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Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-06-08

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The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29
ONE OF MRS. HUNTINGTON'S
PICTURES.

The very artistic and natural picture,
Gan Intruder" presented in to-day's issue
of THE CALL, is a reproduction of drawing
of a celebrated painting now in possession
of Mrs. C. 2. Huntington in her New York
home, says the Ladies' Home Journal.
The original is the creation of Nine. Hen
rite Ronner Of Holland, who like Rosa
Bonheur has devoted a lifetime to
the portrayal of animal life. A cockatoo
has wandered from its perch in an adjoin-
ing room to a settee where cat was watch
ing over her little family. The position of
each animal, and the expression of fear on
the face of the mother and that of wonder
ment expressed by the little ones, is, in
the original picture, perfection itself. The
cat, ever changeable and variable in con-
tour, in expression and markings, is the
most difficult of all animals for an artist to
reproduce on canvas. Of the four hun
dred and fifty canvases on the walls of the
gallery at the Louvre, Paris, there
are but three representations of cats, and
this proportion holds good, SO it is said,
throughout the world of art. Madame
Ronner, who seems possessed of natural
talent to paint animals, has had most
successful career, and although now in her
seventy-third year she is still at her easel.
For many years past she has devoted her
attention to cats and kittens exclusively.
Another of the few artists who have had
the patience to portray cats is Carl Kahler
of local fame, who some years ago painted
large canvas representing a colony of
cats owned by the late Mrs. Kate Johnson
and kept at her country home near Santa
Rosa 1t is entitled my Wife's Lovers, -
and is now in the possession of Ernest
Marquette of this City. On this canvas
there are a great number OF cats represent
ing all breeds and sizes, from the tiny,
vivacious kitten at play with ball of yarn
to the beautiful and dignifed Maltese and
the sedate Thomas cat who has long
ceased to give serenades on the back yard
fence. This painting has by critics been
pronounced almost perfect.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29

him with but little difficulty from his fell
lows of the sparrow family. Probably the
first peculiarly to attract the observer
about him is the unusual pattern of the
head markings. a line of white extends
from the bill down the back of the head,
bounded on each side by strip of chest
nut or blackish, which in turn is bordered
with another white streak, just above the
eye. A fine line of black is next below
this, while on the white throat is also
streak of black, less sharply defined, how
ever. Thus the entire head has the effect
of a succession of black and white streaks,
which, together with an irregular black
spot on the breast and series of white
edgings on the tbs of the dark tail
feathers, make this otherwise plain grayish
brown and dull white bird very easily
recognized.
There is to me none of the fond associa-
tons of former days about the larkfinch-
none of the domestic kinship to warm the
heart when 1t returnS-but when | hear
the high busy chatter of the swallows, and
see them wheeling in clear-cut circles
about the caves where of old they have
nested, an untold food of memories and
delights arise. Here they are-the barn
and the cliff swaIlows-the same in this
far land that Wisconsin childhood had
made dear to me. How swiftly and dex-
terously they cleave the air with their
long, sharp wings, wheeling and eddying
about. seemingly in pure delight of the
motion. [ have known estimable men
and women in this workaday world of
ours who had no clear conception of the
difference between a swallow and a spar
row. Alas for you, my good friends; what
a Joy has been absent from your lives;
what lack in not being able to claim kim
ship with these masters of the air. l shall
not detain you with description which
would fall so far short of the living image,
but simply bid you go to the country when
next the spring air gives assurance that
the swallows have come and make their
acquaintance about any farmhouse; and,
by all means, learn to distinguish the
barn swallow, with his long, forked tail,
for he is so much of AN aristocrat you can
not fail to appreciate him.
The tiny rufous hummer does not mate
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29

