The morning call., 1894-02-03
AROUND THE CORRIDORS.

-,
Among party OF gentlemen who were listen
ing TO lie music in the rotunda of the Palace
last night was Ernest da Costa, nephew of
the celebrated physician OF that name who re-
sides in Philadelphia. Young Da Costa has
just completed his studies abroad and brought
home with him one Of the rarest articles OF
personal adornment ever worn by civilized or
even barbarous man. 1t Is nothing less
than a toenail, highly polished, with thin
band OF gold running around the edge and a
bright ruby in the center, and which Da Costa
wears on his shrtiront. The nail, lie AYERS,
originally grew upon the foot OF the Shah OF
Persia, who, while presumably lifting stove
or performing some other function OF mousse
hold work, met with misfortune and lost the
nail In consequence. One of the professors at
the German college which Da Costa has been
attending was the physician in waiting upon
the Shah an0 preserved this singular keepsake
In front of the Baldwin yesterday afternoon
delicate-looking, middle-aged man was the
attraction around which what promised to be
large crowd commenced 10 gather. DE was
engaged In drawing picture of Evans. the
notorious bandit, upon piece OF canvas
stretched upon an eXtemporiZed easel, and had
his rapidly developing work ABOUT completed,
when big policeman with a worldly unappre-
citation Of the artistic made the man pick up his
"kip' and move on. To reporter he su0se-
quently said that his name was Irving; that he
was an Englishman, and followed vocation
which was quite common on the streets OF Lon
don. 1t is that of sketcbing the outlines of
some character that happens TO be before the
public at the time, or the environment OF
any thrilling occurrence, aud collecting SUB
ScriptiOn among the crowd. The work Is done
with colOred cnalks and many people buy the
canvases for few cents simply because OF
their novelty.
'The great hydraulic canal by which 1t is ex-
pected 10 utilize the water. power of Niagara
Falls is wonderful triumph OF engineering
science and means much more to the industrial
world than most people Imagine" said A. 2. du
Boise, Toronto engineer. at the Occidental
yesterday. "The WORK has already cost over
$4,000, 900, and when the general power. house
is opened 5000-hOrse-pOwer turbine wheels
Will operate G000-hOrse power electric gen
orators. The largest turbine wheels in the world
will be used, each being six feet in diameter.
The largest papermill in The world is the first
enterprise To utilize the power, and its contract
calls for $500 horsepower, which it is esti-
mated will cost the company. including lease
OF land, only SS a horsepower per anuum for
"a hours day."
j. V. Eckles. Louisville (Ky.) attorney, who
Is in the city, in speaking last night of the OPP
city said: 1--WE Just had a case in the Kentucky
Court of Appeals in which 1t was sought 10 re-
strain the Central Passenger Railroad from op-
perating with this method on The ground that il
was dangerous 10 the public. The court dis
missed q temporary Injunction and held that
the evidence adduce showed that the trolley
system of operating streetcars, when properly
adjusted and supervised Is not much, IL any,
more dangerous than horse power applied in
the same way. The underground conduit and
the storage battery system were reviewed by
the court and pronounced as yet so imperfect
and defective as TO render their use impractl-
cable"
There is a very pretty story going the
rounds OF the press about my town." said o. l..
Butler of Fayetteville, n. j., yesterday at the
Baldwin. land although L dislike to spoil the
sentiment strict regard for the truth compels
me TO do so. The statement is that In FayeIte-
Vile the old English custom OF ringing the cur
few has been sustained for over two centuries,
and as the story wanders over the country IL
acquires additional piciuresqueness with each
repetition. The truth Is that not one person In
twenty OF Fayettevile'S residents knows the
history of the curfew bell aud any man who
attempted any sentimental nonsense OF that
kind in the town would be very likely to be
strung up 10 lamp-post. 1he average Fay
ettevilllte loves sleep more than he does senti-
menL"
L. E. Mason OF Fresn0 who was at the Pal
ace yesterday, says that a strong effort is being
made TO have weather bureau station estab-
lished in San LUIS ObispO. and that the indica-
tions that IL will be successful. IL Is
claimed that nearly all the storms which prove
injurious to The raisin and other crops in the
valley come in from the sea and cross the noun
tains at that point, and The result OF observa-
tions there would give notice To people living in
the valley OF tue approach of a storm from four
TO ten hours earlier than do the reports from
san Diego and Los Angeles.
One of the elevator "boys" al the Palace was
asked the other day what proportion of his
male patrons usually removed their hats when
lady entered the elevator "Huh!" said he,
'Ihat depends on who the lady is. If she's
young and gOOd-loOkng or distinguished In ap-
pearance, every mothers son of the men Will
doff his headgear. but II she's only of the ordi-
nary class not over one-balf the men will notice
her presence. Our English guests are more
particular observers Of the custom than AmeIi.
cans"
J.. c. Robinson, a son OF "Uncle John" Robin
son, who for years was one of the most noI ed
showmen in the country, is at the Palace.
"Uncle Johns" greatest celebrity was attained
In the days or The 0ne-ring circus and his
eccentricities of character and abrupt manner
and the employment of expressive adjectives in
his speech made him a picture sQue figure in
the show world.