davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-09
NEW BRUBsWJoK's POSTMASTER

WASHINGTON. March 3. 1895. Charles
Deshler was nominated for postmaster
at New Brunswick W the President to-
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-09
WEATHER INDICATIONS.

NEW YORK, March 9. 1Ss6.-For tho
36 hours ending at p. NJ. Tuesday.
For New York city and vicinity
Fair tonight and on Tuesday; station>
ary Temperatures; westerly winds.
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-09

Ex-Governor Taylor. Of Tennessee tells
this stosy:-A stranger approached him
recently with extended hand and said -
Your face is familiar; where in the hell
did I meet you?"
II don't knew :, replied the ex-Gcyer-
nor; what part Of hell are you from21
The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-09
3 H0KE HAS. LOST HIS GRIP.

WASHINGTON. March 9, 1896. Secre-
tary Hoke Smith has recovered from
the attack of the grip and resumed his
duties at the Interior Department.
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08
DEATH OF WILLIAM MAIN
A State Pioneer and Prominent
in Commercial and Civic
Circles.
Connected With Leading Eastern Fam.
ilies-His Death Due to Fall
From a Ladder.

William Washington Main, an employe
of the firm of Main & Winchester, d led at
his residence in this City Thursday morn
ing. While fixing screw-eye at his office,
2l4 Battery street, on Monday morning the
stepladder upon which he stood collapsed
and he was thrown violently to the floor.
When picked up he was unconscious, and
it was found that he was suffering from
conclusion OF the brain. He did not there
after regain consciousness.
The deceased was born in Boston, Mass,
sixty-seven years ago. He came to Cali
fornia in 1S49, and has since then been a
resident of this State. He was one of the
most prominent and energetic of the Vigi-
lantes in the early SOS, the honesty and
straightforwardness OF his character al
ways asserting itself on the side of truth
and right. After the Vigilante excitement
in this City Mr.. Main went to Petaluma,
where he established large and lucrative
business. He also organized tho Petaluma
Fire Department.. After the opening OF
the railroad Mr.. Main turned his eyes to
the greater commercial center OF San
Francisco. From that time on he was
identified with the firm of Main & Win
chester in the capacity of head OF its most
important department..
His sudden demise has deprived the firm
of one of its most valued and trusted en-
ployes. It has also bereaved one OF our most
respected families of its head. William
Washington Main leaves behind him, be-
sides sorrowing widow to mourn his loss,
three married daughters, Mrs. ]. e. Fitz-
gerald, wife of the publisher of the Silver
Advocate; Mrs. I. T. Tarbox and Mrs.
Owen b. Wynne; ne unmarried daugh-
ter, Miss Alice l.. Main, and young son,
Stanford w. Main. The head of the firm,
Charles Main, feels the loss keenly, the
more so as it is only two months since he
lost his wife. The sad event will be de-
plored by numerous families in Philadel-
phia and other Eastern cities, where Mr..
Main had many influential relatives. He
was connected with the Hartwells OF Phil
adelphia, among the oldest settlers of the
New England States.
The funeral will take place to-day at
p. NJ, from his late residence, and Rev. G..
w. Eliot Jr., associate pastor of the First
Unitarian Church, will officiate. Inter
ment will be at Laurel Hill Cemetery.
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08
It's PAST,
PRESENT AND
FUTURE.
HILL

