New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-01
ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE.
The Municipal Campaign IN oon
FranciscO-LabOrs Part.

San Francisco. Oct 3O-The three-cornered
municipal fight for Mayor is exciting great In
terest. Some OF the best experts differ widely
In their estima tes Of the result. The city should
go Republican If the party vote is not split up
but it is impossible TO tell how many working
men among the Republicans may be seduced
by the union labor party by specious pleas OF
aiding the cause of the unions. Henry j.
Croker the Republican candidate, Is mer-
chant OF good record, but he is not widely
known personally, and he has no magnetism as
a speaker. Every one knows that family pride
and his own self-respect would keep him free
from boodlers and make him a good executive
and all know tina. he is ambitious to make San
Francisco a great and beautiful city. Mr..
Schmitz the present Mayor who came in on
the great union labor boom. is Mr. Crocker's
most dangerous antagonist. He has not made
a good Mayor as many Of his appointments
have been bad, and he has used every oppOr-
tunity to increase his patronage. Now he is
spending large sums. for reelection, and as ne
went into office without money people are ask
ing how he made this wealth, who is furnish
ing him the means for his costly campaign OF
course Mr.. Schmitz has the whole local official
machine working for him. and behind him is
ABE" Ruef. a shrewd and rich lawyer, who has
been the dispenser of patronage and the power
elected Ruef was formerly a Republican, and
he was largely instrumental in bringing thou
sands Of Republican votes to Mr.. Schmitz. but
he can influence very few in this campaign. as
the Mayor has shown himself hostile to Re
publicans. Another source Of weakness for
Schmtz is the fight In the union labor ranks.
President Mccarthy of the Building Trades
Council reported as having made peace
with Schmitz. but he came out in a card saying
that he and most of his union would vote for
Croker. Franklin Lane, the regular Demo-
cratic nominee, is the ablest in the Mayor
atty fight. but he Is pretty sure to be third in
the race because of the split in his party When
he for Governor at the last election he got
a very large vote. many of the Republicans
were opposed to Pardee. but there Is no
such opposition to Crocker, and Lane will be
unable to draw union labor votes from Schmitz.
The result of this municipal contest means much
for San Francisco. as millions IN bonds have
been voted for the Improvement Of the city, and
the honesty of the expenditure OF these funds
depends on the men whom the Mayor selects
for important commissions. Judging from the
methods of Schmitz this year, there is no hope
of any honest or efficient administration Of af-
fairs should he be reelected
The Rev Thomas Fraser one Of the pioneers
Of the Presbyterian Church on the Coast. died
this week in Oakland He was a graduate OF
Union College and of Princeton Theological
Seminary. He came West in 1874. In 1859 he
came to California. For years he was professor
of systematic theology IN San Francisco Theo-
logical Seminary. He was eighty-two years old,
but active in writing for religious papers
up to the day Of his death.
An important sale Of property this week was
hat Of tha four eff he de
of Kearney-st. between Post and Market SITS.
adjoining Maskey's candy store. for $3.50 OOO
The lot has 46-foot front The purchaser was
Frank Maskey.
The University Club has secured the fine
Croker lot at the northeast corner Of Van Ness
ave- and Sutter-st.. for $4,000. and will build
a clubhouse. 1t is an ideal situation for this
club, which for years has been housed in the
Coleman Building, in Sutter-st, near TayIor-st.
The big lumber mill at Truckee was burned
this week. entailing a loss OF 100000 The
flames spread rapidly, and il only by the
aid of fire engines from Sacramento that the
town was saved from destruction.
George p Smell. we'll known as the manager
ofsthe Lick House. in this city. and later OF the
Hotel Vendome, in San Jose, has been appointed
manager of the famous Hotel Del Monte. per-
haps the most widely known tourist hotel IN
California 1t belongs to the Southern Pacific
Company, and 1t boasts the most beautiful
grounds of any hotel in the State.
A million dollar corporation has been formed
to improve the beach at Santa Cruz Among
its plans the building Of new bath houses
and the Transformation of the beach into a great
public garden This is one of the finest beaches
in the State for bathing. but the bath houses
and all the ARRANGEMENTS have become obsolete