The San Francisco call., 1895-12-23
he Found It in Print, but Had
Not Divulged 1t to
Anybody.
NEED OF A CITY AMBULANCE
The Lesson to Be Learned From the
Home Industry Exposi.
tons Success,
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANcTsco C.11l
SOS BrOadwav No. 90 :

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CAIr,)
90S Broadway, Dec. %.
Michael Davitt, although he has been in
california several times, met with a sur.
prise when he landed from Australia.
i have always been interested in the
general appearance of American newsna.
pers, he said, while sitting in Mrs. Can
nlng's cozy drawing without
doubt they are more interesting than the
English papers and contain more FOREIGN
news. But they seem to miss nothing.
here Is paper l bought on landing. 1t
hahdles the Venezuelan question. There
Is cartoon that fills the bill to perfection.
SALISBURY up tree and Cleveland holds a.
gun, which we all know is not loaded.
linen there is the message to Congress.
and any amount of opinions of statesmen
and Governors. l read what the English
papers thought about it: also the Euro
pean centers, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, St.
Petersburg. The question of American de-
lenses was touched on and | saw Just how
weak or how strong the different harbors
OF thls country were supposed TO be. Then
|, read about the Irish brigade in San
francisco being ready to fight England
under any flag, so long as the common
enemy were but England.
AS q matter of fact there was every
thing IN that one paper except the news
tor the first battle.
by the time | had looked through all
this, boy came along and 1 bought an
evening paper. | had been in California
but two hours, and when l looked at the
'nrSt page, what do you think saw? Ny
own picture and column story about my
opinion of Salisbury and the Venezuelan
Olt1onitV hnr hot
three gentlemen had asked me a question
or two as l reached my stateroom door on
the steamer, but | was not aware of what
| had said. But when read that interview,
imagine my surprise to find that although
L had not said what was printed it was
certainly what l would have said had
been given the opportunity. 1t was true
and they were Michael Davitt's opinions
sure enough. but where on earth did they
come from?"
The uncivilized conditions under which
John Finnigan died last Friday night.
after having been struck by a cable-car
has brought up once more the necessity of
a suitable ambulance for Oakland. The
blame for his dying without having been
examined by a physician, although he
suffered twelve hours, was not placed by
the Coronar's jury, and probably viii not
be until the inevitable damage suit is
brought in the Superior Court. But this
much is known, however, that the man
had fractured skull and that the hospital
steward says Finnigan met with his injury
after leaving his hands; while the police
authorities assert that on the strength OF
the stewards assertions they locked him
as an ordinary drunk" and paid him no
extraordinary attention until he was found
to be dying.
Whichever statement is true the fact re-
mains that the Journeys from the scene of
the accident to the hospital and later from
the hospital to the prison IN heavy patrol
wagon, which is usually driven at a gait
compared to which fire horses are but
third-raters, could not but have materially
added to the danger of the conclusion of
the brain. Had a suitable ambulance been
on hand with an experienced atte ndant
the present scandal could probably have
been avoided, for although twelve hours
elapsed between the injury and death, it
was not known till nalf an hour before the
end came that Finnigan's skull was frac-
eured.
The last effort to obtain an ambulance
wagon was made by Health Officer Dunn
four years ago, but when DR.. Dunn went
out of Office nothing more was heard of
the matter. Probably no city in the
country with population so large and of
such pretentions as Oakland is without
any kind of an ambulance wagon. The
matter of expense for purchase and main
tenance cannot be urged against it, for
every student of municipal finances knows
that more than sufficient sum to main
tain an ambulance corps is wasted an
nually in every department OF the city
government.
The remarkable success of the exposi-
ton has justified the executive committee
in deciding to keep. it open for one more
the grounds is without doubt the old
tabernacle. This wooden structure has
taught Oaklanders a lesson that should
not be forgotten. 1t has proved the actual
necessity for a large and permanent
building. 1t has paid for itself ten times
over of the amount of advertising it has
caused and the amount of people it at
1racted, if only temporarily, to this city.
1t was built about four years ago for the
big revival meetings conducted by Rev. B.
Fay Mills. Since then its existence has
made possible flower shows, bench shows,
political conventions and large gatherings
that could not have been held successfully
without such a building. Finally it has
eclipsed all former efforts by the present
exposition. How many more such shows
would be inaugurated if the cheerIess,
draughty old barn were supplanted with
handsome, commodious, permanent struc-
ture remains to be seen, but would GER
tainly be a very large number. The old
tabernacle has truly served noble pur
pose. ,. w. b.