intelligence that new star of the West
had been added to the National galaxy.
Later on, and within the memory
of the present generation, the hill
loomed up as the scene of an enter
What a glorious conception was that
which genius lent to enthusiastic capi-
talists in the idea of a cable road to the
summit of Telegraph Hill, whereupon
they should build resort that should be
the envy of rival cities and the admiration
of travellers. The scheme was gigantic; so
was the failure. The cable road was built
up Greenwich street to the pavilion of
pleasure at the top of the hill. 1t was
even in contemplation to have the car at
the completion of the ascent lifted to the
platform of a hydraulic elevator and
dropped down to the level on the perpen-
dicular bayside of the hill, whence q trip
to the seawall might be enjoyed. Tourists
were expected to go wild over such an ex-
cursion, and it was thought certain that
the people of the bay cities would keep
coming in continuous stream to swell
the receipts of the Telegraph Hill Cable
Company.
he CdUlS-CdIS up tuc Tue
pavilion rose and kissed the clouds; but the
very few msdly delighted people never got
the chance to drop down in the hydraulic
elevator. The cable hadn't been running
very long before the bottom dropped out
of the scheme. 1t was found, of course, to
be stupendous folly. Subscribers to that
enterprise, who invested big wads of good
money in that gold-fed undertaking, do
not care a continental for the fate of Tele-
graph Hill.
There is something lamentable about
the destruction of this hill. It once sloped
gently to the sea, and wealthy people,
attracted by the scenic site, built homes
thereon and from their doorways feasted
their eyes on pictures of never-waning in
terest-on busy streets, on domes and
spires, on sails and masts, on distant hills
and mountains beyond them. on islands,
bay and sea, and cities rising by the wave
afar.
The City of San Francisco made a sad
mistake when she abandoned that hill to
the ouarrymen. Improved and beautitied,
what a rare ornamentit it would have made!
Voyagers on ships coming in from sea
would have been charmed at picture of
splendid homes greeting the eager gaze as
the vessels steered into the placid harbor.
What glorious place that hill might
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08

also sometimes made to high diplomats as
special favor.
The face value OF the set of newspaper
stamps that has just peen superseded by
a new set is something over 5000, and that
of the new set is very near that amount.
Owing to the impossibility of buying the
com plete set in the regular way at post
Office many of the stamps are quoted in
the philatelic market at considerable over
their face value, even when current. And
tbs known that this state OF affairs has IT.
many instances tempted the attaches OF
foreign postotfices or Uf legations to dis
pose of these stamps to dealers or col
lectors.
This Irregular practice meets with the
strong disapproval of the best members OF
the philatelIc fraternity, and movement
has recently been started by the philatelic
societies of the United States to induce
the Postoffice Department to put these
DO away with all temptation to sharp
practice on the part Of collectors. 1t is
claimed that no possible reason exists why
these stamps should not be sold to the
general public, as no injury can result to
the Government. 1t is argued on the con-
trary that the revenue of the department
would be largely augmented by the de-
sired innovation, as many collectors would
be only too glad TO avail themselves of the
to their collections.
The movement was started by the Chi
cago Philatelic Society, of which Post
master Hesing of that city is a member,
and Mr.. Hesing's name heads the petition
that will be presented to the Postmaster
General on this subject. He will also
write letter to accompany the memorial
to Washington, and which is expected to
carry much weight.
One of the largest purchases recently
made OF stamps was of collection of Ger
man stamps by Charles ]. Phillips of Lon
don. It is said to be practically complete.
The purchase price was $4,000, or $50 900.
This gentleman is also reported to have
sold an unused copy of what is known as
the i'd error wood block of the Cape of
Good Hope for f500, or nearly $500. This
is the second highest price ever paid for a
stamp, the highest having been recorded
by st. Louis firm, about six months ago,
postmaster's stamp Of st. Louis for an even
$4,000.
One of the serious evils that stamp
collectors have to contend with is the
manufacture of counterfeits of the rarer
stamps, the laws on the point being at
present ineffective. Relief is promised,
however, from the next session of the
mem bers of the Postal Union, which is to
take place in Washington. 1t is said that
the members are arranging to make law
regarding the forging of postage-stam ps
more stringent than it il at present in all
the countries within the union. Where
there is no such law at present, as in
Austria. Hungary, Spain. Siam and Vic
toria, it Is intended to introduce the neces-
sary measures.
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08

