davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
THE CIVIL SERVICE.

Editor San Francisco Cdll-SIg: The editorial
that appeared in The CALL on August 20 call.
ing attention to the defects in the so-called
ciyil-service law having evoked an express ion
of the views held by protagonist thereof it is
fitting that the antagonists of this farcical
system should likewise express their views.
THE CALL is correct in assuming q "faw in
the REFORM" though it does not 60 far enough
in exposing the fallacy ofso-cslled cvil-seryice
reform. Mr.. O'Leary, who, 1 believe, is con-
nected with the customs service, and therefore
an interested advocate OF Cleveandistic civil
service, has not presented any argument CAL
culated 10 impress thoughtful person with
the efficacy of civil-servIce rules
The alleged academic test required to be
passed by applicants for appointment to pos i
tions in the service OF the United States has
been generally urged as favorable feature of
civil service, but it is sta ted and proof offered
that appoin tees of the Cleveland administra-
tion appointed before Cleveland issued his So
called civflservice order guaranteeing them
HE tenure OF of1ce, contrary to the spirit OF
the founders OF our republican form of gov
eminent, are occupying positions in this City,
who are totally illiterate. Why should others
be required 10 pass such an examination II
the incumbents were not required TO do SO?
1t is totally foreign 10 the spirit of n republi-
can form of government that life tenure
class should be permitted in official places.
1t is about time that we ceased 10 ape the
ideas of effete monarchies, which, OF course,
rely for stability upon the influential and
pTlVLeseu glasses tnat com pose lnelr service
on the life tenure basis. Let US return to the
good old republican ideas OF our country s
fathers and under which we progressed wi b.
out difficulty before civil service was dreamed
of. There cannot be any valid objection 10
the appointing power filling the Government
service with those whom it desires to sppoin L,
so long as they are responsible to the neads
OF the various departments and give satlsfaS-
ton in return In word, let the heads oil all
offices appoint their suDordlnetes at will, and
hotd them responsible for the faithful al min
lstration of affairs The head OF the office can
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
A NEEDED REFORM.

THE sectional controversies and contests which arise every
year the action of the State Board of Equalzers in
adjusting assessments among the counties of the State
may sufficient evidence that something IS wrong
with system of performing that important work. Allowing
much please for the tendency of taxpayers to be dis
satisfied and find fault with any which may be
laid upon their property there remains the fact that where
there such general and continuous discomfort there must be
something to provoke it and prolong it.
has been the custom attribute the Of these dis
contents set of the board ear after
year some the Equazers up targets for public
cis and made the victims of every form OF verbal as
saul from insnuatons open and outrageous charges
of official misconduct AS the attacks made how
ever against each succeeding board clear the blame must
lie elsewhere than in its membership The board changes but
the discontent remains, and to aay the OF
the i'll feeling we must apply another remedy than the ofttied
of attacking the members.
The real cause of the evil lies in the in which the
board constituted AS the system stands the law assumes
that various sections the State antagonistc to
another and provides for member of the board to represent
each section AS consequence each Equalizer regarded
by constituents representative elected to look after
their interests The member must do his best to have
low assessments on the counties of his district while putting
high assessments on Others Each Equalizer being thus
peced least work for local advantages rather than for the
State at large commended condemned in proportion he
succeeds in that object
AS consequence of this condition of affairs have the
perennial charge that Equazers trying to cnch the
city, while from the interior the equal charge that
other Equaz trying cinch the country No member
of the board wholly escape these charges and is neva
bic that with the best intentions in the world to do justice he
be inclined seek favor with the taxpayers in the dis
tt from which he elected rather than from those of
other district who neither for him the first instance
nor could aid him in his reelection.
The only remedy for the evil to abolish equalization dis
cs and have all members of the board elected from the State
large. AS each member will then constituency
wide the State itself there will be an end sectional rival
res and antagonsms far the board is concerned The
people will regard particular Equalizer their
special representative and to look with dsrus upon all the
others Out of such change there would better tone
of public opinion this subject and faer system equaz
ing This therefore, is of the changes that should
be made in government, and the made the
better
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
PER SONAL.

