The San Francisco Call and Post from San Francisco, California • Page 1

VOLUME NO. 179. NUGGETS AS LARGE AS MARBLES More Stories of the Richness of the Baja California Placers. MINERS FLOCKING IN A Man Who Has Been There Says That It Is a Poor Man's Country. Call.

"There is no question of the wealth of the new district have seen the gold. It is coming out of the country in a steady stream, and there is plenty yet to come." Extract from an interview with a recent arrival from the new placers in Lower California. ANGELES, May C. C. LPursley, a mining man.

has arrived here after a stay of eighteen months in Lower Califor- nia and gives glowing accounts of the wealth of the new placer digi in the San Rogue district, 300 miles south of Knsenada. "1 have been prospecting in the country for a time," he said this morning, "but have only lately paid attention to anything but quartz. I have ral claims in new diggings and return to-morrow to look after them; they are worth lev. iking after, he gold is there. Some of the dirt, good deal of it, runs $20 to the yard, and the district is wonderfully rich.

The gold is coarse and the gravel contains a world of nuggets, than I ever saw in any other diggings. In fact, many of them are as large as marbles. The diggings are really not new, having been worked in a haphazard manner by the Indians for nearly 200 years. The secret of the i rich diggings was known to few if any le of the Mexicans and Indians on the spot, and they say little or nothing. "There is no question of the weaJth of the new district.

I have seen the gold. It is coming out of the country in a ty stream, and there is plenty yet me." Speaking of the lack of -water. Mr. Pursley said that it could be found nearly anywhere in the district a few feel below the surface, and added, what will be of interest to the man with little money, that the country was one of the cheapest in the world in which to live. He is enthusiastic over the new field and says it is a "first-class allround proposition." J.

It. Southworld, who has just returned from Knsenada, says that ho was informed by Don Ismael Sanchez. ral of Colonies, that the Sierra Pintada placers were twentyeight miles in length and sixteen miles wide. They run in a northwesterly and southeasterly direction. On the eastern side of the range, according to the inspector, new placers have been found that have not yet been prospected beyond a mere scratching.

Dr. Friz- representing Charles Fair of San Francisco, is going down on a chartered Bchooner. CROWDING THE STEAMSHIPS. Gold Seekers Eager to Engage Passage From San Diego. SAX DIEGO.

May There will be a rush to the big placers of the Sierra Pintada Range in spite of everything. More attention was paid to the mines to-day in this city than yesterday, and yesterday witnessed more excitement than on the day previous. Interest in the diggings continues to increase. T'nlesa something unexpected happens Monday will witness even greater excltement and more names enrolled on the lists schooners and steamers to sail for Ascension Ray. Late this evening Manager Packard of the Lower Development Company telegraphed to Agent Louis delson in this city that the steamer St.

Denis would sail from San Diego for Ascension on June 1 and that berths up tn the full limit of the steamer could The St. Denis has accommodations for thirty-five first-class passengers and Agent Mendelson says several hundred tickets, for Ascension could be sold if there were adequate transportation facilities. He is receiving telegraphic and telephone inquiries from all over the southern part of the State from men who desire passage to Ascension. The fact that Manager Packard has ordered the St. Denis to sail from here for Ascension on June 1 is taken to 1 1 that favorable news has been Ived Bnsenada from the mines, though hi- nothing about it in his telegram to Agent Mendelson.

The schooner Santa Barbara, which is expected to bring definite and full Information concerning the placers, is due at Ensenada, but up to 5:20 O'clock this evening, when the telegrapfa office at Ensenada closed, she had nol put in an appearance. It is not improbable, however, that the Santa Barbara put in at San Quintin this evening, and that news of her was received at ESnsenada by telephone from San Quintin. The telegraph office at Ensenado is not open at night. It is considered as suggestive of good news that the schedule of the St. Denis been changed so as to send her down on the Ist instead of the 13th, as waa intended up to to-day.