sent total of about..40 900, 600 cubic feet,
or about $4,000, 900 ions. Only quarter of
a block of it is gone.
Where is that quarter of a block? 1t
has been distributed in almost every
quarter of the world. 1t has gone as bal
last in the big ships. Dirt ballast fills the
ship with slime, while this rock is clean.
The crushed rock is used for concrete in
Liverpool. Britain holds a ground-up bit
of Telegraph Hill; some of it is lost in the
streets of Paris; little has gone to the
Antipodes; the Asiatic shore has had a
sprinkling of it; Africa has not been
sighted, and why may we not imagine
some Telegraph Hill concrete being
utilized to hold together some of the
ancient classic piles of Athens and of
Rome?
The rock from Telegraph Hill is being
put into seawalls; into foundation-walls
and walls of streets; it is being used up in
riprap for railroads and in macadam for
roadways in many cities by the bay. 1t is
too seamy for building purposes. Three
hundred men are kept busy blasting and
crushing and loading it for multitude of
destinations, and it may be observed that
San Francisco is the only city in the world
where stone quarry is being worked and
q rock crushing plant operated within i've
blocks of the postoffice.
Telegraph Hill may in the not distant
future furnish rock for walling in and re-
claiming the stretch of land from Oakland
to Oakland mole; it will be used to build
seawalIs for China Basin and all along the
west shore; it may some day furnish rock
for a bridge across to Goat Island and
complete a mole that shall unite it with
the Alameda shore. The sooner these and
other vast improvements take shape, the
nuicker will be the downfall of Telegraph
Hill.
The heart of the pioneer wakes sore at
the thought of this worse than vandalism.
Old San francisco will be no more when
that hill is gone. That hill is nearly all
that is left of it to-day. In '49 the people
of the City were warned of the arrival Of
vessels by signals flashed from Telegraph
Hill. The signal thrilled many heart.
1t meant tidings from the Union; tldlngs
from loved ones on the other side OF the
continent, and in those days the other side
sf the continent was the other side OF the
world. California was the Jumping-oH
place. From Telegraph Hill the eagerly
waiting City was apprised by signal OF
Californias s admission to the sisterhood OF
states. The whole population watched
he hill that day and burst into common
ubilation when the signal shot forth the
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08
AS BURGLARS,
The Residence of Mrs. Miller, On
OFarrell Street, Broken
Into.
Every Bedroom Ransacked and Sew.
eral Hundred Dollars Worth Of
Jewelry Stolen.

The residence of Mrs. Miller, 715A O'Far.
rell street, was entered by burglars yester-
day morning and several hundred dollars
worth Of jewelry W as stolen.
Mrs. Miller and her two daughters
locked up the house at 10 o'clock yester-
day morning and vent to church. They
returned between IL and 1 o'clock. and to
their surprise they found the rear door
open.
They suspected something was wrong,
and when they went ups tairs their worst
fears were realized. They always took the
precaution to lock all the doors in side the
house when they went out and every bed
room door was found open. Contents Of
bureau drawers were scattere d about the
floors and every place had been searched
for money or jeweIry.
A tin box in one of the bedrooms con-
tanning $50 in coin and qua nifty of jew
elry had been pried open, but neither the
money nor jewelry was taken, which led
to the belief that just at the time the
burglars had been scared away.
An examination showed that the rear
door and all the bedroom doors had been
forced open with a Jimmy" the marks
being plainly visible.
Mrs. Miller at once notified police head
Quarters of the burglary and Dete ctives
Bee and Harper were detailed on the case.
Most of the recent daylight burglaries in
the Western Addition have been attributed
to peddlers, and two OF them were seen in
the locality of Mrs. Miller's residence yes
terday morning and it was noticed that
they did not have wagon with them.
Their mode of operations is to go around
with potato or two in their hands. If the
potatoes are wanted at the house the ped
dler does not return. When there is no
answer to the doorbell one stands on the
lookout in front while the other goes to the
rear with Jimmy" and breaks into the
house.
Five peddlers in the Mission were ar
rested on suspicion of being burglars
ten days ago, and after being detained
two or three days were released, as no one
| could positively identify them.
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08

G. T. Gray of this firm has figured out
that the hill will have disappeared in lit
tie over hundred years. The hill is the
residence quarter of large class of for
eigners, of whom many own their lots. As
the blasting moves deeper into the hill the
lots above are purchased by the quarry
owners, who may have acquired the whole
rocky eminence before many decades
60 by.
mo great value attaches to the hill
property now," said G. T. Gray, "but in
the day that sees it leveled down it will be
a splendid possession. Then Kearny and
Montgomery streets will run through to
the water front, and the way may be lined
with stores and manufactures. The hill
is bounded by Broadway, LON bard, San
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08