There is an indescribable gladness
among the fields and over the hills as the
birds come crowding and hurrying back
from their winter sojourn in the south at
the genial invitation of spring. The warm
promptings of their hearts urge them 70
love-making, and the sacred GUItes of the
nest once more engross their devoted little
minds. 1t is at such times as this that we
are most closely drawn to our feathefed
friends by ties of sympathetic feeling; for
are they not enacting the same life drama
that we enact, with their heartburnings
and jealousies their unsatistied Iongings
and tender loves, their watchfulness and
care of the young? There is beautiful
solemnity about this season of new life,
when numberless fair creatures are mating
in bush and tree. Love is the ruling i'm
pulse of the hour, and patient care and
devoted self-sacrifice prevail in natures
realm.
AS April energies in the procession of
the seasons many changes are already in
progress. The precious Annals hummer
fashioned its tiny basket at least month
before, and is now busy rearing its two
helpless young. The summer warbler in
its raiment of gold came fitting about our
trees IN mid March, during which month,
also, number of our winter birds departed
for their breeding ground in the north.
The shy dwarf hermit thrush has stolen
away like a feeting shadow, and the king
lets have betaken themselves with all their
Observation-Disclosures to the pines of the north.
But in their places have come the lark
finch and the swallows, the black-headed
grosbeak and the warbing vireo.
On one of these fair April days, when
the linnets are singing their loudest from
fnches, Respondent in their spring attire,
are busy with their love-making, we may
observe on some fencepost by a country
road the larkfnch, contentedly singing
his humble ditty. He is a striklngly
marked bird, with individual characters
tics which enable the novice to distinguish
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29

outside with small fragments of moss,
hchen, bark and similar materials, is ready
to receive the Invariable two white eggs
In due course of time the most helpless
young imaginable are Matched and tended
by the unremltting care of the mother
They soon grow so large that their diminu-
tive home can scarcely contain them until,
at last, from the sheer physical necessity
OF oYercrowded quarters, they are forced
to essay fight. Wonderful, indeed, is
the domestic life of these smallest of birds.
in whose minute frame is compacted so
much OF intelligence and passion-so much
that we fondly claim as human.
Upon some fine morning in early April
we may hear a sprightly warbling song
which gives notice of the arrival of a new
bird. Looking among the delicate spring
foliage we may soon detect a 1.-the deli
cate, active little bird in extremely sober
attire, cleaning among the trees for what
ever insect life the new leaves harbor 1t
is the Western warbling vireo, slender
creature with fine sensibilitles, l should
imagine, modest and retiring, uttering its
sweet MARBLE as it fits among the
branches. Its cloak is of olive green and
gray above and yellowish white below,
with faint, scarcely perceptible line of
white over the eye. Despite its dull colors
| am especially fond of this little vireo
for its winning ways and gentle DISPOSE
llOlls OuI NdIIiOIuId variety Is De QlS
tlngulshed from its Eastern counterpart
by. the most trivial distinctions only,
being slightly smaller and paler in color
The song is the samoa sweet, LIQUID
MARBLE, which may be heard at any time
during the early months of summer.
Would that l could describe the host of
birds that are on the move i'll this month
OF restlessness and activity. The golden
crowned sparrows which have delayed as
long as they dared have deserted us and
left their near relatives and companions of
the wintertlme the white crowns, in I'M
disputed possession of the shrubbery. The
Oregon junco, or snowbird, has likewise
gone north or into the mountains, and the
Audubon's warbler has followed it. From
the southwark has come the demure little
Western dycatcher to spend the summer in
our canyons, and following it is the chip
ping sparrow, the gay Bullock oriole and
the lazuli bunting. How the season
changes Some birds are hurrying to the
north, some are already busy with
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29

