The record-union., 1896-09-22
REMARKABLE CIRCUMSTANCE
Children Grow No Older In Santa Clara
County.
That is What the Board of Exam
liners Has Found From
Reports.

The State Board of Examiners held a
meeting yesterday, Governor Budd,
Secretary of State Brown and Attorney
General Fitzgerald being present.
A remarkable phenomenon appeared
in Santa Clara County. The county has
been drawing State aid for a number Of
children outside of the State institu-
tions. There is nothing strange in that,
but the mystery lies in the fact that for
two years past several of the children
have not increased in age. For in
stance: John Brennan, who was Ii
years old in July, 1894, was still
Is in January, 1896; Josie DeWatt was
9 on January l, 1894, and the same age
two years later; Rosa Kincade was 10
in 1894, and only II in 1896, while
Bertha Fair, who was only 3 years old
in July, 1894, had Jumped to 10 years in
1896, and Alice Fair, who was Z years
old in 1894, had grown two years
younger in 1896.
A. Groninger, Chairman Of the Board
of Supervisors, had sworn that he knew
each child, and knew them all to be un-
der 13 years Of age, and will be sub
penaed to testify as to what he knows
of this reversal of the ordinary laws of
nature, and what would have been like
ly to be the effect on the Legislature of
such climatic effects had the capital
been moved TO San Jose.
There are children who have been
EARNED OUT in that county and have
drawn State aid for years, and the bill,
which amounts to 81, ,463 o. will be in
vestigated before it is paid
]. J. Cook had presented a claim for
500 rent for the Stoneman House, paid
in advance a few days before it was
burned.
Governor Budd showed a telegram
from Cook, dated August Doth, asking
for consent to close the house, as it was
not paying. He referred Cook to the
Valley Commissioners. and a few days
after the hotel was burned. The case
was laid over for future action.
The Yosemite Valley Commissioners
and the Southern California Insane
Asylum Trustees asked to have the
124 provision suspended in their cases
and the requests were both granted
The claim of G. S. Merrill for taking
testimony in the court martial in. Sar
Francisco, for S1,131 go, was recon-
mended to the Legislature. 1t had beer
referred to Secretary Of State Brown
who reported favorably on ii.
The claim Of the estate Of O. II. Wing
who was accidentally killed by the dis
charge Of a gun in the hands Of one OF
the militia during the strike, was re-
commended to the Legislature for pay
ment by the board. Messrs. Brown and
Fitzgerald asked the Governor If he
would treat the bill as he did before and
ne answered that he would not go back
on the board.
Secretary Of State Brown offered a
resolution that the coyote scalp claims
not proved to be fraudulent be paid, but
the Governor and Attorney General OBJ
jected, on the ground that it left the
burden of proof on the State.
Mr. Brown said that the small holders
were all selling their claims for a small
amount and the Governor instructed
Secretary Markley to notify the small
holders that there was no necessity OF
their doing so. as the individual claims
would be the first ones taken up and
considered.
The board ordered 500 copies OF the
Attorney-G Generals report printed, and
referred the other reports to the Secre-
tary Of State and State Printer to re-
port at the next meeting how many OF
each should be printed. 1t was the
.bnse Of the board that there should be
a large number Of the reports Of the
Mining Bureau printed.