New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-11
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
THE FREIGHT QUESTICN-A GREAT FAIR
GOVERNMENT TIMBER LAND
WATER IN THE DESERT.
TBY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE

San Francisco. Dec 1O.-1he chief topic of in
terest here this week has been the railroad freight
question The hoowncsS of the Traffic Assocla-
ton is exposed as its main aim has been to get up
political agitation against the Southern Pacific
Company. II has accomplished little in the way
Of uniting merchants who are heavy shippers
In fact, more than three-quarters OF its most IN
hucntial members have rcvolicd, and they are now
considering plan TO induce the Southern Pacific
10 make San Francisco a distributing point, as IL
used TO be- Recent decisions in interstate com
nerce cases have justified this change of plan, and
The largest shippers here favor making San Fran
cisco a terminal point Under the present sys-
tcm dealers III interior cities can order from
Eastern firms and get their goods out here al as
low rates as the San Francisco iobber can furnish
them This does not help the Eastern mcrchan''
but it docs cripple San Francisco and 1t Is largely
responsible for the dulness in trade
Tho Mechanics Fair, which opens here next
month will be the most noteworthy exhibition
ever Given in California 1t will include the STATE
exhibit at Chicago which is rich in Objects OF
tho early Mission period and Of the days OF the
Arrouauts. and it will also comprise the "ho
d,snlav Of the Northern California orange-sro"eis.
The fair begins on January 10, ana any TOURIST
WIN "a in San Francisco in that month or fepruaiy
cannot afford TO miss this display which WIN
civ. in a condemned form the history of the
phenomenal Development Of California wi'ih"
forty years.
Special Agent Allen, Of the Land Ohice. has
lust completed his investigation O' the wa'r'"cI
az tho San joaquin Valley. lie will recommend
that tract l40 miles long by from iorty-t"o 10
forty-eiQht miles wide. and embracing the mead
waters Of all the rivers That flow into the
San JOAQUIN Valley, be SET aside as Government
reservation. This tract includes some Of inc
finest timber land in the Sierra Nevadas' winch
has not vet been touched by lnmbermcn pecause
Of difficulty of access. Mr.. Allen thinks that
these forests should hc permanently saved IRON
the cupidity of lumbermen, and also that ca'"e
and sheep should De kept away from the head
waters of the streams, as they destroy The young
trees and shrubs. Adjoining the proposed rcserV"-
tion are large tracts owned by Miller, Lux, nag
min Teyis Carr and others. These men haVe
used the Government mountain l@Ed i'r ca"ue
ranges. and they will fight the proposal 10
reserve them.
Editor Frank NJ Pixley was worstcd this week
in a suit against Henry Burden Mcdowell Nv"
of the New-York Theatre of Arts ana Letters
for $4,000. Mcdowell seven years ago gave i
note for this amount. which he promised 10 pay
in two months should The lnglcside weekly
newspaper which he purchased o! IlNiey' prove
sufficiently successful to Justify its further pup
lication The journal failed. but PiXlcy wanted
his coin because lie claimed, the paper was a
literary and moral success. The Judge held that
that kind of success was not coE'eWp""u W
the conditions of the note.
James Whitcomb Riley, the "Hoosier Poet
arrived here this week, and is spending Few
DAYS with President Jordan, Of Stanford mi
versity. N.Y. Riley was badly used up by eN-
+b, nd triD
in tedious delays.
Nv Christmas the Christian Union Mission and
the Salvation Army hope to have perfected a plan
for systematic relief of the needy which VIII
dispose of the professional street Desgar. dmi
MAN is TO issue tickets, good Tor one lh'di ''.i'
lodging, which Will be sold at % cents each.
The aiVer of one of these tickets may lnuotSc ~
with mis- name and thus ascertain inc chdIdc'ci
OF the person WHOM he has AGED Inns schenv
will cut the ground from under the small army
of bummers' who beg on ali tne pflnclptl streets
and derive good revenue from mcndicdIcJ
The orapse-growers Of Riverside the richest
colony in California, have made arrangements 20
defy the frost tins winter. Inc hca'hess OF
snow-cappcd mountains 70 Riverside Is one OF 'ne
greatest charms Of the outlook Dt IL Is dIS'alouS
TO fruit in about one season out OF four 10 eudri
against heavy frosts pipes have been Iald IN an
the large groves, and crude pc r2cn Is run DI
mt equal distances the clear air l. disturbed by
clouds OF vapor and frost prevented IN smaller
groves large pots OF prtIOi'uti I'm WV i"'Oe -:
pipes. 1t j. calculated that the cost Oh tIiis
APPARATUS is not over so al acre. As many Of
the groves produce net profit of $500 IN acre, 1t
will be seen that the device pays
The first successful borngs for arcsan water
in the heart Of the Colorado Desert have Just
been completed by the Southern Pacific Con-
pany. These were made at Walters. 4 water
tank station on tire railroad which is only twelve
miles west of Dalton the scene of the noodnng
Of the desert from the overflow Of the Colorado
Pivcr two wears ago Walters is 80 miles west
Of Yuma: and is 1913 feet below the level Of
the sea The wells have been sunk is3 feet, and
a flow Of 5000 gallons Of pure wafer an hour
has been obtained. If other horirgs prove
equally successful. not only will the problem Of
supplying locomotives with water &c solved. bat
the whole country can he converted into q
garden, as the land is extremely fertile with
irrigation.