davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02
THE SCHOOL BOARD eT BAY.

n CTION taken by the Board of Education at a \ special meeting on Saturday shows that the members of the board have been aroused at last the necessity of doing something assist in the task of exposing the manipulators of the lumber jobs that have been brought light and thereby aid in relieving the innocent members of the board from suspicion by making the guilty parties known and bringing them to punishment.
 To carry out the investigation the president of the board has been authorized to employ experts in the lumber and building trades These experts not to exceed three in number, and none of them to be connected with the Retail Lumbermen's Exchange. This has fair sound. It promises committee that will work intellgently in the examination of the charges and will be impartial in judging between the city and the contractors who are alleged to have been implicated in the jobs.
 A proposition, however, is not necessarily fair simply because it sounds fair. It is possible under the stated for the president of the board to ap point set of experts who will be merely white washing committee That fact is we'll understood by the people and the personnel of the committee will be watchfuy scrutinized The president of the board must be careful in selecting the committee He not afford to make a mistake.
 The scandals to be investigated are among the gravest that have ever affected any part of muni- cipal administration The evidence which has been made public Tn regard to them shows that the school funds have been seemingly plundered of large amounts under circumstances which compel the con- clusion that at least some of the members of the Board of Education must have been aware of the plundering. The charges have been specific and the correctness of the statements supporting them hardly be doubted IT, therefore, the charges to be disproved and the statements refuted the investi gation for that purpose must be made by of the highest character and must be conducted openly, so that every particle of the testimony and evidence may be made known to the public.
 It is to be regretted that under the resolution by which the committee is to be appointed the work of the experts will be confined to the task of examining
 Unto the quality and the quantity of lumber furnished to the School Department" by a specified firm of lumber dealers. The committee should have been given power to make full and comprehensive inves- tgation so that it would be authorized to report all the facts of the In that way the people would have been given more confidence in the work of the committee.
 Fortunately the determination of the will not be dependent upon the report of the School Board experts whatever report they may make. The Grand Jury has brought to light of evidence which clearly shows frauds, and the courts will be called upon to discover the guilty parties and provide for their punishment.
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02
CHICAMAUGA-l8o9.

They are camped on Chickamaugai Once again the white tents gleann On that field where vanished heroes Sleep the sleep that knows no dream. There are shadows all about them Of the ghostly troops to-day, But they light the common campfire Those who wore the blue and gray. Where the pines of Georgia tower. Where the mountains kiss the sky, On their arms the Nations warriors Wait to hear the battle-cry. Wait together, friends and brothers, And the heroes meath their feet Sleep the long and dreamless slumber Where the flowers are blooming sweet Sentries, pause, yon shadow challenge! Rock-ribbed Thomas goes that way He who fought the foe unyielding In that awful battle fray. Yonder pass the shades of heroes. And they follow where Bragg leads. Through the meadows and the river, But no ghost the sentry needs. Field of fame patriot army TreadS thy sacred sod to-dayi And they II face common foeman, Those who wore the blue and gray, And they'll fight for common country, And they'll charge to victory Meath the folds of one brave banner Starry banner of the freeI They are camped on Chickamauga, Where the green tents of the dead Turn the soil into a glory
 Where a nations heart once bled: But they re clasping hands together On this storied field of strife Brothers brave who meet to battle
 -BaItirnore New
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02
ENGINEERS IN THE NAVY.

c EABOARD, journal which is recognized as the organ of the shipping interests of the East AD ern States, and may therefore be considered a representative of American seamen, directs attention incident in connection with the ofcering of the vessels newly purchased from the mercantile marine for the navy, which in striking illustrates the need of revision of the present method of rating engineers in the naval service.
 In fitting the ships for immediate service it was de sired says Seaboard, Ito retain far as practicable the officers and crews of these vessels but it found that while the engineers machinsts, they are also engineers and would enlist machinsts to do engineers work and surrender all claim to being an officer"
 While patriotism may have demanded that the gneers should enlist for the if they were to be rated simply as machinists and not as officers, there many good why they should have acted exactly they did Their has served to force the issue of just recognition of the important part the engineer plays in the management of modern ships and therefore will be helpful in bringing about
 concession of the claims of engineers to be rated officers
 This view is taken by Seaboard which says: "It is possible the navy may get engineers to enlist machinists but do believe the better class of them would do it." As means of solving the diff culty until Congress pass navy personnel bill which will give engineers in the navy the rank they merit it suggests that volunteer engineers be given acting appointments, as done during the Civil War. That much of justice be easily done, and should not be delayed.
 There is no question but what the navy will get all the engineers needs, for the of that profession are as patriotic those of any other but in these days when marine engineering requires of scientific training and accomplishments master its duties, it is absurd to go treating the members ol the pro- fesson as if they unftted to hold official rank
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02

l Pennsylvania. The Ledger says: "On "Wednesday he reached Hazelton fought his way through mot to carriage met lot of people, dned delivered ar address, journeyed to Pottsville held two recep tions there, made speech three hours long, and wound up the day at banquet"
 Bryan is strong in the jaws of him, and his lungs leather, but he must feel the need of rest from such incessant talking, travelling and banqueting that Six months in Cuba at hard fighting ought to relief to him. II it offered other inducement than that of rest from mobs and cessation from the iteration of the old worn arguments of the silver campaign, enlistment must still have attraction hard to resist.
 The hopelessness of the task in which he is gagged is another thing that incline MT. Bryan to seek rest The course of events ever since the campaign of o6 has shown the faacy of the free si- arguments There has been steady rise in prices of nearly all kinds of American products and con tinuous importation of gold. It is noted that over 70 per cent of the cash holdings of the New York banks is gold coin. Eastern banks shipping gold coin instead of bills to their correspondents Tn the n terior; 20 per cent of custom payments are made in gold and the treasury gold reserve exceeds $ISo 100000. According to the estimates of the Treasury Department there is more than $500 of gold n the country.
 Tn the face of such golden conditions as these it IS certainly folly to go bowling calamity. Moreover, Mr. Bryan can hardly have overlooked the growing popularity of Fitzhugh Lee in the Democratic ranks He has sense enough to perceive that the country honors at this time the man of action and not the mere talker. This fact also impelling force toward enlistment and it is therefore not to be wondered that Bryan is in mood to talk of it and possibly even to think about it..
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02
TOO MANY woULD-BE COLONIES.

Nothing can be more out of place and positively harmful to the national interest than the general disposition to suspend work and go about shouting and offering to raise regiments. This is the very worst thing a man can do for his country at the present juncture. There may be a call for gratuitous exhibitions of patriotic feeling of this kind later on if the worst sort of fortune follows our cause persist ently enough, but for the present the government will have more men offering their services from the National Guard of the several States than it will know well what to do with. It is, we must repeat again, not numbers as much as training, efficiency and armament that count in war to-day, and industrial power is the basis and support of all. The great battleship Massachusetts carries a crew of 300 officers and men. but it's power is immeasurably above that of the then mighty Royal George:
 When Kempenfeldt went down
 With twice four hundred men,
 It were better, then, for the shoemaker or even the politician to stick to his last than to go about offering or attempting to raise raw regiments for whose effective use there is no prospect, immediate or re- mote. When the Government needs such service it will call for it.-Springfield (MaSS.) Republican.
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02

The British second-class cruiser Hermes of o650 tons was launched at the Fairfield yard, Glasgow, April '. Two more of that type are building. They are improve ments in the --agicienne class. and with the larger displacement of 2S00 tons will carry their batteries higher out of water and have greater speed. The Hermes is sheathed with wood and coppered and Is $50 feet long, 54 feet beam and 21 feet draught. The speed Is to be 20 knots. The main armament of eleven 47-inch quick-ffrers is disposed so that three will fire directly ahead and three directly astern. The quantity of ammunition car ried may be inferred from the fact that the forward magazine is 58 feet in length and the after magazine 42 feet, making a total of 100 feet slowed with readymade projectiles and other ammunition. The axis of the forecastle gun will be 2S12 feet above water and that on the poop 1914 feet. All the guns are protected by Az inch shields
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02
MANILA IS OURS.