new rock-crushing plant at Folsom, which
is to supply cheap rock for macadam1zino
to counties that want it.
Mr.. Manson said there hau been soma
delay through necessary red tape, but that
they hoped to be turning out rock in
November The preliminary machinery
for the quarry is on the ground, derricks
are up and the quarry is beng opened and
exploited. Bids for the rock-crushino
plant will be opened September %. The
plant will turn out 900 cubic wards of
crushed rock per day, or more than all the
plants about the bay combined. The en-
tire plant will cost about $4,000. The
counties within economical reach will nav
Tor the rock Its cost plus 10 per cent plus
transportation. The low railroad rates
range from three-q Iarters to l cent per
ton per mile. Mr.. Manson said:
From our information We expect Sacramento
County to take $4,000 cubic yards and San
year.
The amount used per mile will depend on the
width to which the macadam is laid. One
hundred cubic yards will make a strip one
loot wide, one mile long and seven inches
deep. The most economical roadway that can
be built is one which is we'll drained and of
Wnlch one-half is macadam and the other half
GOOD dirt road. The macadam should be laid
eight or nine feet wide. The macadam part
would De most travelled in winter and the dirt
portion in summer if the latter is well
spr1nkled. This alienation in use relieves
both portions and reduces the cost of main
tenance. This style of country road is rec
Commended :, by General Roy Stone, Commit
s!oner OF Highways of the Departmental Ag-
riculture, and L expect much of this stvle Of
road to be built in California
The people of this State spend between
$3 100000 and 81 100000 yearly on their.
highways, yet 1t cannot be controverted that
we are deteriorating in roads. 1t cannot be
controyerted that the same amount, intelli-
gently, judiciously and honestly expended
during series OF years, would give us the
grandest system of roads in the world Most of
IL is now bllndly thrown away.
Inc commissioners hope to secure a system.
atlc remodeling OF the road laws as q principal
thing. We want to inform the people of each
county as to the best materials they have, the
best methods of road building and the most
economical and systematic methods of main.
tenance. We want to inaugurate an era dur.
Ing which our roads Will grow better instead
OF worse. The correction of the bad road sys-
tenn, however, lies with the people. Without
thelr cooperation the best laws and the best
methods can accomplish little We must raise
the standard of intelligence regarding roads
The bureau has issued two bulletins, and
will issue more. One of the Commission.
ers will attend the National road conven-
ton at Atlanta.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29

their nesting, while others are on
their way from the south. The grass
which covers the bare face of the hills is
shimmering green. The flowers are
blooming in bountiful profusion. The oc-
casional frosts of the early part of the
month have given place to hot summer
sun, and the rains have grown less and
less frequent. We are al the gates of sum-
mer, and as the month draws to a close
the birds become more and more settled
into the routine of domestic life Court
ship, welded life, the home, the young,
the education of offspring and the part
ing-all in the space of two or three SUM-
mer months! Verify the birds, with their
intense activity and ardent passions, lead
faster lives than we, who watch them, can
realize. Thus engaged in the preparations
for house-building, let US leave them,
trusting in another month to arrive at the
heart of their domestic fluctuations and
felicities
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29

, and basalts are the best on the Globe. Our
asphalts particularly are unequaled in the
world for abund ance, variety and quality.
They are great deal better than the Trinidad
asphalts.
In a few counties which we visited there was
little interest in the subject, but think that
the public of California is generally alive to
the necessity of good roads, and that the mass
OF the people re aliZe that one of the principal
problems confronting the owner of every
country home in the State is, How can most
cheaply take away from my home my products
and get to it what / need? This becomes ap-
parent when q Santa Clara farmer can load
thirty-four bales of hay on wagon and with a
single span of horses trot to market and trot
back with an equivalent load, whereas in many
counties two or three spans could not more
than haul such a load. 1t is rich and pros
porous community that can afford to use bad
roads.
1 have closely observed everywhere the evil
dences of prosperity. This prosperity is re.
lated to the whole subject of Transportation.
put l nave observed .tnat 1t is due TO other
things. In rich mountain counties I have
seen prosperous farmers who raise a great
variety OF farm products. They produce nealry
all the family needs and have poultry, butter,
cattle, hogs, sheep, fruit and grain for sale In
valley counties the farmer will depend on a
single crop and send TO town for his meat hnts
ter and vegetables.
The contrast between these conditions "a
generally very marked. One raises LARGELY
from force of circumstances nearly all his fam.
ny needs and is prosperous. well-to-do and
couraged and shiftless. N-'
We all remember a breakfast we had on the
Placerville road one morning IN WAS n
hundred-acre farm, of which thirty acres vera
highly cultivated and the rest were given 10
grain and grazing. Well, that breakfast
There was cracked wheat, cream that had 10
be shoyeled out with spool, fruit from the
trees and vines, the freshest of eggs, trout
o aaken .hat morning from stream, fried
chicken, bread. butter aud vegetables. the
ireshest and .purest, and ali wholesome and
delightful. Money could not buy such meal
al at, the Palace Hotel, but everything but the
salt, sugar snd spices came from the farm.
The Commissioners are busy with the
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29
STILL SWINGING THE AK.
The Supervisors Have Resolved on
Three More Dismissals

