New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-04
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
TOURIST TRAVEL. - EDUCATIONAL - HA-
WAIIAN AIRS IN AN OPERA.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.l


San Francisco Feb 3--Tourist travel to South
ern California IS very heavy but only shai
number will come 10 San Francisco before the
end of this month. By that time every exhibit at
the Midwnter Fair will be in its place. Remark
able progress has been made this week in the
main buildings and the grounds are practically
finished 40 visitor should neglect the county
displavs Especially noteworthy are the two
bindings erected by Northern and Southern
California The rivalry between the two sections
has resulted in beautiful displays Of oranges
lemons poncgranates figs and other semi-Topi-
cal fruits
Extreme cold is reported from all parts Of the
State. II is singular that the temperature Is
warmer IN Northern than in Southern California
To-day the mercury reached the freezing point
al Los Angeles. but ii is thought that the or
anges are 50 nearly r1pe that only few will be
damaged Great damage however will result
TO nursery plants and to young orchards.
The Mercantile Library directors have decided
to remain IN their new building another year.
The bonding scheme will go over for rev
months until money is more plentiful. Mean
while 100 new members have been secured and 1t
Is proposed 10 raise funds this winter by series
Of lectures and entertainments. If this plan can
library. as a strong literary club can easily be
formed.
The State University professors are doing good
work this winter with their extension courses IN
San Francisco Lectures are given in mathe-
mates Latin, English history and political
economy. and the large classes which enter for
regular examination show popular interest in
these studies The regular evening schools are
pin N n pc
eight years to fifty. An unusual number of very
young people are seen, as these are forced to
work by day to aid in support of their families
The present senior class at the State University
is bent upon radical reforms. 1t proposes to abol-
fish the regular class-day exercises. substituting
for the Grafton. prophecy and poem some farce
or comedy which will depict leading incidents
Of the college course and in which large part
Of the class can appear. 1t is also proposed to
cast aside the time-honOred commencement ora
ton and essays and devote the time to one good
address by distinguished speaker. The class
favors the use Of Latin in the comforting of de-
grees and the wearing Of the gown and mortar
board by the graduating class. This radical
class has also upset all precedents by choosing
women for all class offices.
Professor Ritter, of the State University. will
go to Europe at the end of this term TO study
comparative zoology. He will spend year at
Liverpool and Naples. Mr. Ritter is young. but
he has shown great aptitude for original work
in his specially He chosen by Harvard
University as one Of two students to study
zoology abroad this year.
new romantic opera. entitled Captain
Cook read here this week 10 an audience
of experts The music is by Noah Brandt, a
well-known local composer. and the hbretto by
Sands w FOrmdn, an cX-neWSpaper man. The
music embodies many bits Of Hawaiian airs. and
the story of the opera is drawn from that rO-
mantle period Of the Sandwich Islands history
when the great navigator first discovered the
group.
The only theatre that has drawn good houses
this week is the California, which has the How
ard Athenaeum Company Of variety performers,
with Lotte Collins an added attraction. The
English dancer lost her temper the first night
because of persistent guying from man in the
gallery, who. she declared was hired to annoy
her. The attack made upon her by a local news
paper certainly bore out her charge, as it was
gratuitously malicious.
A criminal mystery that has perpleXed the de-
tectives is exciting the pretty little town OF
Petaluma. This is the atrocious murder Of Mrs.
Nancy Meagher. a blind woman. who was soon
to be a mother, and the dangerous wounding of
her husband. The woman had a fe-interest
in valuable property. and the only reasonable
motive for the crime Is that her relatives wished
to remove her before she should give birth TO a
possible claimant for her interest. There are
strong suspicious against several relatives. but
thus far nothing which will establish legal
case These relatives have shown their cold
blooded cupidty by trying TO seize the dead
womans property and eject the wounded hus-
band