The record-union., 1895-12-28
NOTE AND COMMENT.

NOTE AND COMMENT.
The capture of the street railway rob-
bers in San Francisco so soon after the
commission of the recent crime is de-
cidedly red feather in the cap of the po-
lice of the metropolis. The discovery of
the money buried in the sand gave the
officers opportunity to effect the cap
ture of the robbers by adroit manage
ment, which they adopted. If now there
can be speedy trial of these men,
swift conviction and application Of the
extreme penalty, street railway rob-
berries will be likely to be less frequent
and bold. If the men who have been
holding up street-cars in this city
could be ferreted out and dealt with by
the law quickly and severely, Sacra-
mento would probably also experience
relief from the monotony of the crime.
The Truckee ice palace is approach
ing successful completion, and promises
to be one of the most novel winter at
fractions ever devised in this State.
There is to be a toboggan slide the
longest ever constructed; Donner Lake
will be made an enormous skating field,
and its shores a delightful sleighing
highway. The palace itself will exceed
in size, in hight and in beauty that
which is yearly put up on the st. Law
renee River, because, instead of using
blocks of ice, to the building up of which
there is a speedy limit owing to the low
crushing resistance of ice, a framework
device has been adopted, upon which,
over wire netting water is sprayed.
or 1ircr 40 novel r.
chitecture to be run to exceeding hight,
and to be shaped into novel forms Of
very effective character. A trip into
the Sierras on a visit to this Truckee
festival will be a delightful outing, and
one that will probably be taken by
many hundreds of people Our neigh
bors in Truckee are entitled to much
credit for devising this new method of
recreation in the midst of winter.
If we have felt disposed to complain
of the prevailing cold weather in Cali
fornia, to WOO content we have but to
read of the terrible blizzards at the
East, and the floods and snowstorms
which affiict two-thirds of the country
beyond the Rocky Mountains.
The London News" we trust reflects
the real and substantial English senti-
ment when it says that the appointment
of a Venezuelan Commission by the
United States, through which the Gov
ernment may gain accurate informa-
ton regarding the Venezuelan bound
ary trouble. is not really matter of Of
fense. That is to say, if the English
Government is sincerely and honestly
| of+ +loa % &c
IL can have no cause for fear of the in
quiry this Government proposes to in
stitute This is a sensible view of the
matter, and the hope of all men should
be that it will be adopted by the Eng
lish nation.
! It is reported that the Cuban insur-
gents are about to attack the city of
| Havana. We cannot credit the story.
| Even If it is possible for them to take
the city, it will be impossible for them
| to hold it without a naval force Of ex-
| ceeding strength in the waters Of that
| harbor. Moreover, the insurgents
would gain little by the capture, for to
occupy so large a city would tax their
strength to the utmost, and withdraw
! their forces from the interior to an ex-
| tent that would give the Spanish actual
advantage Thus far the insurgent
| leaders have adopted the wiser policy
of fighting in small bands in many sec
tions, thus dividing the strength OF the
| Spanish and rendering their tasks the
more difficult.
! Watson Chalmers, one of the pioneer
! publishers of California, will, On ac-
! count of ill-health, retire from active
editorial work the first of the year.
| he having leased his Chico Enter
| prise" to c. E. Small for an indefinite
| length of time. Mr.. Chalmers has, dur
| ing the twenty-eight years he has been
| editing a paper in Butte County. won a
| host of friends among the newspaper
men of the State, as well as among the
people among whom he has laDorei. In
| fact, he has more friends and fewer
enemies than almost any other editor
| in the State. He is a genial whole
souled upright gentleman Of the test
| type and while we shall all miss him
| in the field of journalism we cannot
| but feel that he has well earned rest
| from the arduous duties of daily news
paper work. May he live to enjoy many
years Of comfort and happiness is the
wish of friends all over the State.
The few silly English people who ex-
pressed fears for Lord Dunravens per-
sonal safety should he again visit the
United States, have exhibited their
! ignorance of American character. Dun
raven is here again, and as safe as If
in his English home. He was not re-
ceived with ardor. Of course, but he
had no reason to expect any manisesta-
tion of enthusiasm or even cordiality
over his arrival, after the unhappy mis-
take he made in his charges concern
ing the American yachtsmen.
Secretary Lamont is wise in checking
American army and navy officers in
their discussion in public of the Dossi-
bilities of war with England, and con-
corning our preparedness or weakness.
The Secretary is right when he says
that such open expressions are injuri-
Gus to discipline and are given undue
| significance. In such a time as this the
army officer and the naval commander
best serves his country by keeping out
| of the newspapers.
! The Fresno "Expositor" issued on
Christmas Day was of twenty eight
pages, with brilliantly Illuminated
cover. 1t contained business review,