l D GLORIOUS victory marks the opening of hos l \ tilities between the United States and Spain IT the Orient. Commodore Dewey and the gal
 ant crew of his fleet have crushed the naval forces oi Spain in that portion of the globe with one blow The star-spangled banner floats triumphant in the harbor of Manila and the city is ours.
 The feat thus accomplished of the most signal achievements of skill and daring in the history of naval warfare. It stroke worthy ot Farragut or Nelson The story as told by the Span1ards themselves is enough to thrill American hearts with pride and need not wait for the full oflcal records of the battle to recognize that in Commodore Dewey the nation has new hero to add to the illustrous galaxy that adorns the pages of its military and naval annals
 Dewey with his fleet arrived of Manila at night
 He was far from his base of supplies and had place to turn for refuge if he should meet with defeat These considerations did not for moment him to hesitate He wasted time i1 reconnoitering or taking counsel of his fears In the darkness of night he boldly entered the harbor, which to him known, and which in all likelihood was strewn with mines or torpedoes. Straight through every danger whether known unknown, that menaced him he held his way, and at daybreak the startled Spanards at their posts along the harbor saw the fleet with Old Glory streaming to the winds advancing to the attack
 Then from the forts and batteries along the shore and from the Spanish warshps in the harbor the guns of Spain sent shot and shell to sink drive back the fleet that had so daringly assailed them in their stronghold. Had the American fleet been com manded by officer of daring only that terrific fire might have destroyed 1t, but Dewey proved himself master of naval tactics as well of valor The Spanish concede that his maneuvering during the engagement a notable feature of the fierce fight Once the American fleet seemingly retired from the fray, but returned; and then the end swiftly, bringing defeat to the Spanards on land and sea- and victory for the Union and its gallant seamen
 The Spanish authorities, while concedng the heavy losses suffered by their arms, claim that their forces fought with courage and patriotism Tie claim is without justice Certainly the captain of the Span ish flagship who died at his post fell brave would wish to fall when overtaken by defeat The very courage of the Spaniards however, adds to the glory achieved by the Americans in meeting such foes under the very walls of their forts and batteries and in harbor familiar them, but strange to the Americans.
 The victory is in every way notable one, and moreover is as useful 1t IS glorious. It renders virtual masters of Manila and thus gives coaing station and port of refuge in that part of the globe Hereafter we shall not have to take such hazardous chances as in this combat. Commodore Dewey and his men have attested the virtue of the fighting strength of the republic demonstrated the in- vincible daring of our seamen and added another splendid chapter to the history of trumphs.
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02
AGITATOR OR SOLDIER.

H EPORTS of last week to the effect that Bryan E is seriously contemplating enlistment in the vol unteer army not inherently improbable. The work of agitator IS hard one, and the agita tion in which Bryan is engaged promises nothing in the way of repayment. Enlistment would be for him a rest from wearisome talking and step toward re- form, both of which would be beneficial to him.
 An illustration of the hard work required of Bryan in trying to keep at least show of life in the silver issue is afforded by account given in the Phila- delphia Ledger of single day of his recent tour of
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02
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 "I SALUTE THEE"

O, my country. I salute thee, AS thy banners are unfurled, As thou risest in thy patient might supreme; And holy peace comes o'er me, As thy statemen face the world With thy message beacon-signaled In thy swords far-hashing gleaul. O. my country, dare We chide thee, Who had hoped thy queenly brow Would receive Times rarest crown. the wreath
 of peace?
 It were thne-but, lol thou turnest From such coronation now, To unclasp a tyrant'S death-clutchi Ahi for that, whose praise would cease? I have watched thy bosom heaving. Large with pity, wrenched by pain: I have prayed-and seen sweet patience light
 thine eyes.
 But the tyrant mocks by falseness- Plays thy neighbor-blasts thy Maine!
 Maine!
 Dare I chide thy clean swords gleaming3 Shall carp when thou dost rise? No my countryi Thou art giroed By the guardian arm of God! He hath laid help on the might''-thus He
 saves.
 O. thy beauteous strength ne'er charmed me More than now, when Cuba's sod Feels thy shadow make shelter For her people-and her gravesi William Knight In Boston Journal.
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02

