The San Francisco call., 1895-11-03
RANDOM NOTES.
By JOHN MCNAuGHT.

sHSh oo YAoo,oUU by tue IerunS Ol LIS Will
nall the estate was left to the wife and the
remainder to the minor children. The
court appointed lawyer to look after the
estate of the minors. The wife died in a
Few years, and another lawyer was ap-
pointed to take charge of her portion of
the estate. During the twenty-five years
that have elapsed since 1878 all property in
oakland has increased in value to some
extent and most of it has increased great
deal; but this particular estate was not so
much In Oakland as in the courts, and,
consequently, the record of the court in
the settlement of the matter showed that
Wnlle not one dollar has ever been paid to
the helrs there remains of the estate only
enough to yield rental of $26 month.
II the Oakland case were the only one OF
the KIND in the neighborhood of recent
GATE 1t would have been a local scandal,
possibly newspaper sensation, and GER
tainly would have got itself sufficiently
talked about for the extraction of the
moral without help of mine. 1t has been,
however, neither a scandal, a sensation
nor matter of much talk. Too many
cases similar in nature and some even
worse in degree have occurred for this to
attract much notice as part of the play
In the passing show. 1t is necessary,
therefore, to call attention to it and to
point out to the casual spectator of life
that this part of the play has been badly
devised, badly cast and badly acted.
There is no sufficient reason to believe
that the wasting of estates OF minor heirs
f1a %
and dishonesty. The truth seems to be
that our courts have exercised very little
care IN the selection of proper guar
dlans. The judges have thought more of
awarding these duties to good lawyers than
to good men of business. AS conse-
quence, men have been appointed to these
trusts who have not sufficient business
sense to invest their own money wisely,
and who remain poor all their lives not
wlthstanding the large profits of their
practice. To remedy much of the evil,
therefore, nothing more appears necessary
than a law requiring judges in the ap-
polntment of guardians of minor heirs to
select them from among men who have
shown enough knowledge OF business
affairs to manage their own property with
thrift and success, and that much of re-
form ought not to be difficult to obtain.
1t is said the approaching art exhibit
does not futter much the hearts of our
local artists nor thrill them with great ex-
pectations. 1t is not to their imagina-
tions coming exposition of beauty glori-
fed in art for the enlightenment of the
world and the inspiration of San Fran
cisco. They may talk of it by day, but
they do not dream of it by night; they
may paint something for it, but they do
not paint it with fancy's fondest hopes.
This feeling, however, will probably change
when the exposition opens. There will be
something in the reality then that Will
more than atone for the absence of great
expectations now. When we see the pic
lures we will be pleased, and SO indeed
VIII be the artists. There is many for
NAL function turns out to be frolic in the
end. Even the artists who now speak and
perhaps think of the exhibit with languid
indifference will feel little keenness of
interest in it when the function has drawn
its crowds and the appreciative friends of
California art stand before their works
and praise them. Then to the artist every
living picture of admiration will appear as
a model of criticism. Then they will won
der why society has not more raptures and
the press more enthusiasm.
1t is asserted by men of science that by
using powerful dynamos to send electrical
discharges into the air San Francisco can
dissipate all the fogs that come from the
ocean and dwell continually under serene
skies. This raises the question, do we wish
to lose our fogsP Ask of the artist if he
would strip from the hills their changing
robes of purple and gray. Ask of the
maidens if they would remove from the
moisture that gives to their cheeks the
hue and bloom OF June roses. Ask the
pilots of the bay if they would lose the
chief reason why incoming ships employ
them. Ask the merchants If they would
put away the sole cause why women wear
furs and men buy overcoats. Ask the
epicure if he would Danish from the air
the tonic that gives him On appetite.
Ask the bartender if he would re-
move from the morning the impulse to
cocktails. Ask the housekeepers if they
would like the streets deprived of the
dampness that prevents the dust from
rising. Ask the workers if they would
like the sun to beat with undiminished
rays upon them. But after all why ask
anybody anything except that science
should keep its hands off our climateP
1t IS evident that among the reforms
needed in California is the adoption of
better system of providing for the care of
estates of minor heirs. So many estates
exceeding 100000 have been vanished off
the earth OF late by court-appointed guard
lans that no one will dispute the need of
reform except those people who are so
fond OF disputins they would rather bay
the moon than be silent. Even in the
dark ages men recognized the duty OF the
state to orphans whose property was in
the hands of its courts. Among many
nations in those days a "child of the
state, as such orphans were called, was
almost as sacred as prince of the blood.
In England even to this day an offense
against the property or the person of a
ward In chancery entails greater penalty
than a similar offense against child
under the protection of its natural guard
lans. California has progressed of course
f. L Al