The morning call., 1893-10-16
The irrigation conference makes refer.

TaLU6T tUaD cODceQ6 the QlHere0Cc.
The Irrigation conference makes refer
ence In its report to the important subject
of forestry. 1t is quite time that the
United States took the subject Of our
forests, as they effect the rainfall and
climate. in hand, precisely in the thorough
way in which this matter is dealt with in
Germany, France and other European
countries. The indiscriminate cutting
down OF timber now going on everywhere
ON a vast scale, utterly regardless OF the
results hereafter, cannot but work dlSas-
ter. The planting of trees and the main
tenance of the forests as far as possible
now existing, only allowing mature por-
tlons to be cut, would gradually convert
the deserts into fertility, but if deforesta-
sion advances the arid area is certain to
increase, and the rainfalls available Tor
irrigation must diminish.
The deal completed among the street.
car companies may afford the public better
facilities of passing from one car to anoth-
er by transfer tickets, but 1t probably
auencnes for many years the aspirations
OF passengers for lower fares. 1t may be
possible on the part of The companies to
reduce their expenses, but the nickel is
probably fixed as the unit of fare
whether the journey be one block or
twenty. Ii the fare was low there would
be no less objection TO uniformity. but tve
cents is considerable amount family
living In the western part Of the city may
easily spend more in car fare than Tor
rent. If the distance home or to the
workshop be at all considerable there is
little option, even to those who would pre-
fer 10 walk. The streets are too uneven to
make pedestrlanism agreeable save where
stone payements have been laid. While
the companies gain materially by their
consolid alton the city which gave them
their franchises has no corresponding ben
eft.
Victorien Sardou. the dramatist, is a
monument of method and industry-a fine
example of the literary worker. He is
never at loss for a plot, for he has 25O
more or less. drafted and arranged for
manipulation, skeletons on which he has
yet to put the flesh and the clothes, and
no fewer than fifty are advanced suffi-
ciently to possess titles Sardou has these
creatures of the Imagination so obedien tly
drilled that they come TO him In moment
out of leather cases, all carefully docketed
and indexed. He is "a careful utllZer OF
incidents which come under his eye IN the
newspapers or by actual observation. The
dramatist will not live To complete tlthe
OF his work. 1t would be well if some one
else could waltz his puppets across the
stage when he is gone; but probably his
creations are like the contents Of collec-
tors museum, only the collector can eX-
tract the full value. Even in the matter
of stage action and dress Sardou has every
thing his own way. He says women II
left TO themselves would all wear red
dresses to rivet attention.
During the late maneuvers of the Ger
man army dogs were actually employed in
field work and made useful record. ii
was veritabiy a case of letting slip the
dogs of war; Two Scotch collies and
three German sheepdOgs we're tried in
outpost work and in carrying dispatches
from headquarters. They went about
their duties with dispatch and certainty
especially at night. and proved OF decided
value IN searching out supposed wounded
persons. The Scotch dogs were very saga
cious and faithful, and the German field
did wonders in speed. One sped over two
miles in seven minutes. Dogs are not of
so much account in conveying messages
now that field telegraph facilities by Ordi-
nary instruments, telephone and hello
graph, are so perfect Tney might be
utilized in laying field wires for sh 0rt dis
tances during hot fighting, or in carrying
phonograph messages to the front In
dealing with dogs, an enemy has good
opportunity to coax the animals and de-
prive them of their messages or turn them
to hostile account.
The artistic American forger is now get
ting up his reputation in England. A
number of spurious Bank of England
notes keep crossing the Atlantic from Chi
cago, where there is so much money that
people are getting careless, and at the bank
counter they are promptly detected. But
they are very skilIful works of the forger's
art. In short, nothing SO perniciously
beautiful in neatnesS and perfection of fin.
ish has been seen before. 1t is said that
as yet there is no clew that allows the de-
tectives to lay their hand on guilty mans
shoulder. Financial circles are also both
cred by gang of American forgers hav-
ing crossed the Atlantic for campaign.
They are known, but that Is more than
their nefarious work for the moment.
A steamer on the west coast of Africa is
reported to have steamed sxty miles
through the corpses of locus;s tve inches
long, completely covering the wa.er. but
not quite choking the sea. The sharks
had feast which does not often come to
them. The story may be true, and if it is
the tribes of Northern Africa have been
spared the mighty devastation which tril-
lions Of jaws would have wrought on their
crops.
PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT.