davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
THE DOLLAR LIMIT.

HE Board of Freeholders, in the charter which
 they propose to submit shortly, have adopted a
 limit municipal taxation in the following form But such levy, exclusive of the State and the pay the interest and maintain the sinking funds of the bonded indebtedness of the city and county, shall exceed the of ST for each $Ioo valuation on the property assessed"
 This clause is modelled after the taxation limits adopted by the municipal conventions of fifteen or eighteen years ago. Experience proved at that time that the proposed limit was a limit at only one end. The maximum rate Is ST the hundred, but nothing is said about the assessment roll rate of ST on 5oooooooo roll will, may readily be seen, yield smaller in taxes than the same rate on S4oo,- 100000 roll All the eaters need do in order to control this limit increase or decrease the as- sessment roll The master of the limit will there fore, be the Assessor
 genuine effort was made by the local politicians in the early Sos to ascertain the merits of the dollar limit on taxation Both parties adopted a pledge e1nbodyng the limit now proposed by the Freehold The Republicans carried the city in 1870 and again in 1881. Their Supervisors violated the pledge in the first instance and kept 1t in the second causing ill the latter year deficit which stopped work on the highways and sewers and extinguished the street lights for several months It was found in I8SS that unless the assessment roll was made subject of pledge the cost of government could not be perma- nently reduced
 It then that the practice of pledging Supervs- DTS to levy tax of ST on an assessment roll of a specified amount invented. This solved the problem completely and government would long ago have been cheapered in San Francisco had boards of Supervisors ever developed disposition to com ply with the spirit of their pledges Their practice, however, has been not to endeavor in good faith to conduct the city the amount allowed by the muni- cpal conventions, but to discredt taxation limits and political pledges by loading the payrolls of the city down with useless tax eaters and creating deficits In this way they have hoped finally to force the tax payers to abandon all idea of curtaing expenses
 If the Freeholders going to adopt limit on taxation, therefore 1t will be well for them to devote study to the history of the subject The limit they propose cannot be expected to enforce econ omy All the tax eaters need do in order to produce the money necessary to give extravagant govern ment will be to swell the assessment roll Perhaps no limit which can be formed will exactly meet the re- quirements of the situation. But would it not be a good idea to arbitrarily fix the maximum yearly ex- penses of the government and require the unanimous concurrence of Mayor and Supervisors to set it aside? This might give the taxpayers chance to control the tax eaters.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
A FEARFUL DISASTER.

n FEARFUL story of disaster at sea, resulting / \ 1t Is believed, Tn the loss of many lives, has come down from Juneau-a terrible offset to the former tales brought from that region of golden fortunes found by lucky adventurers on the Klon- dke.
 Few details have been received and the full extent and nature of the disaster are not accurately known Some residents of Seward City saw on the evening of February small steamer trying to make her way against storm wind that was blowing head on against her, far out i'll the channel. While they watched the vessel broke out into flames. Human aid was impossible. In the gale and the rough the ill., fated ship went down, and far as is known of her crew or passengers survived.
 The wrecked steamer is believed to have been the Clara Nevada, which left Skaguay for Juneau and Seattle on February and has not since been heard from Fragments of wreck which strew the beach along the coast where the disaster occurred said to be freshly painted, the woodwork of the Clara Nevada was known to be- From these facts the con clusion is drawn that the wrecked ship other than that steamer, and there seems be little hope that any person board has lived to tell the story of the disaster explain how it occurred
 Danger always encompasses those who go down to the in ships, but human skill and have long since reduced these to minimum in all well con- ducted lines of ocean navigation. The dangers still exist, however, in cases where the ships are i'll equipped, i'll manned or i'll fitted for stormy voyages and there is fearful probability that many vessels hastily prepared to reap for their the profits of the rush Alaska may be of the unworthy class. The story of the wreck off Seward comes warning to those who about to undertake that voyage and will impress upon all the importance of exercising great in the selec ton of vessel which they to embark in their search for fortune
 While no information is forthcoming on which to base any charge of carelessness the part of the the officers of the ill-fated ship whose wreck so sudden and so complete, there was clearly something wrong somewhere. In the face of the disaster and in the absence of definite information concerning the cause of it, no one will venture to inlpute blame to any particular person. The only moral that be drawn from the tragedy is the gen. eral of warning to all who going north to be- of ships hastily fitted out
 Fuller information which will be received later on may show clearly where the blame of the disaster rests, but in the meantime Government officials should exercise the greatest care and scrutiny in testing every vital portion of ship destined for the Alaskan trade. It is pretty we'll known that many unseaworthy vessels of all classes have been hur- riedy fitted at Seattle and other northern ports for the rush to the gold fields and parties taking pas sage in ships from those places must exercise extra care and caution.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
REFORM IN SAN JOSE.

TT HE battle for good government in San Jose
 IS being fought with vi gor of action and .
 strategic skill that augur well for success at the polls. The promoters of the movement and the leaders in the contest are not relying for victory solely upon popular enthusiasm or public sentiment They have organized their forces and made ready the means for enthusiasm and sentiment to translate themselves into action during the campaign and on election day.
 It is only by such means that any lasting success can be accomplished for good government either in that or any other city. Sporadic outbursts for re- form never have permanent effects, and not infre- quenty do more harm than good Old John Adams was right Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty Men who are not willing to pay that price and keep ceaseless watch upon government will become vic- tims ot some kind of tyranny sooner later and find themselves ruled by some ignoble little Caesar in the form of municipal boss"
 When the good citizens of New York had obtained their new charter they indulged the fond belief that all would be well thereafter whether they con- tinued to act together not The consequence of trusting to this delusive phantom of hope instead of organizing for an unceasing campaign for good gov ernment, was victory for Tammany last fall which has placed the boss III control of the city, with it's extension, Its new charter and everything else.
 The San Joseans have been wise enough to profit by the warning of the big metropolis. Having adopted new charter they have determined to have 1t administered by Its friends, and not by its foes The New Charter Club did not adjourn the day alter the charter was adopted. On the contrary it perfected its organization augmented it's member ship, maintained Its resolution to provide good gov ernment by the election of good men to office and now faces the spring election with we-assured confidence of victory.
 As rule The Call does not favor non-partsan movements They are generally ineffective and not infrequently are organized mainly by soreheads who have been disappointed in what they expected of their parties In this instance however there seems no other way for the people of San Jose to achieve the overthrow of the bosses It has been long since there was any genuine party politics in Santa Clara County. The bosses and the push and pull of both machines have stood together for the spois and the people, so long as they remained divided have been powerless. Under such circumstances non-partisan- ship is necessity. It is the only way to victory, and fortunately it promises to be a sure way.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
ELIJAH BROWN.

Elijah Brown, the cobbler. was enamored of the muse, And all his time was given up to stanzas and to shoes. He scorned to live tuneless life, ingloriously And nightly laid his last aside to labor at his lute; For he had registered an oath that lyrical re- Should trumpet to the universe the worthy of Brown. And, though his own weak pinions failed to reach the heights of song, His genius matched brilliant scheme to help his oath along; And all his little youngsters as they numer- ously came, He christened after poets m the pantheon of That their poetic prestige might impress them, noble emulation to adopt the warbling lyre And Virgil Brown and Dante Brown and Tasso And Milton Brown and Byron Brown and Shakespeare Brown were reared. Longfellow Brown and Schiller Brown arrived at mans estate. And Wordsworth Brown and Goldsmith Brown filled up the family slate. And he belfved his gifted boys, predestined to renown, In time would roll the powder from the buried But still the epic is unsung. and still that worthy name Is missing from the pedestals upon the hills For Dante Browns peddIer in the vegetable And Byron Brown is pitching for the Tuscarora nine;
 
 list of note, And Goldsmith Browns deckhand on Jer- sey ferry-boat; In Wordsworth Brown Manhattan has an es- timabe cop, And Schiller Browns an artist in a Brooklyn barber-shop; rowing tar is Virgil Brown upon the bound- ing seas, And Tasso Brown is usually engaged in making cheese; The cobbiers bench Is Milton Browns. and there he pegs away, And Shakespeare Brown makes cocktails in . Cripple Creek cafe.-Syracuse Courier.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16

