The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-20
QUITE CATCHING.
An Ennocent-Looking Trap
With a Surprise.
1T PULLS THE PEOPLES HAIR.
An Iron Railing That Has Fun With
Folks at kearny and WASH
ington Streets.

II Chinese with long queues. young ladies
with long braids and dogs with long tails
wish to be spared both pain and humiliation
they must keep away from the northeast
corner of Kearny and Washington streets.
a trap is set there, and IL catches more vic
tins in day than the glib soap-vcnder who
pretends to put greenbacks into his package.
IL IS neat iron railing around base
ment stairway, and was intended to be q
safeguard TO pedestrians as well as an orna-
ment to the premises 1t is certainly orDa-
mental, and it has saved many a poor in
ebrlate from dangerous tumble, but for
every service 1t renders at night IL works q
deal of deviltry among the unwary in broad
daylight.
The architect of the building on the cor
ner was not satisfied with a plain iron rail-
ing. Such a one would not be handsome
enough for the building behind it. So some
pretty little iron scrolls were placed be-
tween the upper and lower rails. The
volutions at the point Of contact with the
upper rail form an acute angle. When any
object strikes the curve of scroll ii glidoS
naturally into the angle and there 1t sticks.
III 1t misses one trap IL runs the gauntlet
OF hail dozen and is pretty certain to catch
in one of them.
slight tug or jerk only serves to tighten
chance to DO silken knot at the end of the
MoDgolian's queue, a ribbon on the young
lady's braid Or a cookie burr in the dogs tail
jerk follows that raises the pagan's
scalp, loOsens the maiden's switch, or I'M
couples the dogs appendage.
These are the principal victims. but occa-
sionally an outsider gets mixed up in the
plot.
Yesterday Chinese dude. attired In yell
low silk trousers with draw string at the
ann ctrt ~ lna al ttaA ApFx
Washington street toward the POstoffiee.
AT the corner Of kearny he overlook a
dough-faced messenger-boy who was ani-
bling III the same direction and playing THE
Bogie Man" on harmoniea.
The boy stopped playing and commenced
studying some means of annoying the Chi
nese without taking any risks. AS the
Monaghan passed the boy he suspected
some trick, and as he eyed the Mercury
askance he unconscously reached behind
him TO get his queue out OF reach.
Too late. twas already Slipping through
an iron angs and the next instant the
knotted silk az the end caught fast
The Mongolian's head went back with
jerk that nearly diSiocaied his neck and the
boy laughed.
The Chinese held the messenger response
bic for the trouble and acted accordingly.
Before the boy could realize the situation
the Mongolisn had punched his dough face
Until II resembled rump roast.
Finally they elinehed and the boy went
down, but when his antagonist tried 70 fall
on top there was another terrible jerk that
fairly raised his shaver scalp. Then he
thought another boy had come 10 the assist
anee OF his nrst termentor.
lie whirled about to pursue the one that
lad executed the flank movement and saw
the cause OF the trouble. The little iron
trap still held the queue
de looked at the railing, then at the
bluhbering boy who was standing ACROSS
the street wondering how he was going to
recover his harmOnica without getting in
reach Of his Rssailant again.
The indignation had faded from the face
of the Chinese, but he was not entirely
Modified. He unfastened his queue and
strobe eff down the street.
The boy wiped his ewes and nose on his
coat sleeve. walked meditatiyely across the
street. picked up his harmonica, and, after
blowing the dirt out Of ii, commenced look
Ing for a cobblestnne with the intent Of
evening ND matters on thenext Chinese that
appeared.
Not day passes that the trap does not
calm one or two victims. Oftenest il is a
chinese whose long queue swinging with
every stride is almost certain to become
entaDgled In one OF the half.d0zpn scrolls.
Occasionally 4 surprised "Oh I" I'm feml-
nine voice announces that the ribbon has
been Snatched from some young wOman's
breid. Once in awhile the corner of an
oyercoat catches and whirls the wearer
around, ladies' cioaks leave their trimmings
there and busby dogs leave punches of hair
sticking in the scrolls