The morning call., 1892-12-12
LIKES THE LIFE.
An Amateur Guardian OF
the Peace.
HOW HE PATROLS HIS BEAT.
Young Warren Peirce's Peculiar rIauia
for Doing Police Duty in the
Silent Watches.

''We see many kinds of cranks and no
end Of strange sights while doing our duty"
said police officer TO CALL reporter
few days ago.
y gu have no idea how the public regard
US; they appear to think we are simply
ornaments and paid to pose on our prinei-
| pal thoroughfares, but they are mistaken
and simply know nothing about il.
1T is while they are asleep that we do
| most OF eur work, but why man should
voluntarily patrol the streets without any
compensation. guarding other peoples
| property. don't understand" continued
the knight Of the club.
In fact, not unlike his prototype in the
Pirates OF Penzance." the life of the San
Francisco policeman is not always happy
| one.
He looks stately and elegant while
| patrolling Kearny street on sunny after
noon, Respondent in a tight-ftting uniform.
brass buttons and glistening star. when
his imposing presence draws an involun-
tary cry of admiration from the small boy,
who enyiously regards him, and a sweet
smile from the boardiD g-schoOl miss he has
just condescendingly assisted to trip over
the street-crossing.
But no one would recognize this much
envied guardian Of the peace on the
morning watch" To say the least. he is
very differently dressed, and this morning
watch, from midnight I'LL O'Clock, is par
| tleuary disagreeable to him.
| 1t may rain and storm, but he is COM
nelled to do his duty just the same as when
venus Is carrying on Irritation with him
large, heavy overcoat covers his rough
navy blue or neglige shirt, while the pro-
truding butt OF his pistol, with his hand
cuffs and club, conveys the idea OF what his
business outfit" is.
At that time he little resembles the beiag
| that the romantic miss silently admires. for
| there Is little romance about hustiing an
! inebFiated pedestrian who has fallen by the
| WaysIde TO the nearest patrOl-b box, and con-
| siderable stern reality in quelling a saloon
row ct the risk Of sustaining sundry contu-
| siOns and other injuries
1t is then, also. that the elusive foOtpad
| begins his nocturnal operations, and the
| safe-cracker salles forth to replenish his
| empty pockets at the expense of some
! worthy merchant.
| The policeman never kicks about doing
| day duty, but the morning watch he breads.
The streets are quiet and but few people
abroad, while he dreams OF home and
| warm ireside.
1t must indeed. be peculiar sort Of fell
low who could fancy such life, yet, strange
| TO say. there is such man in this city.
The police calls him a "crank on the
subject" but that makes little difference 10
| him.
Night after night he patrols certain
district with the measured tread of a vet
eran "cOp," not infreQuently in company
with some officer. who gladly accepts his
| companionShip to while away the weary
| hours until daylight appears.
You never see him about much In the
daytime. IL Is only on the morning
| watch that be gratfies his peculiar mania
His name is Warren Peirce, aud he lives
| at SOP Geary street with his family.
he Is about so years of age and the son OF
! Joseph PIERCE, weIl-known furniture
| dealer in this city in the early DAYS, who
has since retired. the p6ssessOr OF a snug
| fortune.
Indulgent parents crafty young Peirce'S
| every within and they never object to his
nocturnal strolis about the city, knowing
| him TO be safe in the company Of some Do
| liceman.
| Not unliEe the fire horseman, who has 2
| mania for attending every fire. he is a
| familiar figure to the belated pedestrians,
| and there seems to be peculiar affinity
between these two who wander about while
| others sleep.
| For some reason young Peirce has chosen
the district bounded by Market, Larkin,
| California and Geary streets as his particu-
| lar peat and appears very attentive to his
self-impOsed duty of guarding it,
! His dress somewhat resembles that of q
| regular officer and enveloped in n large
| warm Gyercoat of heavy material, he walks
with measured tread along the street. A
| miniature star, pair of handouts, police.
| whistle and small club are his constan.
| companions when he ventures out on hi,
nocturnal hunt after svil-doers.
Despite the chilly night air and the pene-
trating fog. Young Peirce seldom fails to
report to his sergeant" as lie calls the
sergeant of the watch.
Whenever that important official makes
his rounds to ascertain if his suborGinates
are doing their duty on their beats, and 10
take their reports, he Is certain to meet the
amateur hawkshaw
1t Is customary for The sergeant to signal
his men with police whistle, one of whch
is carried by every officer. There is An es-
tablshed code of signals by which thew
communicate, and with these young Pelree
is strongly familiar.
He can at once distinguish the long.
authoritative chip" of the sergeant's
whistle as it sounds on the still night air.
from the more spasmodic ''hsip CALL" ana
knows the required answer of each.
when answering the sergean.'s call
young Pierce proceeds with the methoGicai
regularity OF an ordinary officer to obey the
regulations of the department.
he trst hunts up his superior and then
salutes him in regulation style. Not unfre-
quenty be has report 10 make on his own
account
ElWlth gravity that shows that he apure
ciaies the responsibility ne has assumed he
will call that officials atteu ton to the fact
that two suspicious characters have been
seen III certain locality, or, perhaps that
an arrest has been made under certain cir
cumstanCes.
After delivering his report" he again
salutes in regulation style and resumes his
weary vigil.
On Geary street. near Jones. IL a small
Chinese laundry, fer the owner of which
young Peirce has evinced great friendship.
For some time past a number of young
hoodlTms have made life burden for the
Celestial proprietor Of the place by their
petty depredations, when they carry off
whatever they can get. and otherwise annoy
him.
In consequence the embryo policeman
ZealouSly guards the premises and has so
etfectually inteffered with their amusement
that they have seldom ventured 10 trouble
his Celestial protege of lac.
And for all this the amateur hawkshaw
receives no compensation. and Chief Crow
ley has an extra officer who is not registered
on bis books at his disposal.
Why he INDUCES in his singular mania
no one appears 10 know, ana there must be
peculiar fascination about the life for him.
But should You ask the regular officer on
the beat about Wary" rs he is generally
known among them. he will shrug his shout
ders in deprecatory kind of way and say:
"Oh, he's crank on the subject" ana then
tell You he cannot understand why a man
should lose his sleep unless he is obliged To.
Yet any morning watch" If yon are out
that late, you will see this self-appointet
guardian gliding over his beat like spec
trial shadow through the fog.
He Is always on dG'y.