The schooner Anita has thirty-five passengers already booked for Ascen- The Call CUBANS REFUSE AMERICAN GOLD The Soldiers Who Fought for Liberty Will Keep Their Arms. MAJOR GENERAL JOHN R. BROOKE. Special Cable to The Call and the New York Herald. Copyrighted, 1599, by James Gordon Bennett.

AVANA, Cuba, May Eleven Cuban soldiers applied for their Cuban soldiers applied tor their share of the $3,000,000 provided JL JL by the United States at the distributing station here to-day. Seven were paid. Three were not on the list and one was not identified. None turned over his arms, five out of the seven having been servants in the army. The other two said they had given their arms to General Gomez.

Colonel Randall took their word for this, asking for no receipt. Colonel Randall seemed inclined not to attach much importance to the disposition of the arms, saying that if the men could prove they had been in the army in any capacity he would pay them. The distribution office remained open until 5 o'clock this afternoon. At 6 o'clock nine soldiers with rifles applied for money and were told to come tomorrow. Colonel Cespedes says the soldiers are not thoroughly informed as to the time and place of distribution, and he expects a larger number 'will accept the money to-morrow and give up their arms.

The society of Veterans of Independence, which is anti-Gomez, claims a great victory to-night. Its members say that nine-tenths of the whole army will refuse the money, and go home with their arms. General Gomez is using every effort to have the soldiers disarm. He tells them to refuse the money if they wish, but to return home as peaceful citizens. He is writing a proclamation calling on all residents of the island, Cubans and Spaniards, to unite and work for Cuban independence.

Colonel Randall has 4317 names of soldiers to receive money at this distributing station. He says it is doubtful if fifty respond. As yet the Cubans have not turned over any arms to the Mayors or the civil Governor of this province. The soldiers at Guanabacoa and Matanzas are making preparations to-day sion Bay and will sail on Monday afternoon at 4 o'clock, arriving at Ascension about the 6th. Provisions and mining Implements have been stored in her hold to its full capacity.

The schooner Acme will sail Tuesday with supplies and several passengers. CHOKES OUT HIS LIFE WITH BALING ROPE Henry Bamke, a Laborer, Commits Suicide by Hanging on a Farm Near Woodland. WOODLAND. May Henry Ramko committed suicide by hanging on the Byron Jackson farm, southwest of Woodland, between -1 and 5 o'clock this morning. He used baling rope with which to strangle himself, and the deed was consummated in one of the big barns on the place.

He. evidently stood upon an ordinary fruit box to throw the rope over a beam and adjust it about his neck, as the 1 box was found just back of him and his feet were within three, or four inches of i the ground. When found he had evidently I been dead about an hour and his body was not yet cold. He was dressed in his work- Ing clothes, and his hat was picked up from the floor of the barn. There was no evidence of any struggle.

In one of his pockets was found a note. It was not addressed to any particular person. The first sentence read. "I'm tired of living; please don't think me crazy." Then followed some writing which was not intelligible. The concluding sentence was as follows, "Sell my clothes and give me a decent burial.

Henry Ramke was a native of Denmark and 35 years of He bad lived In the United States ever he was 15 years of age, with the exception of a year and a half spent in South America as a member of a "railroad surveying party. About nine months ago he was employed by G. H. Hecke, foreman of the Byron Jackson farm. Mr.

Hecke was so well pleased SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, MAY 2 THIRTY-TWO PAGES. return home with their arms. The haw them completely in control md have turned them against Gtomes. THE CUBANS MUST SURRENDER ARMS If They Do Not Take Money Now They Will Be Given Nothing. NEW VnKK, May 27.

