The morning call., 1892-11-07
THE GALLANT POLICEMAN
AS He Is Viewed by a Lady
News-Gatherer.
SHE SAYS HE is SO POLITE,
And Accommodating and Kind and Brave
and Good Locking, and That His Work
Is Tedious and Thankless.


across crowded Market street.
The policeman who had seen me safely
across raised his cap about an inch from his
head and looked at me with the utmost
surprise.
read the number on his star-it was 9e-
and was about TO pass on, when something
in the mans surprised look and attitude
made me hesitate.
At that instant my newspaper Instinct
returned to me and l thought ''Isn't there a
story here?" Turning the question over in
my mind, l asked the polite officer. why
did you seem surprised when / thanked
you?"
81 beg pardon, but didn't know looked
surprised then. But If l did / guess 1t is
because we are SO seldom thanked for any,
thing we do. At least. ma am, never had
lady say thank you to me for only hand
ing her across the street-that is no lady
before yourself, ma'am."
$50 it's a thankless task, is 1t, handing
women across the crowded streets, keeping
them from being run over by the heavy
trucks or ground to death by the cable
caTs?" ] asked of No. 80.
"Well, ma'am, as n rule 1t is. But then
we don't ask for thanks; we get our sala-
ries; that's enough. But often we get
what we don't want-sharp words and
angry looks-from ladies who imagine we
have neglected them.
''Only this morning an elderly lady rated
me roundly because she lost her rubber in
the mud. Yet 1t wasn't my fault. | had
both hands full at the time and could not
attend to her till l got the other ladies off
my hauds."
''And were the other ladies young and
good looking ?" 1 asked. with just the least
Bit Of sarcasm in my voice, and look which
must have shown plainly that regarded
my question as rather smart
"As young and as good looking as your
self. ma'am," he replied.
Now here was doubtful compliment; or
was it a compliment at all? Perh aps merely
a rebuke for my smartness.
i was going to say something, but hesi-
tated, and while i hesitated this gallant
policeman saved me the agony Of making
verbal reply to his thrust or compliment,
whichever IL was.
'But it's not true. ma'am." he said. "as
the jokemakers in the papers put it. that
We give young and good-looking ladies the
preference when the street Is crowded and
hard TO cross.
'As a rule. don't help anybody across
who does not actually need assistance, be
they young or old. That isn't our business
exactly"
! was getting the story, ] saw. and I
asked, What is your business?
why, It's 10 keep the crossing clear for
foot passengers. I'm supposed to stand
out there between the two cable-tracks and
see to it that none of the reckless pedes-
trians get run over"
rs il easy work ?'' / asked.
well. it's not hard manual labor,
ma'am," he said. though l can tell you It's
awfully tedious to stand there all day long.
a al IN do hot
signaling drivers to come on or to stand
still at the proper times. to check horses
that become unmanageable, and in fact to
do whole lot of things that must be done
to make these busy crossings. at al pass
able. Then. besides. ma'am, the people on
foot. too. must De held in check little or
lots of them would get run over. Some of
them walk across q crossing as little heed
ing or hurrying as though they were on the
sidewalk"
"And for this they don't thank you?"
Never, ma'am, though / save more aeci-
dents in that way than any other. II it's
man he'll probably swear if / hold him
back from rushing under the horses COTS,
and woman will flare up and say, Don't
be too smart and the chances are when l
save her from instant death in front of
cable lear. but l."
just at this instant my gallant police
mans talk vas interrupted by crash at
the foot OF Ellis street, where the rear end
tangled up In the harness of truck team.
There was much swearing and running, but,
as afterward learned, no broken bones.
And am inclined to think that the latter
was due more to the presence of No gotham
10 any other fact.
He left NE hurriedly and sped quickly
into the thick of the crowd. He was cool
and seemed to know what to do. He cid ii in
aQuiet kind of way and then walked off 20
guard the crossing.
I Il
ing further adventure with these modern
knights of the road ia order to complete my
newspaper story.
No. 224 is at Third, Market, Kearny and
Geary streets. His is the busiest corner in
the city. The Geary-street cars cross the
Kearny-street line. the Third-street cars the
Market-street tracks. On each street that
converges at this point there are double
tracks of either horsecars or cable lines.
This is the business center of the city,
You can see more of the world here in an
hour than you can see anywhere else in a
week.
James O'Connor is stationed here recu-
larry. He is No. 224. l took his number
down in my mind while he had my arm in
his hand, and was guiding me safely
through the labyrinths of those busiest Of
all busy thoroughfares. / said Thank
you to him when | was landed safely
under the protecting arms Of the Lolita
fountain.
Ie saiu NOT AT ali, tOucneu MS cap and
was gone Ike a shot, for on the other side
OF kearny street was an elderly lady quite
feeble. 1t would have been as much as her
life was worth for her to have attempted TO
cross unaided by that stalwart and good
looking NJ. 224
be neglected These polite officers are all
good-looking. No woman who has ever gone
shopping on Market street will deny that.
No. 80 is good-lookiDg His name is Will
liam III. Shearer. How do / know? Well,
I'll tell you. | made mental note of all
their numbers. and then before / began to
write L called on Police Clerk Hall and
asked him to give me the names of such
and snch numbers. That's how l became
acquainted with the names.
Down at the Grand Hotel No. 134 is sta
toned. lie has the corner oil New Mont
gomery and Market streets to guard and
keep safe for pedestrians. He is pleasant
looking man, but when / said THANK you"
to him aud made him little courtesy he
turned red as fire in the face and touched
like that. In a most embarrassed manner.
Matt Wilson is No. 134 Mr.. Hall told me.
lie Is doubtless man more used to scowls
than p0iiteness. His is thankless task,
and so is that of his brother officer across
the way at Post and Montgomery streets
His number is 265 and his name John L.
Burrees.
/ know il Is quite the fashion to sneer at
the police officer. Indeed when l began to
write this / had half notion to fall into
the traditional style.
But found I'd have to depart from the
truth in order to do this and ! concluded
not TO do so. The CALL wants the truth, I
know, and. ether things being equal, I'd
rather write the truth than the false.
The policemen of this city have been uni
formly kind and considerate TO me. Once /
asked No. II where Dicker street was. He
didn't know himself. but he went into q
drugstore. got down the city directory and
found 1t for me. 1t proved to be little
alley out in the Mission.
No. IL. should say. is William p. Moore
house. who is stationed at Kearny aud Sul-
ter streets.