CT with Madame s. Ritter. his sister, ana Y. B. Seattle of London, arrived in the city last evening on the overland rom New York and went to the Palace
 H. c. Bell of Oroville, the newly ap- pointed Collector of Internal Revenue TOT the Sacramento district, is in the city. lie Is the guest of his old-time bosom fr1end, Major Frank Mclaughlin. With the lat ter he is enjoying a good time before set ting down to business
 Hugh Craig, president of the Chamber of Commerce, left this city yesterday afternoon on his way to London. It IS MT. Craig's intention to make short stops at Chicago and New York both going ana returning to the city of smoke and fos. He will be absent about two months.
 Attorney-General W. F. Fitzgerald. who has been confined to his residence for the past two weeks, suffering from severe cold contracted while in Washington, D. C., attending to the California murderers' cases, is all right once more, and has re- turned to his accustomed desk in the Parrott building.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16

capacity of summus episcopus and lord If war, and that 1t would be reductlo d absurdum of his words to apply them ina general sense. It was pointed out on the, defendants side that reductio ad ab- surslm is the raison detre of a comic pape- and that the form taken on the preseat occasion was not insulting to his Majesy, but was within the limits of legitimate ridicule. Gustav Freytag had said that monarch gained in popularity when hunor and wit occupied themselves with his person. For the same reason Prince Bismarck once regretted that court
 testers no onger existed. Formerly the
 Kladderadatsch was a great favorite at
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
cULTVATING CRIME FOR PROFIT

| HEN few months ago there an ap- lAI palling murder committed in New York the Journal of that city offered a reward for the assassin's detection The guilty were caught, yet strangely enough the police take credit for this, and
 little investigation shows that they had presumed to manifest interest in the case, notwithstanding yellow journalism had claimed 1t for its own All the police did was to follow clews gather evidence arrest the criminals and assist in their prosecution Yellow journalism did the rest, this consisting in bowling pean of praise itself and offering ward There was no need of the offer; of course the praise may be regarded inevitable.
 Now there has been another murder of pecu- larly shocking type, and the sheet has followed the vicious precedent set by itself. The principle is wrong the useless for advertising purposes and the effect is certain to be harmful If there to be extra rewards offered regularly for the deec- ton of crime, if reporters to do detective work the salaries paid to the police might as well be saved Instead of trying to their lawful and adequate salaries officers will learn to wait until the editor has decided how much he can afford to pay
 The standing reward for the detection of gory criminal will produce the crime, and somebody will be brought forward the culprit There are men in every large city who would commit murder for a small part of thousand dollars and without hesi- tancy place the guilt upon an innocent person. It is men of this class whom yellow journalism with its heralded rewards IS now trying to win from the ranks of the unemployed. To do this, to undermine the usefulness of regular peace officers, and get some cheap advertising the objects sought the first two being merely incidental
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
) THE ( ) DOCTORED (
 } VALENTINE. (
o o 0 0 o o o o o

 Saturday last in a state of great ex- citement and in rapid accents said to him: Say, old man, my firm has ordered me to catch the o'clock train for Sacramento, and l want you to do something for me. You know Monday is St. Valentines day, and I would like to send a valentine to a young lady whom I had the extreme pleasure of meeting lately. She's a peach, my boy, and when I was coming down the street just now wondering what I would send to this female divinity saw a val entine in a show window that just fits her case exactly; it is the most appropri- ate thing you ever saw in your life, so I bought it. Say, you ought to see my latest conquest. took her to dinner last evening and I must confess that she is a most extraordinary eater, for my bill was an even SIP, but that doesn't count with me, and she Is a top-notcher just the same. Isn't that a lovely valentine? Now as l have to get that train. I want you to send 1t to her for me. Her name is Rose G., and her address 34 M street. Just look at the pretty verse inscribed on 1t" and voluble Charles read as follows;
 dainty. delicate creature is Rose;
 In her I've met my fate.
 The hue of her bonny dimpled cheek
 Is roseate.
 Goodbye, old boy, see that she gets it. will you?" and with that he disappeared to catch his train.
 Now Charley did not know that when he mentioned the young ladys name he had awakened an unpleasant recollection in Harry's heart, for Rose had cruelty tilted the latter some six months previous and he still suffered from the effects of the operation. He determined to carry out a little scheme of revenge and at the same time play even with the f1ckle Rose, and he did so, for when she received the valentine early on Monday morning the following lines had been added by the delft hand of the aforesaid Harry, and the feelings of the young lady can be better imagined than described when she read in addition to the other verse:
 l took her to restaurant once,
 Her appetite was great.
 It took me twelve to settle for
 What Rosie ate.
 Charley will be looking for another girl, for when he returns from his trip, 1t is said. the frigid reception he will receive from Rose would compare favorably with the extreme cold experienced in Klondike. Dr. James H. Low, leading physician of Knights Ferry, is at the Grand on a visit of few days duration to the city. MT. and Mrs. w. G. Press are two prominent society people of Chicago who are at the Occidental on a tour of the coast.
 Baron L..von Meyer of Dresden, togeth-
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
COLLECTED IN
 THE CORRIDORS

Judge George B. Graham of Fresno is a guest at the Grand.
 Baron de Barral, wine man of France. Is registered at the Palace.
 T. H. Benard. wealthy lumberman of Chico, Is a guest at the Grand
 Virgil Conn, capitalist of Oregon, Is one of yesterdays arrivals at the Palace.
 l.. D. McArdle, a prominent politician of Portland, Or, is registered at the Oc- cidental.
 A. Holloway, a mining man of Deer Lodge, Mont, Is at the Occidental with his wife.
 w. H. Barry, wealthy Chicago mer- chant, is at the Occidental on a business trip to the coast
 C.. w. McArthur, one of Denver's big bankers and leading business men, Is a guest at the Palace.
 w. M. Welsh of the Stockton Flour mills is in the city on a business trip. and can be found at the Lick
 The first of the Raymond excursions arrived yesterday from Philadelphia. The travellers went to the Palace
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
FROM THE CAMP OF THE HEAVENLY HosTn The Cartoon
 Q for Two by Kaiser

cartoon in which Satan was depicted as fetching from heaven Leonidas, Alexan- der. Napoleon and Frederick the Great, and reminding them that they had no
 place there. This joke brought a prose- cution for lese-majeste down upon the head of the unfortunate editor of the Kladderadatsch, and on Tuesday last he was duly convicted and sentenced to two months Imprisonment in fortress. The prosecution laboriously pointed out that his Majesty was speaking to the adher- ents of the Evangelical church in his dual
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
o o o O O o o O o o O A O
 o SUCCESSFUL o
 o BLUFF. o o o o o o o o o o o

being egged on by humber of bystand- CTS, was gamely staying and having the face beaten off him. Suddenly a very small but determined fellow put in an appearance and announced that the fun must stop right there. What the devil have you to do with it?" asked some one in the crowd. "Never mind what I have to do with it. You fellows don't know who am, or you would skin out of here mighty quick. Now, the whole lot of you get a move on and slide" The crowd hesitated a moment, then began to move, and having once started, fairly ran over one another in their haste to ~ot out of the vicinity. After the last had disap- peared, gentleman who had been taking in the whole proceeding from one of the windows of the hotel came outside and. approaching the small man, asked him who he was and what authority he pos- sessed that had the power to break up so hard a crowd in so short a time T am commercial traveller" replied the peacemaker, "and the power consisted in great big bluff. which I attempted because l thought the scrap was too one sided
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
WEATHER PRoGNosTIcATIoNs.

To the Editor of The Call: As all are vitally interested in the crop prospects l trust you will give place to the follow ing, deducted from Herschelrs, which several years careful observation has shown to be substantially correct, as ap- piled to this coast:
 February 20, showers; February 2s, cold showers.
 March, doubtful.
 April 6, heavy showers; April B, heavy showers. with wind.
 May F, rain: May 20, rain.
 June A. showers.
 Several dates already past were ex- actly fulfilled. W. B. MILLER. San Jose, Cal, Feb. 14. 1898.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
Time Reduced to chicaeo

