The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-21
MEN WE MEET
ABOUT TOWN.
Peculiar Stories Gathered From
the Street Gossips.
self-Made Men-California and Eastern
Horses-Thought 1t Was Murphy-Took
King Kalakaua's Place.

Senator McComas of Pomona, who is
spending a few days at the Grand Hotel,
preparatory to assisting in the biennial raid
on The State capital, is in all essentials q
self-made man.
81 am often reminded" he said yester-
day, "of my experience in Santa Clara in
the fall of SO, and shall never forget my
feelings as / trudged along the alameda one
day, with my blankets on my back, looking
for work. We were called Tustlers' or
'roustabouts' in those days and no one re-
garded US with suspicion, as there were no
tramps in California then. Over near San
Jose struck old Captain Aaron and be told
me he would give me work digging potatoes.
] remained with him month, slept in the
baru and worked hard in the potato field.
At the end OF thirty days he gave me an
'eight-square slug for my work, which was
valued at $50. With the money thus. earned
! bought mule and bidding my employer
farewell betook myself to the mines"
CALIFORNIA HORSES.
Thomas II. Williams Jr., the well-known
borseman, leaned over the counter of the
Palace Hotel yesterday and discussed in
casual way some of the differences which
exist between Eastern and California horses.
Now, in the East" he said, ''the men
who make practice of betting ON horse
races make favorites of our horses
early in the season, while later in
the season they pin their faith to those
from their own section of the country.
Why? Well, for several reasons. Taken
as rule the California horses under like
conditions are but little superior in speed,
but the mild winters here give us chance
to woIk them early, while the Eastern horses
are still confined to their stables This
gives US decided advantage during the
early months of the season. but in long hot
summer months our horses, unaccustomed
to the climate, are unable to stand the Sc
we're strain. while with the Kentucky horses
1t seems to make but little difference"
THOUGHT IT WAS MURPHY.
The whole word knows the story of Ig-
natlus Donnelly's attempt to prove that
Shakespeare was not Shakespeare at all,
but that he was in reality a retiring gentle
man by the name of Bacon. but to Ike Weir
belongs The peculiar honor of having ell
deavuied to prove that the Bard of Avon is
none other than Billy Murphy, the Austria
liam lightweight pugilist. Passers-by along
keaIny street within the last few DAYS NAV
have noticed conspcuously placed in the
window Of a dry-goods house, portrait of
the immortal author of Hamlet, and while
the name printed beneath is clear, the like
ness Is not, and this perhaps was the cause
OF MIR. Weir's brilliant effort. at any rate
the latter CHANGED to spy it yesterday after
noon, and in an instant lie was all attention.
Approaching the window he eyed il curl
ouSly Tor minute, then turning to his conf
panion with sarcastic smile, he said:
There's that bloke Billy Murphy got
his mug stuck up in the window for the
gang to look at. He's got more nerve, he
has, Than any man livin' and has notion in
his head that he's pretty
Win contemptuous shrug of his shoul
derS he passed on.
A GOOD PEDIGREE.
In the window of Montgomery-str
noney-lender reposes watch that once he
longed TO Hugh Boyd, the painter of animal
portraits. 1t is not much of watch. and
the story connected with it is peculiar. 1t
seems that Boyd was the owner once upon q
time also of skye terrier. choice speci-
men OF his breed, upon which John Garrity
the liveryman. looked with covetous eyes
Now tue latter had In his posses
sion a horse whose pedigree was
OF the best. but whose physical
strength had fallen prey to the renlorse-
less hand OF time. Meeting Boyd. he made
overtures for an exchange of animals. The
trade was made and no boot asked or given.
Boyd Immediately had the pedigree Of his
horse sworn to and to the money-lender he