The Supervisors Have Resolved on
Three More Dismissals.
The majority of the Board ofsSupervisors
have pitched on three more subordinate
offices in the new City Hall to distribute
among their friends. All of them are
Police Court places.
Prosecuting Attorney Dare of Police
Court has been asked to dismiss his as
sistant, Thomas Graham. Prosecuting At
torney Mogan of Police Court 2 has been
advised to let out Warrant Clerk Seaman,
and Prosecuting Attorney Forbes has been
advised that it is time to dispense with the
services of his assistant, Attorney Jackson.
This means, of course, that the ap-
pointees have been selected for the places
about to be vacated. According to the
programme sketched out the changes will
be made at the meeting of the board next
Monday, so that the favorites may get the
benefit OF the October salaries.
These three changes have been on the
books ever since the Solid Eight agreed to
make a grab for the janitors, gardeners
and clerical positions and divide them
among their friends. 1t was not till the
last few DAYS, however, that they could
agree on division of them.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29
GOSPEL OF GOOD ROADS,
What the State Bureau of High
ways Has Done and Learned
So Far.
Straw Roads and Honest
MOuntaineers.

The Road Commissioners, who are in
charge of the Bureau of Highways, created
by the last Legislature, have just started
out on another tour of northern and GEN.
trail counties. They are quietly doing a
highly important work in the State, and
there is bright promise that they will
demonstrate the wisdom of the State law
makers in bringing California into line
with the recent and widespread movement
for better highways.
When the Commissioners visit a county
they do three principal things: hold a
public meeting to preach the gospel of
good roads, meet the Supervisors and
learn the methods, etc., of bodybuilding
in the county and inspect the principal
county roads. Incidentally, they do great
deal of talking, observing, gathering of
statistics and eating of fine country din
ners.
Just before Marsden Manson, chairman
OF the commission, left for Sacramento on
Thursday he told in general and very
interesting way what the Commissioners
had done and learned since the organiza.
ton OF the bureau, which has its head
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29

so early in the season as its resident cousin,
Annals hummer, but by the LIST Of April it
is paired and at work upon the nest. 1t is
truly marvel of a home. so delicate and
downy, so deity constructed and so per-
fectly .oncealed. To detect the nest by a
scrutiny of the bush or tree in which it is
placed would be hopeless task, so minute
is its size and so perfectly does it blend
with the branch upon which it is placed,
but the anxiety of the birds when their
home is approached, or more frequently
their daring resentment, reveals its pres
ence. Whenever the angry buzz of one of
these intrepid mites is heard close at hand,
it is safe to surmise that the nest is not far
off. Even then It'll not easy to discover
it, but with patience and quiet the owners
may be sufficiently treasured to go about
their business once more. Watch them
closely and the female will presently De
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29

