New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-08
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
A ROW OF RAILROAD OFFICES-GEN-
ERAL BIDWELL AS A PIONEER
SMYRNA WASP FOR FIGS.
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[Br TELEGRAPH THE TRIBuNEl
San Francisco. April THE New-York Cen
tral locomotive engineers have spent some pleas
ant DAYS here this week. OF one hundred and
fifteen members Of the party, every one has
record OF from fifteen to fifty years of service
on the road. They were finely entertained at
Los Angeles. and they saw everything that was
to be seen in San Francisco and its vicinity.
The great increase OF the overland railroad
business due TO the acquisition Of the Philip
pines and the opening OF Oriental markets has
caused all the leading railroads to expand their
San Francisco offices. The entire Market-st.
store front of the Palace Hotel is now occupied
by railroad ticket offices, with the exception OF
a single store at the extreme upper end. The
latest to move into this railroad row is the
New-York Central, which has opened probably
the finest ticket office west of Chicago. George
II. Daniels. general passenger agent, and W. b.
Jerome, the Chicago agent. are here for weeks
visit and their presence has led to rumors that
the Central is soon to secure control OF larger
share of the transcontinental business. The
building fust above the Palace Hotel. in Market
ST so long occupied by the Sloane Furniture
Company will soon house the local offices Of
the Santa Fe Railroad Company This week the
Santa Fe completed its line TO Point Richmond
on San Francisco Bay, from which, when the
ferry arrangements finished, ii Will have
the first through transcontinental line 10 Sail
Francisco to compete with the Southern Pacific.
The Society Of California Pioneers this week
expelled Alfred Goss who had been member
for fourteen years. It seems he had made HIM
self obnoxious to many members. and inquiry
into his antecedents showed he had gained adj
mission TO the society by means of perjured
testimony. The investigation proved that Goss
did not arrive in California before January l,
1870 which yitieted his claim be a pioneer.
General John Bidwei the earliest of Cali
fornia pioneers who died this week at his fine
home in Chico Butte County, eighty years
old, but he had lived so wholesome life that
he seemed as strong and active most men are
at sixty. He represented the best type Of Cali
fornian, for he was among the first to expert
rnent with all kinds Of fruit. and he was prob
ably OF as great service TO the farmers and
orchardists Of the State the late Senator
Stanford. His home ranch Of twenty-five thou
sand acres at Chico included some OF the finest
orchards in California, we'll as a ten thou
sand acre wheat field, which along the bank
of the Sacramento River for several miles. Bid
well was prominent in the bear flag uprising
which led to the admission of California into
the Union, and he always defended this revolt Of
the Americans. which certain historians have
condemned unjustifiable
The sudden insanity at New-Orleans of DR..
vincenzo Vaccari and his wife. of San Fran
cisco. while their way to Italy. has excited
much interest here, where DR.. Naccari was one
OF the most prominent Italian physicians. He
had been here for ten years. and 1t was only
within month that he gave any sign OF fall
ing health Then he complained Of pains in the
head. and his friend, DR.. Paola de Vecchi, recon-
Inended rest and travel for six months 1t
only three days after their departure that both
became raving crazy and made desperate at
tempts to commit suicide. On their persons they
carried jewels and money amounting to Sl5.ooO.
At the local theatres the only noteworthy in
cident is the great success of Miss elders
adaptation of "Quo Vadis' at the AlcaZar. The
company is mediocre, but the play has drawn
crowded houses
The Stanford University town of Palo Alto
much wrought up this week over the action
of Justice OF the Peace in delivering to the
Chinese young Monaghan girl who had sought
the protection OF Miss Cameron. Of the Presby
terrain Mission, Of San Francisco. The Justice
held court at midnight, and the girl was forclbly
removed from Miss Camerons care. 1t looked
though she had been abducted for immoral
purposes, but when the guilty men realized the
popular sentiment they had her married to a
Chinese merchant Of an interior town This
fardy action did not save them from public CEN
sure. and the professors of Stanford University
and others who have begun an investigation of
the matter, propose TO secure the removal Of the
guilty officials, who are charged with more than
one successful effort to aid the slave dealers Of
Chinatown.
At Fresno 1t has been demonstrated that the
blastophaga wasp which is necessary to the
maturing Of Smyrna figs, will thrive in this
climate. The wasps imported from Smyrna last
fall placed wild or capic fig trees in
glass shelter. and the first OF this month
they emerged from the wild figs. AS the Smyrna
figs not ready for them, the wasps took
refuge in second crop of the wild fig trees. 1t
IS believed now that by June they will emerge
again and fertilize the Smyrna figs. If the
pertinent proves successful ii will that
California can produce the white fig of COM
rnerce well as Asia Minor. and It will intro
duce a new and very profitable industry.
acres in the heart of the Sacramento Valley, 1t
IS announced this week, is to be subdivided into
small farms and sold from SO to $50 acre.
Before the recent development of bonanza wheat
farms in the Dakotas this Glenn ranch the
largest wheat producing establishment in the
country. The first steam ploughs and the first
of the enormous steam harvesters We're used on
its fields which stretched away for miles with
out fence or other obstruction.
MORRISTOIEN NEWS