The San Francisco call., 1896-05-11

Alliances and farmers institutes almost
as long as they have been organized. He
is good presiding officer, and may go to
st. Louis as one of the delegates at large.
John S. Dore is dried-fruit and raisin
grower OF the same county. He Is reported
TO own considerable real estate, has money
in bank and is a shrewd business man.
Fresno claims him as one of her best
citizens. and he has served his county on
Grand Juries and in several other i'm
portant offices.
As lighter in POpulist politics he will
take seat in the rear at the bidding of no
man, and cannot be counted on to doff h is
hat to any person in the ranks of the
party. Added to this, he is level-headed.
with no hobbies, and is not a member OF
the grand army of cranks.
]. L. Gilbert, State lecturer of the party,
is well known all over the State. He is an
effective speaker, and will make things
lively in the convention should things fail
to come his way.
E. S. Van Meter is spoken of by his
former associates as "a good Democrat
gone wrong" He was assistant district
attorney of Fresno County under more
than one Democratic administration, and
was politician of the Tammanv school.
to be counted on for the programme.
LAS stump speaker he proved very ef-
fective, not only among the gold lodges oi
Grub Gulch, the cool heights of Pine
Ridge and the sluice- boxes of Coarse Gold,
but among the muscat vines of Washing
ton and Temperance colonies and the Ber-
mudas grass pastures around the humble
town of McMullin, chiefly celebrated for
the virtue and industry of its inhabitants
and the large proportion of iack-rabbits
and babies. The jack-rabbits are men,
toned first because they are more numer-
Gus than the babies. But there is hope
that McMullin will do better yet"
Van Meter, in the latter days of his
career as Democrat, ran for q iudgeship
or some other little Office of the kind in a
Fresno County Democratic primary, and,
to use the words of the "push," he was
unmerclfully jobbed by his Democratic
brethren, who believe IN individual as well
as state sovereignty.
1t was not long after that that the film
OF the Democracy was removed from the
eyes OF Van Meter, and he began to sus.
pect that Cleveland was not selling bonds
to the gold sharks of Europe and Wall
street for his health. He also discovered
that protective tariff on raisins and dried
fruits would be good thing for the people
of Fresno County, while it might not be q
which, in the language of Mr.. Taylor from
Alameda in the Republican convention
last week, .is supposed to be devoid oi
iewelry." There was nothing left for Van
Meter but TO become a Republican or q
Populist. He did not. like the idea OF
turning Republican, because he might be
accused of being turncoat, but as any.
under the banner of Weaver and Gator,
and has thus far served the party by stand
ing and waiting, but he has hopes.
Bv all odds the most picturesque feature
in the Fresno delegation is Andrew Jack
son Waterhouse, "the man about town.
and poet of the Fresno Republican.
Waterhouse was a rank Populist before he
was blown into California by a Kansas
cyclone and was known as a sweet singer
of the prairies long before he raised his
meiliduous soul in song in competition
with the chanting frog of the san Joaquin
tules. That was when he was employed
on the Stockton Mail. Then he blew down
the San Joaquin Valley in a sandstorm
and lifted up his soul in type among the
alfalfa fields and wineries of Fresno. Dur
ing the last gubernatorial campaign he
stumped the State for the Populists and
was drawing card, for he is real clever,
is quite a wit and had the distinction of
having been criticized adversely by Am
brose Bierce.
Alameda sends strong delegation, R.
E. Bush being the first arrival this even
ing. He is a shrewd man, having nothing
to say, and is on the ground early to look
after the interests of Alameda County in
the combinations that may be made.
w. c. Bowers of Los Angeles, ]. L. Dry.
den of San Diego, ]. W. Starkweather OF
Santa Barbara, J. W. Keegan of Santa
Rosa and e. NJ. Wardell of Los Angeles
are among the early arrivals from the
south. They decline to show their hands
but have several com mbination cards UP
their sleeves
The rush is expected to arrive by to-
morrow's trains and by evening al the
delegates will be here, from the lava beds
of Modoc to the ostrich farms of Coronado.