Mesa free press., 1898-10-07
Important Information Gathered
Around the Coast.
ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST.
A Summary OF Late Events THAT Are
Boiled Down to Suit our Busy
Readers.

500, 900, with no insurance.
President Jordan Of Stanford uni
versity has been offered the presidency
of Berkeley university, in the place Of
Kellogg, who recently resigned.
Surveyors have begun stake-setting
for 15O0-foot cutoff at the confu-
ence of Stockton channel and the San
Joaquin river. The cut will greatly aid
navigation, and will help to drain this
section during seasons of high water.
The children who entered the home
of the general manager of the South
ern Pacific railway at San Francisco
and stole articles to the value of $1,000
are only starting early In learning
Southern Pacific morals and methods.
The Pacific Coast Steamship COM
pany has a competitor in the Charles
Nelson, which has sailed for Seattle
and way ports with freight and passen-
gers. The Cleveland and Lakme, under
the same control as the Nelson, will
follow. Freight and passenger rates
have been reduced.
Hawaiian advices state that the
natives of the islands are deluging the
congressional commissioners with Pc
titions and memorials, protesting
among other things that the islands
were annexed without their consent.
They ask that the constitutional gov
ernment of. 1893 be restored.
The expedition sent by the Universe
| ty of Pennsylvania to study northern
Alaska made a practical failure, as far
as new discoveries are concerned.
Many thousand speciments were
brought back from the country around
Point Barrow, but it is stated that the
scientists found little of new value.
The captive balloons used by Skaters
army in the advance upon Santiago
have reached the Omaha exposition
grounds, and the officers of the United
States Signal corps are getting them
ready for daily ascensions. These ball
looms are capable of rising 1000 feet,
and at this distance telephone com
munication is held with the station be-
low. The balloons carry four people,
the capacity being 81 900 cubic feet. 1t
is said President Mckinley intends to
make an ascension during his visit to
the exposition.
Auditor Broderick sent to Comptrol-
Ter Colgan at Sacramento his annual
report on the financial condition of the
Fcity and county of San Francisco. The
total value of real estate is $189, ,448,-
|545; value of improvements thereon,
$93, ,230, 1856; value of personal property,
including money and solvent credits,
$69, ,547,3 ,331; total assessed valuation,
1852, ,344,0 ,061. The assessed value of the
railroads (Southern .Pacific) in the city
and county is $1S9, ,454. The total value
of mortgages assessed is $51 ,240, 500.
The valuation put on all parks, public
school buildings, engine houses and
other city and county property is $685.
OOO,257.
The officers of the United States reve-
nue. cutter Cosmos, sent north by the
government to chase Alaskan whisky
smugglers, have been dismissed from
the service for smuggling whisky. If
the deputy collector who dismissed
them is right in his charges, the men
are not only guilty of smuggling, but
of stealing whisky that had been
seized 1t is claimed that fifteen kegs
were seized at Juneau, but twelve OF
which were turned over to the au-
thorities at Sitka. Later the missing
kegs were found in the cutter. Com
mandar I. M. Hofstadt claims that he
has been jobbed in this case. He says
that all whisky was turned over, and
that the kegs found in the boat were
put there to convict him.
The steamer Humboldt has arrived
at Seattle with 230 passengers from
Dawson. The majority of them are
''cheeharcos, glad to get back into
civilization. There were only a few
who had any gold dust. Davis Beilen-
berg had ethe largest sack. He told
Purser Taggis that he was bringing
out 100000 spending money. Purser
Taggis estimates the total amount of
treasure brought down by the steamer
at 100000. The troops that were
taken up from San Francisco on the
Humboldt left st. Michaels on Septem-
ber for Rampant City on the steamer
Arnold. The steamer Leelanaw sailed
from St. Michaels for San Francisco
September 10 with a small passenger
list. Among the Humboldt's passen-
gers were A. E. Gardner, who is inter-
ested with some Chicago people in the
proposed construction of a railroad
from Rampant City to the coast, and
Robert Moran of Seattle, who took up
a fleet Of river steamers this summer.
Sedate old st. Michaels Is the latest
Alaskan point to be deserted on ac-
count of the rush to the new gold dis
coveries. Between 300 and 400 men
left that vicinity in small boats on
learning of the rich strikes at Golof-
win bay. A town had been established
at the bay, and nearly 500 people will
winter there, and they may commence
mining early. The new gold district
comprises number of small creeks
flowing into Fish river, short dis
tance from the bay. AS high as $1.75
to the pan has been taken out, and the
entire district is supposed to be rich.
The strike was made, as usual, by a
tenderfoot in ground that old miners
would not look at. A missionary named
Hultbert has some Of the richest
claims. Capt. Walker, U. S. A., in COM
mand at st. Michaels, has returned
from the gold fields with a sack of yell