The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-04
MEN WE MEET
ABOUT TOWN.
Short Stories Picked Up in the
Hotel Corridors.
The Heaviest Sheriff on Record-How They
First Met-How Hotel Guests Are Asphyx-
iated-A New Minister.

William E. Happng, Sheriff of Shasta
County, is probably the largest official in
the State of California. He tips the beam
at 800 pounds and looks every pound of it.
Last night he strOiled into the Grand Hotel
with pair of handouts in his hand and the
eevator-boy eyed him suspiciously as he
stepped into the cage. The trip " as made,
however, without accident. When he had
disappeared one of the clerks related his eX-
perience of the Sheriff, which befell the
house not long ago. 1t seems that on the
occasion referred to he arrived in the city
on Sunday and entered hack at the ferry
landing, to be driven to the Grand. On the
way up Market street he was seized with a
sudden illness, so that when the hotel was
reached he was unable TO walk TO compl-
cate matters half of the employees had been
allowed day off, as is usual on Sunday, and
when it became incumbent upon the mana
ger to have MIR. Tapping carried into the
house it was found that the limited force on
duty was scarcely equal to the task. After
the expenditure OF some time and great
deaf of muscular exertion he W as conveyed
to his room.
THE JAPANESE MINISTER.
Coco Tateno, the newly appointed Japan-
csc NJ mister to Washington, is among the
d
rior Intelligence. a fact which impresses
ltSelf at once upon the visitor and he has
the readiness OF all natives of his country.
In conversation he has remarkable COM
mand OF English and speaks French with
equal huency. Having travelled extensively
abroad, he displays thorough knowledge
Oh the affairs oil the world, and of all matters
pertaining TO politics in particular. De-
sSenueo from one Oh the best families of the
empire, he has occupied many positions of
honor under the home Government and
wears q decoration which was conferred
upon him by Victor Emanuel of Italv, He
VIII proceed to Washington in a few days,
nlS ueIay being caused by his wife not yet
having recovered from the Illness caused by
their recent voyage across the Pacific.
MET FOR THE FIRST TIME
One OF the most interesting experiences
oil my life,' remarked an old newspaper
man, who sat in one of the chairs in the cor
ridor OF the Palace Hotel last night "was
on the occasion Of the death of William Gull
len Bryant, the famous poet. For years. as
you know, he was managing editor OF the
New York Evening Post and previous to
his d ath had been employed in a subor-
dinate capacity on that paper. The day fol-
lowing his death | went to his house 10 pay
my respects, and when near the door | met
ThurlOw Weed, then an old man, tottering
on the verge OF the grave. ! accosted him
ana together We entered the house. The
body of the dead poet lay in its casket in
the glass. Mr.. Weed advanced to the side
OF the casket and bending over, while ne
shaded his eyes with one hand, gaZed for
July hive minutes at the dead mans face
Raising his head at last and turning to me
ne SAID: Yes, that is William Cullen Bry-
ant, would have recognized the face from
his portraits
From his rortraits?' / asked. You
knew MIN Intimately, of course?'
Strange as it may SEEM he REPLIED.
We HdNc tulIeQ rival fnr fnrtry
years. located almost within a stnne's throy
o. 9 each other, and have during all the time
ffo psi each other bitterly, but this is the
nrst time IN my life that | ever saw him to
know that it was he.'" W
HOW 1T HAPPENS.
whenever a person is asphyxiated in a
room at hotel i notice that nine times ont
OF ten the newspapers attribute it to the
blowing out OF the gas" said Edward HoI-
land, proprietor of the Commercial Hotel
" Now the fact of the matter is" he added
that that Is very seldom the cause | have
carefully looked into the matter, and | find
that in nearly every instance that has come
under my notice the gas is turned on,