The morning call., 1893-04-02

The melodrama carpenter has often dealt
with SHch scene as occurred sixteen stories
high in Chicago, but Instead of lunatic 1t
Is more picturesque and sensational to carry
the heavy villain and the heroine to the top
Of church tower and to have the rescue
effected at an agonizing moment by the
favored lover. a bridge or a steamer is
also suitable for the thrilling situation, and
then the lover dives for the jeopardized ap-
pie of his eye and swims ashore with her
through a river Of gauZe. But there was
nothing unreal In that wild scene on the
giddy brink OF the balcony OF high building
in the Lake City. The uBwOnted situation
Of looking out over the busy show below
brought on an excess of hOmicidal mania
IN one OF the men, and had the struggle
asted much longer the victim he proposed
to sacrifice might have been driven insane
with horror. On all such buildings the pro-
lection of high ratings with an inward curve
should be afforded visitors, or better still,
visitors should be prohibited altogether.
A very interesting chart has been issued
showing how the English. the Germans and
the French have appropriated the islands
of the Pacific Ocean and also the West
Indies. the Bahamas and Bermuda. Look
ing at the mass Of British red predominant
from Australia to Canada an artist with
good color sense would say that by contrast
it mparts tinge of green, its complement
tary color, to the remainder of the man
There is just one little group of islands not
appropriated by European country. The
Hawaiian group has not been gobbled and
the position is so obviously strategic that
only the United States should have posses
sion. The chart is surplusage to convince
Californiaus, but it may be an eye-opener
in the East, wherever there is waVering
about the right policy.
Sc the London Standard is quite wrong
in spreading the information that President
Cleveland desires to recall the extraditlon
treaty negotiations with Russia. Secretary
Gresham gives the rrmor fiat contradiction.
The number of wild supDostIons or in
ventions started on a tour of the world
within twenty-four hours is an Illustration
of the fact that taItle is now exchanged be-
tween continents. Formerly il passed from
door TO door exclusively.
The pickering which is going on In con-
nectiOn with the management of the San
Francisco and San Mateo Railroad brings
out q confession of much naivete from
Behrend JoOst, the president. who is at log
gerheads with Mr.. c. c. Butler the head of
the San Mateo Construction Company. The
franchise for the road was obtained by Mr..
JOost. Mr.. j. W. Hartsell and Mr. ]. w.
Thomas. After the praliminaries of conf
pany forming, Mr.. Joost says, the problem
was how 10 get the road built, and ne gives
this explanations: "HaTtsel thought we
might probably take the Southern Pacific
for a mhdel by doing the work ourselves.
We agreed with him, SO we organized the
S. S. Construction Company with capital
stock of 100000 The two corporations
represented the same interests, of course
The arrangement was merely designed to
enable us to get all the profit the enterprise
could yield" Yet there must be differ
.encs In the interests, or one corporation
would have sufficed. The Southern Pacific
did not play this sort Of comedy for moth
ing.
San Mateo County has another mystery
to unravel, quite as exciting as the one dis
covered on the mountain top the other day.
Peter VaDnette, who was guardian Of the
stone dam near Pilarcitos, mas disappeared
under circumstance which give rise to much
torebodng and suspicion. He was one of
those moody, solitary m0rtas who take
pleasure in a hermit-like Lie, and he ex-
posed himself 10 visits from cutthroat
thieves by the propensity Of boarding IN
stead of banking his mpney. II is said he
was known to have a good accumulation,
but whether he actually had wealth buried
is not so material as the report That he had.
The temptation TO rob such man is strong,