davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
HIGHER WAGES
FOR LABORERS
Gratifying Increase in
Many Branches Of
Trade.
Commissioner Wright Highly
Pleased With Present
Conditions.
Compensation OF workinqnen Vol.
UNFAIRLY Raised in a Number
OF Factories.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

| NEW YORK, Dec. PA Washington
special to the Herald says: The inves-
| tlgatlons of Carroll D. Wright, labor
commissioner, on the subject of wages
and labor in this country in the last
few months convince him that a gen
eral Industrial improvement has taken
place in the last year, but the imprac-
ticability of obtaining anything like
complete statistics regarding wages
and the number of persons employed
precludes the possibility of making use
of reliable figures. Commissioners
Wright said to me tonight:
Wages at present are not as high as
1891, and it may be several years before
such rates are reached again, but in the
last year there has been a gratifying
increase in many directions, and to a
sufficient degree to warrant the state
ment that wages are again on the up
ward trend. The tendency Of wages
is always upward, though we do not
always recognize it, and, conversely,
the trend of prices is always down.
ward. Even if wages stand still and
the trend of prices is downward, the
real wages would be higher.
This is the general condition, taking
decades as they go. Occasionally a
squirt of business will carry wages to a
high point and a depressed period
bring them below the normal range
THE increase of wages in the last
few months has ranged from 8 to %
per cent and the percentage of en-
ployed is greater than this, owing to
the establishment of new enterprises
and the reopening of suspended works.
Many iron manufactures have been
opened and a considerable number of
new textile works established. There
have been reductions OF wages in the
cotton mills Of New York, but 1 do
not think these low rates will prevail
very long. The most encouraging fea-
ture Of the present situation is the
quite general disposition of manufac-
turers to increase wages voluntarily.
sThe department of labor makes no
great effort to keep up to date statis-
tics of any kind, and / am, therefore,
unable to furnish any figures in de-
tail. / am still engaged in making
comparisons of wages and labor by de-
cades since 1850. 1 have based my
comparisons largely on the aggregate
amount of wages paid in manufactur-
ing and mechanical industries, as
shown by the Federal census and from
earnings as shown by various official
State reports and have taken care to
exclude, as far as possible, from my
comparisons, the vicious element of
taking account Of salaries of officials
and clerks. My work is still incom-
plete, but my Investigations have
shown me conclusively that the general
trend of wages and percentage of en-
ployed in this country since 1850 has
been decidedly upward
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
A SERENADING CHOIR.
Rev. w. |. Kip With His Good
Samaritan Vocal Bond Makes
Tour OF the Hotels.

One Of the novel Christmas features
introduced of late is that of the Rev
w. /. Kip of the Church of the Good
Samaritan, located on Second street,
near Folsom. This innovation consists
of collecting the young men composing
the church choir, and which in sur
plices makes the rounds of the promi-
nent hotels, where the members sing
hymns of joy in commemoration of the
coming of Christ.
At o'clock last evening the serenad-
ing choir assembled in the courtyard
of the Palace Hotel and rendered a
series of old-time hymns. After the
singing some of the boys scattered
through the assemblage and took up a
collection for the support of the Sa-
maritan Home.
Two of the Palace Hotel coaches
were in waiting to convey the relig-
ious serenaders to the other hotels on
the nights programme, which were
the Pleasanton, Bella Vista, Renton.
st. Nicholas and the Occidental.
The novelty of the serenading choir
attracted considerable attention at all
of the hotels visited, and, as a result.
the Railways on every floor were
crowded by the guests and their visit
ors.
The boys did very we'll considering
the short time they had been in train
ing under the guiding tuition of Miss
z. Brown. Rev. w. l. Kip accompa-
MED the boys, and seemed very much
delighted with the reception accorded
them by the guests of the hotels, spe-
cially these of the Palace, who were
attracted by the novelty Of their first
appearance.
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
MAHONEY'S FUNERAL.
The Last Sad Rites of tbe Popu
lar Legislator Will Be Held
This Forenoon.

