The San Francisco call., 1899-05-08
MUCH DEPENDS
ON THE LAKE
IMPROVEMENTS
Mr.. Hunting gton in a
New Role.
THE POLICE COURT CURI0
EMERYVILLE A PUZZLE TO
GAMBLERS.
THE POLICE COURT CURIO
EMERYVILLE A PUZZLE TO
GAMBLERS.
Racetrack Murders Tolerated, but
Keno Playing Is Too Immoral
to Be Permitted to
Run.
Oakland once San Francisco Call,

Oakland ONCE San FRANCISCO C2L,
G0S Broadway, May l.
No time should be lost in settling the
doubt regarding the Improvement around
Lake Merritt. Since this work was first
started q boom in building has followed
and all around the lake residences are go
ing UP. This healthful sign VIII surely
cease If assurance be not speedily gwen
that the work Of beautifying that section
is TO be carried on and not to be auOWeu
TO lapse on account OF the ueCl912I
against the contract rendered last week
Travellers on the local train are Won
dering what kind Of a conundrum {. +.
Huntington would have them solve. Dur
ing the past few weeks the tens Oh thou-
sands of people who travel on the Terry
routes have been surprised to see IN an
the cars large plaCarQS bearing lIliS
query: What shall II profit man II ne
shall gain the whole world and lose ms
own soul? OF what shall a man give III
exchange for his soul?'
This extract from Holy Writ is print
ed on large sheets of white paper, anu
nothing of the kind has ever appeared III
the local trains before. It IS not Gonsld-
cred likely that any religious qeVotee
would pay for the space these placardS
occupy so the inference has been reached
that Nir Huntington, in accordance Win
his known desires for the amelloraton or
humanity, has caused the strange signs
to appear. Well, Mr.. Huntington mas mas
about as much Of this world as any slnsIe
individual and should be able 10 answer
the question.
Some remarkable things are done in
Oakland courts. But one of the most re-
markable was the progress from an ar
rest on d charge OF murder 10 the as
miSsal of Con Townsend last week. On
the Sunday afternoon when Mccain was
murdered. half q dozen men We're arrest
ed and the police were certain they mao
a good case of manSlaughJer at ledSI
against Townsend. At the inquest a
woman testified TO acts on the part or
Townsend that were certainly suggestive.
When the case came to trial Judge smith
had been informed that two important
witnesses would testify to certain acts on
the part OF the accused, yet Wnen Ihey
We're placed under oath one OF them sa!u
he had never seen Townsend before in
his life and the others story was no
more useful to the prosecution. In truth,
the evidence in the Police Court tended
to show that Mccain practically com
mitted suicide, and had another week
elaUsed before the examination il is i'm
possible to guess at what might nave
been proven. At present Townsend APP
iuckier one, for had he not died he would
probably now have been on trial for an
assault TO murder
The report of the Finance Committee
that the Board of Education disregard
the suggestion Of Mayor Snow to conduct
the schools on the appOruOnment from
the State and county taxes and expect
nothing from the city treasury came
somewhat as urprise. 1t IS the tlrst
direct evidence "A lack Of harmony in
the management Of the city under the
new administration. AS matter of fact
Mr.. Shows suggestion was we'll founded.
The Board of Education spends more
money on the public schools than 1t is
really entitled to spend. Mr.. Shows sug-
gestiOn was based largely on the fact
that there are some thousands of school
children for whom the Board of EduCa-
tiOn receives the full pro rata from the
cost the Board Of Education a cent. Ref
ercnce is made to the large number of
children, all included in the school cen
sus, who attend the parochial schools
and the many private educational insti-
tutiOns In this city.
Should all these children be suddenly
thrown upon the Board Of Education for
tuition ii would necessitate the imme-
date building Of several structures, and
SO long as the board does not have to
provide in any way for these pupils there
is great deal of merit in the Mayors
contention that It should not make a
needless drain upon the citys funds.
In a couple Of weeks Oakland mer-
chants expect a revival of trade and
more ease in collecting bills. Since the
establishment Of the gambling institution
at Emeryville the first Of November has
always brought diminutiOn in business.
and merchants have convinced them
selves that it is owing to all the spare
dollars being thrown away at the race
TRACK ! ne SIX months season VIII snort
~ close and there will be no lamenta-
tons in this city, for the delusion that
the money spent at the track would re-
turn fourfOld has been dispelled, as near
ly all the disbursements Of the instltu-
ton are made across the bay.
Emeryville is a place hard to under
stand. It was created a town for the
express purpose of being a Californian
Monte Carlo. II has no ghost of a rea-
son for existence except that its Board
of Trustees could pass an ordinance le-
CALLING racetralk gambling. Basing
their ideas upon their knowledge Of the
town, the keno players and tin-horn gam
blerS of oakland, when driven from this
city, very naturally concluded that they
had an eternal abiding place in Emery
vile, where their comparatively small
schemes would be considered too insig
nihcant alongside Of the racetrack to re-
ceiVe any official attention whatsoever.
Great was their surprise last Mon
day night when the Trustees de-
clared that the immoral tendency of
keno was so pronounced that 1t
could not be tolerated around the
racetrack. and a law was introduced
driving the immoral gamblers out of
town. The law will become effective next
week and EmeryVille viii be purged Of
the mosquitoes. while the vampires will
be encouraged to stay and thrive. There
have been three murders at the track
since it was opened.
STUART w BOOTH.