C. H. Holmes, dairyman of Kellogg, is at
the Russ.
E. J. Cahin, a rancher of San Martin, is at
the Grand.
Rev. Haskett Smith of Pasadena is at the
Occidental.
DR.. Thomas G. Mcconkey of San Diego is at
the Baldwin.
Mrs. S. Keller of Redlands, Cal, is at the
Cosmopolitan
B. F. Schilling of Lafayette Ind, is at the
Cosmopolitan.
P. Barker and wife of San Jose are at the
Cosmopolitan.
William Jackson Littel, q. s N, is guest t
the California
DR.. H. n. Winton of Haywards is guest at
the Occidental.
]. Gearhart, mine-owner of El Dorado, is
guest at the Lick.
Dan Sweeney. railroad man from Omaha,
is at the Occidental.
G. Mem. Ross, mining man from Petaluma,
Is at the Occidental.
R. H. Wiley, an attorney of Monterey, is
late arrival a the Grand
Major j. H. Caef, o. S. A, is at the Occident-
a. accompanied by Mrs. Calef.
DR.. George H. Jackson. hotel man and
farmer OF Yuba City. is al the Grand.
W. H. McMinI of Mission San Jose, retired
army officer, is registered at the Lick.
A. Moncure, manager of the Hearst ranch at
Palermo. arrived yesterday at the Occidental.
G. w. Harvey, a real estate and insurance
agent OF Stockt ton, is among the guests at the
Grand.
Fred Fl. Beach, hardware manufacturer OF
Batavia, H., is a recent arrival at the Occi-
dental
W. W. Gillett an orchardist of Palermo, is at
the Occidental accompanied by his wife and
family.
Professor R. E ATlardice, head of the depart
ment OF mathematics at Stafford, is at the
Californis.
W. A. Brewer, teacher in Brewers ST. Mat
thew's Hall School at San Msteo, is visiting at
the Occiden tai
]. S. Craig, who has copper mine near Yer
rlngton, New, is at the Russ accompanied by
his vile and daughter.
Colonel W. s. Stone, cattle-raiser and min
ing man of Yreka, is registered at the Russ
with his wife and daughter.
John Walton, banker of Hongkong, ar
rived at the Occidental yesterday from the
East and will soon sail for China.
W. L. Swain, an architect and builder of
Marysville, is at the Grand with his wife on
the way home from two months vacation.
E. B. Kruttschnttt of New Orleans brother
OF the general manager here of the Southern
Pacific Company, arrived yesterday at the
Palace.
d. c. Mcmillan, chief clerk at La Crosse
Wis, OF the Chicago, Burlington and North
western Railway. arrived here yesterday for q
few days stay.
W. II. Miles, City passenger agent of the
Chicago, Milwaukee and ST. Paul Railway,
will leave here to-day for Chicago on two
weeks vacation trip.
Henry 7. Scott president and treasurer OF
the Union Iron Works, last Wednesday
elected director of the Crocker-W Woolworth
Bank to fill the vacancy occasioned by the
recent death of Colonel Charles F. Crocker.
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
ULOLFACToRY ORGAN.

Paris pa per published a few days ago an
account of man who can see through his
nose This extraord nary person, 1t seems,
was born blind, and by systematic training
has been enabled to make his nasal organ
take in some measure the place OF his eyes
The story was read far and wide, ana IL is sa1e
to say that the majority of readers gave little
credeuce to it. Extraordinary things are daily
happening, but most of them are conceivable,
and hence credible. But how is it possl bic -or
e man 10 see through his nose?
Many asked this question and waited In
vain for a satisfactory answer. II such per
sons, says the New York Herald, VIII look INTO
old book, which was printed a, NuIeu rem
berg in 1902, they will find record OF case
very similar to that recorded IN the faris
journal. This book is entitled "OcuIus Arti, IL
ficiais Teledioptricus Sine Teleseoplum Est,
nan scholar, Johann Zahn. Copies OF II are
very rare, ana the one which was consulted IN
the present instance was found IN the Oni'er-
sity of Bologna.
The man who, according to Zahn, could see
through his nose was farmer While he was
still an infant he met with serious acelusnt |,
which resulted in the loss OF his right eye.
few years ter he fell from cherry tree ana
lost his left eye. His nose and left cheek were
terribly mangled at the same time, ana IL was
year before the wound was healed. Nhen
he was well enough to go out OF doors inc
blind lad would sit In the garden and warm
himself in the sun.
Now one day he fancied that he saw through
his nose a dim ray of light. He was naturally
puzzled, but next day he noticed the same un-
accounta BILE phenomenon. Week after week
and month after month he looked for this ray
OF light, and, strange to say, it not only never
failed him, but as time passed it grew more
constant and more potent, until, at the end of
five years, he was able to see all objects within
a reasonab BILE distance.
Here, however is a curious fact. He was
able TO see all objects on the ground or in
front of him, but he could not see any objects
above him. Zahn vouched for the truth of
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
ON THE NOvELIsTs.
Iowa State Register,