Via Rio Grande Western. Denver and Rio Grande and Burlington railways. Passengers leaving San Francisco on p. m. train reach Chicago 2:15 p. m. the fourth day, and New York 6:3O p. m. following day. Through Pull man Palace Double Drawing Room Sleeping Cars to Denver with Union Depot change at 9:30 m. to similar cars of the Burlington Route for Chicago. Railroad and sleeping car tickets sold through and full information given at IA Montgomery st. w. H. Snedaker General
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16

court. Frederick William " was so fond of 1t that for long time he was thought to be a contributor. There was too much zeal in the matter of trials for lese- majeste. His Majesty liked to speak direct to the people, so he must be pre- pared to hear an answer from the people Much worse than open language was criticism in private, and 1t would not be good thing to restrict the testers old rights. This reasonable view, however found no favor with the court, and Herr IroJan, the editor, was consequently haled off to jail.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
5: .ssss :s sss $. $. :s:s $. $. 8 8 s s s
A REASONABLE JOKE.
5. 8 5. 8 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. :. s, s. s..as.

a speech to body of recruits who
 LOOK the oath of allegiance last autumn | the German Emperor said that "only good Christians could be good sol uiers. This remarkable statement was much eanvassed and criticized in Ger many and elsewhere, and the Kladdera- datsch, the German Punch, published a
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
"Mrs. winslow's Soothing Syrup |,

Has been used over fifty years by millions of mothers for their children while Teething with perfect success. It soothes the child softens the gums, allays Pain, cures Wind Colic reg ulates the Bowels and Is the best remedy for Diarrhoeas, whether arising from teething or other causes. For sale by Druggists In every part of the world. Be sure and ask for Mrs. Winsow's Soothing Syrup. 25c bottle.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16

The Queen Regent of Holland has ex- pressed the desire that the coronation of Queen Wilhelmina may have strictly the character of national festivity, as a sol emnity relating solely to the dynasty and the Dutch nation.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16

CORONADO.-Atmosphere is perfectly dry, soft and mild, being entirely free from the mists common further north. Round trip tickets by steamship. including fifteen days board at the Hotel del Coronado, s65; longer stay, g 50 per day. Apply New Montgomery street, San Francisco. or A. w. Bailey, man. ager, Hotel del Coronado. late of Hotel Colo rado, Glenwood Springs. Colorado.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
cAL1FoRN1ANs IN WASHINGTON.

WASHINGTON. Feb 15. - Senator White left for Los Angeles this after noon to remain three weeks. Colonel George A. Knight is at Wflard's Hotel.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16

Shigetsuna Furuya, a young Japanese newspaper man, who was a regular corre- spondent in Hawaii during the revolution, is now studying law and politics in Michi- gan University.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
Cal. glace fruit soc per ID at Townsend's.s

Special information supplied daily to business houses and public men by the Press Clipping Bureau (Allen's), 510 Mont gomery street. Telephone Main 1042.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
ADJUSTMENTS.

Baldwin-The Bosonans. Cal1fornia-Black Patti Trouoadours. Columbia" What Happened to Jones'" Alcazar-"Charley's Aunt" Moroscos-"S shenandoah" Tivoli-"Satd Pasha" Orpheum-Vaudeville. Bush-Thalia German Hebrew Opera Co. Sunday night Olympia, corner Mason and Eddy streets-Speoatties The Chutes- -Chiquita Vaudeville. Mechanics Mining Fair and Klondke Exposition California Jockey Club RaeetrackRaces to-day.
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16

The other even- ing a fight was in progress in front of the Baldwin Hotel, in which one of the con- testants was get ting much the -..n-,4 nf it h,,h
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
AUCTION SALES.

By CohnThis February 16 Stationery Store at street, Il o'clock
 Kllip Co-Saurday, February B Horses, at OaKlano Racetrack a F o'clock
 Rhein Co.Thursdav February 2 Real Estate, at Market F o'clock
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16

NEGLECT your hair and you lose 1t. PARKERs HAIR BALsAM renews the growth and color.
 HINDERcoRNs. the best cure for corns. 15 cts
The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16

Charley x, the popular travelling salesman for a down town liquor house, rushed in- to the office of his boon compan- fa- Ho- U