Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-27
A BUDGET OF GOSSIP.
MINISTER'S AND DEACoNs CoETEsTING
FOR PICNIC PRIZES.
Churches -Fashions-Making Graduates
Excursion Masks-A Stampede to
the Fishing Grounds-Etc.
San Francisco, May "a, 1880.

every woman has W1de-brlmmed hat and
one Of those light suits it is impossible to
wear as rule throughout a changeable
San Francisco summer. | noticed dress
of serviceable English flannel going pic
ncking the other day. 1t was ecru, and
its trimming was five rows of coarse sewing
silk chain stitched on, each row of diff
fent color. The various Sabbath.school
picnics offer the only opportunity that
some of the poorer children have of get
ting into the real country during the year,
and don't believe that an ordinary child
in San Francisco could refuse the pleasure
of picnic, even though it were certain
poison oak would be the penalty. More
and more, as every year passes, such holi-
days bear resemblance to the celebrations
conducted by foreigners in our midst, like
the Caledonians, the followers of st. An
drew, and those belonging to the British
Benevolent Society. Nearly every picnic
this year has been distinguished by its
games, its foot-races, its tugs of war be-
tween the married and the single, and the
various contests for prizes. One church
excursion was made merry by the
BURLEsQUEs ON PRIZES,
A bottle of anti-fat for fat women's race,
box containing one cigar, and that an
immensely poor one, and so on. Still an
other one-Dr. Stones and Plymouth
Churches at Belmont offered very neat
little prizes, one being a tete-a-tete tea
set, to be competed for only by ministers
and deacons. One couldn't but smile to
see those sober old fellows making their
heels fly over the grass when one remem-
bered how solemnly they hymned the Sun
days away. The tea-set was won by Dea-
con Walter n. Hawley, of the First
Church, and when a bystander remarked
that it must henceforth be hard,care, there
was general laugh, the gentleman being
a well-known hardware man. This church
has long had memorial stone in remem-
berance of Deacon Fred. Hawley, who was
lost so long ago on the ill-fated steamer
Central America. l remember how the
account of her going down with all those
souls on board of her thrilled me with horror
as / heard it when child. Mr.. Hawley'
portrait hangs in the parlors of the church,
also that of A. G. Stiles and of Thomas
W. McCollun, the latter just finished,
both being men too well known in San
Francisco to pass unrecognized. A fourth
is about to be added to the walls-tbe
face of Deacon Lyman Dickerman, man
whom the First Congregational Church pc.
culiarly loved and still mourns. News
from the East has recently reached here OF
the death of Rev. W. B. Ely, for time
junior pastor of this church, and his death
seems
PARTICULARLY SAD,
Since his young wife also died last fall,
and they leave their first baby behind them
to battle along in the world as best it can
without father or mother. Rev. j. E.
Wicks, pastor of Kingsley NJ. E. Church,
Sacramento, preached here on Sunday night,
relieving Rev. A. j. Wells, formerly of that
church, of evening service, Mr.. Wells, whose
mental strength surpasses his physical
power, has been a sufferer with rheumatism
for month past and on last Sabbath morn
ing looked hardly able to pronounce the
benediction after the effort of his sermon.
During the progress of the latter he char
acterized dastardly neutrality as the
enemy of the church, rather than skeptic-
ism, intidelity or unbelief. One of the
largest churches here, though not of his
own denomination, has been attracted by
the reports of his uniformly excellent dis
courses and has desired him to deliver one
from its pulpit, which must be considered
the large slice out of compliment when
one remembers how seldom preacher OF
one kind exchanges with preacher of an
other. A Congregational minister, how
ever, recently preached from Dr. Stebbins'
Unitarian pulpit, and notable Spiritualist
funeral was also held in that church.
READY-MADE CALICO SUITS,
And very pretty ones, come with parasol
and fan to match, and doesn't that seem
putting on now? A lady of experience
tells me that you can "set " any color in
calico by soaking the goods for an hour or
so in tablespoonful Of turpentine and q
pail of water. presume this is old as the
hills, but | never heard it before, and am
irhopes it may be new to some of MY read
ers. The same lady also told me how to
clean lace. Put it i'll magnesia, and let it
lie for some time, or, if badly soiled, rub
the magnesia upon it and hang the lace in
the sun. | have always had good success
with valenclennes by sewing it, care
fully as to patterB, on a piece of
white flannel. | wash both as would an
ordinary piece of cloth, wiring as dry as
can, and iron on the plain side of the fan
mel till the latter is dry. You can scarcely
tell the difference from new lace, though
it will soil much more quickly. They are
wearing such cunning little bonnets now
bonnets for suits. They are quite small,
setting close to the head all round, even at
the top, and are trimmed with fine French
flowers. These are busy days in dress
goods. Here it is two-thirds of May, and
next month is June-general fitting sea-
son. The teachers are talking of an excur-
sion East in a third-class car. | have
always longed to be the daughter of the
Governor of New York or Vermont or
Maryland, or something, and come out to
California on an excursion. | have fire.
quently imagined the airs that should be
at liberty then to put on; what with being
heralded about and stopping at the best
hotels, and wearing dresses made nearer
Paris than San Francisco is.
AN EXCURSION
Left here not long since on DR.. Merritt's
yacht, the Casco, for the South Sea Islands,
expecting to have gala time of from three
to four months. DIR. Merritt is one of the
fattest men and one OF the heartiest laugh.
ers / ever saw. When l was in Yosemite
he CHANGED to be there too, and wore out
two horses two stout little Yosemite
horses-with his weight. When he laughed
among the crags the echoes were as plain
as the shadows in Mirror lake. For year
or two ladies out rusticating have worn
masks as guard against sunburn, and this
ear they are counted in among the regular
preparations, being cut by pattern of cham
ois or black silk, the seam running down
the nose through the middle Of the mask.
OF course the wearers look perfect guys
but so her face is hidden completely no
woman cares what her appearance may be.
Now that the sporting season has begun
there Is stampede toward the fishing.
grounds, and there are comparatively few
OF these within easy reaching distance OF
San Francisco. l have friend who ac-
companies her husband several times dur
ing the year on fishing excursions of a
weeks duration. She can handle the rod
almost with equal dexterity and enjoys the
good time none the less, | can assure you.
They take their own horse and buggy, a
light weight of crackers, cheese, canned
goods, ETC., and depend on the hotels of
byways and on private accommodation for