New-York tribune., 1901-09-22
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
MOURNING FOR THE PRESIDENT-GEN-
ERAL SMITH RETURNS A JUDGE
AT THE THEATRES
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

Ell
San Francisco. Sept 21.-The scenes of mourn
ing for President Mckinley this week have been
paralleed in this city only once and that was
when the news came the slow overland
wires that Lincoln had been shot and lay dead
In Washington. AT that time it took news two
days to reach this coast. because the telegraph
wires We're down in several places This time
the news of the death came in less than a
minute after the bulletin of death was flashed
from Buffalo. Though the death was fully ex-
pected it came as a great shock and all this
week business has felt the public absorption in
the great national calamity San Francisco put
on mourning such as never seen here before
and on Thursday, the day of the funeral every
place of business was closed, even to seven thou
sand saloons and corner groceries where liquors
are Sold 1t probably the first time in the his
tory of the city when all the saloons We're closed
In the afternoon All business suspended
for an entire day and night Even the variety
theatres closed their doors. An index of the deep
public feeling given by the enormous crowd
that filled the great Mechanics Pavilion to
listen to address by General Barnes and
hear the fine musical service. Fully five thousand
persons filled the streets who were unable to
get inside the building At all the churches
memorial services were largely attended. and
there was an impressive military funeral service
at the Presidio.
The double track for the Southern Pacific
coast road has already teen graded from San
Bruno to Burllngame, and eighty pound steel
rails are being laid. 1t is expected that the
work on the bay shore cutoff from San Bruno
to San Francisco will begin soon. AS two mill
ion persons are carried every year between San
Francisco and San jose. the double track has
become a necessity. 1t is also expected with
the new track to cut down the time to one
hOur which will baID in, b,,iId
intermediate suburban country.
General Jim Smith, who went out to Manila
as the colonel of the LIST California Volunteers.
returned this week as judge of the Supreme
Court of the Philippines. Fully five hundred of
his old men met the steamer as she entered the
harbor but all plans for giving their former
commander rousng reception were called off
because Of the mourning for the President.
General Smith was much overcome by the news.
which he learned from the pilot who boarded
the ship. The fact of the Presidents death was
shouted to the steamer from passing schooner
but all on board regarded it as a poor joke until
the news was corroborated by the pilot. General
Smith confirms the reports. brought recently by
others. of the desire of the great mass of the
Filpinos to conform to American customs. Cen
eral Smith brought five sons OF wealthy resi-
dents of Negros. who will be placed in the
Catholic college at Santa Clara to be educated.
DR.. Herbert F. Briggs, one OF the most elo-
quent of the younger Methodist divines of the
State. astonished the conference this week at
Pacific Grove by withdrawing from the confer
ence and the Church. He gave no reasons in
public but he was induced TO reconsider his
action. and on the following day he announced
that he had decided TO return to the fold
Dudley Dubose the Nome lawyer. who ad-
vised his clients to disobey writs OF the Federal
courts. is finding the way of the transgressor
hard. He applied for release the ground that
he had not advised opposition TO the courts, but
his counsel forced 20 admit that Dubose
had publicly declared the orders void. Du-
bose's hurt by the fact that for ten
years he had been on the bench in Montana.
"A Modern Crusoe." the new comedy by Syd-
ney RoSenfed. which announced a great
success on its first representation at Kansas
City, proved the worst kind of theatrical frost
here. The critics were unanimous in declaring
its humor thin one could not detect IL
with powerful glasses and that even Sea-
broole's ability a character actor could save
IL from dreariness. 1t the misfortune Of
the piece to follow Annie Russell in A Royal
Family and the house has been practically
empty all the week. AS il has another week TO
run the result is disastrous to the box Office.
In the following week "F1orodora' opens with
good New-York company. Joseph Haworth is
playing ''Rchelieu' at the Grand Opera House.
This was the last week of "A Voice from the
Wilderness at the Central Theatre 1t reminds