New-York tribune., 1899-12-17
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
PROSPEROUS HOLIDAY TRADE NEAL
ESTATE TRANSFERS-DEATHS
OF MINISTER'S.
rpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.]


Con Francisco Dec 16.-The abundant rains
which promise excellent crops OF gram anu II
IN all parts of the State and good business in
San Francisco, have combined to make 'he year
end with the most favorable prospects. The
holiday trade is the largest for many years, "iu
The activity In real estate shows the confidence
of investors and their desire TO invest surplus
funds The largest sale of property in the week
amounted TO S1S55O0 A fifty lot at the
eas, corner of Mission and First SITS. was bought
,.o,, tho Charles Never estate by the estate OF
Charles r Crocker for S129, 800, and the lot i'm
,ped,atelv in the rear 30 by 275 feet, running
from Fremont-st to First-st.. was bought for
ssr 600 This Is the first of several large pur-
chases Of business property south Of Market-st'
bv the c. T. Crocker estate. Another big sale
of the week was that of a half interest in the
old Hallock building at the southeast corner OF
Sacramento and SAMSON SITS. by Thomas H.
Williams tr for S12OOO0 The purchaser is r.
s Johnson. who represents his son. Frank Hans
ford Johnson. a nephew of Williams the boy
now owns the entire building and lot whch Is
worth S230OO0
The aged mother of Clarence Greathouse, who
was for years the foreign adviser to the hihg ol
Corea. arrived here this week on the way 10 her
old home in Kentucky Greathouse cleo receh'H
AT Seoul. after lingering illness. He was prom
inent here lawyer and newspaper eoI'o''
and first went to the orient as our Consul TO
Nagasaki.
The disreputable old Morton-st., now known
ms Union souare-ave.. which runs from STOCKTON
RI 10 Kearney-st near Geary-st., Is rapidly
changing its character. Several years ago the
disordery houses which made IT resemble
Japanese "toshiwara" were closed up Now sew
eral large shops have been built on 1t, and Dig
building is going up which will be occupied by
photo o-engraving company. Grant-ave', from
Geary-st TO Sutter-st.. is being transformed. and
saloons and underground dives will soon have
10 GO
Frederick Warde and his company appeared IN
'The Lions Mouth" at the Columbia Theatre
this week The other houses all had old plns'
and business languished because Of holiday
trading.
The first vessel Of the new Kosmos Steamship
Line arrived here this week from Hamburg
Germany. Stops were made at Valparaiso, San
Jose de Guatemala, Corinto, Acapulco Ma2at-
Ian and San Diego. In her cargo were five bales
of rubber for direct shipment from San Diego
10 New-York The bulk of cargo was cement
for this port The company expects to MAINTAIN
a monthly service.
Three steamships-the Australia, the Coptic
and a horse transport, the Victoria-started from
here on Wednesday on an ocean race TO Homo
lulu. Both the passenger steamers were crowd
ed and carried heavy freight. the transport
Victoria claims a speed Of fourteen knots, ana
her captain declared that with favoraDle
weather he could beat the other vessels The
result Of the is awaited with much in
terest here.
There has been much comment this week
on the failure of the jury here to convict the
young Tennessee soldier, Walter Rosser, VINO
a wear ago shot down man In this city. HIS
acauittal was purely sentimental grounds,
as there was no evidence TO Justify 1t. The Jury
salved their consciences by accepting the hnsy
plea that young Rosser was rendered mentally
irresponsible by drugged liquor The real 1acis
were that his extreme youth, ms goou race, ms
old fathers grief and his military UNIFORM
saved him from the gallows, which he then de-
served Now it seems he has committed
crime exactly similar in New-Nork, ana those
who watched his case here are in hopes that
New-York Jury will not be swayed by sentiment
In melting out punishment to him.
The Regents Of the University OF California
have decided to build home for the new presi-
dent Benjamin Ide Wheeler, that will cost
$4,000 1t is said a number of important
changes will be made in the faculty at the be-
ginning Of the new year. II has also been de-
cided to follow the plan adopted at Harvard
and give greater freedom in electiN es, with only
six hours in mathematics in literary courses
and cut off from thirty to twenty-four hours
week in prescribed studies.
The first of the seasons debutantes to become
engaged is Miss Anna Voorhees,, daughter of
Dr. A. II. Voorhees,. who will marry Thomas P.
Bishop of the sons of the prominent law
yer Thomas r. Bishop, OF Bishop & Wheeler.
They were both in the class Of 9S in the Uni
veTsty Of California.
Two we'll known preachers died this week. The
Rev. Giles A. Easton, OF Berkeley. the
pioneer clergyman Of the Episcopal Church Of
California He was horn in Weston ~ Y and
received his education at Trinity College, Hart
ford. and the Berkeley Divinity School, at
Middletown. Conn. The Rev DR.. Alexander
Newton Carson. of Trinity Presbyterian Church,
died suddenly from acute kidney trouble. He
came here in September 1897, from East Or
ange, y. ].
The feature Of the fortieth exhibition OF the
San Francisco Art Associa tion. at the Hopkins
Institute is Met's famous painting "The Man
with the Hoe loaned by Mrs. Willia.> H.
Crocker. There are many other fine paintings
loaned by local owners, as we'll as a good dis
play Of work by San Francisco artists.