some and Dupont streets. The only OBJ.
lection I have heard to the removal of
Telegraph Hill is that large portion of
the City would be directly exposed to
winds, where now the hill acts as wind
break. Nobody alive will ever feel the
change, but it is well to have thought
for posterity. 1 think even this objection
is not well taken and that the importance
of the hill as windbreak is exaggerated.
In order to settle the question of possible
climatic change, supposititiously due to
removal of Telegraph Hill, Weather OBJ.
server Hammond was consulted in his
cozy nest at the top of the Mills building.
"It will make no climatic difference"
said Mr.. Hammond. 1.-THE only effect of
the removal of Telegraph Hill would be
to allow the fog to flow in more swiftly
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08

In spite OF years Of legal battle against
it the blasting process goes on. Is it too
late to save what remains. and must the
hill be torn away piecemealP If this blast
ing could be stopped, might not this hill
yet be made thing of beauty?
II you want breath of good sea air, If
you want birdseye view of the rush OF
the world of trade, If you want marine
views, if you want muscle-building exer-
else, Telegraph Hill still stands with an
open invitation to come and enjoy any
and all of these.
Will some old-timers speak out in its
behalf? Or has the old historic landmark
not one friend left? And must 1t then be
for ages an eyesore and blight before it
vanishes forever?
Gray Bros, who work the quarry and
rock-crushing plant are the heaviest
owners of Telegraph Hill property to-day.
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08

have been made had the City been gifted
with foresight long ago. Telegraph Hill
should have been terraced. A roadway of
easy grade should have wound about it
from base TO summit. Then mansions
would have lined the roadway. The hill
would not be, as it is, an unsightly rock
to the gazer from the bay. Its summit
would not be reached by cleated paths
along rows of ramshackle structures; the
greater part of the hill would not be bare
and cheap-looking, and people would re-
gard it with pride where they now view 1t
with pain and pity.
1t is too bad that some millionaire did
not see fit to perpetuate his memory by
providing for an observatory of some pre-
tensions that should rest on Telegraph Hill
like the topmast jewel of regal crown.
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08

A VIEW of San Francisco which
~ omits Telegraph Hill may be not
~ inaptly compared to the repre-
4 N sentation of the face of great
man which omits his character
1stic wart. In these days of scientific Won
oers the man whose vanity suffers through
the consciousness of facial blemish re-
Iieves his mind and his features by visit
ing specialist and having the defect re-
moved. But how odd it will seem to the
old pioneer to hear serious talk OF the re-
moval from the face of San Francisco of
feature so prominent and SO famous as
Telegraph Hill.
Yet it is beyond question that the Cali
fornians of the twenty-irst century will
read of Telegraph Hill with about the
same peculiar interest that we now read of
mountains and cities that have disap-
peared from the surface of the earth. They
will wonder how it looked; wonder if 1t
really rose abruptly to the towering height
OF 300 feet above the City's water front i;
and wonder again if nineteenth century
historians of the golden West were not
given to exaggeration when they alluded
to an impossible mountain barrier to the
progress of Kearny and Montgomery
streets (both of which. of course, shall
then run in an uninterrupted course from
the heart of the City to the bay.)
Telegraph Hill is doomed-it is grad
ually passing. AS of old, it looks dehantly
down Montgomery street, and the glance
OF the casual observer from the old
thoroughfare reveals no change. But the
sight from the bay shore yields different
story-the woeful fact that Telegraph Hill
is being unsparingly cut and hacked and
shot IN the back of the neck. From the
summit, looking down on this scene of
demolition, you may see ant-like swarms
OF creatures carrying away tiny loads from
the base. Little men are ceaselessly pick
ing away at the gigantic rock, and now
and then blasting out cubic yard or So.
And what a vast weight there is in cubic
yard Four-ifths of cubic yard of this
rock weighs ton. And these little men
who are picking and picking away and
finding SO much heavy labor in the re-
moval of one of those tons have no time
and no inclination to consider the world
Of work that remains to be done ere the
last stone or fragment of rock of the great
hill shall have been whirled away.
Telegraph Hill is almost one solid mass
of rock. There is from twenty to twenty
two blocks of it, and these blocks repre-
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08

