OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2280, 11 November 1897, Page 28

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

(Feom Ouk Otvn Corbbspondent.) San Fjiancisco, October 14-,

THE POLITICAL WORLD

for the pafit month has been concerned chiefly with Spain, Cuba, and Hawaii. General Woodford, ambassador from the United States to the Peninsular wss reported to have presented something in tho nature of an ultimatum to the late Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, bat it is difficult to speak with any definiteness upon this point. Certainly the whole tenor of the policy of the United States towards Spain has not been in this direction. Oar ultimatums have hitherto been confined to political platforms and new*ps.per editorials, and I doubt whether Gei.eral Woodford's instructions empowered him to accopt these guides as correct exponents of the policy of the Administration. In any event the downfall of the Spanish Ministry and the accession of Sagasta to power h*vo beec claimed by the press as a direct outcome of Woodford'a 'miss : on. Opinions differ as to fche advantages either Spain or Cub* will reap from such a ciisi?. Sagaßta'g reforme, it is certain, will not pacify Cuba, nor will the latter gain much by Weyler's recall and Blanco's appointment. There is no alternative from absolute submission or absolute freedom;

That the annexation treaty betwetn this country and the Hawaiian Islands pill be ratified by the' Senate when Congress meets is a foregone conclusion. Not that there ia not opposition of a mild -character, but fche cry of " old glcry " floating over tho isles cf the. Pacific will carry all before it. Senator Morgan, the biggest jingo of us all, and a man who honestly believes the United States to be the greatest", grandest, freest, and most civilised country the sun ever shone upon, has been lecturing and orating and inquiring in Hawaii, and his voice will be raised in strong plea for confirmation of the treaty. Whether the consent of the governed has been fully obtained appears doubtful, bnt the Dative voice will cot be a dominant factor in the final settlement of the busiacs*. Nor will the wisdom of Uncle Sara in so extending his boundaries be considered in the bullr.baloo our •nnexationists will rates ; whilst, Il}I 1 } is hardly necessary to add, the pessimistic sneer that we have quite enough to do to civilise those already within our borders will be brushed aside with that disdain characteristic of all ttuo patriots.

MUNICIPAL LEGISLATION,

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has recently passed through some unique experiences. It may be wifchiu the recollection of jour readers that eight of the 12 honourable men who constitute this august body had, according to the plain assertions of tho pref s, divided up sortie 60,000i10l of money, tho which was paid them for th«ir vo'es by Ihe Spring Valley Water Company, This obarge was so much- in- line with what every one expected • and the past nretory our city , boards that there was a certain feeling of surprise when a wellknpwn citizen brought an action in the Superior Court for the removal from office of the board, on the grcunds of " malfeasance in office. It was nob - stated ■ that the well-grounded belief in ■ the corruptness of the '.'shifty eigbt" was the animating cause for the action, it being obvious that such a belief could not, in the natare of things, be proven ; bub this and no other was fche main caut« of action. Outwardly, however, the charge was technical in its nature, to wit : " The board bad not, as required by law so to do, fixed the new water rales in the month of Eebruary." It was known from the first that the virtuous four, alike with the scandalous eight, would, should the court uphold the charge, share the fate of dismissal from office ; but as the appointive power for a new board lay with the Governor' snd mayor, both Democrats, it was under»tood the four would, in any event, be reappointed. And bo it eventuated. Judge Wallaoo decided the board had been guilty of malfeasance, and his verdict declared them dismisied from office. Then the two officials tt'et and appointed a new board, the which included the hone»t four. And hf re Ihe fun — or, shall I say, the disgrace P — commenced. The eight ousted rascals represented the worst elements in political life. All the toughs, and htelers, and shysters, and boodlers, and corporations that deem it best to buy favours were behind them. Individually and collectively they were, and are, a sorry lot. Not e/en those who questioned the justice of the decision could find time to apologise for or defend the turned down "scalawags." The latter, however, did not intend to die easily. They at once set in operation all the pleas for the protection of their rights guaranteed them by the Constitution. - First, they rushed in hot haste to the Supreme Court, demanding a revision of Judge Wallace's decision. Denied. Then, pending an appeal to.. the higher court for a rehearing of the ' whole 'case, they, acting under legal advice, took possession of the council ■ chamber, appointed a member of the gang major, and a clerk and a s«rgeant-at-arms. Then they went to business. Meantime 'the mayor, officials, and new board met in another chamber, and proceeded to their business whilst the city looked on in quiet am*ze. The old board lived up to ita reputation. It decided to hold the fort against s.ll comets, and not vacate the chamber unless forced by the police so to do. Animated with thiß patriotic spirit of civic zeal, they passed the night amid whisky and beer and a few sandwiches, and surrounded by an admiring army of retainers. Next day Mayor Photan, a young, able, wealthy citizen, who is a credit to the community, entered the lull of disorder, followed by fche members of the new board, took his ■eat and called upon the eight gentleman to vacate their seats. Declined. The Mayor turned and said: "Mr Sargeant-at-Arms, remove these gentlemen." (Eater police ; exeunt "shifty eight.") "Gentlemen, we will now proceed to business." The old b.ard took offices, bo the -Examiner said, in the back bedroom of a back saloon and likewise proceeded with their business.

By this time fche position had grown serious. The tax levy for the year had not, up till now, been levied, and it wss imperative the matter should be disposed of without delay. Both boards fixed upon the rate and the amount necessary to conduct the city government, and both presented (heir levy to the auditor. What, then, was the auditor to do ? If he accepted the new board's levy and the new board was afterwards decided to have been an illegal body, then no taxes ■ could be collected ; and if he accepted the old board's levy, the position was the same. ThereCore, he appealed to the Supreme Conrt to issue a mandate .%% to which levy he must accept, and fcheSupreme Court decided the old board, .pending the result of the appeal, was still in office ! Need I say any more ? It will be months before the appeal comes up for hearing, and passion will have toned down long ere then. So once more virtue sifci enthroned and triumphant in the augasfc "hauls" of our municipal legislature.

THE LAND OP ICE AND GOLD.

" Whtt nivfs trom ihe Kloudj ke ? " is still the cry. The passion for the yellow metal will not down easily. The terrors of an Arctic winter, the stories of want and suffering, the warning erieß of the wiee .will not stay the fever. Dawson Cifc; will soon be locked within an embrace of ice aud snow for many & month, and, if accounts be true, there is not nearly sufficient food to keep the wolf from the door, even though all tho gold the world has ever known be offered in exchange. Gold may be hard to get, bat food will be harder. Already the Yukon is filling- up with ice, transpottatiou by land ia next to impossible, whilst alcng the weary miles hundreds are toilidg on. M*ny have turned back in despsir, selling their expensive outfits for a mere song, and wearyiug only for the flesh pots of civilisation. Letter* bearing date of the last days in August hwe fouud their way from D»wsou City to San Francisco, and evtn then gleomy forecasts were nude as to the insufli-ci-oncy of supplies and the slim chances of obtaining mere. But nil claim the richness of the placer mines of the Klondike has not been exaggerated. Gold is as plentiful as wasps in a sugar cask. Men whom a year or two back were without a dollar are millionaires, or the holders of claims for which tho agents of syndicates are offering vast eumi. Millions of dollars, the correspondents say, will be taken From the land of ice and snow during the next summer. But in fche me»ntjmethe late arriva 1 , Ihe poor forluns-s.'eker, has much to worry him. Living is at f Atnioe pries.c s. I have selected a few from the letters I have read, and give them as illustrative of the condition of i.ff *irs in the far north :—: — Btfef, 4s per lb Tobacco, 6s per lb Picks, 32s each Cup of coffee, 13 Blankets, 100s each One egg, 4s Coffee pots, 12s each A bed (?), b's a night Stoves. Hoi each A steel pen point, Is Overalls, : 6« each Half-soling shoe, 203 Hobnail shoes, 32s a pair Extracting tooth, 20a Tennant's nle, 40s a quart Porous plaster, 20s Beer, 2s a wineglass Physician's visit. 800* Cigars, 2s each JPottle champagne, 20(h. The above prices, which I have reduced to English shillings, need no comment. For the man who has a cl&im worth thousunris they have \>o terror ; for the m»ny who hare not, they mean death or something as bad.

Bui Dawsou City seems to be hiving a riok>us time. There are about 5000 people in and around it. Children, fortunately, are scarce ; gamblers, uuforounately, are many ; aud clegs and raoequifcoes ere having a busy time. The city is ni&de up of teats aud log huts. Saloons and gambling deus and dance halls Abound. There are 14 bar-rooms on one stree l ", and their doors never close. Land on Front street fetches high prices, and the voice of the " boomer " is heard in the land. Enticing notices are plastered on the walla, and you can for a dollar dtnee with any of the fair ladies who live in these resorts. Bub the revelry and fua are neither indecent nor so glaring a* that one can witness any night in 'Frisco. Life is safe and so is i>roperfcy — as yet. What the dark days of winter will bring forth we shall not know for many months, but many a heart we may be sura will eoho some such thoughts as a Southern poet has put in these lines . Way -up on fie Klondyke ribber, -.., Hungry, I sigh. ; Dar's whar ma t'ought<3 am turniu' eber, - Back to the honie-inade-pie. '• ;_ All aroun' de ice am cliDgin', Kbery whar I see. Wish I could heah. the locus' singin' Home in de tallow tree. One poor little golden nuggetOne lump I found ; One piece ob de precious metal, Diggin' in de cold, cold ground. All up an' down de great big ribber, Lonesome I roam, Waitiu' to heah a steamboat whistle, Hopia' to git back home. All aroun 1 de ice am clingin', Kbe.y whar I see. Wish I could heah de jaybird singin' •Home in de red plum tree.

