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

floOu Duiiulng, AFTER perll0us Journey
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.
l read the number on his star-it was 99-
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, / asked the polite officer. "Why
did you seem surprised when l thanked
you?"
81 beg pardon. but didn't know 1 looked
surprised then. But If / did / guess it 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 ii, handing
women across the crowded streets, keeping
them from being run over by the heavy
trucks or ground to death by the cable
ears?" / asked of No. &c.
well. ma'am. as a 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 hands"
And were the other ladies young and
good looking?" l asked. with just the least
Bit OF sarcasm in my voice. aud 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 a doubtful compliment; or
was II compliment at all? Perh aps merely
a rebuke for my smartness.
/ was going to say something. but hesi-
tated, and while l hesitated this gallant
policeman saved me the agony of making
verbal reply to his thrust OF compliment,
whichever it 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 cur business
exactly"
| was getting the story. / saw, and
asked, What is your business?"
why, It's TO keep the crossing clear for
foot passengers. Pm supposed to stand
out there between the two cable-tracks and
see to II that none of the reckless pedes-
trians get run over"
us il easy work?" / asked.
well. it's not hard manual labor.
ma'am." he said. though can tell you it's
awfully tedious to stand there ali day long.
and there's good deal TO do, too, between
signaling drivers to come on or TO stand
still at the proper times. to check horses
that become unmanageabie, and in fact to
do whole lot of things that must be done
10 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 crossing as little heed
ing or hurrying as though they were on the
sidewalk"
"And for this. they don't thank you?"
Never. Fam, though / save more aeci-
a man he'll probably swear if / hold him
back from rushing under the horses oofs,
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 a
cable car. 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
OF a cable-car on the turntabe had become
tangled up in the harness of a truck team.
There WAS much swearing and running, but,
as / afterward learned, DO broken bones.
And am inclined to think that the latter
was due more to the presence OF No. 90 than
TO any other fact.
He left me hurriedly and sped quickly
into the thick of the crowd. He was cool
and seemed to know what TO do. He cid it in
aquiet kind of way and then walked off 20
guard the crossing.
Then | went on down Market street seek
ing further adventure with these modern
knights of the road in 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 Thrd-street cars tho
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
week.
James O'Conncr Is stationed here regu-
larly. He Is No. 224. | 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.
He said mot at ALL" touched his cap and
was gone Ike 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 M. 224
Now l think that Is a point that should not
be neglected. These polite officers are all
good-lookiDg. No woman who has ever gone
shopping on Market street will deny that.
No. 90 is good-lookipg. His name is Will
liam III. Shearer How do l know? Well,
Ill tell you l 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 ut the Grand Hotel No. 134 is sta
toned. lie has the corner OF 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 a little courtesy he
turned red as fire In the face and touched
his cap and said "Ob, Oh" or something
like that, in most embarrassed manner.
Matt Wilson is No. 13i Mr.. Hall told me.
lie is doubtless man more used to scowls
than politeness. 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 Z.
Burrees.
huUW IL Is quite Tie laSuiOn 10 SueeG at
the police officer. Indeed when l began to
write this l had half notion to fall in to
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,
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 considerable to me. Once
| asked No. II where Dcker street was. He
didn't know himself, but he went into
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