The funeral of State Senator ]. H.
Mahoney will take place at 10 o'clock
this forenoon from the parlors of the
Baldwin Hotel. Late last night the
family and the immediate friends of
the dead senator decided on the follow
ing pallbearers: Joseph S. Spear Jr.,
c. NJ. Levy, Senators Eugene Bert and
Z. Q. Henderson, representing the State
Senate; II. NJ. Kelly and Leon Hend-
ley, representing the lower house of the
Legislature; ]. G. Tyrrell and NJ. w.
Coffey, personal friends of the de-
ceased; Frederick Will and P. Connor,
representing the Veteran Firemen's
Association, and two members from
Spartan Lodge of the United Order of
Workmen.
Rev. Father Powers of the Paulist
Order from st. Mary's Church will rem
der the service of the Catholic Church
over the remains The dead senator
will be inferred in Holy Cross cemetery.
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
AN ACTRESS WHO
IS NOT HAPPY
Adele M. Phelps Wants a
Divorce on the Ground Of
DeSertiOn.
Complainant Says That Her Husband
Pays Attention to Others of the
Fair Sex.

Mrs. Adele NJ. Phelps. an actress of
some note, has filed a petition for di-
vorce, in which she declares that she
was married to Charles Morrison
Phelps in Chicago on February 1,
1886, but. that on account of his infat-
uation for another woman she does
not care to live with him longer The
lady is stated to be Eloise Willard.
who travelled in the same theatrical
combination with Phelps and his wife.
Mrs. Phelps alleges in the complaint
that the infatuation was equal on both
sides, but that Phelps did not seem to
be contented with her own love and
that Of Miss Willard, but that later
he fell in love with Henrietta Lee,
who was with the "A Contented
Woman" company. The title, "a Con-
tented Woman" seemed to jar on Mrs.
Phelps nerves, and hence she has
asked the court to release her from a.
husband who causes her untold agony.
She also asks that her husband be
compelled to make reasonable provi-
sion for her in the future.
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
RUN OVER BY THE CARS.
Theodore Shekels, an Employe of
tbe Southern Pacific. Killed
at Fifth and King Streets.

Theodore Shekels, an engine foreman
in the employ of the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company. was run over by
the cars and instantly killed at the COR
ner of Fifth and King streets last even
ing. Thomas Mattigan and w. H. Stall
lard, who belong to Shekels' crew, were
near the scene OF the accident, and say
that he was cutting out some cars from
a freight train in the yard when his
foot caught in a frog and he fell under
the wheels, which ran over his chest
Shekels was about S5 years old and
leaves a widow and one son, living at
401 Sixth street
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24-This coun-
try's attitude toward what appears to
be an effort on the part Of the powers
of Europe to partition China was the
principal topic of discussion to-day at
the meeting of the Cabinet. All the
members were present except Secre-
tary Alger, who is i'll at his home.
While no formal action was taken, in
the absence of specific information as
to the intention of the powers of Eu-
rope, it was determined, as a member
of the Cabinet expressed it, ito keep a
watchful eye upon the situation as it
develops in order that full protection
may be given to the interests of the
United States in China as guaranteed
by the treaties with that country"
No disposition was manifested to
participate in an extension of terri
tory at the expense of China. Such a
disposition would be contrary to the
hitherto expressed and we'll understood
policy Of this Government, and is not
contemplated by the administration.
1t was determined, however, to pro-
tect carefully all interests and privi-
leges which the United States now en-
joys in China
The Cabinet understanding as to the
attitude Of the United States in the
Chinese question promises to have a
material influence on the deveIopment
of the eastern situation The dipIo-
mats stationed here have eagerly
awaited some intimation as to the
purposes of this Government. and the
foreign press, notably the London
Berlin and Vienna papers, has echoed
the sentiments at those courts that If
the United States entered the field
either singly or in coalition with
Great Britain and Japan, it would
prove a material factor in the Chinese
question.
The general understanding reached
to-day will doubtless be made known
to such foreign representatives as de-
sire to sound this Government, and
the information in turn will reach the
Foreign Offices at London, Berlin, st.
Petersburg and elsewhere. It will be
a. disappointment to some extent to
China, which has looked to the United
States as the nation occupying a dis
interested position, permitting it to ex-
ert a strong influence in staying the
dfsmemberment of the empire. China
has made no advances to this Govern
ment, but has occupied a passive at
titude.
The views expressed at the Cabinet
meeting put an end to any possibility
of an American-Japanese alli-
ance. such as the foreign cables have
suggested.
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
FLED FROM FAMINE.
Returned DaWsonte Reiterates the Stories
of SUferino