"TEIiLOW JACK" IN THE SOUTH.

Unhealthy and dirty New Orleans has been the centre of the fever, district during the month. The outbreak, however, has not been of a very alarming nature, the prompt, vigorous action of the authorities 'and health officers having, so far, con&ned the outbreak to the original places from which the fever was first; reported. There have been a good many deaths iv fche aggregate, but far more cases of recovery ; nor i« there much anxiety felt at this time of writing as to its fs.rfcb.er spread. If, however, we were to aocepfc fche startling headlines of our newspapers as authoritative we shonld believe that terror and panic had overtaken a large portion of the dwellers in and about the plague spots, but the perusal of the official bulletins does not bear out these highly-wrought-up statements. Cases of selfishness and cruel desertion will occur in this, as in fevery instance of calamity, but everything tends to the correctness oF the statement made by the authorities that the disease cannot attain to the proportions of an epidemic.

"TELT.OW JOURNALISM " IN AMERICA.

From Yellow Jack to yellow journalism is not a very far cry. Both have much in common, and both are equally dangerous to the moral, social, politicil, commercial, and physical well-being of the community. But if "Yellow Jack" has been subdued, "yellow journalism" hai not. The latter grows fat, and riots iv the meat ifc feeds upon. Last week ifc scored, so it informs us, a notorious, I mean noteworthy, triumph.

The Spanish authorities having paid no heed to the hysterical outburst of the Examiner Journal petition respecting Miss Erangelina Cisaeros, and fche general public having some doubts as fco the truth of the assertions that this beautiful young Cuban heroine was lodged in a loathsome dtn by the " butcher " Weyler, the papers determined to effect a sensational coup somehow. So they sent a man to Cuba, who, with two other men and the help of the beautiful heroine herself, and by drugging some sweets which were eaten by the beautiful heroine's room companions, effected her escape and got her safely on board a ship bound for these free United States. It is unnecessary oo dilate upon the roar of delight these two journals stub forth when success crowned their effort*, nor dors-it matter mush that international complications may arise, the chief point being the remarkable steps a paper is prepared to take in order to secure notoriety. There is hardly a statement thete journals have made that will stand the te»t of inquiry in respect to this case. We are atked-fco believe that General Weyler is a bloodthirsty monster, aud the Spanish Ambassador at Washington a liar, and to accept the "tale told by theyallow journalists. We have, further, fco reject fche opirnona and statements of other newspapers and fche assertion of United States. Consul-general Lee, that the Udy would have been released long ago had these same papers not made such fearful charges against all and sundry. Ghengis Khan, Alv*, Nero, and other dead and gone gentlemen were artless children compared to "Butcher" Weyler, these papers tell us. Every atrocious yarn is foisted upon the public at genuine news, and everything derogatory to the Cohans Dftssed

over. Why a mau should be called a "butcb.pr"for doing his duty, why a woman should be called a "heroine" for escaping from gaol, and why the stuff sent broadcast by the Cabau Junta, sitting in New York, should be accepted as gospel I do not know. That Cub* ha 3 been badly governed we may admit, that Spanish rule is not the best of rules may be granted ; but that a change to the native Cuban rule would be a boon and a blessing to Cuba we raay fairly deny. ' Nor are the outrages all on one side, nor are the statements of shameful treatment of prisoners all true, nor have our la3t and present Administrations shown any desire to accept them as true and follow the beck of the "yellow jouxnalisV and surely these facts ought to count for something. However — ?

A CONTEST FOR MILLIONS.

