The morning call., 1892-04-24


- - AtsSTS
The Earthquake Prophet.
Who can say what the effect would have
been had the QuakinRs which produced such
havoc at Winters and Dixon occurred in
San Francisco? There might have been a
movement in real estate not to the liking of
the numerous investors who are constantly
on the outlook for boom in lots. Brick
buildings Jared badly at Nacayille and
Dixon, and had the oscillations been as
violent here there might have been de-
plorable setback to enterprise. Frame
buildings. no matter how huge. may be ex-
pected TO resist the most appalling earth
quake shocks unless they sink into the
ground altogether, and thus the numerous
mansions which along fashionable streets
have been constructed with such liberal aid
from the iig-saw are destined to remain
monuments of their owners taste, unless
carried off by FIRE.
Luckily the prophets. who know the exact
day, hour, minute and second when a seismic
SILVER Is to run along the earth and unsettle
everything from city blocks to mans reason,
were not in time with their Vaccinations
for this earthquake. They were not even
'sooneTs," but were very much in the posi-
ton of Eaters" Their failure will not
however, discourage them from setting traps
for the next upheaval. 1t makes little diff
ference 10 their eminent success in life
whether they are correct or not. The wild
est utterances upon the unknowable are
readily swallowed and assimilated by the
large ma IS of people whose reasoning facul-
ties are atrophied or paralyZed. If the tribe
who live Cd credulity were to demon
strate in the accustomed manner
next month come 100000 miles nearer
the earth and set tide flowing over Munte
Diabo, there are doubtless numbers of
acephalous well-meaning people, who would
be conVlncedDf the errors OF their wicked
lives and would straightway 60 down on
their marrow-bones and ask not to be
drowned in water so deep. Long ago the
sehoolmen gave up cogitatlons on the num-
Der OF angels who could make the point of
needle a paTQuet for WALKING. but there
studies for The silly in the present age.
What dull world IL would be were human
beings all patterned on a model OF wisdom
incompatible with absurdities.
There must have been lamentaton last
week in Congress among the orators who
acquire reputation for profound States
maDship on other peoples thinking A
resolution was most unkindly passed cutting
of the privilege OF having any quotations of
encyclopedia pondeTousness inserted in the
Congressional Record. Thus is a country
listening to its Senate deprived of much
wisdom hidden away to save a few dollars.
We may Judge of what is sacr ificed Dy the
fact that there were 220, 900 words almost
enough to string out dictionary round the
giobe-ln extracts given in one week re-
Gently TO the Record. Speeches of this
animated character are delivered much
faster than Wheatst0ne transmitter could
keep up with, and it is quite certain
that unless preserved 10 the Record they
would be preserved nowhere else. The
newspapers with Sunday editions of 80 to 40
pages have rarely space for more than q
column or two Of very closely summarized
Congressional proceedings, The points are
there and the editor wisely concludes that
nobody Is anxious to peruse more If the
Record could be made as light reading as
Harper's or the Century it would form en-
PERTAINING pabulum for railway Journey,
but its reading public must always be linn
tied and preteTnaturally earnest. Henry
George is supposed 10 have had few readers
for his free-trade writings, but TO suppose
that he enlarges his circle much by gratui-
tous publication in the official report Ia kes a
great deal for granted.
Israel Keene OF San Bernardino is r ma
tive Of England. and ought to have patriotic
respect for roast beef. He has, however,
very warped ideas on alimentation, going so
far as to assert that to live you must fast.
He began fast on the 18th of March. and
he still considers 1.-THE right course to pursue
for physical well-being Some time ago he
was stranger te food for 10 weeks-a feat
which completely ecipses the Snowman
starvation exhibitions, and allows weeks to
the good. But this cannot last long. even
with occasional returns TO rational indul-
gence. The time must be at hand when
Israel will fast without discomfort, and give
no concern to those who would feed
him. He Is subject to some halluclna-
ton about the. blessedness Of a pure
life which eschews the grossness OF
diet and he should be properly cared for in
an asylum where such morbid idiosyncra-
sizes are specially considered. The only
people fit for bouts of these Authorizations
are the very corpulent, who require a bale
of cloth for pair OF trousers Nature
would aceommodatingly absorb the surp as
flesh before permitting them to be seriously
10 danger. There Is record OF a pig that
tasted unwiilingly for 100 days and emerged
from the ordeal thin. but lively and pre-
pared for further struggles. But there
are very few fat men who do not look
with envy upon rivals fatter than them
selves. Yet no greater mistake could be
made than TO suppose they are unhappy.
Sir William Gordon Cumming who wa
drnmmed out of the army and shown the
door of society for cheating at cards IN the
company of the Prince of Wales, has not
suffered any loss Of prestige In the region
OF his ancestral estates. Forces in Scotland
gives him welcome Of demonstrative
heartiness on the occasion Of every visit,
and lately he was entertained at banquet.
So indignant are the Forces people at any
imputatIon on their laird that they would
make caber Of any man who ventured to
state an opposition opinion. and perhaps
ding" his Uranium In against stone wall
The King can do no wrong. and a laird is as
good as King in the Highlands. There
are doubtless many honest people who
regard Sir William as martyr.
not to the vices of high play, but
to the honor which would shield
in some vague and undefnable way
the reputation of his friend the Prince.
They believe he was not guilty of cheating,
and that the persons who swore to certain
acts which looked like cheating were either
victims OF deceived senses or geese who
took to cackling when one started off. They
also have Sir Williams own averment on
the subject. IL is hard. however, to set
aside the effect Of public trial in which
the verdict went against the Baronet. and
the very large body Of opinion which stands