Iowa state Register,
Mr. Gladstone has said recently that the GEN.
tury has produced only two great novelists-
Sir Walter Scott and George Eliot. We accept
the decision of the grand old man as nearly
correct We would have edged in Thackeray,
but it doesn't matter, Sir Walter Scott and
George Eliot are SO clearly foremost that we
can have no great dispute with the EXPIRE
mier. If he had named more than two, Thack-
cray would have come in for honorable NELL
ton. and so would Dickens and Charlotte
Bronte. but restricting himself to only two
do not see how he could have mitteG either
Scott or Eliot. Dickens treated life as car
icaturist gentle caricsturist, but caricatur-
ist nevertheless: He was great and enter
tanning writer, but as novelist he was not
equal TO either of the two named by Mr.. Glad
stone. Tnackeray trea ted life frem different
standpoint He was more severe on the foibles
of mankind, but he also exag gerated human
characters. Mr. Gladstone's judgment is won
derfully good, and we shall not be surprised
to see 1t become the judgment Of the next
century
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
WORLDS END POSTPONED


Professor Simon Newcomb in a recent ad.
dress tried to create sensation with the old
scare about our running into Alpha Lyra. He
estimated, and as an estimator Professor New
comb has no superior in this country, that we
shall reach Alpha Lyr@ in about a million
years, or perhaps half million-reach Alpha
Lyrae, or, he added cautiously, the place where
Alpha LyrR now is. That is clause winch
less honest astronomers fail TO put in
Biologists tell US that our solar system ha
oeen doing business for anywhere from ten
million to hundred million years, and If We
are going to hit Alpha Lyra il seems az
though we ought to have done it several mil
lion years ago. But Alpha Lyr@ is something
of vagrant itself, and keeps moving ON. So
long as we have had this danger OF a collision
hanging over us we felt worried, but if il is
only the place where the star now is that we
are to hit-why, let's cheer up The danger
is no more real than the election of Bryan.
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
OUT OF THE WORLD.

Out OF the world of wrack and wrong,
Into the world Of Joy and song;
Out OF the land of strain and stress,
IGto the land of happ ness,
All of q summerday.
Ills good to steal quiet hour;
IT'S good 10 feel the subtle power
Of " ood and wave and quiet ways,
A nd the woadrous spell of maiden's gaze
All OF summer day.
For sorrow comes and death apace,
nd all the woes OF a wanton race
From dar6 despair 10 deep disgrace
are crowded into the little space
OF one brief summer day.
SO out OF the world of wrack and wrong
Come 10 the teautful world isoDg,
Where blossoms blow and streamlets flow;
Forget that lite is full OF woe
For one brief summer day.
The Puritan,
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
THE PRooF-READER's VERSION
Philadelphia Record.

The old proof-reader was holding forth upon
the question of typographical errors and their
occasional influence on posterity. "The word
'hoodlum' is an instance of this" he said. as
he knocked the ashes out of his pipe sOut in
San Fran cisco twenty-five years ago there was
notorious character named Muldoon, who
was the leader OF gang of young ruffians.
They were terror 10 the community and
about as tough a lot OF citizens as you could
ind on the coast. reporter who had been
undertook TO coin word designating tn q
gang. He reversed the name OF the Leader
and referred to them as Noodlums' The com.
positor mistook the IN for an 'h' and as hood.
lums tae word passed the proofreader And
now 'hoodlum isa recognized word, and will
probably survive"
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
REBEL STRENGTH IN CUBA
Kansas Citv Star

1t is some time since such news has been
received from Cuba as is contained In the an.
nouncement OF the march of the negro leader
Banderas, from one end of the island to the
other with 10000 men. This march reveals
an an army and with 1t a commander, Quintln
Maceo. The proclamation of Banderss sneato
OF his march as triumph and of many aeces
sions to his ranks by desertfons from the
spanish regiment OF Pizarro. Strength will
atlract strength. with armies in the place OF
squads, and battles instead of skirmishes. the
cause OF Cuban independence is won,
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
PARIsIANs AND PURE FOODS.
New York Tribune.