A Washington special to the Herald says: Little roncern is felt in administration circles at the failure of the Cubans to appear before the American authorities and receive In exchange for their arms and equipments the $75 allotted them as a result of the conference getween Generals Brooke and Gomez. The equanimity of the authorities over the matter is entirely due to a dispatch recently from Brooke General Brooke stated in this message that If the Cubans did not care to accept the money he would send it promptly back to the United States and that he felt sure he could take eat" of the situation yen if the tnen did retain their arms. Satisfied with Brooke's confidence, the authorities are not at all disturbed by the reports of the failure of the to appear. The explanation that but few of the enlisted men of the Cuban army live in Havana is regarded by officials as the sole reason for their failure to put in an appearance and collect the gratuity due them. Another reason, perhaps, why th" authorities are satisfied that there will be no trouble is the fact that this Government has an excellent force in the island which, even in case of refusal of the insurants to turn in their arms, could handle them.

Should General Brooke find it necessary to return the money to the Vnited States it is expected he will take measures for relieving the Cubans of their arms and equipments and they will receive nothing in return for them. with him that he put. him in charge of a force of men employed in the orchard. He was a very industrious man and apparently conscientious in the discharge of his duties. He was a man of fair intelligence and talked rationally on all subjects except one.

He seemed to harbor a fear that people would believe him crazy, lie confided in Mr. Hecke a hallucination that the police were trying to apprehend him on a suspicion of insanity. Mr. Hecke's conversations with him did not impress him with the idea that this halj lucination would Influence him to do anything desperate. Mr.

Hecke last saw Ramke alive about 8 o'clock Friday evening. He was apparently in his usual health and spirits. Ramke arose from.bed about 3:30 clock this morning. Other laborers who slept in the same apartments inquired why he was getting up so early. He replied that he had three horses to care for, which made it necessary for him to get out early.

At fifteen minutes past 5 the men were called to breakfast. Ramke did not put in an appearance. After waiting a few minutes Mr. Hecke concluded to investigate the cause of his absence. After a brief search -the unfortunate man was found hanging in the barn and dead as above described.

1 VAIN ATTEMPTS TO FLOAT THE PARIS Now the Chances Are That the Stranded Steamer Will Remain on the Bocks. FALMOUTH, May Another supreme effort to float the Paris was made this evening-, but resulted in failure. Six tugs were made fast to the steamer's hawsers and anchors were put out astern, the chains from which were attached to the strain winchei the stranded Bteamer. The propellers of the Paris were driven at i full steam astern, but the efforts were unavailing. After an hour's Btrainlng, the main hawser broke and the task was abandoned until to-rriorrow The hope of floating the Paris is growing faint.

CZAR AND POPE NOT IN ACCORD Story of the Recall of the Russian Minister to the Holy See. WOES OF TCUERIKOF Informed the St. Petersburg Government That His Position Was Intolerable. Special Dispatch to The Call. ON DON, May St.

Petersburg advices confirm what is already pretty well understood at the Vatican that Tcherikof, Russian Minister to the Holy See, will not return to Rome, and if the Czar's present temper continues he will not be represented at the Vatican again. Before leaving on a so-called six months' leave Tcherikof had an i audience with the Pope. For several months previously he vainly asked for an audience, but no notice was taken of his requests. Finally he bluntly inquired of Cardinal Rampolla what it meant, and the Papal Secretary of State informed him that as the Czar ignored the Pontiff's sovereign rights by omitting to ask him to send delegates to the disarmament, conference, his Holiness did not feel called to receive his Majesty's representative, fcherikof thereupon in- I formed his Government that his I position was intolerable and begged to be recalled. The result was the six months' leave.

ARBITRATION URGED BY THE ENGLISH LONDON. May 27. The holidays have brt-ught stagnation in politics. Most of public attention has been directed to The Hague Peace Conference and the Anglo-American Commission. The papers warmly approve of the unison tho work with the American and British delegates at the conference, and interest in it.

is quickened by i the prominence unexpectedly given to the arbitration question, especially in view of M. de Staal's speech revising the arder of the points submitted from that the circular of the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Muravieffe, giving arbitration the first place and making only a minor to disarmament, was at first blazoned as the main purpose of the conference. The Czar's scheme, presented on Friday, is very elaborate and detailed, while the American project is attractive by its businesslike brevity and simplicity. The Daily News correspondent at The Hague says it appears to give a satisfactory solution of the problom presented by the Czar, and that Great Britain, of course, will support the American pro-ject. The scheme of Professor Maartens, professor of international law at the University of St.

