The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-27
ALAMEDA COUNTY NEWS.

! spreading this fiction. Now, Oakland ma!
two water supplies, either OF Whlcn couit .
| supply the town, and during the pas pas
| months the talk of water famine mas peer
| more pronounced than ever. AS uSua
| the lake has filed up in plenty OF tlmt
and now holds supply sufnGienfi 10 1ael
dent of the artesan supply that mas been
developed recently. There will have. to
| be a new code of natural laws before
Oakland is visited by water famine.
During the recent campaign ex-Mayor
! Davie caused a laugh by stating that
while in office he had electrified the City
| Hall by auditing the bills for street
| sprinkIing and 1nding that the streets had
| been duly sprinkled on some days when
! an inch of rain fell. Everybody regarded
the statement as a romance. but it was
! very probably true, for it was repeated
while the storm was at its height and
Broadway had been washed as clean as
rain and wind could clean it, street
sweeper at full speed dashed down the
street cleaning the street at so much
per mile, according to contract.
Nearly every day of the Brandes trial
has produced a sensation. since the day
of Lillian's death there has not been a
dull period in Lis interesting case. Per-
haps no other case has oeen surrounded
with so much interest in this county.
Brandes led a Jekyll-Hyde existence; he
ndQ wives TO WnOU ne was IudTIl6u anu
others to whom he was not; he cultivated
piano playing to drown the cries of his
suffering daughter; he connived 18th his
attorneys to take the skull of his child
from her coffin; he put the States hang
man on the stand to testify in his behalf;
he has caused two old friends to quarrel
to such an extent that they are now quot
ing scripture TO show each other S delin-
QuencieS; comparisons with me hanging
of Durrant and the hanging of Lillian
Brandes have been introduced; box full
of skulls. which the owner proudly de-
clared he had 'pinched." formed the d.
version for one DAY; dissertations on path
ology of skulls have lasted for days, and
finally there is more than suggestion
'that BrandeS once made confession. In
view of all the romance, tragedy, petu-
lance and mystery that are inseparably
connected with the case. it is as well to
recall the fact that about next Wednes-
day the jurors will find themselves face
to face with the one question, Did Bran
des beat his girl to death and then hang
herr"
Next Monday the new city government
will take office. Much is expected Of 1t.
I believe within the next two years Oak
land will have taken several steps in the
right direction. The trade of the city is
Just beginning to reap the benefit Of the
vast system o. electric roads that center
here. Many big improvements are in prog
ress and others are demanded. There will
be many practical questions to be handled
ana they Will demand SOOu JuuSAleHI anu
strong character. No mountebanks are
wanted at the City Hall and it is indeed
fortunate that none have been, elected,
There is good foundation for the great
things that are expected of Mayor Snow.
Men posted on city affairs know that the
outgoing administration is leaving the
city's finances in tangle, with a certain
deficit on June 80 unless extraordinary
measures are followed. Mayer Snow s
message to the new Council will deal al.
finances and the Council will do well to
follow his advice to the letter. With his
long experience in the Auditors office Mr.
Snow knows what is wanted and he can
be depended upon to straighte n,e matters b rs
INSTRUCTED. With Mr.. Snow the govern
ment of Oakland is a business, not a fad
and his advent to the Mayors chair will
be an occasion for general congratuIaton,
and it will not be an experiment. Unless
all indications are false ! think Oakland
will want another Republican government
when the government-elect shall nave
filed its term. STUART w. BOOTH.