The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-19

Yet few mere days Of this perspirng,
bTeezeless. hot weather. and the poultice-
pavement which adOrns patches of our
streets and sidewalks will be in a beautiful
condition resembling in consistency badly
made candy or glue near the melting point.
During hot weather the pOultice is very I'M
questionable. 1t takes fOotmarks with the
readiness Of sand and horses 20 deep into it
as they would into mud, .but they do not
pull out their hoots with ease. Young lads
delight 10 pound holes into IL. an exercise
which does not call for any strain upon the
weakest constitution, and ladies with neat
footwear are apt to remember the vitures
of this plastic nuisance, souvenirs of Dast-
ness being Inevitable, 10 matter how lightly
the fair sex trip over the ground. This
pavement is not suitable for California. 1t
might pass muster in the Arctic regions,
where everything is frozen hard. but those
who introduced IL here as q public benefit
imposed upon the pubic. Probably they
did not impose upon themselves, and so lay
their plans TO iDflct more Of it upon a suf-
fering community.
In his address before the Geographical
Society of the Pacific Mr.. Miller had no
trouble in showing the vast difference there
is between the enterprise Of the Panama
canal and that Of the Nicaragua canal. De
Lesseps, In the case Of the Panama canal,
simply went to work blindly. He was
flushed with success over the Suez project,
and thought there could be nothing i'm
practicable 10 the engineer ia d new region.
His surveys were not thorough, or ne would
never have proceeded with the work, but
having commenced it and spent millions
uselessly upon it, he had not the courage to
withdraw and tell the dupes of his conf
dence the truth. just because he succeeded
at Suez the French people backed him at
Panama, and the END Is simply ruin, for all
hope may now be abandoned that the canal
can be finished. Even il the canal-pro-
moter had had fellah labor, as in Egypt for
next TO a song, it is doubtful whether the
result would have been a bit the better.
In the case of the Nicaragua canal the sur
veys are careful. and the estimates of cost
have come from Independent and reliable
sources. The work is practicable at mod
crate outlay. Nobody cow doubts that.
Some one with turn for industry has
computed that the Eastern editors who are
touring through California will send to their
papers descriptions of their sightseeing ex-
tending 10 100000 inches in columns, or
something over three miles-a prodigious
feat truly, both for the editors and the
wires; but the party numbers about 600.
including $50 editors or owners, and the ma
terlal by the way is abundant. The recep-
ton these press eXcurS0nlStS are receiving
cannot fail 10 make a deep impression even
on the most phlegmatic and cooEheaded
The kindness shown wherever they 90 is
unStinted IN measure and heartiness. There
is an epidemic Of solicitude to show them
that in California they are strangers at
home, and they may almost be jaded by the
c0mbte de bORheur showered upon them at
the hating places. AT Santa Barbara they
made acquaintance with an avalanche Of
the floral treasures Of the State, and at Los
Angeles they have acquired some notion Of
the luxuFiance Of our orchard cultivation.
There is more in store for their entertain
ment as they come noTtbward, and the only
accessory they could cheerfully dispense
with is the hot weather. 1t may be feared
that some of our visitors will return home
signing that their lot is not cast on the
sunny Pacific Slope; but If they converse
confdentlally with some of our business
men they Will learn that there is more than
sunshine needed TO make the Pacific Coast
prosperous and progressive.
Mr. Charles A. Wetmore's speech at the
convention of california winemakers hit
some nails on the head with a good click.
He urged the need of attracting more
capital TO build up enterprises and provide
additional employment for growing popu-
lation, and when he came to the railroad
facilities and our need of better communica-
ton he remembered that "at present there is
only one door for us to get out of, and that
has nail sticking cut the wrong way that
skins us every tiGle. The TRANSPORTATION
system of to-day is of the same principle as
the mousetrap." That remark must strike