OUR SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13095, 21 April 1908, Page 9

OUR SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.

irROM ore own- .onnEsrnsKKNT.} , SAN FRANCISCO. -March lli. j There is p\fT\ty of excit<-m.-:;t thtvo j iivs in this city. Ti;e approach of:

•.'licit' iS.i-.rs i<iJ: fieet, a!U ' ln ° P re_ ! partitions to mcol thi* vcv-s.-k; u::d men. : .lie bubonic situation, and x'aa ; - k-a.«> of -Mayor h-cSmiitz have all , .roved fruitful' topks of conversation.

THE PLAGUE. Tim United Mai;- Government. ! trough tho V <h-r.d dot-tors, i* irA.:.u- ; out tiiut all dan-vr of (luarantine be- ; cause the plague c-uv.s in San Fran- ■ y-..-<:o. has by no mean; Aiter ; a lapse of sevorsil wet-k* without a : case, two siisp-fcLs vit* discovered on \ -March 11th. with all tho indicntioi:r> of the dread d;sc:w. They aio in j tho isolation -hospital. 'J he, authon-j tics have not. as >«■£.. puWioht-d. the rosult of the examinations. .Several hundred ineu art- now employ* d killing .rsiu> and vtiiorcing the sanitary j conditions. i'ho roii<y of suppre.ss- ] ins; tho news lias he< :i abandoned, and j ch'arto are Li-n<-tt the exact j location of houses in ■which plague- : ini'ecu.d rats have* been foiuid. a.s well a:> full information of t!:<>io avlio have suffered as a rosull of tho visitation. , iiio city us districted, and. under the ( management of Dr. Isupi-rt ii\w, an ; nitempt is being made to drive* tho rats out by systematic effort. Tens-.of thousands ot redouts are, dc«U'oy«l each month, and an army of nvedical men perform autopsies in the .rctm-h for plague- .cenns. The percentage , continues ii'wmt 1 per cent, of infect- ! cd ratv? out of th« total examined. '

Trem-endous enei'g)- is beiii"- *sbown by those. in autliority. .Meetings aro held daily. Commercial bodies, trado uuioms, women's clubs—in fact, every form of organisation is aiding in what is termed the "clean up." Whether tho threat to quarantine will be carried out, remains to be seen. Probably it is being used to cnthuso San Franciscans in tho work of fjghting tho plague, although the doctors claim that the near approach of warm weather will surely result in positive danger to the city and fctato, owing to tho revival of the flea pest.

Nearby State* are practically quarantining San Francisco. One instance may bo noted. Circulars .havo beon issued stating that the plague exists in California, and that it is the best policy to patroni.se the merchants of tiro State in which the circula.r was issued, and thereby avoid all possibility of infection.

Tliero is little doubt but that tlio plague is a result of the Chinese and Japanese quarters, with their filth and avoidance of all laws of decency and cleanliness. When Dr. Bluo was combatting the plague in 1903-1, the following condition was found (from an official report):—''From a single blind alley in Chinatown, Dr. Blue's men hauled 21 waggoji loa<!e of reeking putridity, compounded of decayed vegetation, rotted meats, tho entrails of animals, dead rats, cats, and dogs, mingled with all manner of unnamcablo filth. Collars, spaces under houses, blind alleys, light wells, cesspools, these and other places had been made a dumping-ground of all manner ot offal for years. ,.

The foregoing is a vivid and disgustingly true picture of a section that existed before tho big fire right in tho heart of the city. To Dr. Blue's credit bo it said, he cleanod up the district in fine eh ape, and. tho conditions aro infinitely better to-day, owing to tho supervision of the authorities. The price, though, is eternal vigilance, for the Chinese aro filthy in the extreme in their own section, and they aro rapidly re-establishing themselves on tho old ground.

