New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-23
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
DROUTH AND EEATAsAVINGS BANKS
OPERATE AND DRAMATIC NOTES.
Ivy rIurGRAru TO TIE rRIDUNEl


FEY TELEGRAPH THE TR1DUSEl
San Francisco. Cal, Feb. 22-Rain Is greatly
needed throughout the state, FOR four weeks VI
extremely warm weather for this season nave
dried I'D all moisture. For two weeks the ihei-
curry has ranged In the eighties. and IN seVerai
sections heat has been accompanied Dy mars"
east winds, blowing off the deserts. AI'"o"e" INC
rain in December was unusually heavy, no traces
OF it remain. and both wheat-growers anu % =
chardsts are longing for showers Unless rain
comes very soon, the wheat in the san joaquin
ard all Southern Coast counties will be ruined
wr,le fruit will be badly hurt the trees are
suffering from lack Of moisture. Slight showers
fell here Friday morning. but not enough to do
any good. Forecast Official Hammond who has
tust made a tour through the State declares that
the last four weeks in California have been I'M
preccdented at this season. Day has followed
day OF cloudless sunshine, and the result has been
10 advance all early fruit. Almonds are In bloom
end apricot buds arc swelling The chief danger
now is from frost, which may be expected AFTER
the next rain Mr.. Hammond has been studying
various devices for protecting VINEYARDS ana o'-
chards from frost. and he has chosen the method
Of a slow fire sprayed with water. ms spray
Ing must be very fine. 1t is probable that MS
method will be applied this season.
The trial OF the Rev Charles o. Brown by a
CONGREGATIONAL Commission has excited great IN
tcrest here this week as the scandalcus charges
against the preacher were given wide pubhclty.
The Moderator appears determined to procure
all the testimony there is bearing on the case,
end from his fairness and impartiality the Ver-
dict will probably be Just. The most damaging
witness against Brown is Mrs. Stockton VINO
told an extraordinary story Of outings around
town with the preacher. and OF the marks OF
tenderness which he bestowed upon her Unless
the preacher can break down her testimony. II
will so hard with him. He and his friends say
they have evidence which will show That she is
not only perjurer. but a blackmailer. md until
this is done public judgment is suspended.
Local savings banks report net gain OF '.Sso
deposit accounts during the last year and the
country savings banks net gain OF o''S6 ac-
counts. The average account in the ALDERMAN
Bank. which does the largest business and has
t217o deposltors is 1922. The limit in this bank
is $4,000 for single depositor The average IN
the German Bank, which has $4,000 depositors. IS
$3.50. The interest rate is low being only Az per
cent for term deposits
The machinery and property of the SILK Com
mission. which cost the State several thousand
dollars are missing. The first Commission. which
was appointed when il was thought q great lu',
ure was in store fOl silk culture in California d.u
nothing but experiment with costly machinery.
Practical trials showed that silk could never De
produced here to compete with the orient anu
France because OF the high price of labor ihere
IS no question OF the pdaptability OF the china te
or SOIL and the mulberry fOurishes mere as II
does In the best silk districts Of France, Japan
and China. but labor Is dear and the famlhes OIL
farmers will not engage in silk culture In iact'
families Of California farmers don't even raise
enough eggs and poultry TO supply the nome oe =,
mand In the same way California mas sou anu
climate that produce tobacco equaI 70 me pes.
Virginia and Carolina tobacco. but costly Iapor
prevents any profit In growing H.
San Francisco has had a great variety Of en-
tertainments this week. Paderewski has given
three more concerts to large audiences, ana ne
gives a farewell performance at the BALDWIN
Theatre tomorrow hight. He expresses much sat
isfact!on ut the appreciation SHOWN or his Work
He will play in Oakland next week and in otheI
cities Paderewsk has been greatly interested
in the music and the art of the Chinese. which
ne has studied in the local Chinese quarters Like
Sir Edwin Arnold, he sees more in their monoto'
nous music than others have seen, and he de-
clares that 1t shows genuine art handed down
and perfected for centuries. The Tavary Opera
Company closed this week a successful season OF
the standard operas. The company has failed
only in giving Wagner Thomas Keene is at the
California ard all the critics agree that he has
improved materially in his chief roles.
Los Angeles dispatches this week chronicle the
fact that at the distribution Of the estate of Pic
Pco. the last Governor Of California under Mexi
can rule, only gold watch and chain were left
Pico was the richest OF all the native California
hidaigos except Vallejo. He owned ranches
which covered hundreds Of thousands OF acres
md his cattle were unnumbered, but, like Val
leto he had no conception of the value Of land oil
money. When the Americans swarmed IN hi
played the hospitable host for several years. am
when his ready money was gone he mortgageC
his estates. Twenty years saw him stripped OF
everything. and for the last decade the man who
was once the most powerful in the State simply
vegetated the bounty OF old friends. In the
same way General Vallejo. who once owned The
best lands in Central California died in poverty
In the house which once witnessed his princely
entertainments.