The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-26
AROUND THE coRR1DoRs.

AROUND THE CORRIDORS.
III don't know where it got its NAME" said
Jerome Fuller of Keller, Inyo County, last
evening at the Russ House, "but it is well
named. The Spanish called it Death Valley
long before the American occupation of Cali
fornia, and am told that the Indians had a
name somewhat similar, only the word they
used meant quick death, instead of DEATH"
Mr.. Fuller was speaking of that desert OF
horrors in the southeast corner of California,
near the Nevada line, known and designated
as Death Valley. s"The deposits OF borax"
continued Mr.. Fuller, "Would seem to indicate
that this waste spot was once lake. the waters
OF which were heavily charged with sodium.
1t was in all probability of volcanic origin. I
suppose that there is no place on this planet so
near to the popular conception of hell as this
awful valley. l have been told by travellers
who have visited the Dead Sea region that it is
paradise compared with this pestilential
spot the home of vonomous reptiles and YER
min, and Stunned alike by man and
beast. Its baked and blistered soil breeds
only noxious and venomous things. About
the place there is something weird, un-
canny, grim and ghoulish. Even the rep
tile life is of the most CHASTITY shape,
OF rancorous nature and diabolically ugly.
Its dead do not decompose, but are baked in
the scorching heat of countless scorchlng days.
No tree, OF flower, or shrub, or sign OF vege-
table life relieves the prospect of this drear
waste spot which lies 200 feet below the level
of the sea and stretches away to the south for
distance of, forty miles. There is no shade,
and not a drop of moisture ever falls to cool
this trackless waste of salt and sand simmer
ing under a sun that kills and then petrifes.
"Some of the California pioneers have good
reason to remember Death Valley. In 1850 an
emigrant train bound for Sacramento, and
composed of about thirty persons, attempted to
cross the deathtrap. Only one of them lived
to tell the story. The others persisted from
heat and thirst. The sole survivor of this i'll
fated train brought out story of a gold dis
covery which, during the ten years following
the death of his companions, lured
many to destruction in the burning
sands of the valley. Something over
twenty years ago Lieutenant Wheeler of the
army, while on an exploring expedition or
dered the guide to cross the valley. The guide,
knowing something of the treacherous pit, re-
fused to obey the order. Then Wheeler ordered
two soldiers with fixed bayonets to compel the
reluctant native to take mp the trail. They
started out, the guide and his armed escorts,
but in about three hours one of the soldiers
returned and staggered into camp unable to
articulate. A relief party brought in the other
soldier in stricken condition. The guide
went crazy and wandered away to die alone.
Half an hour without water under the intense
not always save a man here. Many have
dropped down with full canteens in their
hands, never to get up again. For variety in
reptile life there is no place like Death Valley.
There are about ten different kinds of snakes
from the deadly RATHER to the harmless little
green snake of the temperate zone. Cent?
pedes, scorpions, lizards tarantulas and horned
toads abound in great numbers. At night the
alkah crust is alive with them, and by day they
n
as to make Death Valley pit of indescribable
horrors"
Queen Victoria, having upon her seventy
sixth birthday conferred knighthood On Henry
Irving, to him Horace Greeley Platt president
OF the Bohemian Club, sent message of con-
graduation, emitting the Queen entirely.
This was the message cabled to the eminent
actor: "The owl welcomes another knight"
Fearing that Mr.. Irving might be shocked if
the message was misconstrued, Mr. Platt stipu-
lated carefully with the telegraph company
that knight should be spelled with capital K.
Mr.. Irving must have received the precious
message on time and taken it to the Queen
with infinite delight for he responded as fol-
lows:
LONDON, 1890 A. NJ, May 81
Horace G. Plat, Bohemian Club, San Francisco:
Love and greeting. Warm thanks to brother
Bohemians. HENRY IRVING.
Inc Telegram from the new knight, who
nightly impersonates the immortal knight,
Don Quixote de la Mancha, will be framed and
placed in the Red room.
G. NJ. McPhail, banker of Cass City Mich
is taking observations of California scenery,
climate and products, with view of establish
ing home in this State. 81. A. McCraney of
the Supreme Court clerical department, has
guided the man from Michigan to many of the
picturesque points of interest hereabouts and
has all the time set forth the advantages which
San Francisco possesses for holding a National
convention to nominate President of the
United States, feeling sure that Mr.. McPhails
impression will be faithfully reported to George
L. Maetz, the Michigan representative in the
Republican National Convention. Mr.. Nc
Craney is chairman of the executive commit
tee of the Republican League of Newspapers.
and feels 1t his duty to make point wherever
he can in favor of bringing National Conven-
ton to the commercial metropolis of the Pacific
coast.
Morris Newton and John T. Sullivan were
busy all day yesterday about the headquarters
of the Santa Cruz Venetian Water Carnival, at
the Grand Hotel. There are great MANY
athletic, musical and military organizations to
arrange with about going down to take part in
the show, and from this time on until the car
nival begins there will always be number of
men from the city of the Holy Cross here
The large banner of the carnival floats over the
Grand Hotel, and outside the windows of the
committee-rooms are the carnival colors, yell
low and white. Each day fresh supply of
flowers are sent up from Santa Cruz to decorate
the rooms.
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.