James G. Fair, mineowner and millionaire, departed this life, not exactly in the odour of sanctity, some two years ago. His life had been a checkered one. From a miner's tent to a superb mansion aud all it implies is an extreme sufficiently great to embrace much fche ordinary humdrum existence of the majority never experiences. But Fair never felt at home amid his silk and purple Two everyday rooms in a down-town hotel were his abode for the last two years of his life. Here he livod, and schemed, and died. Hi 3 eldest boy had died regret' ed by none, his second son wound up a career known to every saloon in town by marrying the keeper of a notorious reiorS, his wife died after a life spent in oceans of champagne and "fun," and his two daughters are among the most txslustveof New York's exclusive seb, and mix with the bluest blood of this or any other country,

Fair died worth forty millions of dollars. At least so the papers s*id. Bat, as usual, the papers were wrong. Any business man knew the vilue of many of Fair's later investments. Then fche papers called it a twenty-million-dollar estate, although fifteen millions would be nearer the mack. Fair, careful man, left a will — an "ironclad" will it was called — one in vi hi oh every possible or probable contingent was foreseen and adequately guarded against. There was to b\j no break-up of this will, at all events. Other millionaire estates .may huve been the prey for blackmailers, and blackmailing in every branch is a shamefully common crime in this country, but the Fair will drawn up by the bes-t legal talent of the day wouid be as impregnable as Gibraltar. Alas ! there never was a will that had more opponents. The family oppose it, widows from all parts opposed it, rival claimants produced other will*, codicils tumbled out galore, and all the harpies who fatten on anything but genuine work clamoured for a share of the wretched coin.

Most Berious o'i all the counter claims was the one produced by a certain Mrs Nettie Craven, principal of one of the largp schools in I his city, a clever politician, a schemer, an adventuress, a woman of no morality worth talking about, and the last person one would select as principal of a public school. However, there Bhe was, and there, by the grace cf her unmitigated impudence and the glorious freedom of our institutions, she stayed for many years drawing down her salary of £35 a month with most scrupulous punctuality even though absent for periods varying from a wef-k to 12 months. This lady met the late James G. Fair, and she avers the late James G. Fair made her his wife, by rdntract, and deeded to her several valuable pieces of property bringing in a rental of 500(Mol a month. The genuineness of these pencil written deeds hivs been before the Superior Court of San Francesco for many months past. The bsst legal talent of fche day w*s employed by the Craven side and other good men were employed by the Fair heirs Very early in the case the impression gained ground that the whole Craven business was a huge conspiracy to plusder the Fair estate of some million and a-half dollars worth? of property, and that the woman's case wss about as unblunhing a bit of fraud as had ever been brought into court. The one thing cort*in was that Mrs Nefctia Crrfvon mu*t have lost her sense of shame — if she ever had it. No one knowing Fair's character doubts thut immoral relations may have existed between the two ; but let us hope there are some women who, even for a million dollars worth of properly, would die rather t^an parade it before the world. Even whilet the case was before the courts the woman's actions on the public streets one night were so disgusting that her dismissal, some would term it " resignation," from fche post she bad so long unworthily filled promptly followed. But modes ( y, delicacy, rtfinpmenfc, shame, and the like seem unknown in San Francisco. We do the most vulgar things so openly that our decency becomes in time degenerate. Therefore, when we read how Mrs Craven came every day into court accompanied by her " beautiful " daughter. Margaret Craven, dressed in tho height of fathion, and listened to all fche nasty facts without a desire to tumble through the floor, we need not, being what we are, be surprised. Under any circumstances the, most favourable to the woman she is presented as the secret wife of an old man, and therefore living in a relationship hardly calculated to make the " beautiful " Margaret's heart swell with pride. But the verdict of fche court — a verdict accepted as just by fche decent element of the community — was that the deeds were forgeries aud nothing else, and so fche first great assault .on Fair's estate tumbled to bits. The lawyers talk loudly about appeal, bat unless some one em be found to put up the money I do not think there will bt> many appeals. Mrs Craven has not any money, fche lawyers took the c\eeon a contingent fee, and it will be many months before the case could be again brought forward. Not that they intend to cease their assaults oa fche millions of money lying around, but other tactics will, it is affirmed, be tried. Mra Craven will now ieek to establish the authenticity of her marriage contract, which, if genuine, entitles her to her share in fche dead man's wealth, will or no will.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

John jLj. Sullivan, America's foremost citizen and, incidentally, an ex-priza fighter and allround general ruffian, ia running for the mayoralty of Boiton, a city fondly assumed by disinterested parties to be the centre of culture and hub of the universe.

A man in New York committed suicide because his wife wore bloomers ! Do not judge of him too harshy, ib may b9 our turn nexb.

We managed to cipfcure a female burglar the other day. She was a respectable married woman and the mother of a family, but her fondness for dancing and a "good time" led her into the paths that lead to a confined apartment. Nor is it hardly fair that another industry] held so long by the male gender, should-be thai femininely invaded.

Three recent cases of suicide and attempted suicide UDon the part of mere children have led to an inquiry as to the cause of nuch miserable crimes. I imagine the wretched home life and sensational accounts and pictures in the daily oress are two among some of the chief causes.