Petersburg and arbitrator of the Anglo-Venezuelan Arbitration Commission is said to contain the code of procedure which will be adopted by the Venezuelan arbitration tribunal at any rate. Three of the five judges have decided to conduct the trial under its rule when the tribunal meets in Paris. Referring to the proposal which the American delegates are now pressing to exempt all private property at sea from capture, the Daily Chronicle presents the British view in saying: "The matter is grave. As many contend, Great Britain yielded more than was wise when she accepted even the Paris rule. However, the House of Commons has always declined to countenance any idea of withdrawal, and if America will come in and sign the declaration, which she practically invoked in the Spanish war, it will be a material advance in the humanizing of war, and England might well reaffirm the rule and absolutely bind herself in the future." THAMES ENTRANCE RAPIDLY CHOKING UP Alarming Discovery Made That Ships Will Soon Be Unable to Reach London.

Special Cable to The Call and the New York Herald. Copyrighted, 1893, by James Gordon Bennett. LONDON, May Another very alarming discovery has just been made public. It is that the entrance to the Thames is choking up and that all the power of man cannot stop it. This is no fairy tale invented by an alarmist by the aid of juggling with figures, but is a hard, cold fact, published In the annual report of the admiralty hydrographers, which says that the Duke of Edinburgh Chancel, which is the principal passage the Thames for heavy vessels, has Hi nee been reduced from one and a i half half a mile.

The Trinity House authorities are very much exercised about the matter, which it is admitted cannot be controlled by works, and thus arises the question, what will London do without the Thames or the shipping that it brings? WANTS VOLUNTEERS TO ENLIST AGAIN Captives in Front of Their Prison in Old Manila. OTIS WOULD KEEP THEM SIX MONTHS Macabebes Ask for Arms With Which to Fight the Tagallos. Special Dispatch to The Call. ANILA, May 27. Major I m.

General Otis has issued orders inviting volunteers to re-enlist for six months, according to the act of Congress bearing on the matter. General Mac Arthur is in favor of the experiment of enlisting the Macabebes against their old enemies, the Tagals. I A delegation of the leading Macabebes has visited the general, and its spokesj man read an address assuring the American Commissioners of the friendship tit" the Macabebes and of their willingness to transfer their allegiance from Spain to the United States. They complained that the Tagals murdered them ami burned their villages, and they asked to be protected and given arms to protect themselves. The Maca bebes have greatly assisted in posting the Americans on the country and the positions of the enemy.

General Mac- Arthur would arm a hundred of these men and make them scouts, and if the experiment proved successful he would enlist more. The United States transport Morgan City, which left San Francisco April 25, with 600 recruits for various regiments here on board, has arrived and will proceed to Iloilo. Major A. A. Diggles of the Thirteenth Minnesota Regiment, who was wounded in the head while reconnoitering on May 8 at a point near San Miguel, and who was brought to a hospital here, is dead.

Colonel J. D. Miley of General Lawton's staff has been appointed collector of Manila. NEGROTES ACCEPT AMERICAN RULE Special Cable to The Call and the New York Herald. Copyrighted, 18W, by James Gordon Bennett.

MANILA, May 27. President Lacson and the members of the Cabinet of the insurrectionists on the island of Negros have signed and issued a proclamation, fully accepting the constitution prepared by General Smith's commission, acting in conjunction with themselves. The constitution is similar to that which had been offered to the warring Filipinos on the island of Luzon. The Instrument confers upon the people the power of electing executive and judicial officers and of the legislative branches. The proclamation concludes thus: "We are thus governed by ourselves under the wise guidance of the great American Republic.