THE APPROACH- OP THE FLEET. President Roosevelt has referred to tho flotilla now on. its way to California as tho American battle fleet. Tho marvellous invention of wireless telegraphy has kept the people informed of tho movements of Admiral Evans and his ships. Ono message camo through the other day that allowed it had travelled nearly 2000 miles. It carried news of death, and told that a sailor had passed away, and the receiver was requested to inform the relatives of tho demise. Since that time several messaeca have been given to tho public. Tho fleet is now in Magdalena Bay, off the shoro of Mexico, and after several wocks of target practice the journey north will l>6 α-osumed. Stops will bo ma<!c in the ports of Lower California, and tho official date sot for tho entry into the Bay of 4San Francisco is May oth. All preparations have been made for tho jrrcat review on Friday, May Bth. The Secretary of the Navy will be here to represent the President, and it is expect-cxl to have between 40 a.n<J oO vessel or war participate in the greatest naval display of American history. The public interest is keen in the approaching event, for it is realised to be one of grent importance, and thero is a fpplint that there '>crhaps Tnoro behind tho display than «i mero desire to imprr-ss upon observers tho strength of the dogs of war.

Committees are actively engaged *n preparing for tho wolcomn. Tho sailors will rtceivo the "<xlad hand" on all sides, and attempts will bo made to offset the allurements possessed, by all hirgo cities situated on the seashore. Tho leading club women have taken hold of tho entertainment plans, and •Jack will certainly load a merry chase if he should show a desire to avoid a high soc-iety life during his stay_ in port. The GoivM-al Committee, received a shock when -woro put to a few of the sailors in port as to the best method of showing hospitality. "Just lonve the boys alone," was. the reply: "they will want to go around to suit themselves."

THE RELEASE OF EX-MAYOR SCHMITZ.

Tlio graft oases continue in tho public eye. porluips more st> than over. Affidavits from prosemtion and tlraso indicted hav-o l>(M?n filid in such number as t-o bewilder. The lie li:is boon parsed vigorously. In brief, the situation hinges on the* alleged immunity contract of AHo Ruof, th-o ox-l>sss, •who is clwirgcd by the prosecution with failing to kop-r) his promises to srive. testimony in full, and who vigorously denies tho cJiar.cc>.

On March J>th the Supreme Court of the State uphold the Lower Court on the appeal. It ruled tli.it the indictment upon which K.ugmie- E. Schniitz «"ns convictod. for extortion was insufficient, in that it failed to allege that tho injury threatened against tho French restaurant men was an unlawful injury. It further declared that the indictment should have state! that I Schinitz w:i<? Major aiid Alw Rnof.tho ]>cliticnl exercising p-yiver over the Police Commission. As n consequence-, tho ex-Mnyor v.cw walks the streets of tin* city he has vHsgraced. | for rhere isn't a man, woman or child ! who doesn't believe that he took j money, that ~c mM himself ti'vo and again, aiyl that it was impossible for ! the Ixkv'.' , ? Hoard of Snp:rvison» to '■ steal right am! left without the Chkf i Executive kncwir.g what vras guing on ! an.l participating. While tho decision practically dis-pcKa-i of the extortion charges, yet there arf> innumerable indictments for bribery, ,md the ex-.unvor is out on bail of' over 300,000d01, 'furnished by two millionaires of California. One of the pape-rs commented on the ability of the ex-Mayor, supposed to represent- the working men, to secure-such a princely ransom for bail. It is bolievcd- that Abe Rnef will a\&o be able t_6 leave the county saol shortly on similar hail al though there-are more

indictments against him, and the figures asked will probably run over haif a million dollars.

What the outcome will be is hard to predict. The grafters, millionaires and all, have stupendous strength, financial and otherwise, and iiiey are purchasing papers in the effort to mould public opinion on their side. On the oth*»r hand, the- prosecution has numy friendi. f:*r there is no doubt that the right i> o:\ this side. All the faculty of t'ae t'niversity of the State of California have signed a flowing tribute to the work already performed, and urge its continuance. Men like Henry Weinstock, on-o, of California's merchant princes (who is on his way to New Zealand to study the arbitration 1-nvs), are standing in the breach, :i!vl the cause of justice must prevail.