VI CUHSfmSs
PORTLAND, Or. Dec. 24-George
Ruth of Flathead, Mont, reached Port
land on the steamer Elder this even
ing, having come direct from Dawson
City, which point he left on November
5th. Warned of the suffering that was
imminent before winter passed, owing
to the shortage of provisions in Daw-
son and vicinity, Mr.. Ruth disposed of
all his supplies except 10 pounds,
which he used on his way to Dyea. He
states that there. were from 5000 to
1000 people congregated at Dawson and
that vicinity, and he estimates the pro-
visions there are sufficient to winter
only about 1000. OF the situation there
he said:
"All has never been told of the rich
ness of the claims. They are panning
out in wonderful quantities, but the
glitter Of gold there does not supply
the place of bread. Men are short in
some instances, and there is poor pros
pect of supplying themselves unless
they are reached from the outside.
There is about enough provisions. 7
should judge, to keep about 1000 men
through the winter, and the popula-
ton dependent upon Dawson for food
is between 5000 and 7000 There seems
to be lots of meat and sugar, but all
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25

naval demonstration at the entrance
of the Gulf of Pe-Chili. In diplomatic
circles at Toxic the probability of a
conflict is regarded as extremely dis
tant"
Russia, according to a dispatch from
Shanghai is preparing temporary
headquarters for 10000 troops at Port
Arthur. She has obtained half prom
ise from the Grand Council at Peking
to dismiss Sir Robert Hart, director of
the Chinese imperial maritime Gus
toms, and other high customs officials,
in addition to the British railroad Off
Gals and the German officers and in
Structors.
Fifty of the latter, the dispatch says.
received notice to-day that they would
be paid off at the termination of their
contracts.
Contrary to general report the dis
patch asserts that there is good reason
to believe Great Britain will actively
oppose the Russianization of Korea
and Northern China
A special dispatch from Paris says
the French cruiser Pothuau has been
ordered to prepare for the sea in
chinese waters. The Pothuau is a
hrst-class cruiser of over 5000 tons dis
placement and 1000 indicated horse
power. She carries two 7.6 inch guns;
L
cen small Quick-firing guns.
BERLIN, Dec. 24.-The Weekly
Journal Zukunft combats the state
ment that Prince Bismarck had sud-
denly become an enthusiastic suppor-
ter of the Chinese expedition and that
during his recent visit to Freidrichs-
ruhe, Emperor William confided to the
Prlnce his most secret plans. 1t
says:
Emperor William and Prince Ris-
marck didnOt exchange a syllable as TO
politics, and the Chinese policy is sole
" the Emperor'S. 1t is the intent of
both men that this fact should not he
obscured, and those jealous persons
VINO are always trying to represent
Prince Bismarck as a secret collabora-
tor in the changing experiments of q
new course will assuredly get no
thanks either from Potsdam or from
Friedrichsruhe"
The Neuste Nachrichten says that
since the occupation of Kiaochau Bay
the Chinese Government has engaged
German military instructors. and is
now arranging for fitting receptions of
Prince Henry of Prussia at the differ
ent Chinese ports he will visit.
The Post reiterates its statement
that the United States has no interest
in the present territorial changes in
China, and adds that England dis
plays surprising naivete" in expect
ing American sympathy.
- VIENNA, Dec. 24.-The Viennese pa
pers comment with i'll disguised Joy on
the rumor from Berlin that EngIand's
conhdentlal inquiries at Washington
regarding common action in China
have failed Of the desired result.
ST. PETERSBURG, Dec. 24-The
Novoe Vremya advises England to
come to an agreement with Russia
france and Germany, but says it does
not expect Lord Salisbury to accept
the advice, because under such an
agreement England would not get the
lions share of China
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
ELECTRIC LIGHTED
CHRISTMAS TREE
Great Cypress in Palace Court
Ablaze With Incandes-
cent Globes.
Brilliant Array of 300 Vari-Colored
Burners Amid Rich Green
Foliage.

