1t is
premature. Several generations viii have
their toes turned to the roots Of the daisies
before that elimination of republican eX-
pansion Is within saluting distance. The
period is indeed SO remote that we are
quite likely TO know something more about
Wnat we term the law Of grayitation before
il arrives. Bat SUPPOSE we had our 500.-
O0O,O00, is it probable that we should be
peaceful and friendly to ali the rest of the
earth? re there not many lessons in his
tory that the big nations bully the small
ones and are faciie IN discovering satisfac-
tory reasons for approDriatlng their terri
tory? What IS this scramble going on in
Africa for territory but a thirst of the
European countries for ACKNOWLEDGMENT?
1t is only intended OSlenSbly for the eleva-
ton OF the natives. There is not much left
TO fight for in Europe except to get the
Turk cut of it, and there is little of mo
body's land" left in the world. 1t will be
/ "
times more powerful than it is, does not
convert the whole of North America into
its tOotstoOl. Chauncey Depew says that
Canada Is plum that VIII drop into L ncle
Sans mouth by natural attraction. Once
we have got all We want We. may be able to
play policeman; but can any one define
what our wants are so as TO bind posterltyP
Meanwhile the United States is not the
only country increasing its population. It
almost takes the breath away to learn that
the total population Of India is now 2SS,-
000. COO. About fifth of the population Of
the globe. In the 10 years. ISS1-91, there
was a gross increase in the population of
33 800 0C0 quite half the inhabitants of the
United States and nearly equal to the
population Of Great Britain and Ireland.
The actual increase IS estimated at ., 000. 600
To what viii India Gene IL this rate con-
uuues? At present il Is a wheat-eXpQTting
country. but there is always a famine or
two IN progress. and the death of a million
or more from starvation does not appall the
rest of the world nor grieye TO distraction
India itself | nder British rule there is
peace and security, and so the population
tbrlyes But it would surely be impossible
for HindOStan 10 sustain 4 population of
twice the present number, and yet within
very short period we u ght anticipate such
al increase. There is, however. no need TO
indulge 10 dismal dreams of the evils of
GvercrOwdng. Nature kindly steps in Oh
its own account TO relieve mankind of
anxiety. just as the balance OF nature is
maintained among the lower animals, one
reylng upon the other so there Is a regu-
lati0n Of human affairs by pestlence and
wars. In that sense there are some people
who hold that wars are beneficial both 10
VIctors and vaDQuished. a Russian in
VaslOn may correct the tendency to over
population in india.
Insurance companies no doubt keep ac-
curate statistics of the longevity Of all
ranks and professions. and have scales of
premiums suited to the varying probabili-
ties Of all who depart from this vale Of
tears. 1t would be interesting to know
what period Of probation they allow the
average tea-taster. The popular belief is
that tea-taster cannot live long, and per-
hapS is glad TO 60 when summoned. Having
but q short allowance Of happiness before
the scytEe-mOwer cuts him down he is pre-
.Sumed to be gay and merry while he has the
opportunity. In this SuppOsitOn the pub
lie are quite mistaken. A tea-taster is said
10 lose his nice perception of the tea he a stes
after lively practice Of a dozen years and
10 that extent he may be said TO fass away
professionally, butthere is nothing TO hinder
him continuing in vigorous health if pru-
dent IN diet and liquor. The tea-taster has
widespread reputation as e gOuTmand and
a gourmet, and on lie not infreQueDt Oeca-
siOns when he INDUCES he leaves tea
IN the background. His income Is
large, and on his travels he can
afford TO live in style Recently in San
Francisco eleven Of the fraternity and three
guests dned together, and the hotel chef
must have felt an honest pride In his noble
calling as he cOgitated over the sauces and
kept the spits going to a turn. There was
vine galore, and of very high quality, too
So good was the dinner, so enchan ting the
three hours at table, that nobody growled
when the bill was added up and found to
be $500! In this city, so rich in all the
raw materials Of dinner, they ought to
have had banquet for that amount such as
could not be furnished anywhere else. 1t
ought assuredly to have surpassed that
famous dinner at the Savoy, London, which
cost Sl25 head. Is tea-tasteT happy IN
old age when he is without money? Surely
lie cannot be cheerful when plunged in recoi-
Lotions.
Most Of the money spent on banouets
when the bills are high goes in wine. AL
most nowhere can gourmand ply knife and
fork over five dollars worth of food unless
special dishes have been obtained for him
az great distance. IL Partisan will have
fresh fish from a certain lake in Russia bis
taste is gratifed at a ridiculous expense, and
many cook could deceive such an epicure
by sklilful manipulation of common fish
from Normandy, but in the cost of wines
moderate
price are probably the best TO drink. Those
iea-tasters who did not begrudge 500 each
ior dinner must have quaffed what are
termed high-class foreign wines. Perhaps
they had sip Of Rudesheimer or genuine
Johannisberg and with honest content
inent, IL they had these. could give the pure
yintages OF California the go-bv A
number Of our wine merchants do their
best to sustain the idea that Californian
wines are inferior They viii not give them
American ha ioh
be American, but not the name of the wine
Why should we have sauterDe and chablis.
and a whole host of ports and sherries
The wines are not genuine sauterne oil
chabilS. but limitations much better than
most OF the originals, and they ought tC
have respectable name of their own, in
tended to do credit to the ranch from which
they come. Perhaps there are reasons OF
the trade for these shams. Other American
beverages have distinctive applications. All
the cocktail family have been baptized a.
only they could have been in America. anC
D0th names and liquors have come into ap
preciated recognition abroad
We Lave no doubt some ingenious inyen.
tors in our midst Can they devise any an
pllance suitable for saying life on vessels
which have run ashore and are too far out
Tor the rocket apparatus and the waves are
too high for a lifeboat? The Graphic OF
London offers prize Of e100 for the inyen.
ton which is the most successful and in the
cause of humanity every country should
take part In the competition. Some appa.
Iatus that vessel could carry for itself is
desirable. for there is often great delay OF
precious minutes and hours in obtaining
assistance from the shore, although hmm.
dreds may be looking on quite powerless t.
HII | a