The record-union., 1899-04-10
VOICE OF The PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSIONS.
State and Coast Opinions on SUBJ
jects of Living News
Interest.

birds for their plumage has made sucn
progress that the Audubon Society has
arranged an exhibition designed to show
how hats and bonnets can be trimmed
without aigrettes or wild birds feath-
ers. Some of the leading women OF the
New England metropolis are taking
part in arranging the exhibit. Ostrlch
feathers and quills and cocks tails OF
domestic fowls are permitted, as there
is no objection to the use of these or
naments. But, unfortunately, however
clearly it may be demonstrated that
women's headwear may be made at
tractive without the sacrifice of Wlld
birds, there is no visible proof that the
slaughter of the latter is diminishing
FHE RIVER EASEMENT.
! Oakland Enquirer: 1t is assumed, not
without considerable show of justif1ca-
ton, that dangerous flood in the Sac
ramento River was prevented by the
new engineering works. The most i'm
portant of these is an arrangement for
allowing an overflow into the Yolo
County tule basin; the technical name
is an easement, and it consists OF
concrete weir 1900 feet from side to
side. During and following the late
capped from the river in this way, the
easement being eight feet lower than
the tops of the levees. 1t may be that
even without the new arrangements for
diverting the water the flood would not
have been DISASTROUS but it is a fact
that on all former occasions when as
much rain fell in a single storm as
came down last week there have been
co,.;n
rate, it seems to be sensible conclu-
sion ON tLe part of engineers that the
only way to, handle the winter floods in
the Sacramento River is to have large
relief basin capable of receiving a part
of the water when there is too much to
be carried off in the regular channel.
OF PATRIOTISM.
| Colusa Sun: We are in war over
on the other side of the globe. There
has been fighting daily for a long time,
and we are told of victories won and
of the gallant deeds of our soldiers; but
where are the flags on Flagstaff and IN
in window. Where are the crowds
around the bulletin boards, pushing
over each other to get the news? Where
the expressions of exultation over the
fallen foe. Men say to each other: I'VE
are in it, and it is our duty to sustain
the country" We see the difference
between the action of the impulse and
of the reasoning faculties. When we
see a man reading of the fallen heroes
around MaloloS there is always an ex-
preston of pain on the countenance, as
the picture of all the hardshipS our
boys are undergoing there is presented
to the mind. The picture is all dark
the intellect will never put in one
bright color to a scene Of carnage. You
may convince man by the force of the
intellect that there will be hundreds of
syndicates making millions of dollars
out of it, and even that each of the
middle class and those without means
will get mill for every dollar it is all
going to cost him; but still the intel
lect will fail to bring the enthusiasm.
It takes patriotism to give gorgeous
colors to the field of carnage-to make
the mother find a solace in the death of
her first born. Yes. we are seeing and
realizing now that patriotism is of the
instinct and not of the intellect.
CHILD STUDY.
Alameda Argus: The movement in
child study that is gathering headway
is very important, and will result in
immense good if it is pursued as q
science and not as a fad. To first ascer-
tain the capacities and temperament of
a child is such a common-Sense thing
as the initial step in its education that
the wonder is it is not already universal
and unquestioned. They have been fol-
lowing this idea for years with race
horses But as to human beings they
assume that all children are like jugs
OF one siZe-to be set up in a row and
filled with exactly the same amount of
mixture by a man with a funnel.
Whether a child has the least faculty
for drawing or not, it must be taught
drawing because that is in the course
of study. 1t doesn't matter that the
pupil hasn't aptitude for figures, it must
be crammed with mathematics, because
that is in the curriculum. And so oil.
Our schools have thus become institu-
tions, too largely, for the polishing of
bricks and the marring of diamonds.
We turn out shoals of boys and girls
after five to ten years of training who
are maleducated; who have learned
everything and anything excepting the
one essential-how to make living.
There is immense need of patriotic and
deliberate attention to our schools. 1t
may almost be said that the way they
are now conducted approaches crime
against the rising generation.
THE RIVER GRADE.
Coiusa Sun: The river during the late
rise reached point thirty-four inches
below the high water mark at Prince
ton; twenty-three inches at Colusa, and
at Moons Ferry, six miles down the
river, it was over three feet below high
water-in fact, it did not get high
enough to attract attention, so that the
exact figures were not noted. Just
above Colusa there was crevasse some
some $50 feet wide and twelve feet
deep, with a fall of about ten feet to
the mile, pouring it's waters out of the
river, and it would seem that there
ought to have been lower river here.
Suppose there had been no crevasse-
what would the thirty-four inches be-
low high water at Princeton, fourteen
miles above, have done for us? Why
was the river abnormally high at CO.
lusa? The grade of the river from
Colusa up is fifteen inches and upward;
below Colusa it is six inches and less.
The change takes place abruptly at
Colusa. Now, if we should lay
straight edge on knights Landing and
Jacinto it would make a figure, leaving
Colusa some thirty feet below the
straight edge 1t is evident that fall
of fifteen inches to the mile win carry
material that a six-inch fall will not
carry, even under the best possible con-
ditions, so it will be seen that it is the
effort of nature to raise the point at
Colusa up to the straight edge. In
state of nature-that is, without levees