p. 14 | DOMESTIC | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 3, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 48.

DOMESTIC.

—The rainfall during the storm of the last few days measured about four inches in the region of San Francisco Bay.

—Cornell University Library now numbers 186,000 volumes and 30,000 pamphlets. About four thousand volumes are donated each year.

—As might have been expected, the aggregate divided Prohibition vote in California fell notably short of the united vote of four years ago.

—By the rain-storm of last week, the unharvested sugar beets in Alameda County, Cal., amounting to some three thousand tons, were destroyed.

—A Tacoma, Wash., despatch of date November 26, says that within ten days there had been over twenty hold-ups by footpads in that vicinity, but no arrests.

—A Chicago despatch says that contracts to the amount of $3,000,000 for lake vessels have been let at the Calumet River shipyards, and employment will soon be given to 3,500 men.

—George Cheshire ended a week’s hypnotic sleep in San Francisco on the 22d ult. He had been put to sleep by Professor Kennedy, and had been closely watched all the time. He lost thirteen pounds in weight.

—Last week the Salvation Army brought to the health office in San Francisco a Christian Chinaman who was suffering with leprosy. It was pronounced a genuine case, and the patient was taken to the pest-house.

—The Sacramento County, Cal., Grand Jury reveals the fact that there are 267 licensed places for selling liquors by the glass in that county—one for every thirty-seven voters. This is certainly a heavy tax for hard times.

—The controversy between the coal miners and operators near Terre Haute, Ind., has assumed a serious aspect. The latest move of the operators is to order the houses occupied by employees to be vacated by the 2d inst. Only ten days’ notice was given.

—The Central Lumber Company, the great lumber “trust” that went into operation a year ago, is threatened with dissolution. The war of the lumbermen has been revived, and the mill men are about to enter the contest. The “trust” included nearly all the greatest lumber firms and mills on the Pacific Coast, and it has come to pass that these firms which were combined to dictate prices to weaker competitors and the purchasing public can no longer trust each other. So the great combination is expected to expire with the year. The price of lumber is going down, as the Jobbing and Retail Lumber Dealers’ Association was dissolved a week ago.

—A press despatch says that Governor-elect Pingree of Michigan will not resign the office of mayor of Detroit when he becomes governor. He claims that there is no law compelling him to do so, and he can perform the duties of both offices.

—A San Joaquin Valley Citrus Fair is to be held at Fresno, Cal., the present month, commencing on the 14th and closing on the evening of the 19th. Extensive preparations are being made, and it is expected that every county in the valley will be represented.

—The officers of a charitable association in Topeka, Kansas, recently made the statement that there are 400 deserted wives in that city, and that there are daily additions to the list of deserted or divorced women seeking work or bread for themselves and children.

—A press despatch from Guthrie, O. T., says that sixteen persons were burned to death in a raging prairie fire near Rochelle, on the 24th ult. Two Sisters of Charity fought the flames for two hours with blankets, and saved their mission and the lives of twenty Indian children under their care.

—The United States Government is pushing the work of fortifying the seaports on the Southern Atlantic and gulf coasts. Several million dollars was appropriated for coast defense at Charleston, S. C., and when the work is done it is expected that foreign fleets can be kept from coming near enough to bombard the city.

—Rev. Dr. H. C. Bonte, for many years secretary of the board of regents of the University of California, died at Sacramento on the 24th ult., aged 64 years. While acting as secretary he was also professor of legal ethics in the Hastings College of Law, an adjunct of the University. He was an Episcopal clergyman, and at one time chaplain of the House of Representatives of Congress.

—Education is a curious thing. A Russian Nihilist, a graduate of the University of St. Petersburg, was recently pursuing advanced studies in Cornell University. He was professing his great admiration for President Lincoln, when someone chanced to mention his assassination. The Russian’s look of astonishment would have made his fortune on the stage. Yet this same man, who did not know Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, had read every one of Cooper’s novels in a Russian translation.

—The steamer San Benito was beached in a fog off Point Arena, Cal., on the 22nd ult., broke in two and sunk. The crew took refuge in the rigging, which was above the water, but owing to the roughness of the sea, relief could not reach them, until they had been in that perilous position twenty-eight hours, and six of their number succumbed to cold and fatigue and were drowned. The San Benito is the fifth steamer that has been lost on the United States Pacific Coast within a few months.

—Southern California reports some disastrous results of last week’s rain-storm. For over an hour, on the 25th ult., the water poured down from three elevated points into the business portion of San Pedro, completely flooding the large area at the water front, and many of the streets were covered. Near Redlands, also, a large portion of the Southern Pacific track was washed away. And at San Diego the rain was accompanied by a gale, which uprooted trees and did much damage to shipping.

—John P. Newman, D. D., LL. D., the newly-appointed resident bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church in California, arrived in San Francisco last week, and took up permanent quarters at the Occidental Hotel. The bishop is quite a noted man, having resided nine years in Washington, D. C., and takes pride in claiming “a personal acquaintance with all the great men of the nation, from Lincoln down.” He keeps a daily journal, in which is chronicled all his interviews with great men.

—Secretary of the Interior Francis is reported to have said in a recent letter to political friends: “If some legislation is not enacted to check the growing influence of wealth and circumscribe the powers of the trusts and monopolies there will be an uprising of the people before the century closes which will endanger our institutions.” It is a fact, however, that when men, either through logical foresight or a belief of the Scriptures, express the opinion that such a danger really confronts us, they are apt to be accused of advocating such an uprising.

—Rev. Edwards Davis, of the Central Christian Church of this city, has challenged Dr. C. W. Wendte, of the Unitarian Church, to a public discussion of Unitarianism. The latter looks lightly upon the challenge, and says: “When the young man has attained a more thorough acquaintance with Unitarian principles and a larger experimental knowledge of Christianity, he may be better qualified to discuss the issues involved in their reconciliation.” As a matter of fact, however, Christianity does not reconcile with anything in this world save a life in harmony with the law of God. It does have charity for all professors of religion, or irreligion, but it recognizes only one principle of reconciliation—the reconciliation, or surrender, of the sinner to his God.