VIEW of San Francisco which
~ omits Telegraph Hill may be not
~ inaptly compared to the repre-
K N sentation of the face of great
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08

from the bay. At present the hill acts as
a sort of barrier against the low fog banks.
If the location of the hill were to the west
instead of to the north, it would be in the
course of the winds, and removal, in
that case, would make material difference
to the City"
People needn't lie awake nights worry
ing for fear of climatic changes in this
regard. The hill will be in evidence, any
how. for some time yet; although it is
going by degrees. and the change that time
will bring to the blocks where it stands
will be more wonderful than the conver-
sion of bleak sand dunes into perpetual
flower gardens.
Fancy Ia couple of hundred years from
now, curbstone philosopher, addressing
a friend in front of store on the Mont.
gomery-street extension of the future, and
relieving himself thus:
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08
ANXIOUS TO BUY STAMPS,
Collectors Preparing a Petition
to Be Forwarded to
Washington.
Labels That the Government Jealouslv
Guards From the General
Public.

One of the rules of the Postoffice Depart
ment that has always been incomprehen-
slble to the intelligent stamp collector is
that which absolutely forbids the sale Of
what are designated as newspaper or peri
odical stamps and postage-due stamps to
the public at large.
The newspaper stamps are never, in fact,
sold to any body, but are simply affixed to
the voucher showing the payment of post
age by daily or periodical publication
and then Cancelled. The postage-oue
stamps are put on letters that have been
inadequately prepaid to show the amount
of the shortage which is collected from the
addressee.
But despite the strict rule Of the depart
ment against their sale In the ordinary
way large numbers of these labels find
their way into the albums of collectors.
A favorite way has been for some schem-
ing collector to note the appointment of a
to make purchases of the prescribed stan
before the postmaster has properly famil-
iarized himself with the rules.
The higher values of the newspaper
stamps are, however. not obtainable in
this manner, as only the very largest post
offices keep them on hand. These reach
the hands Of collectors in no less objec-
tionable manner.
1t is the custom for each country on the
issuing of new stamp or series of stamps
to send 700 sets to the headquarters of the
Postal Union at Berne, Switzerland, for
distribution to the Postal Union countries
that they may know that these stamps are
properly in use, each country being en-
titled to ct least two sets. GIFTS Of sets are
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08
Starting Racehorses by Machines.

The Ingleside Starting machine Company
has filed articles Of Incorporation. The COM
pany IS formed to manufacture and sell ma
are: r. E. de B. Lopez, E. Corrigan, A. B.
Spreckels, w. S. Leake and r. P. Ashe. The
capital stock is 100000, $3.50 of which has
been subscr ribed.
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08

"It doesn't seem possible that q cable
road ran up mountain and landed at q
pavilion 200 or 300 feet high directly above
where we are now standing in the open
air, does it? Our forefathers were great
liars"
The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08

Among the principal industries OF Ven-
ezuela are the cultivation of coffee and
cocoa. cattle-raising, the growth of sugar
cane and its manufacture into sugar and
rum for local use.
Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-04-25
A Statue OF Grant.

BROOKLYN, N. Y, April 25.-The
fine equestrian statue of General U. S.
Grant, which the Union League Club,
of Brooklyn, has bought for presenta.
ton to that city, was unveiled this
afternoon with imposing ceremonies.
The veil was lifted from the statue at
about 8 o'clock by the hand of little
Ulysses Grant, grandchild of the Cen
eral, and third son of Col. Fred Dent
Grant, of New York. The statue is of
heroic size, sixteen feet high, made of
bronze and weighs ITO tons. William
Ordway Partridge was the sculptor.
Its base is q square granite block, %
tons in weight, supporting three similar
blocks. The stature stands on Bedford
avenue at the corner of Dean street.
just in front of the main entrance to
the Union League Club house and
makes an imposing spectacle. Aside
from the unwilling the great feature of
the celebration was the military parade,
about 5000 men being in line. The
veterans of Grand Post, G.. A. r. con.
stituted the guard of honor about the
statue. General Stewart L. Woodford
made a short speech presenting the
statue to the city and Mayor Wurster
accepted the statue on behalf of the
city. General Horace Porter then
delivered eulogy on General Grant.