NeW
Paris has just established scheme which is
a boon and means of protection to the poorer
classes. Any citizen who entertains doubt as
to the genuineness of an ar tIcle of food or
drink purchased from Partisan tradesman
may take it to the municipal la boratory and
have it analyzed free of cost. If 1t is found to
laboratory which undertakes the punishment
of the offender without any further trou BILE to
the purchaser. The tradesman is liable to
heavy fine. we'll as imprisonment. and may
be com pelled by the police and by law 10 dis
play conspicuously In his shop window or over
his door a large placard bearing the words !:
Convicted of adulteration.''
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11

these statements and said that the distin
guished physician, Heinrich spezius, was also
ready to ma ke an affidavit as to their truth
Skeptics may say that the man was sham
ming. but, as both eyeballs were lost 1t is diff
hcult to see how shamming was possible or
course the man may have imagined that he
saw objects on the ground or in front of him.
but, according 10 Zahn, he was subjected 10
tests which proved to the satisfaction of all
eye-witnesses that he was not imposing on
them.
There must be some explanation of this
amazing phenomenon and if there Is really in
France now person who can see through his
nose he certainly deserves to be made the sub
ject OF serious study.
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
INCREASING HUM OF FACTORY
WHEELS.
Buffalo K xpr ess.

1t Is impossible to follow all the instances of
the resumption of work by mills in various
parts of the country just now. New England
In particular appears to be well favored by
the wave of prosperity. From four important
manufacturing centers, including Lowell,
Mass, and Providence, r. l., come reports of
the opening of factories which had been shut
down for longer shorter periods There is
pleasing monotony ABOUT such news which Is
m
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
WHERE SHE WANTED TO GO,
Kennebec Journal.

One OF Caritou's bright four -year-old girls in
answer TO a question surprised and amused
the hearers. The converse tion among the
older people was in relation TO heaven, and
some one asked the little miss IL she did not
want 10 go 10 heaven when she died The
young girl turned, looked at her father. and
said: No; | do not want 10 go to heaven. |
want to go where papa goes"
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11

be made responsible for the educa tional quail
tcations of his subordinates as well as their
capability. Thus the selling of inf nformation
relating TO the questions asked or supposed to
be asked by the examiners would be thing
of the past, and the people of the United States
would be saving every year 800, 900 now
paid out for lot of useless civil service Off
cials, who keep up, hue and cry for civil
service reform that they may be benefited
K NJ CALVIN.
San Francisco, Septem Der 8, 1892.
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
WHAT GRADE OF CRIMEe

TINE Examiner yesterday guilty of obtaining money
false preenses that ranks misdemeanor or may
\ a times rise to the dignity of a felony.
The CALL ready admire enterprise in conerl-
orary il pleasure of eseemng but opposed
to the gold bricks unless the bricks be genuine The
extra issued by Friday enter
prise visible token of desire to impose public
already forced through regular issues OF that paper to suffer
much There was yellow fakes of jour-
naim which the City bestrewedhe shower const
tued an mpertnence Processing give subjects
concerning they what is
technically known "rehash Of Information familiar days
ago The accompanying illustrations old-stock
them already printed at least and having pos
sbe bearing any Developments simply such
are evidently kept be used what master minds
of saffron journalism consider to be an emergency To them
profitable opportunity deceive people is emergency
In this abundance of large type line reach
ing heroicay five columns announced starvation
Stalks DawsonW That starvation is doing this melan
cho Circumstance long predicted and repeatedly verified The
arrival Cleveland British Columbia ade
for the and yet the Cleveland sailing but
the National City, brought absolutely nothing
concerning point that had brought earlier 1t
simply confirmed reports we'll authenticated that shadow
their accuracy had remained But
nickeIs Nickels appeal the master minds
story of starvation,
story read printed in the last week set
forth The sranding Of the Weare detailed again
without the addition OF shred of fact.
The blades of the Excelsors propeller the
incident with Kondke which appeared amidst
all this of words and office rubbish The breakipg of
these batea would not however, justify Wild triple headed
Other reported information relation
vague 1t is said, for instance, to have
of aboard. Nobody confirms the tale
only people exercising their right guess
guessing for lo days
files OF any paper will demonstrate.
Apparently without the knowledge of the editor
of actual news strayed in sush
had nothing the gold field urged in
mitigation offensive Taken at its
standpoint best-this less startling
lately daily portion of the United
States without producing aiction.
that painful thought another
necessary explain the yarn ampuated from
Andree pigeon these birds being nooriousy prone
trife human faith
The of confirmation vouchafed paragraph OF
money by preenses If desires to
utterly lose the confidence of people, already
very secure could effective
than production of bogus extras hawking
Readers of the Misson-street daily
incidental confidence but seeing the whole
lshment resolve itself big When
heater expanded into panic that may
cupy the of they learned to conclude
panic elsewhere confirmation
of the episode Yet out extra edition purely
bunko basis felt pressing limit Perhaps young
who Examiner teen given large supply
OF the hope that they hang themselves Laudab
object method involves hardship delud
innocent outsider.
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
THE BLACKLIST CHAPTER.
Atlanta Constitution

