The morning call., 1893-12-11

POUNDS. ana man may carry one with
ease on his shoulder.
The Traffic Association is promised sup
port from San Jose. Other cities in the
interior are at least under moral obliga-
tions to follow the example. for without
question the work of the association has
oenehted not San Francisco alone but the
whole State. That work thus far has con-
sisted in keeping open the ocean routes for
trade. thereby compelling the overland
railroads TO reduce their tariffs on many
commodities both westward and eastward.
Inc railroads would have adhered TO
their former plan of drawing out OF the
otate ali they could squeeze had there not
Deen competition by sea, and they would
not hesitate TO resume eXtortlon were the
steamers OF the North American Naviga-
tion company and the clipper ships round
the Horn out of the way. This object les
son OF the value of competition should not
De lost sight OF, but experience shows
Ca1ieI curious tendency to relapse into apathy In
California. On fruit shipments alone
hundreds OF thousands of dollars have
oeen saved this year, and the interior
snould snow some practical appreciation
OF the associations work.
In permitting the DETACHMENT of fences,
gates. trees and prominent landmarks by
NN VIC dto
ople. Nowhere on a public highway is
the opportunity neglected to advertise
some lotion, potion or pill, some product
of the factory or WORKSHOP, either by
means OF posters, the stencil plate or
rough painters lettering. If the oppor-
tunity were given Mount Diablo and
lamalpais would be crowned with
sky signs visible 100 miles off. and
Fort Point and the heads at the
Golden Gate would be ornamented con-
splcuously. Sometimes the advertisers pay
for their privileges. but as rule the
perlpatetlc advertising dauber does not say.
by your leave" and he knows that the
lnceDsed proprietor will not take the
trouble to remove the defacement. This
evil is now TO be put down In England by
making IL misdemeanor TO display ad-
VeTtlsements of this character in rural
districts. The law will be enforced too.
The Harness Medical Battery Company,
which William Astor's Pail Mall Gazette
was the means of exploding. is now under
going investigation with the principals as
defendants, Gnd very spicy the evidence
has been. An electrical engineer who was
engaged to lecture Cn the virtues of cleo
tricty in healing, declared that Harness
knowledge of electricity was compressible
into nut shell, and that his belt was quite
inDOChub VI 6lectGIcal pTOpeTutS. AN
elactrlcal brush was also destitute of them.
The Object. however, was not to trouble
the public with anything very scientific,
but to get them 10 Duy belts and brushes,
and the profits were enormous Articles
worth 6O cents were retailed at $40 80.
By advertising and iecturns the wares
were Ia demand fer all the ills of life. and
this deception might have gone on inter-
minably had not Astor's paper broken the
beautiful bubble. How easy it is to hum
bug the public. 1t is the lesson Of all ages.
Next year should witness thorough
test of the great experiment of making
Niagara perform mechanical work by con-
verting a portion of its power into cleo
triclty. The huge turbines of 5000 horse
power are destined to supply the local dis
trict az well as Buffalo with magnificent
driving force. night and day, without any
expenditure for fuel. and only repairs and
renewals OF machinery to think about.
Economically great achievements are
possible in manufacturing with this
constant service available. There are
still some points TO settle experiment.
ally as TO the voltage pressure the most
suitable. Professor George Forbes. the
consulting engineer, is OF opinion that a
pressure of 10000 volts can be generated
safely, and that this would save a great
deal In copper, but timidity stands in the
way, and the dynamos are to be of ordi-
nary pressure. As soon as success is
demonstrated, ctner schemes to utilize
Niagara are certain TO be proposed.
Specimens of coal from MendocinO
County are on exhibition al the rooms of
the State Board of Trade. 1t Is TO be
hoped they are indications OF the exist
ence of genuinely good seams, yielding a
quality OF fuel suitable for manufactures
A great field of coal in California. approx.
imating TO the quality imported, would be
worth far more to the State in the en-
couragement OF industry permanently than
all the gold which has yet been mined in
it. If the coal answers to the requisite
tests it will be unnecessary 10 drum up
speculators.