New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-19
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
FOR GOLD SEEKERS
NEWS FROM THE KLONDlhE Noi
REAssURING-THE DURRANr
CAsE-FIGHT AGAINST
COMBINE.
IsY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

few TELEGRAPH TO THE TRlBrNE'I
ura,c,sco Dec 1S-The Alaska Traoe
p,reau which was formed 10 stihiuia'e ~
Eranc,sco.s trade with the Yukon niii'he us
,r,ct has opened an exhibition III 'ie 800
n''ns,rg which has proved a great attraction
ia n valuable help TO many VINO are seehi'e
s,,ooest,ons for outfits for the klondlKe 0ah
-, :. oil clothing tools and condensed pro-
..,.Iors su,table for Alaska are exhibited as
Iii "a the best means Of packing them PRINT
- 5oscrin.ions give only faint ideas OF the re-
aUtv as IT is here portrayed ana IL se'ea
thousand prospectors who started from 'iiiS .'.'
,aet summer and fall could have hao 'he piiN'
,epe Of studying this exhibit IL "ouiu nov
saved them much money In costly experiments
that the first days experience on the ua'i'
rroved were worthless Ex-Governor shachieS
., Alaska left here for Chicago this week OH
A. p,,,,,an car which has been converted into
q travelling Klondke exhibit he purposes '"
give Illustrated lectures, and in every way pos
- 90 ,nducs those going to Yukon TO travel
NV vev OF San Francisco. and to outnt mere
,,.ra ara carried the largest stocks OF all klnds
~ goods outside Of New-York and Chicago. Ihe
latest news Som Dawson. brought down TO VIC
tor,a nv two men who left the Klondike on NO
venb.r Q IL not reassuring Through the eI-
forts OF the Alaska Commercial Company eish'
hundred men had been induced 10 leave Dawson
end 90 down the river to Fort Yukon WheIe
sunnlies are abundant. bur there are stH sew
ersl hundred men In and around Dawson WHO
haye no ,upplies and no means of securing any.
These fellows refuse TO leave the place anu "
Mill probably devolve on Canadian officials to
round them up and force them TO go down the
river or come out by the trails The difficulties
Of travel in Alaska at this season may be judged
from the experience of Major Walsh the newly
Amounted Dominion Governor of the Northwest
PROVINCE who last month was stranded at Big
Salmon on the Yukon River. having lost nearly
all his provisions and one of his men. Unless aid
reaches him by dog sled teams his party VIII
suffer severely from lack of food
II was a sinister coincidence that on the very
day Theodore Durrant was sentenced to death
ror the fourth time a woman was murdered in
an empty fat. her head being battered in with
railroad coupling pin. A wandering uphosterer.
named HofY German Russian, is under arrest.
and the evidence against him appears to be con-
elusive This crime has aroused unusual inter
est as II follows hard upon the senseless Delays
in the execution of Durrant. who fouly murdered
two young girls in Emmanuel Church. II is
nearly three wears since Durrant's crime was
committed and nearly two years since his first
conviction, but by appeals to State and tederai
courts and other legal devices his life has oeen
prolonged, until at one time 1t looked as though
he would entirely escape the gallows. This has
had the worst moral effect on the lawless public.
and there is no question that the procedure In
the Durrant case has had direct result in in
creasing the large number Of murders and homi-
cides.
Two big fights against trusts and combines
have been practically won by The San Fran
cisco Chronicle" Sixty days ago attention was
called to the illegal acts the combine Of coal
dealers that shut out from the purchase OF
Oregon. Washington and British COLUMBIA coal
all who were not members OF the complne.
Heretofore those who did not pay 5000 for
membership in the Retail Coal Dealers Associa-
ton were unable to buy coal al wholesale rates
The matter was carried to the Government; ana ana
Judge Morrow. of the United states, Circuit
Court this week issued an injunction agahse
this restraint of trade pending the hearing or
the case next month; but the combine had TINS
set aside and the hearing advanced To next
Monday. On the side of the big coal miners ana
dealers will be arrayed the largest body OF high
priced lawyers ever seen in any one case on the
coast The other fight has been on the quality
Of gas served by the local companies. 1t is
found by analysis that the proportion Of carbon
ronoxide in local gas is very heavy so that
asphyxation will take place in few minutes
IL the gas escapes. even though the window or
door OF the room may be open The exposure
of a large number of deaths from gas poisoning
has induced the Board Of Health TO authorize an
expert chemist to anayZc the gas, and meas
rres will be taken to compel the companies to
serve better gas. 1t has also been ordered that
~ inspection or gas be mace once every Hlohth'
Charles NJ. Plum a pioneer furniture manu-
facturer died this week. He came here In ~
from New-York. and for nearly fifty years had
been prominent in business and in the Pioneer
Society the Masons and the knights Tempar.
He was also of the Lick trustees. He left
large estate.
The Italian opera company has done a large
business this week at Baldwin's giving mainly
LA Boheme' and "ManOn Lescaut Scalchi
had a large audience at her single concert AT
the Columbia is Hoyts "A Milk White Flag.
while the Tivoli has put on for a Christmas
feature RIP Van Wrinkle"
The resources of seventeen commercial banks
Of San Francisco are given as S13 BOG. The
increase during the last few months IL little
over S5OO0000 Every bank, with single ex-
ception, has shared In this increase. The re-
sources OF the Bank Of California have increased
50 600 900 in this interval.
The Hutchinson Plantation Company declared
this week monthly dividend Of 40 cents, an ad
vance of Is cents per share. This has carried
the stock to 40 and has held II firm throughout
the week.
TEACHERS COLLEGE NOTES.
The Chrtstma recess began on Friday night The