New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-29
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
CHRISTMAS TRADE-FRUIT MARKETS
personal AND THEATRICAL NOTES.

Personal AND THEATRICAL NoiES.
San Francisco Dec % (SpecaD -Merchants
I'm all lines of trade except diamonds ana otner
costly luxuries report that their Christmas
trade was very good. this year. at ieas. "
per cent better than at the last holidays. Inc
weather could not have been oet'er ior ''e
eniovment Of the public. The brilliant sun
shine dry streets and roads. and temperature
Of s. degrees. combined to make an ideal day Tor
an outinr. and thousands spent Christmas ar
ternoon In the open air at various games al the
Park or Ocean Beach.
Tho resignation of Major Mclaughlin as
manager of the big English mine syno'ca'e
n, Oroville in Butte County. was a great sur
prise to the public. though not to mining men
McIauchlin devised the scheme of diverting
The waters of the Feather River into Dig
canal and thus working the dry bed or the
river Prospecting showed rich deposits OF
gold but results have not eQualled expecta-
lions and small dividends and heavy expenses
wezried the English investors. VINO hiai.'
sent over a manager of their own Mchaus"-
lin probably managed the property as wen do
any man could have done. but mining Is
gamble and the Feather River mines cost 'oo
much TO work Instead of paying big dNi-
dends. they have not returned bank interest oi
the investment.
The outlook for California grape-growers Is
good for this week has seen all the dry-wihe
crop Of the prerent year sold or ten miiho"
gallons the California Winemakers' Association
has sold 81 per cent at prices when yielo sooo
profit to the growers This is the hrst time ior
years that the winemakcrs and the vineyardis's
have combined The result is a proht lor all
and the avoidance OF glutted markets
There is good prospect of free market LOT
~ ,sccf lone d.
bourne Is warmly in favor of establishing such
a market on one of the wharves. where the lrut
may be unloaded directly from vessels. Under the
present regulations there is no check on the
commission men. and they return the producer
>cba. they choose This year the fruit-growers
who shipped this city have made little because
OF the low prices. Yet the price OF fruit al the
commission houses and at retail STANDS mas
been high. When the market has been giutted
with fruit tons OF the choice fruit have been
dumped into the bay by the commission men,
in order to maintain prices. An effort VIII De
made to prevent this waste of good frult ana
secure its sale 20 the poor at low prices Gail
fornia produces hundreds of tons of fruit that
is never marketed. but IL is much dearer IN san
Francisco than in New-Nork or any other large
Eastern city
William Greer Harrison. an insurance agent
who poses as a literary man. has resigned from
the Bohemian Club of which ne mas peen one Oh
mo most active members for eight years. Mr..
Harrison says he resigns because the clun inter
feres with his home life. but the general impress
sion is that he much hurt because OF the
harsh comment upon the failure Of his play run
nymede" and upon his foolish talk about lack OF
culture among the cluomen OF New-foIk lily
The Rohe mians did not care n rap about MS talk,
hut they resented his comparisons between their
club and Ncw-YoIk clubs because II gave the I'M
preston that he voiced the sentiment or the bo-
hemian Club.
probate Judge Coffey has been greatly annoyed
nv oil asking about the estate
Of $40 900 900 left by Gugliemo. of California
Tne Judge has had printed circular letter de-
claring that this estate is mythical, ana mat the
story of great wealth left by Martini is faori-
cation
Young Frank Norris. a writer and artist. left
here * weeks ago for South Africa, where ne
exuected 10 write letters for The San Francisco
Chronicle" and iuslrate them. Since ne reacneu
MADEIRA nothing has been heard from hin, thoush
his mother has cabled many MESSAGES OF INJURY ad
Of travel SO ne decided TO investigate the new
african mining country and write des sI, n,s
in Madeira though he may have stopped at some
way station on the voyage
The theatres have done big business this
week The Tivol, which was the first theatre
IN this country to give opera in the Italian style
at cheap prices. put or ''lxion as Christmas
sDectacle Rice's 1872 closed this week sue
h cessful three weeks enlargement at the baldwin
II May Irwin at the California and Fanny Rice at
th, Columbia have both done we'll
a
water stock early this week the quotations drop
ping from fraction above par to 94i2. and then
rising TO 971s. The cause Of this huetuation was
"A rUmor that the company would pass several
monthly dividends. 1t is now given out officially
. that the March dividend will be passed in order
to pay interest on bonds due in that month This
is made necessary by recent reduction In water
rates.
Savings banks will pay a low rate Of interest
for the past half year. None will pay over 1-3
per cent on term deposits, against 54-lO last
year and 3ia per cent ordinary deposits. This
reduction is due - heavy local taxes. over
800 900 is piled up in local savings banks,
whose managers conservative that they
make few loans country real estate. The
suit is sure TO be a liveer market for city prop
cry next year
Much absurd stuff has been printed here and
telegraphed East about the fine defences Of Es-
quimait. near Victoria H. c.. and the way the
guns OF this Pacific Coast Gibraltar command
the entrance to Puget Sound The real facts are
that the heavy guns not in position. and
when they can never command the approach
TO the Sound. the Straits Of Juan De Fuca,
opposite EsQuimalt. are twenty miles wide.