New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-13
PACIFIC COAST TOPICS.
Fight for Free FIOrCGr Market Won
Greedy Commission Merchants.

-GTe6dY Commission Merchants.
San Francisco. March 1.-THE fight for
free street flower market has been war. the
supervisors passing the ordinance with only
one dissenting vote The new ordinance pro-
viIes for selling flowers not only at Market and
Kearny SITS. but around several parks and the
DonOhOe fountain. in Market-st. Retail flower
sellers who began the sale OF flowers at The
Chronicle" corner not only aroused public SEN
timent against them. but led to the passage Of
this ordinance. which provides for six times
as much competition as they had before The
unan!mity of sentiment in regard to the neces-
city Of identifying the san Francisco streets
was remarkable.
The same stupid greed which induced the
florists OF the city to attempt to kill the street
selling OF flowers is seen in the action Of COM
mission men in regard TO fruits and vegetables.
California grows some Of the finest fruit in the
world. but the san Francisco market does not
show many specimens OF It, All the choicest
fruit is shipped East. and ut this time one has
difficulty in securing any fine apples or oranges
in the local markets. The dishonesty OF San
Franciscos commission men has discouraged
the shipping of choice fruit to this city and
growers have failed to open free fruit markets
at the ferry. for which provision was made BY
ordinance The result is that the great city is
practically in the hands of a small ring Of
selfish, greedy commission merchants, and pays
high prices for second rate fruit.
Miss Sarah VI. SDooner. formerly Of Philadel-
phla. has given to the Golden Gate Park Memo
rial Museum fourteen hundred articles. many Of
which she has loaned to the museum for years.
These articles include rare tapestries. ceramics.
laces. antique jewelry. paintings and etchings.
\ number Of the finest articles were formerly
loaned 10 the Metropolitan Museum Of Art IN
New-York and 20 the Boston Museum OF Fine
Arts. Miss Spooner has lived here for several
years, and has come to take great interest IN
the museum. which is only ten years old. yet
contains sixty thousand articles.
Among the deaths Of the week was that OF Or.
Hans Herman Behr. scientist and author. who
lived to the ripe age Of eighty-six years. For
many years he vice-president and curator
OF the Academy OF Sciences whose growth he
did much to stimulate. To It he gave hts col
lection Of insects and butterflies, regarded by
experts as one OF the most valuable In the
world He wrote a number OF books. and a col
lection Of papers by him was IN press at the time
Of his death. Other deaths Of the week were those
Of George W. Dixon. who was mainly instru-
mental In securing the erection OF affiliated COL
Ieges on the Sutro tract. and Edgar J. Bowen,
prominent IN former years in the seed trade and
a liberal contributor to Tuskegee University.
Fully two hundred applications have been
made to the University Of California trustees
for the secretaryship made vacant by the ar
rest Of Secretary McKowen for defalcatiOn OF
funds. President Wheeler, who has just re-
turned from the East. said that the cOmblna-
ton Of scientists that had been secured for the
next summer school at Berkeley has caused
much favorable comment among educators and
stimulated interest in the university. Among
recent gifts TO the institution that were ac-
knOwledged at the meeting OF the ttesents was
$1,000 from D. O. Mills, Of New-YOrk. toward
the expenses Of the Mills expedition to South
Africa.
The death OF d. J. Milton Bowers at San Joss
this week revived interest in what was the most
remarkable murder trial in San Francisco. with
the single exception OF the Durrant case. In
1885 Bowers was arrested for poisoning his wife.
He was convicted on circUmstantial evidence,
the Jury doubtless being Influenced by his evil
record, two former wives having died suddenly
under suspicious circumstances. For five years
Bowers lived in the shadow Of the gallows. but
all his appeals had failed and he would soon
have been executed. when his dead wife'S
brother committed suicide. leaving a written
confession that he killed Mrs. Bowers while ex-
perimenting her with sulphur The prOsecu-
ton tried to show that Bowers had hired man
to murder Ben Haydn and forge a confession.
but failed and Bowers was released though a
majority Of the public believed him guilty.
The new trial Of Mrs CordeIia Botkln for
causing the death Of Mrs. DUnning and her
sister at Dover Del by poisoned candy sent
through the mails viii begin Monday. 1t is
nearly six years since the crime was committed.
Mrs Botkin was convicted Of murder IN the first
degree. with the penalty Of life imprisonment, on
December so 1SyS. but she appealed, and the
case has dragged along ever since. Witnesses
from Delaware VIII be here.
The Lucid cutoff across Great Salt Lake was
opened this week for regular business 1t
shortens the distance on the Central Pacific
Railroad between ogden and Reno forty-three
miles and eliminates heavy grades at Promon-
tory Point The first through freight train this
week, Of thirty-five cars. made the distance be-
tween Ogden and Reno IN seven hours less than
the old schedule by PrOmOntOry Point. though il
had only one engine. while former trains were
hauled by two big engines. This cutoff cost
S6OOOOOO and IS the greatest feat in railroad
enRfueerirg accomplished in recent years