The Palace Hotel. following a pretty
custom inaugurated last year, has
erected in the great inner courtyard a
beautiful Christmas tree resplendent
with hundreds Of vari-colored incan-
descent electric lights appearing
among and pendant from the rich
green branches as a plentiful crop OF
glowing and sparkling fruit.
1t is a symmetrical cone shaped
young cypress tree forty feet in
height and supplied with 500 sixteen
candle power globes in five colors-
red. blue, yellow, purple and frosted
white. The effect, made more strik-
ing by the peculiar surroundings, is
wonderfully brilliant and fairy like,
particularly when the multiple reflec-
tions are observed il the glass Of the
tall main doorways.
The wiring Of the tree and the ar
rangement Of the globes was the work
of Edgar Gribble, the youthful elec-
trician of the Palace Hotel. He was
employed constantly all of Thursday
night in perfecting the plan in order
that the tree might be complete when
hastily put in place yesterday after
noon.
Last night about fifty little choir
boys from the Good Samaritan Mission,
all attired in surplices. gathered about
the tree and sang Christmas carols.
Hundreds of persons were present,
and other hundreds came later to see
the tree.
Thousands Of persons came to see the
electric Christmas tree last year, and
more are expected to see this one,
which has more lights and more
colors.
This evening from s to 10 o'clock the
tree will be lighted and on every sue
cessive night, at the same hours, until
and including New Years night
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
TILToN IS ADMINISTRATORS.
He Will Handle the FuDds Of the
Estote Of Mrs. Scott.

The application Of Charles H. Garish
for special letters Of administration
over the estate of Mrs. Angelina r.
Scott was denied yesterday by Judge
Coffey, and Charles S. Tilton was SUBJ
stituted for the place
The will is being contested by E. w.
Scott, son of the decedent, and he
also opposed the appointment of
Garish. The case was heard yesterday.
and upon a showing that Tilton was
in no way interested in the will or its
litigation he was appointed special ad-
ministrator. The executors named in
the will are Charles II. Garish, Frank
Garcia Jr. and Charles S. Tilton.
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
The Mikado Keeos Silent.

YOKOHAMA, Dec. 24-On the re-
assembling of Parliament to-day the
Mikado declared that the relations Of
Japan with all the foreign powers
were friendly.
His Majesty announced the intention
Of the Government to initiate fresh
taxation methods and to Introduce a
bill amending the codes. No reference
was made in the speech from the
throne to the present situation.
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
A BIG FLEET
IN THE ORIENT.

NEW YORK, Dec. 24.-
A Washington special to the
Herald says If Great Britain
has any intention of making
an offensive move in the far
east she has ample force in
Asiatic waters to support her
action.
Her fleet on the China sta
ton exceeds in numbers the
combined fleets of Russia and
Germany, Russia and France
or France and Germany, and
is only a few ships short of
the combined forces of Rus
sia, Germany and France.
Should the suggestion ad-
Vanced to-day-that Great
Britain and Japan are taking
steps looking to the forma-
ton of an entente-prove
true, then the preponderance
Of the British and Japanese
would be such as to COM
pietely oVerWhelm the naval
representation of other Euro
Pean powers in those waters,
even with the additions which
Germany, France and Italy
are sending or preparing to
send to the Orient.
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
SIG Nal STATION

though the petite and slender were
represented in the charity.
1t was estimated by the cold COM
mercial calculator in the group of OBJ
servers that the old man received s3
during that half hour of Christmas eve.
This was multiplied by six as the prob
able receipts of the afternoon.
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
servioD-Monteneerlp Officers.

