New-York tribune., 1901-08-11

steadily growing. The strike of the sand team
sters has resulted in leaving the entire city
without street sweepers and sprinkling carts.
Strong winds sweep clouds of dust through the
city, damaging the stocks of merchants and pro-
ducing general discomfort The Oregon Rail-
way and Navigation Company has suspended
traffic its steamer line to Portland, and will
not resume until the strike is settled.
Professor John c. Merriam, OF the University
of California, has just returned from Shasta
County and Eastern Oregon where he spent
two months in fossil excavation. He secured
large number of specimens of extreme scien-
tifc interest, being of species never hitherto
discovered in America. One of the most in
teresting features of the discoveries is that
fossils were found in the Triassic formation
while European fossils are generally found in
the Jurassic strata. In Eastern Oregon he
Joined forces with Professor F. H. Knowlton, of
the United States Geological Survey, who was
looking for fossil plants. Professor Knowlton
discovered fossils of oak, maple, elm. sassa-
fras, liquid amber and willow. The fossil plants
were all found in peculiar rock. a sort Of vol
canic glass, so light that great chunks of it
thrown into water actually floated.
California wine makers and dealers were
awakened this week to the fact that they have
no protection against the influx of French wines
threatened by the efforts of French growers
to find new markets. A dispatch from Paris
which said that movement was on foot there
to increase the expectation Of must, or unfer-
mented grape juice led to investigation, and
1t was said by customs men that the only duty
that could be imposed on must is 20 per cent
ad valorem, which would be so small as to be
of no value as protection to California wine
men. There is possibility that must may be
oIocSi 6ad
taxed at 60 cents gallon. Wine men will bring
the matter to the attention of Congress
There is great activity in this State at present
in the development of water power big COM
pany just formed at Los Angeles proposes to use
the vast water power Of the Kern River to fur
nish electric light and power to Los Angeles. a
hundred miles away. An Eastern syndicate has
acquired the right to utilize the water power OF
the Mount Hamilton range, and a plant will be
erected at some place near San Jose
The California Central Gas and Electric Com
pany. recently formed. has purchased the gas and
electric plants of Nevada City. Grass Valley
Woodland, Marysville. Napa, Santa Rosa and
several other towns of Central and Northern
California, and will soon combine all into one
great lighting system.
The general hospital at the Presidfo. which
was thought to be large enough for all possible
needs Of the service. has proved too small and
wards to contain two hundred beds must be
added. There are now only thirty-nine vacant
beds in the hospital, and several transports
will soon arrive with sick men, part Of the bar
racks must be used to house them. More room
for the permanent garrison is also needed, as
conditions now are far from satisfactory.
DR.. Archibald r. Ward has arrived at Berke-
ley from Cornell, to take the place of veterin-
arian at the College of Agriculture re-
Gently established at the University of Calfor-
mia. DR. Ward is a graduate of the New-York
State Veterinary College a department of Cor
nell
The strike resulted in an interesting demon
stration of the power of a traction engine this
week. A cable for the California street
road to be moved from the California Wire
Works to the power house of the road. Usually
fifteen to twenty teams used for this work
hut the strike of teamsters made IL impossible
TO get teams, a big steam road wagon was
brought from Stockton for the purpose The
engine easily hauled the great coil of wire up
the hills TO the power house, doing the work in
much less time than teams require.
The authorities have decided as means of
relieving congestion at the almshouse TO compel
children of INDECENT persons to support their
parents and not make them charge on the
city as has often been the case. The authori-
ties claim to have proof that scores of inmates
of the public poorhouse were forced to this last
refuge by the refusal of ungrateful sons and
daughters to give them home.
The drouth in the Middle West has had re-
markably stimulating effect on the prune mar
ket in this State Several days ago $4,000 900
mounds representing a large part of the surplus
from last year. sold by the California
Cured Fruit Association TO Eastern men. Pre-
vious to this sale there was no market for green
prunes, and the outlook for growers was dark
but this week many buyers Of green prunes ap-
peared in the field and prices were strong at
$50 ton. The indications that the prune
combine will get much smaller proportion of
the crop than last year.
James Cosgrove. a notable stock manipulation
o; San Francisco. from 1861 to 1881, and the
original owner OF the great San Juan Mine in
Yuba County, died here on Tuesday.
Captain Thomas Wilhelm. retired officer OF
the regular army, has made report on the
militia camp recently held at Santa Cruz in
which he criticises the general officers in charge
OF the camp. He praises the personnel of the
various regiments and declares 'he Signal Corps
equal 10 any similar organization he ever saw
but for the general conduct Of affairs at the