New-York tribune., 1895-07-28
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
IRRIGATION-THE ELEANOR'S TRIP-DUR-
RANT-ELECTRIC POWER.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE.l


xsan Francisco. July 27-The decision of Judge
Ross Of the United States District Court, de-
Claring the Wright Irrigation Law unconstitu-
tional caused much disgust among Californians.
The law may have features which should be
amended, but it furnished the only means OF
practical cooperation among those In any Gls-
trict who wished to secure water for their lands.
OF course. the formation OF irrigation dlstric's
and the floating of bonds led to some specuia-
ton. all such enterprises do but in the MAN,
these district irrigation companies have oeeh OF
ganized honestly and several have met WIN
great success. for they have placed water upo"
land which without it was practically Worthless
The value of irrigation TO the san joaquin anu
Sacramento valleys cannot be estimated "nile
the whole Of southern California would lapse
again into cattle ranches without the use VI
water artificially stored and brought in many
cases twenty miles from the mountains TO the
valleys The hope of all interested in California
,rrpotion is that the United States supreme
Court will overrule Judge Ross, who has taken
TOO narrow a view Of 4 great question. ms
hone is largely based on Justice Fields intimate
knowledge of the question. which Will enable MN
10 explain the practical bearings Of the case ana
its vital influence on the development OF CAN
fornia.
atrocious Emanuel Church murders Is exciting
extraordinary attention throughout the whoie
State. Los Angeles people who come up mere
declare that the case is followed closely there
nc in this CITY where the courtroom is beseged
nv crowds eager to get even glimpse Of the man
charged with the murder Of the two young slrls
Old criminal lawyers say that never IN theT
recollection has any crime in California stFreu
I'D so great popular feeling as this church ho'loi
The tactics OF the defence snow that 'hey are
playing for every technical advantage ana '"a'
their main reliance is upon errors "hich '"e
Judge may make in his rulings. They have Dee'
knocked out on their appeal for change OF venue
This was a just decision for the sentiment IN 'he
country is more strong against the accused man
than here II Durrant be guilty. his nerve IS Ger
tainly worthy of the study of experts In crinilho
ogv His hearing is that OF a man who Is bored
by the court proceedings. and the only sign OF the
real criminal that he betrays is his passion for
notoriety and MS delight in the accounts Oh 'he
crime and his own case.
The Young millionaire Slater's yacht Eleanor
excited much interest while in the harDor th!s
week She arrived Monday night from Honoiulu
with the Slater party. who are returning from
trip around the world The yacht ranks next 10
vanderbt's Valiant in the costlness of its fit
admirable record. One peculiar feature OF the
voyage was the entire absence of storms. The
partv goes TO Alaska ana then returns 10 New
York by way of Cape Horn.
William Gillette TIE playwright passed
through here this week on his way To santa bar
bara He VIII return in time TO get his company
in shape for bringing out Too Mucn Johhso"
at the Baldwin Theatre August g. The COM
hara frOm
etre The Lyceum company gave The ANA
cons" this week at the Baldwin TO an apprecia-
tive house Next week the last OF the engage
ment. will be divided between The Ideal hus-
band" and The Wife"
This week has seen the Introduction Of cleo
tric power to Sacramento from the Folsom
Prison dam Enormous power is furnished ny
the waters of the American River. THIS proves
that the western flank Of the Sierra Nevada VIII
give power TO the towns and cities lying along
the central drainage Of the Sacramento and San
Joaquin valleys. and the innovations anu
changes 10 occur from this are far-reacning.
There is a large percentage OF land IN potn ltese
valleys which cannot be economically irrigated
because OF the uncvenness Of the surface. mere
are swells in the pains. ana the Dest tHc NJ
gator can 90 IS to run bitches around their bases
Cheap power will enable the owner to pump from
these bitches al the base of sWeI! 10 It's top
and irrigate in that way 50 that hereafter put
few lateral bitches will be constructed Wrought
iron pipe is cheap as to cost little more. ana
sometimes less than lateral dltcn, ana inr
humping power. when transmitted by water
power from the tlanks OF the mountains, Is gong
10 be so cheap that extensive irrigatinE systems,
supplementing main canals with pipe are going
10 be the rule Besides this. every farmhouse
will have cheap power. and the windmill Will 1is-
appear The windmill III California is an IN
pOrtant auxiliary OF farmhouse bu. heretofore
II has had to be supplemented with horsepower,
because # the intermittent character OF the
wind. Both wind-pOwer and horsepower
will disappear. and the electric motor VIII take
their place. The country is well suited. by reason
of its topography, fOr the wholesale Application
OF electrical power in California. From the mead
of the san Joaquin to the head o; the Sacra-
mento Valley is about seven hundred miles. whle
al short intervals there rush down the western
stones OF the Sierra Nevada streams fed by
SHOWS affOrdng vast water-power al! the year
round The high price OF coal has handicapped
the California manufacturer. After her water
mower is converted into electricity II Will make
her one Of the great manufacturing States.
Southern Pacific officials last week turned over
into the treasury $4,000 on an investment OF Soo
General Agent Crowley, Of Los Angeles, rented
the carcass Of a stranded whale for a week ana
flowed IL 10 Santa Monica. He advertised II, but
the crowds didn't come Then Land Agent w.
H. Mills, who happened 70 be in Los Angeles,
devised posters of the circus order. ana the re
suit has been that 40 900 people have been carried
from Los Angeles to Santa Monica at haf-
dollar each.
BOATING AND TENNIS AT HOTEL cHAMLAN'