The Servian-Montenegrin L. and B.
Society held an annual meeting last
Tuesday evening and elected the follow
ing officers for the ensuing year: John
Glavinovich, president; NJ. K. Tasovaz
vice president; S. Jocovich treasurer:
Spiro Vucosavlievich, recording secre-
tary; G. A. Dabovich, financial secre-
tary; directorS-J. Vuscovich S Mill
sich. T. Kulacha and John Misata-
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
A Different Story.

Mrs. Charles Weber, the wife of the
cabinet maker who was arrested ana
charged with insanity, and who was
subsequently released by Judge Belcher
for being a common drunk, stated yes
terday that instead of prosecuting her
husband, as he charges, she herself has
suffered from his cruel treatment. She
also claims that he mas not contributed
to the support of herself and son for the
past year, and that. both have been COM
PEELED to work to keep from starving.
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
Rest. Soldiers, Rest.

The following order has been issued
from the headquarters of the Depart
ment of California, U. S. A.
The period between December %, 1897,
and January g. 1885, inclusive of both
dates, will be treated as a holiday sea-
son, during which no instruction of any
kind whatsoever, either practical or
theoretical for officers or enlisted men,
will be given.
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25
ENGLAND AND MPAR
NOT EXAcTY ALLIES,
BUT ACTING TOGETHER.
Reports From the Center of the Oriental Dis
turbonce Are Too Conflicting to Place
A,,,6 Pradence In
Much credence In.

LONDON, Dec. 25.-The Daily Mail
publishes dispatch this morning from
Toxic which it claims evaded active
censorship. The dispatch says:
England and Japan, without enter
ing upon an actual alliance, have ar
rived at a complete understanding
which will probably result in Joint
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25

Special Dispatch to The Call.
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-25

GN0LI Sh ANO EUROPEAN
RE SGOENCES
Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-12-30

consolidation and complete monopoly
A part Of the scheme is to abolish
''middlemen," establish offices in each
town ana sell direct to the public. In
this way the trust hopes to reduce the
cost of distribution to minimum as
well as the cost of production, and to
pocket the profits Of the local dealers.
1t may be that this tremendous scheme
is more than will be accomplished soon
but sooner or later it will be here in
full operation. 1t is the tendency OF
all things to concentrate, organize more
closely, combine and abolish cOmpeti-
ton. Competition is doomed. 1t is
only question of time when the ma
ton, the State, or the municipality
must take charge of and conduct all
this business. The time, however, is
not ripe for beginning on so large u
scale. The start must be made on
water, light, telephones and street car
lines, When that is demonstrated to
be SUCCESS as it is rapidly being done,
these other industries will have to be
taken in.
Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-12-30

Dreams" But Col Anthony has con-
tinued the vigorous use of both his ex-
tremeties, in bowling and kicking re-
spectively, and has been pleased to see
Joe Hudson and the Mail and Breeze
with its able managers come to bis
side of the battle
Even the mediocrity of Senator Ba-
ker has been wearied and he refused to
give over all his share in the pie to Le-
land. lie too concluded to kick and
through the dignity that doth hedge
about a senator" succeeded in landing
his man Sterne for United States mar
shall. So the power and peace OF Lee
land are not altogether undlsturbed.
However, he was careful to land four
of his relatives in fat, dOWny jobs be-
fore the rebellion began. His brOther-
in-law PIiny Soper is Omitted States
district attorney for Indian Territory;
another relative, Glen Miller, is United
States marshal for Utah; Henry Leland
bis brother. was appointed secretary of
New Mexico; another brOther-in.law
is holding down a job in the Indian
service.
The rebellion will hardly be
likely to blossom into a revolution and
sweep Cyrus and his gang away He
is too strongly entrenched in the good
graces of his chief, Mark Hanna, and
the administration. Then it is not
CONSTANT with the republican way Of
running things, but it may furnish a
scrap that will be "amOosin to the tel'
lers settin' on the fence"
Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-12-30
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