The San Francisco call., 1896-05-13


CoATs' THREAD Subscriber, Sacramento,
Cal. The original Coats thread was made in
Paisley County of Renfew, Scotland, by James
Coats who was native OF that place. The
business was subsequently carried on by his
sons, who were natives of the same place.
CALIFORNIA PURPLE FINCH-M. S. R., City.
The California purple finch which is found
near Santa Cruz has its habitat on the Pacific
Coast from the Straits of Fuca on the north to
the vicinity of Monterey. 1t has not been met
below that line. The first quill is usually
shorter than the fourth in the adult male, with
sides and fanks usually strongly though not
sharply streaked with dark. The back is very
indistinctly streaked, the feathers being less
dark than the edges. The red OF the crown is
darker than that of the rump. The special
characteristic is the head, with broad SUPRA
orbital lateral band of lighter purple. This
finch is very fine singer. 1t has general
resemblance TO the Western chipping sparrow,
but the latter is much smaller than the finch.
PoLLTAx COLLECTION herman, Millwood,
Fresno County, Cal. The law permits one who
is indebted to another to pay the polltax of
the person to whom he is indebted. In your
communication you say that 1--WE are lumber
men, the men are in the woods during the day,
and scatter at sight of the tax collector" In
case of that kind how is collector to make
demand on the parties for their tax? 1t is be-
cause of men, who know that they are in
debted to the State for polltax sneaking away
lectors make demand on employers for list
OF men in their employ, and give notice when
the men are at meals that he wants the poll
tax. If they do not pay he makes demand
on the employer for the amount of the tax. IT
this practice was not within the law 1t would
have been stopped long ago.
CHINEsE-F. NJ, San Pedro, Cal. The first
Chinese exclusion bill, passed March "a,
1882, was vetoed by President Chester A. Ar
thur April 4, and drawn anew to overcome the
nhf - %I1 tt lo~x,
the 9th of May, il being signed by the chief
executive on that day. 1t is impossible to tell
what the Chinese population was in San Fran
cisco at that time, but 1t was estimated at
Board of Supervisors undertook to find out the
number of Chinese in the City, and this is
what the special committee reported: mo
known method of census taking has ever vet
suficed to furnish an approximate idea even
of the number of our Chinese population
The committee as result of its investigation
stated that at that time, two years after the
exclusion law had been in operation, the low
est possible estimate it could reach WAS
80, $50.
TRANsvAAL TRoUBLEs-Subscriber,S Sacrament
to, Cal. The recent troubles in the Transvaal
arose from the desire of Cecil Rhodes to bring
about certain reforms; the suppression of the
existing Dopper-Boer domination as exempli-
fed by President Kruger and his Honander
allies; the installation of buffer government
with an executive composed of advanced pro-
gressive Beers, to be transltory, with the
object of esta blishing liberal reforms and the
granting OF the franchise to all duly qualified
Uitlanders; the advent of a more enlightened
class of Legislators composed of Anglo-Saxon
and Anglo-Duteh element, whose mission it
would be to bring the Transvaal within the
orbit OF the customs union as now existing
between the Cape Colony Natal and the
Orange Free State, as 8 first step toward local
federation; and while retaining its local inde-
pendence of form OF government the political,
commercial and social union of the Transvaal
within the area from Tanganyika on the north
to Capetown on the south, and from Delagoa
Bay on the east to Damaraland on the west
the whole to be under the segis of imperial
British suzerainty. 1t was against this propo-
sit1on that President Kruger took execution.
FRIDAY-N. N. City. Every country has
special unlucky days. In Christian countries
Friday of every week is the pre-eminently un-
| lucky one, probably from the fact that the
crucifxion is understood to have taken place
on that day. That and the consequent fasts
have made it a marked day in the calendar. To
| start any undertaking or commence journey
on Friday is. In the minds of many, to court
| failure and disaster, but why, those who pre-
dict disaster cannot tell. Sailors are particu-
larly superstitious as to that day. There was
| man who had an idea that he would turn
| that superstition, and he had the keel of a yes
sci laid on Friday, masts stepped in her on
Friday, her cargo shipped on Friday. found q
man named Friday to command her and
started on the voyage on q Friday. The vessel
never returned to port and never was heard of
| again. In old rhyme Fridays child is loving
| and giving" "Cut nails Friday cut them
for woe" 'Friday for losses and many others.
A great many important events have occurred
| on Friday, and many successful undertakings
| have been commenced on that day of the week.
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