To all the inhabitants of the Island Negros is given equality before the law." It is believed that tlje island will settle down peacefully under the new regime. ADVENTURER SLAIN AND MUTILATED BY REBELS LOS ANGELES, May Details have been received in this city of the death of George Ryan, a boy adventurer and soldier of fortune, who was shot by insurgents in the Philippines while digging up money buried near Manila by a Chinese. The body of Ryan was lashed to a raft hv the natives and was seen floating down a river and recovered by the American trocps. It was identified by Dr. Samuel Karr, who went to Manila from Honolulu on the vessel that carried Ryan.

At the time the advices received in this city were written all that was mortal of the young adventurer lay on a slab in the Manila Morgue; mute evidence of the ferocity and barbarism of the insurgents. Both of the arms had been cut off and the body was otherwise mutilated. Ryan was 25 years of age and a Kentuekian by birth. When a mere boy he had drifted to San Francisco, where he became a newsboy and blacked shoes at "Champion" Lyons' stand on Market street. As a youngster it was his boast SEAMEN APPRECIATE CALL FILES U.

S. S. OREGON, Manila, P. 1., April 25, 1899. Sir: I beg to thank you for the files of The Call which you have so kindly sent to the Oregon, The papers are greatly appre- ciated by the officers and men.

Very respectfully, A. S. BARKER, Captain, U. S. Commanding.

Managing Editor, San Fran- Cisco Call. that he shined the shoes of King Kalakaua and received $5 for the job. About thirteen years ago young Ryan stowed himself away on an Australian liner and made his way to Honolulu. He began selling papers in the Hawaiian capital and soon became a favorite. The revenue he derived from a bootblack stand he set up soon yielded him sufficient to enable him to embark in more genteel pursuits.

When Queen Liliuokalani disagreed with her Cabinet in January, 1593, and the white residents of the islands formed a provincial army, he was one of the first to enlist. When the gov- ernment of Liliuokalani was overthrown he obtained Kalakaua's crown and relieved it of its numerous precious stones. For this he was arrested, tried and to several years' imprisonment. He served his time and kept the hiding place of the gems secret. When he was released he established himself in business in Honolulu.

He had not lost prestige because of the theft of the jewels, for, strange to say, the swords and plate of the Hawaiian dynasty has disappeared at the time he took the crown. When the Spanish-American war broke out Ryan wished to enlist in the American army, but could not get a chance to come to the United States. Then the Government commenced sending troops to Manila and he went in one of the first vessels as a stowaway. He went to work for a friend at I Cavite and when the trouble with insurgents broke out he donned a uniform. He took part in several engagements, but his passion for covertly obtaining wealth led him beyond the lines, whither he went with the intention of obtaining treasure buried by a Chinese who had fled into the city at the outbreak of hostilities.

Ho was surrounded by insurgents while digging for the treasure and his death and the mutilation of his body followed. PROTESTS AGAINST DESECRATION OF TOMB So John Morley Will Oppose the Proposed Big Grant to Lord Kitchener. NKW YORK. May A cable to the World from says: As the protest against the desecration of the Mahdi's tomb, John Morley will oppose the grant of $150,000 to Lord Kitchener when it is proposed In Parliament next week. Mr.

Morley says: "The Mabdi was an Arab who eighteen or twenty years ago headed the rising against the tyranny and corruption of the Egyptian Government of those days. He was the man who slew our General Gordon. "Well now after the victory in September last the men, acting under British command, dug up the moldoring corpse of this dead enemy of ours; they hacked or tore off his head, they threw the rest of the grewsome remains into the Nile, and according to an artilleryman who has told this story, they carried the bead into a gunboat and put it into an empty kerosene can. It remained there some days. Then the British officers came and said, us see the and.

said the artilleryman. 'We took a part of his beard, indeed I have got a bit of it We now understand that the Mahdl's head is buried at Wady Haifa. Ihia is the story. "We shall hear next week whether it is quite true or that the head of this trophy of our dead enemy was put into a wooden box and sent to England and then fetched back. I have said in the House of Commons that this desecration of the grave of an enemy and this treatment of the trophy is revolting in itself and reflects no honor upon either the good sense or right feelings of those who ordered it, and it reflects disgrace upon the British name." MRS.

