The San Francisco call., 1898-04-09
Died Suddenly at Home e in Alameda Last
 Thursday.
Had Cleared His Ship and Was Ready to Sail for Santa
 ROSalia.
A Cut Rate Steamship War Between San Francisco and Copp -r
 River Begun.

Captain George W. K. Masters, the well known and popular master of the barkentine Garden City, died very suddenly at his home in Alameda Thursday evening last. He was around town all of Thursday and cleared his vessel for Santa Rosalia. He engaged one of Spreckels' tugs to take him to sea yesterday, but the news of his death countermanded the order.
 Captain Masters was one of the best known shippers trading in and out of this port He brought the ship Bar ing Bros. out here from the East, but left her to go into the coasting trade in one of the Simpson Lumber Com pany's vessels. For number of years he has been master of the Garden City.
 His figure was a familiar one on the water front, as he always did his travel ing ashore on a bicycle. The bike" went with him every voyage and as soon as port was reached Captain Mas ters took it ashore and used 1t while the barkentine was being discharged and loaded. Heart disease carried him off.
 The Pacific Coast Steamship Com pany's Orizaba arrived from Mexican ports at an early hour yesterday morn ing. AS soon as her cargo has been discharged she will be put in the Eu- reka trade relieving the steamer Homer which has been under charter to the steamship company. The steamer Cur acoa, which Captain Goodall recently purchased in the East, has been thor oughly overhauled and refitted through out: she will take the OriZaba's place in the Mexican trade.
 Chief Steward O. N. Clark of the steamer Alameda underwent a very painful operation yesterday. A slight swelling on his neck has been gradually increasing in size of late and several physicians have advised him to have it cut out. pr. G. M. Hall, the ships $ surgeon, got him to consent to an ope- ration and yesterday morning he brought forth his case of instruments and before MT. Clark knew what was going on the operation was successfully over He is still going about the ship as though nothing had happened.
 They had a mishap at the launching of a small stern wheel steamer in Oak land yesterday. The little vessel is to go to Kotzebue Sound on the schooner Charles Hanson and was to be launched from the foot of Market street. Just as she was sliding into the waters of the creek the ways broke and the stren- wheeler dropped stern first into the mud. A derrick had to be erected and the steamer lifted bodily. She was then placed on an even keel in the water and the launching was over.
 Rate cutting has begun in earnest. The Pacific Steam Whaling Company and the Johnson-Locke Company have agreed upon a uniform rate to meet the cut made by the Seattle steamship owners. The old rate from San Fran cisco to Copper River was $1OO first class and $75 second class. A reduc- tion of $10 has been made in the first class and $15 in the second From Seattle to Copper River the old rate was s9O and $70 and a cut of $20 has been made in both classes. It is ex- pected that a rate war between here and Dyea and Skaguay will begin in a few days.
 The schooner Florence, Captain Peterson. will sail in a few days for St. Michael. On her arrival there she will be turned into stern wheel steamer and dredger combined, and will start up the Yukon. A party of six all told are going in her to seek their fortunes in the frozen north.
 Nathan Cohen, one of the many