The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-27

man yesterday climbed 10 the top of the
Merchants Exchange flagstaff and put the
twisted halyards in running order. lie was
applauded for the feat and deserved il, but
there have been many much more hazard
Gus. The men who affixed the final and the
lightning rod on Eiffel Tower, at height of
800 metres, or 975 feet, had very cool heads.
Balloonisss who 90 20O0 feet In the air and
hang by one hand or by the heels from
trapeze are also very phlegmatic in nerve
so is the man. of-warsman who stands on
the main truck with folded arms coming up
harbor; so is the steeplejack who repairs
the coping of a chimney 400 feet high,
swaying in the air. and who allows himself
TO be photographed, and q minute after
ward, by some misadveDture, topples off
the narrow rim and falls to the ground, a
crushed mass OF bruised flesh and bone.
But the steeplejack spirit is perhaps more
strongly exhibited 1T Freiburg than any,
where else. Every year there is a competi-
tlon in this town TO ascend to the pinnacled
weathercock by scaling the 300-fOot spire
from crockett to crockett Some OF the very
adventurous turn sOmersaults en- route, and
even stand on their heads 1t is a blood
curdling exhibition Of coolheaiedness. and
that men should do this for paltry reward
and dinner surpasses The understanding
at least Of old people.
Besides the electric car which Is TO
perform journey Of go miles in an
hour between Chicago and St. Louis.
an inventor in New York has de-
vised an hydraulic method OF propulsion
which combines the ease Of gliding on
skates with the vigor Of the hydraulic RAM
Ii Is evidently an attempt to improve the
chem1R de fer gLSSdnt Of a recent French
Exhibition. The train, as 1t were, was
hoated by spurts OF water to Its destination.
n - In Il TT e.
small scale, has never, however, been car
ried 10 commercial praciicallty. II might
require the assistance Of the soap boiler TO
apply IL on large scale, but the New York
inventor Is evidently in earnest. The diff
Guilty VIII come when snow falls and his lets
OF propulsion are solid and the tracks COW
cred with snow. Perhaps also he may find
his freezing mixture for the slippery rails
expensive.
John L. Sullivan, the redoubtabIe. Is in a
storming mood. but perhaps little credence
should be attached to the reports which fly
around concerning him. On the ono hand
he is said to have heart fatty degenerated.
disquaIifying him from fighting again. This
Is only too probable. On the other hand he
Is known to have protuberant abdomen,
indicative of muscle out of place But to
have John l.. worked up TO the belief that
ne was not honestly defeated by Corbett
legs into comatose condition, Is trife
ludcrous. He is said to be anxious for an
other fight with Corbett The latter will
not object. Two defeats OF Sullivan would
crown him In the eyes Of the sporting world
with money 10 bet Betting is the princi-
pal immortality aad Incentive of pugilism.
Chicago is seriously troubled In the busi-
ness spirit by the dullness OF the meat
packing business Hegs are scarce, but
men are plentiful, and 5000 of the latter
have had to go packing because there are
not enough of the former to pack. The re-
suit must inevitably be 10 raise the price of
timed meats and hams, and also to increase
the selling price of hogs. Farmers who
have good stocks will rejoice at the turn of
the market 1t is seldom they get a chance
to smile. what with the middleman's and
the operators corners and the heavy toll
levied by the railroads. Stocks held in Eu-
rope will benefit by the short supply. In
California we are as yet little affected By
this fuctuation In packing. II all goes
well with packing establishments at Baden
and Rodeo, it will not be necessary to send
single live steer or hog out OF the State.
rms coast has good opportunity to make
The packing trade success.
1t Is pointed out that Oregon and Wash.
ington States will at the new year have the
advantage Of five transcontnental lines,
more or less competing. One might infer
that these States are more Important to the
railroads than California. but IL would be
an egregious mistake to believe that. The
policy oil the Southern Pacific is to outma-
neuVer any attempt to invade Its domain.
Inc Santa lee has nibbled away a bit OF the
southern part OF the State. and the south is
11nefeDy benefited, but that is about all.
Inc central part OF the State Is held as in a
wise by the Kentucky monopoly. The day
OF reckoning Is, however, already at hand.
we shall eventually have more railroads.