New-York tribune., 1900-05-27
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
THE ALLEGED PLAGUE OUTBREAK
RARE RELICS FOUND-NEW
NATIONAL PARKS.
IBr TELEGRAPH To TIE TRrBuxE.l


city would be quarantined because of the report
ed presence in Chinatown Of the bubonic plague
The local Board of Health and Dr. Kinyoun, the
Federal Quarantine Officer. both declare that
there have been nine fatal cases of genuine
bubonic plague in Chinatown since last Febru-
ary They diagnosed these cases plague, and
cultures taken from these patients killed guinea
pigs and rats which were inoculated with the
bacilli Other experts, who competent medi-
cal men, declare that these patients died from
pneumonia, induced by neglect while suffering
from a loathsome blood disease. and that cult
ures from such patients would prove as deadly
as from real bubonic plague victims. Last week
the Health Board began inocuiating the Chinese
and Japanese in Chinatown with Haffkine
serum. sent out from Washington. The Chinese
objected strongly, closed all their places of bus-
ness and defie6 the Health Board swearing
they would shoot the officers who attempted TO
enforce the injection Their attitude
rnenacing that the Board has confined opera
tions TO inoculating all the Asiatics who at
tempt TO leave the city by ferries or trains
house to house inspection begun in China
town on Thursday but though many of the
worst alleys were examined no cases resem-
bling plague were found
The Chinese and japanese have protested to
Washington against the inoculation as a race
discrimination and injunction case against
the Health Board is being heard before the
Federal court here. DR.. Kinyoun. acting under
instructions from Washington, is inspecting all
outgoing vessels. causing much delay and an
noy&nce Meanwhile the city was never in bet
ter sanitary condition, and the theory that the
plague is in Chinatown appears to be upset by
the simple fact that there has been no spread of
the epidemic would have been the case in
that crowded quarter had the disease actually
appeared.
In clearing away the debris Of the old Adams
Building at the southwest corner of Montgom-
cry and California SITS, many interesting relics
of 1S49 were found. Among the articles in the
cornerstone We're fifty-dollar gold slugs, which
are now very rare, and a gold plate on which
Were engraved the names of the contractors,
rnasons and blacksmiths who worked on the
building. Adams & Co. did the heaviest bank
ing business in those days and their disastrous
failure was one of the sensational events in the
hfties. The lot is to be covered by a fine ten
story office building, to be occupied by Alvinza
Hayward.
The local Supervisors decided this week to
close al poolrooms and prohibit all kinds of bet
ting on sporting contests. 1t is probable pool
room proprietors will get injunction and
carry the matter into the courts One Super
visor is even anxious to make it an offence TO
visit pooIrooms. and his ordinance to provide a
penalty for such visits may be adopted in the
present reform mood of the Board.
The Oakland School Board decided this week
that consumptives cannot teach in the public
schools. 1t also took a vote the successor
TO Edwin Markham. author OF THE Man With
the Hoe" principal of the Tompkins School
Professor Markham obtained years leave of
absence soon after his poem made great hit
and went to New-York. He then intended to
return, but recently he decided to make his
home in Brooklyn.
The old Calvary Presbyterian Church, on the
northwest corner of Powell and Geary SITS. op
posite Union Square, has been sold for S2fo.oo0
TO the agent for the Agars, of New-York who
are interested in the MacDonough estate. The
site is a fine for a hotel or theatre, as it
has frontage Of 1872 feet on Powell-st.. by
9714 feet on Geary-st Calvary Church VIII
have six months in which TO remove the present
building new church Will be erected at
Jackson and Fillmore SITS. Old Calvary Church
has witnessed many exciting scenes, but the
most sensational was the forced resignation of
DR. w A Scott in the early days of the Civil
War because he prayed for Presidents
Lincoln and jefferson Davis. The Northern ele-
ment in the church revolted and compelled the
pastor preach the next week under a draped
Union flag and then TO retire from the pulpit.
Threatened to call off all the students class day
exercises. has been adjusted. The faculty Of
fered to bear the expenses OF the students
events. and the senior class then agreed 10 crop
from the cast of the farce the suspended man to
whom the faculty objected
The University of California will soon acquire
the Hillegass tract OF 40 acres adjoining the
present grounds. This increase of area is neces-
sary in order to carry out the plans for new
college buildings.
John Drew has had exceptional success this
week at the Columbia Theatre in The Tyranny
Of Tears" The house has been packed every
night ard al matinees. although the price
Of orchestra chairs raised to 50. The total
receipts for the week will amount to $1,000
which is a record breaker at this house for
several seasons. 1t is pity that Drew couldn't
stay longer, he could Ill the house for three
weeks. Next week Nat Goodwin and Maxine
Elliott appear for two weeks engagement in
when We Were Twenty-one." The Grand
Opera House will close for several weeks at the
end of next week Comic opera which has been
produced for two years at this house, will now
give way 10 melodrama, with the Frawley COM
pany.
Active efforts viii be made TO convert into a
National park $1,000 acres of virgin redwood
forest in what is known as the Big Basin, be-
tween Santa Cruz and San Jose. The fine red
wood trees have been saved from the lumber
men by their lnaccessibility. and the park would
be a splendid pleasure ground for San Fran
ciscans as well a great object Of curiosity to
tourists. it includes small number Of giant
redwoods that not inferior in size TO many
of the sequoias tig trees, Of the two Sierra
groves 4 meeting will he held here next month
10 organize the Semper Eirens Club, which will
work for the proposed park
Al Dther great natural curiosity which will
soon be added TO the National reservations is
Palm Canyon, about one hundred miles east of
Los Angeles. This is a small grove Of natural
date palm trees, which over two hundred
palms dropped in the canyon by Coronados S
followers. The trees are from sixty to eighty
feet high. but many have been badly injured
by fires built against their trunks by Indians.
The grove has recently been fenced in, and DIR.