New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-18
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
tEArN GIVES AN IMPETUS TO BUSINESS
MISSION ROCK AS COALING STA
TIoN-RICH QUARTZ FOUND
my TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.]

1lON-hlCt QO<hRAN
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE.]
San Francisco Dec 1.-THE two days rain
which fell this week in nearly every county of
California has done much to remove the d'scour
axement caused by the Ions drouth The situa-
,,on had become critical especially In the stock
raising counties. and II rain had not come most
Of the cattle and sheep would have been slaugh-
tered for hides and wool In the southern coun-
ties the rainfall varied from one inch to three
inches while throughout the great san Joaquin
and Sacramento valleys the average rainfall was
sixty-hundredths of an inch Ploughing VIII DE
started In most counties and the sowing OF
grain resumed Grass Will also spring sup III
pastures and the stock Will have ample ieeu'
Tho results Of the rain are already apparent IN
the great stimulus to business. Much money
which had been locked up In the banks VIII DE
lent on country property. and many INDUSTRIAL
enterprises will now be carried out when were
in doubt until the rain came.
An analysis Of the Official count OF the recent
State election shows some Of the pecuilari'es oi
the Australian ballot system Many OF the cam
didates whose names came far down on 'ne
ticket received from ten thousand 10 twenty
Thousand votes less than the head OF the ticket
though no special attack was made on theth ny
the opposing parties This simply SHOWS 'ha'
thousand Of men voted for the head OF the ticket
and for few candidates whom they knew OF
specially favored and allowed the remainder or
the ticke, 20 go unmarked
The decision Of Commissioner Hermann THIS
week that Mission Rock belongs to the Govern
ment and the announcement that IL Will w
used as a coaling station for warships' causeu
much discussion here. Probably the attention oi
the Government officials would not have oeeh
called N the rock had IT not been for the offer
Of its owners the California Dry DOCK com
many N sell Il for S250OOO for coaling pn'-
noses The rock itself contains only fourteen
hundredths OF an acre. but on tho udelanoS
around il the company has erected warehouses
which were used for the storage OF whea' unit"
The Port Costa warehouse absorbed the wheat
shining business. Since then they have oeeh
used for general storage, sugar pelns hoN
the chief article. The company says ~ mas
q title from n b. Tischner, who derived his
rossession from the State. hut Commissioner
Hermann declares the United States never
parted with the title
The widow of President Barrios Of Guate'
maa will make her home in this city she
has saved fortune estimated at SJ0O0Oo out oi
her husbands estate, fortune whlch ne
anassed In the four years Of his presidency
She is an American woman, born in NeW-or-
leans and Barrios met and married her in New
York Nine Rarrios has all her ga liable dla-
nonds tied up in the custom house. and uneai-
liant Uncle Sam insists on heavy duty on them
because they were bought abroad. The Jewels
are valued AZ 100000 IN which the duty will
be S600 M.
4 rad acciden, this week to w T. Falken-
burg who was working as a common laborer'
revealed the vcissitudes Of life in this city
Falkenburg is a son Of Baron Falkenburg. who
for twenty-six years was Consul for Sweden
and Norway in quebec Fifteen years ago ne
was manager Of Senator FAIRS large wheat
ranch. the san Joaquin River Islands. and ne
well-known man about town lie IosI
his place by absence from the State and when
he returned gradually sank in the social sca!e
until he became a common laborer. Cna1les
Fair and Mayor Phelan, two Of his old friends
whom he had been too proud to call upon when
he was in hard luck. went to see him at tn"
hospital.
There was nothing noteworthy at tho theatres
this week. and few OF them have apparently
made any preparations for the usual holiday
spectac'es. In fact. all theatrical business is
fiat here now. mainly because few good com
panies being brought out No Improvement
will take place before spring. when several good
attractions are announced. including season
Of Italian opera. with Melha as the star.
Very rich gold quartz was found this week in
the lower levels Of the Gavilan Mine. in River
side County 4 piece Of ore about sixty pounds
in weight was broken off on the j0O-foot level
and was found 70 contain nugget the size Of
a goose egg worth several hundred dollars
From the nugget radated strinsers Of pure gold
20 all parts OF the rock. This Is only Of
the many recent finds The mine is near the
famous Temescal Tin Mine, whose produc-
ton there much discussion when the
high tariff was first placed en- tinplate
The Directors Committee Of the state Board
OF Trade this week recommended the thorough
policing Of forest reserves not under Federal
control. as the only way Of preventing the fires
Whlch destroyed more merchantabp timber in
the last year than would have been consumed
by commerce in five years The committee also
MADE the sensible recommC ndatiOn that the
Legislature should provide for a schcCl Of for
estry AT one Of the State universities. In this
way the State would have a BODY Of
trained men able to preserve and propagate
forests which are now being laid waste i'm
criminal WaV