The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-06-07
ON .FR1sOo's STREETS.
A Glass of Beings That Are LILO
No Other in the World.
Tne Human Our1o Of the Pao1nc-
San Franc1sco's aoOdlums.
Male and rtemale-
Down Kearney
Street.
san Francisco Cor. Chicago News.

ASA~~A~
variably struck by the many strangt
types of character that car be daily
seen on the street. OF course In al
large cities one can see peculiar and
odd-l0oking people any time, pu'
San Francisco can boast . class OF De'
lngs that are like no other IN the
world, and are so peculiarly Califor'
MAN that they could not, 1t is
thought, thrive elsewhere. 1 refer Ia
the ''hoodlum," both male and f.
male. Who that has ever seen one
will ever forget it i? We men from the
east who imaglnes California to be q
bowling wilderness. where men
| dressed in ::red flannel shirts. wore
! their trousers stuffed into the legs OF
| c0whide boots, and carried q small ar.
senal ina belt at their waist, don't
you remember how, in your limo
cence ofthinQa Californian, you asked
what q hoodlum was? And how
disappointed YOU we're when, instead
IF some wild looking animal, an odd
looking human being was shown to
you, eh? I know you will, for /
have been there myself.
But to return to this human curlO
of the Pacific. The most striking
peculiaritv about him Is his dress.
Who act the fashion for him is more
than I can tell, but most likely it was
some lunatic tailor. However, it
suits the 'hood's'' idea Of style, and
this fact ought to be sufficient. The
male is Conspicuous at first glance by
his shirt. which Is made of the gau-
diest imaginable colored patterns,
and an Indian or Southern negro
would give bis all for one of them.
His vest is cut low, and as much of
the shirt front is exposed as possible.
The effect, as may he imagined, is
wonderful. Then his pantaloons;
they are q marvel Of tailOr's skill.
They are made to fit the leg skins
tight, and with a ''spring" at the
bottoms that almost cover q foot as
large "a a medium-sized man. The
coat is also remarkable. Tt is gener-
ally q sack, with pocket flaps cut in
various fanciful designs. and the
whole bound with braid of a loud
pattern all the way from half an inch
to an inch wide. The shoulders are
padded square across, and in repose
the man under the coat looks like he
had been sawed out Of a piece of
wood. The entire outfit is topped off
by a stiff-brimmed hat at one end
and high-heeled boots at
another The hoOdlum in.
variably wears his hair long, and has
it extensively puffed and literally
smeared with oil. He is a victim Of
the cigarette vice, and generally is to
be seen smoking a cigarette and
twirling q swltch-like cane. In
stature the male ia generally tall and
thin, while the female is Just the
reverse-short and stout. The later
il peculiar in the manner of her
dress and style of getting herself up
as is the former. Her dresses are
generally of some bright and snowy,
but cheap, material, made very full
and very short. 80 as to show the
tops of a 81 pair of high-heeled shoes
with tassels and white laces. A loud
hat of a style that it is impossible to
describe covers her head, and her
hair she has banged square across
the forehead to her eyes.
Go down Kearney street, the prin- |
cipal shopping thorouehfare in this |
city, and the hood and his girl can
daily be seen enjoying an airing and
with each other in q
language that sounds foreign at first. |
but which is nothing but q slang
lingo that the class have adopted.
Their stronghold in this citv, how
sver, ia that portion of the city south
If Market street, q thoroughfare
hat fronts the city east and west
rom the water front, and forms a
'ort of dividing line to the northern
md southern portions of the city.
Tar fiat is the name that this part of
he town is designated nv, and there
he hOOdlum a he found in large
numbers. He loafs around the cor
Ter grOggeries, chews tobacco and
Tres stones at unoffending China
men. In elections he runs ward
meetings. and primaries, and when
le has nothing else to do he relieves
he dull monotony by gathering a
ang together and assau'ting police
0en.
Does he work? No, a hoodlum
ever works unless he is compelled
D while serving cut q sentence for
ONE crime. The sole ambition of
oodlum appears to be to get some
lrl to support him, and he makes
MS the object of his life from the
me he is Is or Is years old. The :,
do not seem to think they
ave any Othr mission in lie than to .
Ike care of these men; and they turn :
yer all their energies to them, and !
return receive blows and kicks. ,