Spain and this country afforded the paper referred to a chance to elaborately dem onstrate to it's own evident satisfact-on that the United States is inferior to Spain as a naval power. It groups nine of our vessels of war in three classes, namely the Indiana, Massachusetts and Iowa in the first class; Brooklyn and New York in the second, and the Minneapolis. San Francisco, Columbia and New Orleans in the third class. In juxtaposition it places five Spanish armored ships, two cruisers, five torpedo-boat destroyers and three torpedo-boats, making a total of sixteen effective war vessels of Spain. Upon the basis of these grossly incomplete data, so far as they relate to the United States navy, the Engineer works out compara- tive efficiency, elucidated by diagrams, of which the following are the results:
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02
OFF TO SEA.

Our ships have put to sea, And to wndward and to lee The old flag Is flying, flying, fyingi And it ripples it's red bars And the glory of its stars Where the spirits of the stormy deep are
 crying: ..-- 'On to the fight
 Let the stars of Freedom light The land beneath the tyrants banner gory; Till every tyrant flag
 Is torn and trampled rag, And alone in the sunlight waves Old Gloryp ," Our ships have put to sea, And the light of Liberty Dawns oer the people sad and dying; The chains of thralldom break, And the thrones of tyrants shake While the spirits of the stormy deep are cry
 ing:
 Flare ye to the fghti
 Let the stars of Freedom light The land beneath the tyrant's banner gory, Till every tyrant flag
 Is torn and trampled rag, And alone in the sunlight waves Old Gloryv' '' Frank L. Stanton in Atlanta Constitution.
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02
NEWS OF FOREIGN NAMES.

Two gunboats and six torpedo-boats are building at Elbing for Germany. The gunboats are to be completed early next year.
 Divers in the British navy have to dem- onstrate their skill before being passed as proficient, the examination being very practical, and consists in being able to work in twelve fathoms of water for one hour, fifteen fathoms for half an hour and twenty fathoms for fifteen minutes.
 One part of the Russian naval pro- gramme is to build three battleships of 12675 tons each of the Peresvet type and armed with four 10-inch guns each. They are to be built at St. Petersburg and will be assigned to the Baltic fleet. Besides these armored ships fast cruiser of 5000 tons, of the type of the British torpedo ship Vulcan, is to be built at Nicolaieff.
 A second-class cruiser of 5650 tons, built at Danzig for the German navy, has just been launched. Another of the same type is still on the stocks at Danzig and two more are building at Stettin and Bremen. They are $50 feet in length and are to steam 20 knots. The armament Will be very powerful, consisting of two S2-inch, eight 6-inch, all quick-fires, also ten 3.4- inch, ten 1.4-inch, four machine guns and three submerged torpedo tubes.
 The eight torpedo-boat destroyers build ing in England for Japan are of 306 tons displacement, and are to be completed gradually after June next. Their names in Japanese and translated into English are:
 No. 1-Ikazuchi-Thunder.
 No. 2-Inazuma-Lightning.
 No. 3-Shinonome-Dawn of the day.
 No. 4-Murakuino-Bank of clouds
 No. 5-Akebono-Morning twilight.
 No. 6-Fazanami-Rippling waves.
 No. 7-Yugiri-9SNening mist.
 No. i-Phosphorescence.
 Four torpedo-boats of 150 tons each are building on the continent, three in France and one in Germany. The first three have been named:
 No. 1-Hayabusa-Vulture
 No. 2-Kasaragi-Magpie
 No. .3-Managura-Crane.
 The boat building in Germany Is named Shirataka, or White Hawk. While the names are neither nautical nor naval, but rather poetical and commonplace, he boats will make up for this trivial neglect in that the torpedo-boat destroyers will have a speed of 31 knots and the torpedo boats 28 knots.
 The London Engineer never misses any chance for showing it's i'll feeling toward the United States, and the war between
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02
INDUSTRIAL CoNoUEsTs.

