New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-28

THE MIDWINTER FAIR-RAlNS-CRlME
THE SANTA LUCIA TUNNEL.
ipy TELEGRAPH TO TIE rRlBrsE.l


San Francisco Jan 2..-The preparations Tor
tho onenine Of the Midwintcr Fair have absorbed
local attention this week. So large an exhibition
was never mt into plesentablc shape in twice the
,in,a that has been consumed here, and san FRAN
cisco nr;de has been touched by the erergy ana
execu,ive ability which are manifest i'll the
speedv completion Of a hundred details. II IS
the Oriental idea which Is sure to attract
Eastern visitors. for never before in TINS country
has there been given 50 perfect a reahzauoh Oh
the architecture and the scenery Of the far East
This woulG not match the winter sky or sur
roundlngs OF any other American city, put II
harnonizes perfectly with the cloudess blue or
CALIFORNIA; sky ana the palms, cedars. eucalEp-
tus and other trees which come from lands under
tropic suns Last night the first entertainment
Of the Fair season was given by Director-Gen-
eral De Young in a superb dinner TO the foreign
commissioners.
Although Northern California was visited early
this week by the heaviest storm known In years.
and although the rainfall for single day
amounts to two and half inches, yet other
parts Of the state are still short Of the average
amount Of moisture, even in the sacramento
Valley VIVA the site Of Mr.. Stanford's great
vineyard is sever. inches short or last year
record at this time: Red Bluff five and half
In the San Joaquin Valley. which is usually the
driest part of the State. the rainfall has been
annie thus far and there is only a shortage or
an inch at Porterville and Goshen. while MERGED
has had an inch in excess Of last year. Farmers
are sanr uine of a good year; but every season
sees a larger acreage brought under irrigation
bitches as agriculture and fruit-growing WIN
out irrigation are too precarious. me returns
from a small outlay for an artificial supply or
water are so great that few years will see an
enormous development Of irrigation. mainly by
means of storage reservoirs.
The failure Of the Navy Department 10 repair
Farragut's old flagship. the Hartford VIII PROB
ably result in the rotting Of this historical vessel
AT Mare Island Navy Yard. Her timbers are
sound and only 900 was needed to put hef
In good condition The idea was to convert hei
into a cadet ship and make her living symbol
Of patriotism such as the Victory is in England
N Commemorative plates. detailing the heroic ac-
Al ton in which she took part would have served
" 10 keep alive that sentiment which is always
aroused by national relics. Now she will join
the others that make up Rotten Row" at Mare
Island.
The Communication Of the death sentence Of
John McNulty to life Imprisonment was made
by Governor Markham at the earnest solicitation
Of many prominent citizens who believed that
the crime was committed when McNulty was
laboiing under fear Of his life. He was a long
shoreman. and had been badly injured by a
gang To which mis- victim belonged The murder
took place after a quarrel with his enemy. For
six years McNulty has been in Jail. and ilVe times
he has seen the gallows built to hang him.
Judge Wallace Of this city. like Recorder
Smyth. believes in severe punishment as check
20 crime Lately several aggravated cases OF
garroting in the streets have occurred and the
Judge gave warning that If any footpads came
before him for sentence he would give them the
full term tJIe kept his word this week when he
sentenced twenty years In prison two foot
pads who obtained only forty cents from a VIC
tim.
Local preachers will probably ma 6e public
protest against the cheap meiodrama shtitlei
children of the escaped train robber and muir
derer Evans take leading parts. The play makes
heroes of the bandit and his associates ana there
is no question Of It's evil influence on young
people.
The Palmer company made hit this week in
"a pair of Spectacles" They have had good
houses but the other theatres. except the cheap
places. have suffered severely from general dull
ness There is promise of better times when
visitors to the Fair begin TO come in in large
numbers
This week has seen the death Of three more old
pioneers These are j. s. Doe. rich lumber
dealer; David L. Marshall. who came round the
Horn on the bark Kirkland. and who had been
Obed Harvey, who was one Of the few survivors
OF the wrecked steamship Central America.
The big tunnel through the Santa Lucia Noun
tans. nearly four thousand feet long. has been
pierced by the Southern Pacific Company. This
tunnel was the chief obstacle to the completion OF
The coast line Of the railroad between Los Angeles
and San Francisco. This line runs through Santa
Barbara, San Luis Obspo and Paso Robes, and
will be the great tourist route when finished.
Only few months Will be required to complete
the gap in the line.