STOBKE ON TRIAL. Accused of Having Sent Libelous Matter Through the Mails. SANTA BARBARA, May The trial of Yda Addis Storke, charged with the sending of libelous matter through the mails, will begin in the Superior Court on Monday. Because of the prominence of the names that will be connected with the case and the hard fight that Mrs. Storke is preparing to make, there la much interest In the trial.

Handwriting Expert Ames is summoned as a witness. Mrs. Storke has gained some prominence as a literary worker and has been on the staff of several newspapers of Southern California, PRICE FIVE CENTS. NOT READY TO ENLARGE THE ARMY But the President May Find It Necessary to Secure Additional Troops. Special Dispatch to The Call.

CALL HEADQUARTERS, WELINGTON HOTEL, WASHINGTON, May Dispatches from Manila stating that more troops are needed and that the American army is suffering embarrassment and unnecessary losses on account of the lack of a sufficient force to occupy territory from which the insurgents are driven attract much attention here. It is assumed that the facts are as stated and that General Otis has his own reasons for -wanting them to become known to the people of this country. The President's reluctance to enlarge the army to the full extent authorized by Congress rentiers it difficult to supply enough trained soldiers for the Philippine campaign, and it is evident that our army has been deprived of results that should have followed from its magnificent operations by being unable to spare troops to hold positions gallantly captured. It is believed that General Otis wants either the retention of tlfe volunteers he has or an enlistment of the full force authorized by Congress. The President, in conversation with some of his callers to-day, is quoted as having said that he had hoped the volunteers would have an opportunity to enjoy the full fruits of their magnificent services by participating in the actual pacification of the islands and coming home as victors.

It was manifested, however, that they could not wait to see the matter through, and he has hastened to have them replaced with regulars and sent home as speedily as possible. He said he did not think there was any serious conflict between General Otis and the civilian members of the Peace Commission, and that if there were he would feel the necessity of the army being free from interference. The President is quoted further as saying that it has become manifest that the Philippine campaign Bhould be made as aggressive as possible and should be carried to a conclusion with vigor, as advised by Admiral Dewey. There was a rumor of a possible call for 35,000 additional troops, but it was said that the President was not now giving any serious consideration to that subject. If it is decided later to send more troops to the Philippines a call will be made in time to have the troops reach the island just before the ending of the rainy season, so that a swift campaign can be inaugurated.

The withdrawal of volunteers from the Philippines and the unsettled state of affairs throughout the islands necessitates the exercise of the utmost expedition by the War Department in the dispatch of reinforcements to Otis' small but gallant army. The plans of the department contemplate the sending to the Philippines of all available regular troops not required in the United States. Cuba, Porto Rico or Hawaii. The Grant is booked to sail from San Francisco in a day or two with the Sixteenth Infantry. It was originally intended to send the Nineteenth Infantry to the Philippines on the Sheridan, which vessel has just returned to San Francisco, but this plan has been abandoned owing to the unexpected delay in bringing the regiment back from Porto Rico.

The Nineteenth Infantry was on the transport Meade when that vessel ran aground on a reef just outside of Ponce about two weeks ago, and it is still detained in that country awaiting the repair of the troop ship. Owing to the exigencies of the service it has been found inexpedient to hold the Sheridan at San Francisco for the Nineteenth Infantry, and that vessel will start for Manila on the 7th prox. with about 2000 recruits for various regiments in the Philippines. These recruits are already at San Francisco, and were eventually scheduled, for duty.