quarters at the capital. The other Com
missioners are R. c. Irvine of Sacramento
and J. ID. Maude of Riverside. The law
creating the bureau requires the Commits
sloners to visit and thoroughly investigate
the bodybuilding of every county in the
State once year.
The Commissioners have made two ex-
tenslve tours so far, visiting eighteen coun-
ties and personally inspected 1900 miles of
country roads. That is as far as to Ogden
and back. The first trip was in the coun-
ties of Yolo, Solano, Napa. Sonoma,
Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Contra
Costa and San Joaquin. The second trip
took IN the counties of Sacramento, Ell
Dorado, Alpine, Tuolumne, Amador,
MERGED, Mariposa, Stanislaus and Gala
veras. Full notes and many photographs
have been taken, and the commission
report to the next Legislature promises to
Mansen speaks of the work encouragingly
He says:
So far we have found that the amounts ex-
Penoed Dy counties on highways yearly range
from YolOO, in Alpine, to 81 100000, in San
rpaHcisco. we have not made specific in
Vestlgatlon or San Francisco highway affairs
but will do So We have found great variety
OF conditions of roads, from the fine valley
roads OF Santa Clara County and the excel
iene mountain roads OF Alpine to the almost
impossible highways of many of the valley
and foothlll sections of the interior.
1t is remarkable fact that we found the
best mountain road in Alpine County, whcih
has population of about $50, an assessed
valuation OF $256,00O and road fund of only
about $l100 year. The people have to main
tain fifty-seven miles of road in mountainous
country, subject to heavy snowfall and the
ROADS are constantly travelled by sheep and
heaVy logging teams The secret is in the
sterling integrity and the energy displayed by
the supervisors. When one has few hundred
to spend he sees that each dollar brings its
worm OF honest roadwork, and he is ready to
ture OF every dime. When the road fund is ex-
hausted there is often another fund in the
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29
pc of subscriptions of honest hard work by
From Ladies Home Journal.

shape of subscriptions of honest hard work by
the people.
Santa Clara County has the best roads in the
State, and it is quarter of a cen fury ahead o.
any other section of the State. 1t spends
$50, 900 year. one-half in the building and
repair of roads, and the other half in economi-
cally sprinkling 270 miles OF graded and grav-
eled roadway. The county officials are judi.
ciously constructing culverts and bridges of
concrete and masonry, thereby doing away
with expensive repairs.
The most impossible roads have been found
in both the foothill and valley portions OF the
great central valley of California. Through
out this valley three conditions OF soil prevail
the great .alluvial deposits of the streams,
adobe and sand. The excessively sandy roads
are often impossible in summer to heavily
loaded teams. In place of doing anything In
diligently to make these roads better from
year to year it is the habit, especially in parts
OF MERGED, Stanisaus and San Joaquin coun.
ties, to put straw over these roads to depth OF
four or five inches about the time the wheat
crop is moved. This lasts but few weeks, and
1t is frequently done twice year. 1t requires
about fourteen tons to the mile at an expense
of about $50. In Stanislaus County forty
miles of sand ase thus treated at an annual
cost of about $45 mile.
The adobe roads are often practically impas-
sable in winter The sandy loans are about
midway between the two. In many parts OF
these counties we found natural earthly road
material mixed in exactly the RICH proportions
for good dirt road, but this material had not
been utilized on either the sandy or adobe
roads. If within seven miles OF piece OF bad
road there exists good natural road material it
is economy to haul it from there. Under adobe
there is generally hard pan which makes fairly
good roads. Still, an engineer should not
harshly criticise farmer for not being good
road engineer any more than an engineer
should be criticized for not being good
farmer. The farmer is not generally prepared
to benefit the human race in the line OF good
roads.
We have found in many parts of California
that the roads were good because the natural
material there was good. The occurrence and
utilization in each county of the best road
materials Is one of our studies, and it is aston
ishing what wealth of good road material
there Is in this State. Our asphalts, traps
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29

detected suddenly alighting upon what ap-
pears to be nothing more than knob or
excrescence on branch.
If you have the good fortune to have dis
covered an unfinished nest, you may OBJ
serve her methods of work. She settles
down upon it and rounds it with her breast.
Seemingly with difficulty the head is raised
and the long slender beak arranges here
and there bit of lichen, bark or cobweb
in its proper place on the outside. Thus
she works until the compact little struc-
ture of softest thistle down, covered on the
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29

A DEVICE TO IMPROVE THE ACTION or
VALvEs.-A device has been put on the
market for the prevention of hammering
and consequent injury to mainfeed check
valves and the vibration of feed connec-
tions. This arrangement IS greatly appre-
clated by engineers, as it permits OF full
lift being given to valve, and prevents
the excessive strains on pumps and pipes,
which are often so destructive.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29

USE BANK STOCK paper if you value your
eyes. Mysell-Rollins Company, % Clay
street, print and bind 1t any shape,