The San Francisco call., 1899-08-20


When asked why he wrote 1t, he said:
II had to give some cause for the fire
because the law requires it. True state
ment, isn't it?"
your orthodox fellow citizens would
hardly accept a declaration that the
Lord was careless.
"They ought to. They say he Is re-
sponsible for everything that happens
in this world Of ours"
All Of which goes to show there re-
main in New England good many
people who have a faith that is child
like. who believe what they hear ana
do not shrink from the logic OF their
faith. If the Lord be responsible for
what happens in Massachusetts, then
he was careless in letting his lightning
set fire to Olive Plaisteds barn. What
other verdict is possible?
Not the least interesting part OF the
story of the trip to Tyngsboro IS the
closing paragraph:
"The stranger went down to the depot
to wait for an electric car. Twas now
after noon, and from a cloudless SKY
the sun was shooting it's shining rays
upon the placid waters Of the winding
Merrimac The green branches of the
trees on the farther shore were sway
ing in a gentle breeze. The girls were
swinging in the hammocks in the shade
beside the country homes set back from
the street. At any rate the Lord was
not careless when he created the nat
ural beauties of Tyngsboro."
If that paragraph were designed
merely as an expression Of admiration
for Merrimac ripples and Tyngsboro
girls, it will pass muster; but If it be
put forward as defense of the Massa~
chusetts Deity it is irrelevant and i'm
material. The careful creation of
girl in a hammock is no palliation Of
the carelessness that burns barn.
Toward the $4,000 required to make
an adequate welcome for the California
volunteers the Market Street Railway
Company donated $3.50, and the sum
was promptly returned by the execu-
tive committee, with the statement that
it was cut Of all proportion to contri-
buttons made by other citizens and cor
porations who will receive little or no
benefit from the presence of the crowds
that will attend the reception.
In returning the money and deliver
ing the rebuke the committee acted
with dignity, for there is no pleasure in
accepting the money Of a niggard, but
the action was nevertheless Illogical.
The committee did not make it's appeal
for money to the purses of citizens, but
to their patriotism; and considering the
amount of patriotism or State pride
there is in the officials of the Market
Street Company, the donation of $3.50
was remarkably generous. There is no
other instance likely to be found where
so large a sum was raised by an appeal
to so small a thing.
A story illustrating the way in which
troublesome political problems are
sometimes solved by a happy accident
comes to us from New Zealand. For
long time the Government has had diff
Guilty in keeping within the bonds of
peace and good order turbulent tribe
of natives Many forms of conciliation
were tried, but each in turn failed, and
1t looked as if it would be necessary
ito make a desert and call it peace"
Just at the critical period Of the affair
it CHANGED that a bronze statue of Vic
toria was to be unveiled at the capital.
The chiefs of the aggressive tribe were
invited to attend the ceremonies and
with surly compliance they came.
No sooner did they behold the lustrous
bronze of her Majesty's face than they
started with delight eXclaiming: why,
she is one of US
Since that time New Zealand has had
no more trouble with the tribe than
Democracy had with Populism after
nominating Bryan. In the belief that
the head of the British Empire is one of
their own kind, the once stubborn ma
tives are now as bland as brothers to
the white folks, and are preparing to
run for office.
DR.. Franklin, when representing this
country in France, once entertained the
court of Louis XVI with a new game.
He wrote out a clever bit Of gossip,
read it to one of the courtiers and re-
story was then repeated from one to
another until it had been heard and re-
told by all the lords and ladies who
were present. The last to whom 1t was
told was called upon to repeat 1t aloud,
anu WHeH lHe ltIllIS was eIlueu LIT.
Franklin read from his paper the origi-
nal story. The fun of the game lay
in the surprise felt when it was seen
that the tale as last repeated bore not
the slightest resemblance to what had
been written.
A still more amusing illustration of
the way in which a story changes as
it passes from one person to another
is furnished in the development of the
news item sent out from this city con-
corning Mr.. Huntington's famous after
dinner declaration against the excess
of education. AS that story has been
transmitted in printed words instead
Of spoken ones, it ought to have pre-
served it's form as we'll as its essence in
travelling from here to New York. but
1T lost both. 1t has recently been re-
told with elaborate comment in an edl
torial by the New York Times, and as
given there is SO different from what 1t
was in it's original San Franciscan veri
tude, the average Californian would not
recognize it were it not for the appear
ance in 1t of Mr.. Huntington's name.
According to this latest version of