The morning call., 1893-05-21

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The citizens OF San Francisco have only
the rudiments of menagerie to look at
in the Golden Gate Park; but the few
animals there are excite a good deal Of
interest. The aviary has room enough
for a few thousands of birds. 1t is, in
fact. so big that the few hundreds it does
contain are we'll concealed most of the
time. Private subscription might accom-
plis much if plans were properly drawn
up for concentrated geological collection
such as most of the Dutch cities possess.
The Geological Society of London is sus-
tanned by subscriptions of members and
payments for admission. The income last
year was nearly S125.000 and the eXpendi-
ture S115, COO. The admissions were 605, rs.
subscribers have few privileges beyond
Tree admission and the right to entrance
on Sundays and to invite their friends.
Ihe collection is not superior to that of
some Dutch and German cities. 1t includes
2413 animals, of which 600 are mammals,
1897 birds and 366 reptiles.
Experiments have commenced on the
ClyGe in the use of oil fuel on passenger
steamers. The points to be determined
are safety aud cheapness as compared with
coal. Where coal is high in price oil
is abundance of it in every region of the
earth. The supply at Batu is sufficient
10 fill a reservoir about as big as Lake
Superior. and only small area in thou
sands of square miles has yet been tapped.
Perhaps safety is the chief obstacle. This
difficulty may be overcome by the use of
aOsorDents in the way that dlatGmaceOus
earth IS used for dynamite. Large steam
ers could fill up the cellular space in the
bottom allowed for water ballast, but the
danger OF explosion when all the oil has
been drawn off ana gases are apt to form
would be serious. Some genius in me-
chanics will solve the problem, and then
everybody will say it is simple.
Color is gradually yielding up the mys-
teries OF its composition in applications of
the arts. Theoretically there is insuper-
able difficulty in reproducing color in pho
tographs, yet this is what is being done by
some method which arran ges the photo
graphic finn in physical shape to reflect
the colors required. Colored photographs
have been shown in Paris, showing bou-
quets in nearly all the colors of the
spectrum, and shades of these. 1t has
also been proved that many natural OBJ
Jects may be taken in the camera as they
appear to the eye. But no means have
yet been discovered of transferring these
direct Impressions to paper prints. Sci
ence may yet unlock the secret. In news
paper illustrations it is probably impos-
sible to make use of color by phOtOgra-
ply, but beginning has been made with
colored drawings. AS yet the tints are
few and not remarkable for truth, but
there are still many improvements con-
ceiYabIe in the modern printing-press.
The Earl Of Dysart has electrified Chi.
cagO with the statement that he would not
give "a brass tuppence" for the House OF
Lords. His lordship halls from Scotland.
and is one of many Scotch peers who have
not the honor to belong TO the House of
Lords or any other legislative body. The
representation of Scotch peers in Parlia-
ment is confined to sixteen, and his lord
ship is not one. Ireland has twenty-eIght.
There are. however. a number of peers
who have double titles. They air their
Scotch name and make use of their title
as peers of the United Kingdom to sit in
the second chamber. The contempt ex-
pressed by the Earl of Dysart is only in
part justified. There are hundreds of peers
who are nobodies and who never take any
part in deliberations. They wisely coDfine
their prerOgatlveS to voting or, still better,
to absence. But about fifty peers are able,
and have the misfortune to sit in a dull
chamber, where their uselessness is pain
fully conspicuous. They have a stage of
In w. G. Collingwood's life of Ruskin,
just Issued. the sage of CODiston is de-
scribed very happily at home. He seems
now to have recovered from the mental
proStration that threatened to overwhelm
him. After dinner he reads aloud Scott or
Edgeworth, or translates Scribe or George
Sand. Then he has little music. and does
not disdain lively ditty from London
town. and so W inds up the day about half
past 10. He is afflicted with bushels of
correspondence. The bulk of this we are
told ''is from strangers in all parts of the
world-admirers' f1attery, students Ques-
tionS, begging letters for money, books,
influence. autographs, criticism on in
closed manuscript or accompanying picture,
remOnstrance or abuse from dissatisfied
readers or from people who object to his
method OF publication, or who wish 10 con-
vert him to their own religion" The man
who abhors railroads also despises blot
ting paper, and to fasten envelopes uses
red wax and seal bearing the motto 'to-
day." Ruskin has an income from his
books OF $4,000 to $4,000 year, great
part of which he dispenses to pensioners
The million dollars left by his parents has
gone in gifts and attempts to do good. He
still has many treasures in pictures and
books.
finder, he spoiled the market for the works
of sundry painters. An "R. A" sounded
q general complaint in Punch in these
lines:
/ paints and paints.
Hears no complaints,
Ana sells before Pm dry;
TIL savage Ruskin
Sticks his tuSk in,
And nobody will buy.
Ruskin no doubt felt this when he wrote
to an artist that he was sorry he could not
speak favorably of his pictures. but hoped
it would make no difference in their
friendship. The reply was neat: "Dear
Ruskin-Next time / meet you l shall
knock you down; but hope it will ma AXE
no difference in our friendship" A little
blood-Ietting is good for very successful
artists. When they can get any price they
ask for canvas they are apt to run away
with the notion that slapdash smudging
and commonplace fritaness are reDresenta-