New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-25
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
GREAT STORMS ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST
CHEAPER FREIGHT RATES VIA
fBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE. ]

San Francisco. Dec "a Another great south
easter has been blowing for nearly twcnty-iour
hours al along the coast In this CITY the VIM
reached velocity OF sevcnty-two miles an hour
and considerable damage was done 70 signs ana
chimnevs From all parts of the state heavy
rains are reported, which VIII do great good u
fruit. In Oregon ard Washington the worst
snOwstorm for eight wears has been raging ior
two DAYS and the tc,cciaph service IL seriously
crippled In Portland all street traffic WAS az
solutcly suspended because OF the heavy snowfall
The ORGANIZATION Of tie Merchants Steamship
and Navigation Comrany ought TO have az IN
nucnce III reducing trcights between TINS CITY
and Ncw-Yorll If an arrangement is effected
with the Panama Railroad and with lineS OF
steamers on the Atlantic side there is no reason
why the Pacific Mail should not be brought to
terms Fast freight by way of the lSthnus
at moderate rates would be an enormous ad-
vantage 10 San Francisco merchants.
The frequent occurrence of fires in Chinatown
has led the police 10 believe that the Chinese
merchants. who have suffered from poor trade.
are endcavornc 10 meet their Ncw-Y0rk obllGa-
tons at the expense OF the insurance companies
The buildings old and as dry as undef'
In several cases where fires We're put ont promptly
a large part of the stocks 0: merchandise no"
been removed One thing that makes China
town dangerous is the custom Of connecting
adjoining buildings by secret passages. lhrou9h
these flames are carried. rand in several recent
instances the frcmen have had great difficulty IN
checking the progress of the flames.
Tie wasting of the estate of 100000 of john
Tormev in twelve years Icy his widow Is a
singular episode of California life. Iorney
accumulated his fortune by buying old Spanish
estates across the bay When he died there
was not a mortgage on any OF his property Inc
widow lived generously, gave money TO her
children allowed two sons 10 speculate IN mlhlh@
stocks with her funds, and finally she capped
the climax of her folly by advancing money 10
Alegretti for his parents TO preserve fruits ana
flowers Twenty thousand dollars was sunk IN
o cold-storace car. The Tormey estate Is mort
cared for more than il is worth and the creators
will be fortunate if they get fifty cents on the
dollar.
An FnoIish farmer named Leather is now here
IN his way 20 FIJI, accompanied by his VIE anu
cicht servants Although sixty years DID, he pro-
noses n make home in the South Seas lie HIS
bonrht 800 acres at / ) cents an acre from 'ilc
British Government and for deposit OF 9i''oo
the Government has agreed to import 'AOu@"
laborers from India TO work the farm Lc''"i
will nav only u cents day 70 men ana ~ cents
~ women. He expects 10 crow corn, sugar cane
pincapples and other tropical fruits when hhu
a ready market in Australia and England
John A. Peltcn, the Grs; public school teacher
in California, is II sore financial straits al" MS
family has found temporary lodgings IN room
in the new City Hall. Pelton was twice super
intcnGent of the San Francisco public schools ana
saved a competence, bat his small fortune was
souanGercd by a partner. Lately he mas maze d
LIVING by selling his books. ana he HAS no" III
the publishers hands a volume Of poems i As
thousands of Calitornians nave Deen uaii H, ~
him in il thought that his books VIII nave
large sale.
Southern California horticulturlSis are relolc-
inc over an order list ISSUED Tor feSerNd'lVh
in San BerEardinO County. Whlth VIII Prov, ~ ~
watershed of the Sierra for hlty mics "iCni-
thc limits of the reservation the cutting OF COY
.rnnrent timber or The burning oil Lmer"'n>h
will lie strictly forbidden. Recently The sheeplch
have wanronv started fires IN order 10 l'lp
rasfurage TO the great dcirirn'nt OF the yOun1
timber The new reservation lAcludeS l't
sources of all the Ac uii-ation systems o'
Southern California: This, with tne recent en-
larcemcnt OF the Yosemite reservation and the
creation OF Scquoia Park. shows that the Tow
eminent is aroused u the necessity OF proW"'nI4
the forests and the water supply OF the Sierra
Nevada.
The possibilities Of the Colorado desert in the
wav &C carly fruits arr being demonstrated by tie
horticulturisIs Of Palm SPRINGS This place Is
on the fringe of the desert. near the old railroad
station of Seven Palms. The plre had oranges
in market this year by Nov" lbcr 90 ana Us iiGs'
lave ripcned especially carly. Most Of thcSe
WHO live at Palm Springs cannot exist even az
Los Angeles or Riverside. consumption and
asthma are their complaints The dry desert AR
cures even those in advanced stages OF these
diseases.