The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-16
AROUND THE CORRIDORS.

John H. Norris, a gentleman who was a
pioneer in Kansas and took part in the bloody
struggles there which were the outgrowth of
the slavery question, was at the Occidental yes
terday. In desultory manner Mr. Norris ran
over many incidents of early-day life in Kan
sas last night, referring to the people, manner
OF living, habits, etc., in an interesting way.
There is one characteristic of pioneer life
which the western and central portions of the
State still RETAIN" said he, ''and that is the
sod house. They are the warmest dwellings In
winter and the coolest in summer, which the
farmer can construct with his own hands and
are made from slabs of sod cut Just as they
would be for transplanting grass. They are
laid in courses like building stone and pressed
closely together and the roof is made of timbers
and frequently matched. The sod house con-
tains usually but one room, but some have two
and even three rooms. They will last about
five years on an average, but soon crumble to
pieces when once they begin to fall. The dug
out is entirely different from the sod house and
consists of an excavation, the walls of sod ris-
ing about eight feet above the surface of the
prairie and supporting the roof Many farmers
have the latter as a place of safety during
severe storms, etc"
'San Francisco will be visited in the course of
some weeks by the largest sailing vessel in the
world said L. B. Baughman, Baltimore i'm
left home the vessel 1 refer to arrived at
Baltimore. She is the Persian Monarch, and
she will load 5000 tons OF coal for this city.
The Persian Monarch has recently been con-
veIted into full-rigged, four-masted sailing
ship and she will spread 10000 square yards
OF canvas on her voyage of 5000 miles. Her
masts are just foot short of the height of the
column OF the Washington monument and
from the keel to the topmost point of the masts
4 ~ fant
are OF steel, the masts being thirty-two inches
thick at the deck. The ship will carry thirty
sails, requiring enough canvas to make an
awning mile square To load the vessel with
her cargo OF coal will require the contents of
over $50 coal-hoppers, each carrying twenty
tons. The Persian Monarch's gross tonnage is
1928, and there are but four sailing vessels in
existence that approach her in this respect"
Tine curious features of your Chinatown
merit celebration in verse;" said c. E. Halves,
an Eastern visitor, at the Palace yesterday AZ
don't oeheve your own people really appreciate
what singular sights are to be seen in the
Chinese district. l was amused while wander
ing through that region last evening by OBJ
serving calendar of the Chinese year printed
In gorgeous red characters and hanging upon
the wall OF teastore In parallel column
was calendar Of the American year printed in
green letters, also Chinese. The translation
of American chronology into Chinese is said
to have been the work of one of your Ameri-
canized Celestials. He had also caught the
advertising idea, and worked it out in char
acterlstic way. a battle scene was also repre-
sented on the card, in which the fort of Wei
hal-Wel ioomed up in glowing splendor, while
near the water line, apparently trained on the
moon, was a park of artilleryn