New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-30
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
THE GREAT FIRE-OFFICIAL DEFAULTERS
PROFESSOR DAvIDSON'S REMOVAL

THE GREAT FIRE-OFFICIAL DEFAULTERs
PROFESSOR DAvIDsON's REMOVAL.
San Francisco, June 20 (speciaD.-The great fire
OF Thursday night. which cleaned out factories
and tenement houses covering twenty acres In the
southern district will have two good effects. u
Will enforce the addition Of 1000 hydrants. for
which the Fire Department has been clamoring
for months and /. will render imperative an ex-
tension of fire limits. When considers the
size Of San Francisco the smallness of the district
in which new buildings must be constructed OF
brick or stone seems absurd The whole or TINS
district south of Market-st. should be included as
we'll as a mile further out Market-st, the main
trade avenue of the city. There has been a Klnd
of superstition among some San franciscahs
that red wood Of which most buildings here are
constructed doesn't burn readily, but this latest
fire puts quietus on this myth. These old WOOD
en- buildings were licked up by the flames as
though made Of pine. and ii was only fortunate
change Of wind that saved the big southern "a
ciac building and Lachman's wine vaults. The
total loss considering the territory burned over Is
small. as most of the buildings were frame and OF
cheap materials There signs that this fire has
aroused public sentiment IN regard TO the neces-
atty If building throughout the business district
with brick and stone. II is only good fortune that
has saved San Francisco from repetition of Chi
cagos great disaster
Il was no surprise here TO those who have ioi-
lowed the course Of ex- Postmaster Bryan and ex-
Collector Quinn to learn that both men were ue-
faulters TO the Government. The only surprise Is
that suits against both officials which were pre-
pared over three years ago under the Harrison
Administration should have been pigeonholed
through some political pull" Bryan is response
bile for a shortage Of over $4,000 in stamps. ana
Quinn must answer to deficiency In the internal
revenue accounts Of about $1,000 These are snaii
sums but the worst feature OF the case Is the
practical suppression OF the suits against THESE
officers for three years Whoever is responsible
for this should be investigated and thrown out OF
the service.
The removal OF Professor George Davidson from
the head Of the United States Coast and Geodeuc
Survey. after a service Of nearly fifty years ex-
cited much indignation here. and many protests
have been sent to the Treasury Department. IL IS
NOT expected that Secretary Carlisle will recede
from his decision. What angers DaVioso"
friends is that he should be dropped uncere-
moniously. like a young Department clerk, after
half century Of service. Davidson is an astrono-
n1er of the first rank. and has mapped ths whoie
coast He was also intrusted with several conn.,
Dental missions by Grant and other Presidents
last season performed field work in the high ser
ras His successor is young man Of ability. out
with not one-tenth Daviasons experience or jung
ment.
The only noteworthy incident in local thea'ri-
calls this week was the appearance aiter many
years Of Alfred Dampier the Australlah aC'vi'
lie chose to be seen in that old-fashioned meio-
drama Hearts and Homes" but he showed so
much strength and character In IT that ne ought
10 be far more successful in tragic roles.
Professor Koebele the we-known entomologist,
who discovered in Australia the lady bug. when
cleared Southern California orange groves "
the black scale has now found in Japan an IN.
sect which, he asserts. will prove equali! la'aI
TO the common potato-bug. This beetle ne mas
not vet fully described. and he is not certain
that It will flourish in a cold climate althousn
II Is found in parts of Japan where snow fas.
OF course it is unnecessary to dwell on the
Importance of this discovery 10 all farmers easl
Of the Rocky Mountains. and the result OF
Koebele's researches will be anxously awaited
The professor will soon send specimens ana
full description to the Smithsonian lnsutuuon
Koebee also has another specles OF Iauy -ouS
which he saws will clear California citrus and
deciduous orchards of the white and black scare.
The Horticultural Society IL now deveiopins
some Of these bugs from larvae. and as soon
as they are out they will be carefully dlstrip-
uted.
After twelve years of litigation the famous
suit against the owners of the New Alinaueh
quicksilver mine was decided TINS weox "S r tno
Federal Circuit Court. The plalhtns' Joni'
Bowie Gray and Knowles Taylor who claim that
they owned the original ground which mas
proved so rich in cinnabar ore declare mat tney
transferred this property TO the New Almadeh
for three-eighths interest In IT, They charge
that they were frozen out" and ask TOT three-
eightbs of the enormous profits when now
amount to s500O000. Judge Mckenna decided
that the company had acquired its title to the
land honestly and so he found for the corpora
zion. 1t is probable that the case Will be APP
neaIed To the Supreme Court. but 1t Is thought
that Judge McKenna's decision will be sustained
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