In the midst of war preparations it is a gratifying fact that the demand for our manufactured articles is growing in many directions Orders have increased this year for American railroad iron, engines, bridges, blows, cultivatorS, reaperS, thrashers, hullers, cotton-working ma chimes, stamp mills and steam engines. American electrical machinery has control of the whole field. Not long ago three water wheels of 450 horse power each were sent to an electric motor company in Japan. American machinery is replacing that of foreign made in Mexico. Russia has followed Japan in ordering new bat tleships in our yards.-St. Louis Globe Democrat.
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02
A STRONG LAW NEEDED.

C COMMENTING upon the frequently made 1 statement that the failure to enforce pure food O laws is due to the lack of popular sentiment be- hind them, City and State of Philadelphia very justly says: "To put down profitable wrong-wrong which finds golden reward in preying upon the public needs masterful law, law which says Thou shalt not with wholesome clearness to the manifest evil, just surely 1t needs the application of masterul wit in every other phase of the same, all the re- sources that be commanded and marshaled in order to achieve the end coveted"
 This statement is unquestionably true. The task of enforcing pure food laws ought not to be thrown upon popular sentiment, nor upon popular ac- tvities and initiative Many people are aware to what extent their food is aduterated Others, who in a general way are that large quantities of "sophistcated foods for sale under deceptive names have not the time the means to assist in crusade against the evil. The Government does not wait for popular sentiment to aid it in suppressng the manufacture of illicit whisky. Neither should it wait for such aid in suppressng the manufacture of fraud ulent foods.
 In an address before the Food and Drug Congress at Washington last winter the Hon. Marriott Brosius said:
 Perhaps no cause in the whole range of service lays higher command upon Americans than to pro- vide remedy, if can, for this adulteraton; the 1 contemplate 1t the more enormous find 1t. Of the 57o articles of food used on the tables of the people 2s3 adulterated. These may be approxi- nations, but sufficiently accurate convey to our minds the murder that is done in the of com merce in food commodities, to say nothing of the consequences to the morals of our people. What is said of food is true of drugs How many of the potions advised by physicians and administered by loving hands, in the hope of calling back to life and health, vitiated by deleerous substances rem dered useless by adulterations?'
 The evil is indeed one of portentous magnitude and should be dealt with vigorously the illicit dis
 ation of liquors. The Chronicle has suggested the enaction of system of taxing such articles would bring them under the control of the internal revenue. and there IS much to commend the plan. Either that some other should be adopted which will bring the matter under national supervision. Popular senti- ment the subject is all right but the nation must make the law and enforce it in masterful way.
 -
 The resolve of the Board of Education to appoint a committee to go the lumber deals recently exposed by the Grand Jury will not be commended by the public until it made certain that the com mittee is not appointed to whitewas either the unl-
The San Francisco call., 1898-05-02
COLLECTED IN
 THE CORRIDORS

1 J. Bayha is registered at the Palace | from Colon. w. c. Gibson, U. s. N., is registered at the Occidental. MT. and Mrs. Thomas A. Parish of Grand Rapids, Mich., are staying at the Palace. N. K. Harris, fruit raiser of Fresno, is a guest at the Lick. H. C. Warner, journalist of San Der nardino, is one of the late arrivals at the California.
 L. F. Shepard. well-known citizen of Los Angeles, is at the California on a short visit to the city.
 R. A. Douglass of San Diego has come up to the city and Is staying at the Cali fornia for a few days.
 M. C. Osborne and wife of San Diego are at the Grand MT. Osborne Is the superintendent of the San Diego Gas Works.
 Maurice Frieman. a wealthy merchant of New York, is one of yesterdays ar rivals at the Occidental. He is accom- panied by his wife.
 J. M Ilwaine. a wealthy planter or Salvador. is a guest at the Occidental.
 C. H. Schibeley, wealthy banker Of Oroville, and s. Marks. prominent mer- chant of the same place, are both regis tered at the Grand.
 MT. and Mrs. Charles B. Thorne and daughter, MT. and Mrs. A. A. Boyd and family, and several young ladies consti- ute a party of people from Auburn. N r., who arrived at the Palace yesterday on visit of pleasure to the coast