The morning call., 1893-07-21

oSiSA oUiiCe OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, HO
1t unconstitutional. the worst that can be
said is that ne committed an error OF judg-
ment. But if his action was prompted by
the motives which the Sam ascribes 1t 10.
MI Cleveland is the smallest man that
ever occupied the White House.
Wnat pity the comet did not come this
way and rub noses with the earth. Ac-
cordlng to Professor Porter OF the Cincin
natl Observatory the comet did come pretty
close to us. Had 1t kept heading for the
earth 1t would have enveloped it in eight
days. the distance at the time Of diverging
being $4,000 ,000 miles, or less than half the
earth'S distance from the sun aud the rate
OF speed being over 100000 miles day.
lnere Is no reason to fear that the COLL
sion would have resulted in any material
damage. II might. indeed, not have been
notlced at all but for shower OF hne
luminous matter such as comes with me-
teorlc swarm. The astronomer and phys-
cist would have had the opportunity to
settle some points about the constitution
OF comets by nearer approach. AS 1t is
lhey must continue to grope through The
WIGS OF speculation and doubt.
A queer legal situation exists at Port
lano, Or.. in regard to the feeding OF sixty
Chinamen who were not allowed to land
from the steamer Haytian Republic. The
vessel was libeled for smuggling both
opium and Chinese and the owners con-
sidered it financial policy TO abandon her.
At the same time they abandoned the
sixty Chinese. The Washington authori.
ties would not let them land. the owners
would neither take them to China ner
Iced them, and altogether 1t was a nice
pickle. A solution has been found in
left-handed way. The Government re-
fuses legally to supply food, bui does it
quite as satisfactorily in a practical fash
ion. The Chinese get their meals and are
perhaps wholly Indifferent who swallows
the law. clever lawyer might sue for
damages on the ground lhot they are being
inhumany starved.
Rabbits are abundant In San Bernardino
County, and so are the hunters who would
like to secure 10 cents bounty for every
pair OF ears In these dull times they
would earn good income by diligence,
but the taxpayers might complain that
their lot was little hard. Coyotes are
intended by nature to do little thinning
without bounty.
The story of the firing upon the Mohican
is utterly discredited by an avalanche Of
lery practice az that related in the Tire
mendous Adventures OF Major Gagham."
when one lucky ball carried away the
swinging trunks of long train of ele-
plants. 1t also somewhat approaches the
recent terrible combats with moonshiDerS
ins the Blue Mountains, which sanguinary
affairs drew forth highly moral editorials
in Europe on the excrescences of outlaw
crime in the United States. The clever
people who propagate such stories are de-
lighted with their practical jokes. and un-
fortunately there are no means of re-
warning them otherwise. A dose of the
prntentiary for false news Is occasionally
desirable.
Ii Siam has any hope of effective aid
against France from China, it is leaning
-on a broken reed. China has claims of
some kind on Tonquin, AMMAN and Siam,
but the assertion OF them is a different
matter. Should France gobble up Siam
altogether and get into touch with Eng
land on the frontier, both France and Eng
land will be put to the trou BILE of agreeing
to precise limitation OF territorial rights
aud guarding the same. That there Will
be any rupture in spite OF irritation is
highly improbable
The GOODNESS With which smuggling of
Chinese is carried on at Seattle is remark
able. How many Celestials were let loose
the other night is unknown; but there
must have been a small swarm to render
the enterprise Of getting up steam and
taking risks profitable. Every Chinaman
smuxglsd into the United States is worth
hundreds of dollars to the gangs at work
After landing there is little further care,
as the contraband is undistinguishable
from the genuine legal article. A China
man is better cargo than opium, which
may be traced and conhscated. Seattle is
entitled to some craft better than a row.
boat to intercept thsse underground prac-
tIces.
A small steam yacht has been built in
Brooklyn, which is spoken of as the fast
est craft on the water. The dimensions
are: SO feet inches length on water line,
7 feet beam. and 2 feet 5 inches
draught. A wager of $500 has been laid by
the builder. B. McCarrack. that the Rex
as the yacht Is named-will steam more
than forty miles an hour. This Is moving
at pr0digious rate, but the vibration can
not make trip In the smoothest water
pleasant. and beyond mere speed there is
no enjoyment in such Yachting.
Mr.. A. j. Drexe. the banker. has acted
generously in his will toward Phiadel-
phia. The German Hospital receives a
cool million of endowment and another
million goes to the Public Art Gallery.
Presumably this Is the art institute he
founded and endowed so munlficently,
spending about two millions on it during
his lifetime, but IL not the money is still!
gain to the educational refnement of the
city. With these facilities to study art and
TO elevate the taste of her population Phil
adelphia has a prospect of making ad.
vances which manv other cities, prosper
ous in the material sense, have hardly vet
considered.
The charges of maltreatment made
against CAPTAIN Winter OF the American
ship M. +. Grace will nc more be heard of.
The captain was discharged from further
attendance on court Yesterday. there eing
no witnesses to support the charges.
Sailors are no longer kept at Alcatraz. ard
when they roam the town they are apt to
succumb to grOg and lose their reck oning.
AT all events the witnesses required at the
Appraisers Building were cruising when
wanted. 1t is a sad reflection on sailors
that they must be kept in Jail or they fail
as witnesses.
PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT.
Wade Hampton regards the new South