When the history of our convict lease sys-
tenn is written it will prove TO be the blackest
chapter in the history Of Georgia. 1t is Pan
doras box out of which has swarmed q brood
OF eylls-a brood teat is constantly multiply
ing and growing. The most prominent among
these evils we find fraud, corruption, brutal
ity, butchery and a high-handed violation of
the law. This network seems 10 be spread
over the whole State.
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
ONCE A DOLLAR TO TRAVEL
WITH.
Mexican Herald.

Aguidebook to Spain, dated 1858, casually
mentions that ga Mexican dollar is valued at
four shillings four pence" The recollection
of those delightful days when dollar was a
coin to travel with and made royal tip for
servant makes some of our Older citizens PEN
sive. The veterans of the Vara Cruz Railway
Will tell the curious questioner of the time
when they sold their dollars at neat pre-
mum. Time has flown and the eagle on the
dollar has also flown away with some OF its
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
SOME THREATS THAT FAILED.
{ incinnati Tribune.

1t is not observed that the countries which
were making that terrific protest against our
new tariff three months ago are putting any
OF the implied threats into execution. They
know now wha they knew then-that the bal
ance of trade was in their favor, AMI that
they could not afford to carry out any of their
threats,
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
IN NEW YORK.

NEW YORK, n. Y, Sept. 10-At the Con-
tinental-J. S. Dunnlgan; Plaza-Mrs. Mary
B. Willard; SturtevaEt--W. A. Williams Mrs.
J. H. Shields; Stuart-L K Elm; Vendome-P.
Ii ipset; Broadway. Hartman. The SaaIe
brought in Mrs. and Agnes Ehrenb berg, Miss
Hattie Ehrenberg. Mr.. Loci and Miss Elize
Segemay
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11

Bishop Talbot OF Rochester and Canon Gore
will spend the months of September and Octo-
Der in the United States, representing the
Christian Social Union at the International
of the Brotherhood of ST. Andrew
to be held in Buffalo.
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11

THE Supreme Court has decided that The
Star legal advertising columns are valid.
Phone Main 35S for our prices. Business
office, 429 Montgomery street
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
MEN AND WOMEN,

Lars Kike, who died not long ago in Norway,
was the last Norwe gian veteran of the War of
1914 between Norway and Sweden.
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11
innocent outsider.

Information is Queen Victoria, during
the late misunderstanding this saved the Unon
1t kind of her, indeed and the statement Of
the small boy had thousands of lives. 1t will
be remembered that when the small boy
tcuars kindly cleared the by explaining that this
had been done "by swallowing them"
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11

KEEP looking young ana save your hair, It's color
and beauty with PARKER's HAIR BALsAM
HINDERCoRNs, the best cure for corns, l5 cts
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11

Shall Squirrel Hollow, long the of the innocent
boiling of its rskytailed natives, be gven.over
imported monkeys subject the An impression
won't steadily growing Real estate gentlemen fortunate
place will have think a deal IL
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11

Dickens left $5o0,00O to his children, but
all of bis descendants are said to be poor
Not writer of irst-class ability has appeared
among them
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11

Russell Sage said to a reporter few days
ago: "I'n give you point; Mr.. Gould once
gave 1t to me-'What's past is history; what
may be is mystery
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11

SPECIAL infor ma ton daily to manufacturers
business houses and public men by the Press
Clipping Bureau (Allen's), $40 Montgomery.
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11

VISITORS to the city should not fail to INSPECT
$. tS g. Gump's gallery of pain tings and different
departments of art goods, pictures, crockery and
glassware.