New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-21
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
THE DEATH OF MR.. TOwNE-sUIT OF THE
FAIR HEIRs-AN EARLY SHIPMENT
OF GRAPES.
fly TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBuNE.l

TBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE.1
San Francisco. July 2O-The death Of General
Manager Towne. of the Southern Pacific Railroad
Company, this week. removed the ablest railroad
man on the coast. The secret Of Mr.. Towne's sue
cess was his intimate knowledge OF every detail
of railroad work. his rare executive ability ana
his great fairness His career probably furnishes
the only instance in this country of man with
NIT friends or influence starting In as brakeman
Of a freight train and becoming division superh-
tepdent within three years. Mr. Towne Khe"
railroad work practically, and every one u''ue'
him knew that he possessed this specia' h'o"'
edge and. therefore. they made no enort ~ ue-
ceive him by any makeshfts or excuses l"oue"
q strict disciplinarian. he was popular az TIC was
o,,vava readv IN hear anv complaints and he was
far moro accessible than many inferior officials
II will be difficult to Ill his place but the man WHO
approaches him nearest in executive skill Is H. T.
Huntington who has been here Tor seVera' Yeas
as his uncle's personal representatives anu WIZ
has made q special study OF the whole Southern
Pacific system The Southern Pacific Compan! IL
fortunate in having several men Of long service
In lis employ any one Of whom is competent 10
assume the duties of general manager Among
.h.sa mon are Colonel Fred Croker. who has
snec,al knowledge and large practical experiences
n A Fillmore who for a score OF years has peen
yeneraI sunerntendent of the road w. g. GURUS
who has been Mr.. Towne's assistant for twenty
three years; William II. Mis- VINO KNOWS '"e
State as no other man knows H. ana VINO ""'
done much to increase the railroads o"s'hess oS
his wise advice to individual settlers ana coo'e'
andsJ II. Stubs. acknowledged TO be one OF the
great freight managers of the country
The two daughters of James G. Fair this week
satt,ed all doubts in regard TO their attitude oy
f,ak,no tho side of their brother. and formaly
ssknp the Court to repudiate the trustees named
and vest title to the Lick House. portion Oh 'he
estate in the hens This suit to quit ttie 10 '"e
Lick House property, which Fair porchaseo aoo"'
ten years ago was brought by Charles fair' anu
f. the entering wedge in the Legal enort 10 upsv'
the will which forms trust and gives the NM
'ionaire's children no real control or the siea'
estate.
The Cogswell Polytechnic College VIII De re-
onaned next week and peculiar feature OF the
enrolment of students is that there are oniy SIX!
boys while there are 100 girls. Inc supe' . a.
emf attributes the large number or girls 10 the IN
Nuence of the speeches of Susan h. Anthony ano
others at the recent Woman's Congress. Inc
main object of the school is to give practcai
ing in the mechanic arts. Special courses ~,
wis win ne given IN sewing dressmaking and
cooking.
The Lvceum company has played TO fairly good
houses all the week at the Baldwin. ana the mem
bers have done some OF the best ae,ins sen
in a long time. The company has suHereh eoihe
what by coming out so early, as society Ptopie
are all at the summer resorts. not TO escape nea
but TO get relief from cold fogs and WINDS. which
make July and August the most disa8reeao'e
months In the year here.
The earliest shipment OF grapes from California
10 the East was made this year from LAIN lam
Springs on the line of the Southern facihc ran
road. about one hundred miles east or Los An.
geler In a little tropical valley on the edge Oh
the great Colorado desert the seeaiess s,"pe
known as the Coverley. ripens by the nodie OF
July. This grape Is small but deliciousiy swer n
and IL is 80 firm that II bears transportation VII
II grows In large lunches so that ~ nakes nv nv
annsaronce on the table Its merits are Just be-
ginning to be appreciated In Southern Canio'"'"