New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-05
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
A LEGISLATURES EVIL RECORD-DOWNFALL
OF PUGILISM THE OLD CALIFORNIA
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.I


San Francisco March 1.-THE session Of the STATE
LEGISLATURE which will probably end next week
has been almost barren of good results. The
greater part of the time the attention Of the Leg
islators was devoted 10 railroad matters, yet moth
ing practical was accomplished. The effort To
saddle the blame for high railroad rates upon The
Railroad Commission proved Il failure and th'
attempt to unseat the three commissioners was also
unsuccessful The creation Of the new county of
Riverside was good bit of work, as tho bound
aries of the county include number of large col
ONES all or which nave common water supply.
This Legislature boasts of very few mon of ability.
Tho chief speakers have been men with impractical
BILE hobbies and fellows with an itch for invcsti-
eating the actions of every one except themselves
Yet despite their crude talk and their absurd IDEAL
of the scope of legislation they have been terribly
expensive. for they permitted political hangcrson
to fill oficill sinccures, untl in the State Senate
there four times many attaches as Mem
bers The Legislature is Democratic III b0th
branches and il started out with promises OF JET
fersonan simplicity. but il ended in levylng on
every available fund, approving every Junketlng
scheme and beating the evil record of previous
bodies in the number of useless and expensive cn-
plOyes.
The downfall of pugilism in San Francisco is 50
complete that the sporting fraternity enter
tain small hopes Of its resurrection. In" athletic
clubs have bowed 10 the law. and the largest and
strongest the California has closed its doors AMI
given up its lease, thus acknowledging defeat
The other places never financially sound. ana
were maintained almost wholly as adjuncts t.
barrooms They are % good as dead, for without
the regular smuggling" matches they cannot pay
their rent. Among decent people there is much
congratulation over the fatal blow given to prize
Ill Il,
been the source of great Generalization. convert
ing good, Woodworking boys into vicious hoodlums
The hanging of a brutal Indian murderer in San
Quentin prison this week is noteworthy, simply
az the first legal execution within the walls Of
State prison in California, in accordance with the
new law. Heretofore the letter and spirit of the
law have been violated, for it has been the custom
of the Sheriff to invite a mob of politicians to
witness the death acOncs of a murderer on the
eallows In such cases the brutal eacerne>s Of
the spectators TO see every detail of the victims
suffering. their ril,ald comment and their coarse
animal faces presented a spectacle far more repul-
sve than that of the condemned criminal. Inc
execution yesterday in San Quentin furnished the
greatest contrast to this scene 1t was held IN the
presence of few officials in a remote part of the
prison, and the twelve hundred convicts were at
their usual work when the hanging occurred. In
country towns the improvement will he even
greater for in many eases the javard Is command
ed from npichboring hills and an execution thus
becomes a pdbc spectacle.
Lying neglected at her wharf in Tiburon. across
the bay from san Francisco. IL tn" Old steamer
California. which forty-tour wears ago this week
entered the larbor bringing In" first load OF pas
sengcrs To this port. She left Newly Ork IN Dcto-
bcr 1sis. had a stormy pas>agn around Cape iioln
took on over three hundred gold hunters az rama
ma. and landed them safely here on the last d3y
of February. 1919. Only a handful of TN" Gan
fornias passengers on that eventual IMP still le-
main.
Frederick Wardo and Louis James have played
10 bic house; al ~" week at the Baldwin in
Francesca la Rmini. In fact. III" play r.
been arc.ter success th;n WHEN Barrett fist ap-
peared in it, The comic opera. Ills Majesty,
will be produced next week at tie livoli Theatre
The Baroness" Blanc is in temporary cclps": mn
she is negotiating for a new play b. PccC ROBERT
son. the local dramatic critic
Contracts wCrr lot this week for the new build
ing of tie Young Mems Christian Association. AZ
Mason and Ellis sts The structure will by 81 Tx
1s7 II feet. and will be completely fitted up
feature will be large and perfectly c4uipp-l |
gymnasium.
The State Vit>cutural Commission has perfected |
plans for testing various vines which, il i asserted.
are proof against the phyloNcra. 1hcN" vines |
have been imported from France and their adapt |
ability 10 different soils Will b. determined il well |
ss the results Of grating on them