The morning call., 1890-12-12
MEN ABOUT TOWN.
Odd Notes Gathered at Random
Here and There.
Japanese Book-Buyers-Enelish Birds In Aus
tralia-kmmunition Wanted-A Country
Editors Views

1b Dc VI iulttCSt W LIE pQUlC W
know" said a Montgomery-street book
dealer yesterday, that ia proportion to their
number the Japanese buy better class of
books and more of them than any Of the
different nationa!ities of our foreign citi-
zens. History and political economy are the
two subjects which command their principal
attention, and Draper, Mill. Smith, Buenle,
Hume. Bancroft and Guizot are their favor
lite authors. They are as a rule liberal buy
ers in the way of prices and want only the
best. In fiction they invest also to quite an
extent and read most Of all Dickens and
Thackeray."
FROM FAR AUSTRALIA.
Captain J. L. Merry. who has recently
returned from Australia, where he spent
several months, is at the Commercial Hotel.
One thing. he says, that attracted his par
ticular attention while Ia the colonies, is the
unusual number of English song birds which
are to be found in the fields.
'Of course the population is largely made
up of emigFants from England, who still
cling to the memories of the tight little isle,'
and the consequence is that they have i'm
ported hundreds of skyiarks and fnches
from home. you know in order to remind
them of the past. The birds have thrived
and increased until the country literally
swarms with them, and the air in the MORN
ing Is resonant with their songs
AMMUNITION WANTED.
Colonel Perry Kewen, Assistant Adjutant-
General of the State, who is spending few
days at the Occidental, spoke last night in a
tone of complaint of the niggardly policy of
the Government in supplying the National
Guard with ammunition.
NOW, in California, for instance" he
said, leach member of the Guard is allowed
but twenty rounds year for target practice.
and that of quality that is scarcely fit for
use. In fact many Of the men refuse to use
it at all, preferring to buy their own. Now,
contrast this with Switzerland, whose Gov
ernment compels each male adult to fire 400
rounds q year, which is furnished at the
public expense. The consequence is that
their soldiers are the superior of any i'll the
way of craftsmanship, and every man in the
republic is familiar with the handling Of a
gun"
IRREGULARITIES OF LETTERS.
did it ever occur to you to notice the Pc
culiar features of the way old letters &C
cumulate in the boxes at hotel?" asked Lie
Grand Rucker, the night clerk at the Grand,
Of CALL reporter. Just glance your eye
ued, "and see how some boxes are nearly or
quite empty, while others are full TO over
flowing. You will find that the DO xes
labeled b. NJ. IS and wv contain
UlUT6 ltlttIS tudu ali luc OtlleTS omDIueu,
while a and 'O are almost empty. You
will find the same popularity in the names
composing the lists of guests in the house.
This simply means that the tour letters first
mentiontd form the initials of more people
than any others of the alphabet while COM
paratively few names tegin with A OF ..
This, have found, Is all almost invariaDle
rule"
WENT INTO sECLUsIoN.
Another newspaper man has turned up
with sad heart. caused by the careless
work OF the exchange editors busy shears
Not many moons ago. so runs the tale, the
paper Tor whose utteranceS he was partly
responsible published a somewhat extended
narrative of the eScapades of a young man
about town. The young man committed a
violent personal assault on the enterprising
journalist, which neceSsitated the latter's
retirement into temporary seclusion. A
short time ago another chapter was added
to the romance by New York paper, and
the news sharp who yields the scissors, ig-
norant or unmindiul of the previous results.
gathered It IN and gave it once more to the
San Francisco public. When the mistake
was discovered, too late to rectify it, even
the Office cat grew pale with fear, and nearly
week elapsed before the accustomed equa-
nimity Of the heads of departments was re-
stored.
TOOK HIM IN.
Eyerybody-or nearly everybody, at least
knows George Walker, and knows. too, that
as dispenser of liquid refreshments he
knows a thing or two. George entertained
similar opinion until a few days ago, but
his old-time confidence in himself has been
shaken. 1t happened in this wise: Two
gentlemen, both relics, evidently, of better
days, stroiied in upon him last week, and,
as they entered, one said to the other:
Have drink, biil?"
No, l thank you. Swore off yesterday. 4"
"Well, wait for me-" and with that the
speaker deposited dime on the counter
A moment later his glass was trimming
full. With gulp half of it disappeared.
He paused, set down his glass, and with a
very WY face, remarked that there was
something wrong The genial bartender
failed to see the point until the fault-finder
called TO his companion TO give his opinion.
| The shabby genteel gentleman, No. 2,
| sInilingly tossed of the remainder of the
contents, smacked his lips. and walked out
followed by his companion. A moment
later the bartender realized that he had
| been taken in.
COUNTRY NEWSPAPERS.
S. L. Hanscomb, the Fighting editor"
| of Modesto, sat by the fire at the Grand last
night, and discussed the result of the late
| campaign in California.
1t only convinces me-" he said, "that
the country newspapers exert a wider influ-
ence than do the great city da,ies-that is,
| OF course, In the aggregate. The former are
read by class of people who pay the clos
est attention to what they read and who
| peruse every line in the county paper to
which they subscribe. The vast improve
ment made in the ap, earance and contents
| OF the country papers in the last few years
| Is guaranty of their prosperity, and that
means, OF course larger subscription lists
and, consequently, wider influence