The morning call., 1891-02-06
MEN ABOUT TOWN.
Short Stories of Interest Gath.
cred at Random.
Sat on a Cake of Ice-A self-Made Man
Senator sprague's Dilemma-Luck vs.
Labor Winter Racing.

travelling man at the BALDWIN yesterday
"that fasting match has been made be-
tween two women in New York. Fired by
the example of Succi, the Italian, they nave
determined to see which can go Tor the
longer time without food, ana a hahosoine
purse will be hung up for the winner.
al was reminded by it Of peculiar matcn
which took place in San Antonio lex, iaSt
summer and OF which l happened to be a
witness. The weather was exceedingly hot
and our principal employment was to keep
cool as possible by artificial means. One
evening during the heated term L
dropped into q beer-salOon kept by Ger
man and found standing at the bar num-
Der OF railroad men discussing the weather
wi IA the proprietor One of the number,
brakeman. was Boosting of his ability to
withstand cold and ended by declaring that
he could sit on cake of ice without incon-
venience.
1.-THE German, who had taken but little
part in the conversation. chmed in with
the assertion that he could Outstay any
man in the city when it came to sitting on
ice.
The argument waxed warm and ended
by each depositing $50 for a match. Two
huge cakes OF ice were produced, on one OF
which the brakeman satdowu with smile,
on the other, with 4 look OF determination.
The latter ordered glass of beer and coOlly
slipped it without word. In about fifteen
minutes the brakeman began TO stir I'M
easily, but his opponent never moved. At
the end of half hour the brakeman arose
and gave up the match, but the German
clung Stoically to his seat. In few mo-
ments, however, he arose, with the declara-
ton that he could hold out all day. SIX
inches OF ice had been melted away, but to
all aDpparAnppS he had not aVpu felt the
cold"
A sELF-MADE MAN.
al. ]. Armstrong, Guatemala" was the
legend inscribed across the face of the regis
ter at the Occidental yesterday.
Il am on my way East, he said, but
will return to Guatemala in few weeks. 1t
is a remarkable country and has great fu-
tuTe before it. Under President BarIllas
they have MADE great progress The latter,
by the way, is a full-blooded Indian, but
man who deserves great credit. From ignor-
ance and poverty he has grown by his own
eXeFtions TO be worth SIG, coo, 900 and to be
President of the republic. Quite number
OF years ago he managed to secure few
acres of lard, which he planted in coffee.
and by hard work and close economy man
aged to gradually increase his holdings. One
day a gentleman who knew he had some
money called on him for loan, Offering
good securitf aud agreeing 10 pay certain
interest. Ignoi ant of even the rudiments
call in friend to figure out the interest Tor
him. lie realized at ONE that he must ac-
quire some knowledge of figures, and ac-
cordingly bought some books and applied
bis leisure moments. He is now among the
best scholars of Guatemala"
THRIFTY PAwN-BRoKERs.
" We hear a great deal of the poor of
London" said Edward Holland of the Com
mercIal Hotel yesterday, " but very few
Ia fC tfF,~ flgu =
the poverty Of the laboring classes even
who fad comparatively steady employment.
very few OF them ever have more than one
days food supply on hand at one time, or
Tor that matter money enough to buy more.
Their way OF living is peculiar.
When the husband arrives at home on
Saturday evening the weeks wages is turned
over to the wife, who Immediately buys
enough food for supper and to last over
Sunday. The balance goes to the pawn
broker and the Sunday clothes are taken
out together with such other articles of
bedding and the like, upon which money
has been borrowed during the week. On
Monday the Uncle is appealed to again,
and Ill that way money is obtained again
for each days supplies until Saturday rolls
around again. Fully half of the poor of
London live in that way year after year,
and the pawn-brokers in large numbers
grow rich at their expense"
AN AWKWARD DILEMMA.
A story comes all the way from Sacra-
mento. which has not yet found its way into
type, and over which the wise sOlons OF the
capital are inwardlY chuckling. Senator
Sprague of Woodland is the hero of the adj
venture In question, but with the mOdesty
Of the true hero he is extremely reticent.
A few evenings ago the youthful Senator
retired to his apartments at the Golden
Eagle and prepared TO rest, donning a
snowy night robe that reached almost 10 the
floor. Before he retired, however, it oc-
CURED 10 him to step into au adjoining room,
occupied by brother Senator, and carefully
peering ont to see that no one was in sight
he stepped briskly into the hail. A draught
swept through his room and blew his
door shut with a bang, the night
latch spriuging into place, and making
MS return impossible. He fastened TO the
room Of his friend, and that, too, was Sc
curely fastened, the inmate not having come
III. As he stood nervOusly summing up the
situation footsteps We're heard at the far
end OF the hail, and a female figure came
into view. The embarrassed Senator beat
nasty retreat, emily to discover another fe-
male hguTe Ubstructlng his line of escape.
Ii was critical moment, but only for an
instant did he hesitate. With an eXclama-
non OF horror he plunged past the affrighted
lady, VINO saw a vision of red WhiSkerS and
flowing white robes flash through the hall,
and, with frantic lunge, he disappeared in
tue direction OF the Bathroom.
With some difficulty he was extrcated
from his place of refuge.
LABOR VERSUS LUCK.
"Of all the members of my family. and
there are number of u.s." said William
Brck!naD, the newly elected Railroad Com
missioner, yesterday, II am the poorest, and
yet my eXertions have been far greater than
those of any Of my brothers.
Strange how things come about he
added musingiy, "and my experience teaches
me that luck makes half the successful men
of the world. Why, when / was a young
man, my father died and left us a small
farm on the outskirts of Chicago, then a
small lake town. We struggled along try
Ing to live, until, becoming discouraged, L
sold out my interest for nominal sum and
started west. My brothers held on and
managed to exc out living from year to
year until they found their farm swallowed
up in the city of Chicago. Wealth came to
them without any exertiOn until they were
millionaires, while worked hard to accumu-
late competence"
WINTER RACING
number of devotees of the turf, among
them Arlle Latham, sat about the fire in
the reading-room OF the Palace last night
and talked horse to their hearts content
Said Mr.. Latham: There is a good deal
OF laise sentiment being wasted over the
question of winter racing. l have given
some little attention to the matter, and | am
Tree TO say that 10 class of animals in the
world are better cared for than are the
horses which are run on the winter courses
They have the entire summer and fall in
which to rest, aud during that time are
turned out in the pastures to run about at
their own will. They are not, of course, as
good a class of horses as appear on the sum
mer tracks, but if any one imagines that
they are crabs or crppies they are badly
mistaken. They must be good horses to
win, and the way they hold up month after
month shows that conciusively. Moreover,
being good horses, it is not reasonable to
suppose that their owners would run them
Il the running injured them. AS said be-
fore, the sentiment bestowed on them is
entirely wasted, and COMES from people who
know nothing about the matter"
THE IRONY OF POLITICS.
Curious things turn up in politics" SAID
j. M. Meredith, ex-County Clerk OF Los
Angeles, at the Palace last night. "A short
time ago | WAS candidate for Federal APP
pontment, and forwarded my application
and Endorsement to Washington. A little