The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-26

plainlngly; but if | could only gather
strength enough TO get along without a
nurse / could get down to the New House,
where these imps and demons would not
haunt me forever" he said.
IF Won have 10 stay here long do every
thing they ask you to do-work at anything.
get along anyway; but don't let them send
you up here
A proper classification of the inmates of
the poorhouse would obviste much misery
and suffering. but with the present accom-
m0datiOns this Is impossible.
And the incurables are not TT subjects for
an Almshouse; or if they are they should
be housed separately.
Most of all the Almshouse needs build
ing for incurables.
Tuesday morning they killed steer at
the AlmshouSe stOckyard, and all that day
heard ironcal remarks of the "loDe beef
We'll be gettin' now"
l tried to fnd out whether any OF the
meat from that animal went into the pau
per's dining-room. but failed.
At II o'clock the gong struck for dinner.
The line had been forming since 10 O'Clock.
By the way. waiting for the sound of the
mess gong is the chief occupation Of most
Of the inmates Of the Almshouse.
None of them have watches aud every
one of them IS eternally asking some one
else v hat time It is.
l soon learned that the way to keep on
friendly terms with my fellow paupers was
TO be always posted on the time.
What time is it?'
"Half-past g."
SIS that ali? An hour and half yet to
dinner"
participated in conversation like that a
hundred times if once while was a Dauper.
We had boiled beef for dinner this day,
half pound for each man, bnt whether it
came from the steer killed that morning or
whether It was from some antiQuated COW
no pauper that l came in contact with was
| able 10 tell.
| The half pound I had was well roasted
| and entirely capable of masticatiOn. It was
| not pOrterhouse. l could swear TO that
| but then they don't roast pOrterhouse and
| bTolled steak is not on the Almshouse menu.
! Two potatoes went with every chunk Of
meat Those issued to me were well cooked.
/ and | am not so certain but what they
| tasted just as we'll TO the other paupers for
being laid on the bare table with their Jack
cts on instead of being served in separate
dish.
Personally 1 could not detect different
flavor in them from this cause. and ! had
become almost used TO the things which
| took away my appetite at the preceding
| supper and breakfast.
The man next to me called for and re-
| ceived second ration of potatoes. and the
| pauper who dlned opposite eat what / left
Of my one-seventh Of unbuttered bread.
Ny second dinner at the AlmshUuse con-
sisted of roast mutton chiefly, and so far al
| was judge it was wholesome and palat-
| able. And the plates of the seventy or
eighty paupers who eat with Inc were clean
to the bones and potato parngs when the
| meal was over.
ner. 1t was good. Here | am on more
| certain ground, for l like SOUP. This was
| good and none was left in nv dish
Once week corn beef is served for din
ner instead Of fresh beef or mutton, and
every Friday Goldfish or some other bloodless
aquatic animal is the main staple Of the
midday meal
Tuesday tobacco rations were served. 1t
was not Turkish tobacco, but 1 doubt very
much If these old men would be satisfied
with so mild poison.
| 1t was plug tobacco, black and hard, good
for chewing aud smoking and Of size per
/ pauper that ought TO last man more than
three days, ami there are two rations a
| week.
Those who work are allowed more to-
! baccO If they want it-and most of them
| do. The men who work are entitled to
| coffee that is stronger than the idlers get.
! ana there seemed to me to be justice 10
this. for mars work argues his strength,
| and strong man needs stronger drink
than man who Is chronieally weak.
After dinner | went back 10 Last Chance
to get further view OF the beautiful seem
erv from this point.
Six hundred feet below In A narrow
canyon lies Lake Honda almost at your
| very teet, when you stand on the brink OF
the Last Chance hill
Green hills that are almost perpendicular,
and thick forests Of gum trees that grow at
an alarmlngly acute angle wall in the
| peaceful waters OF the laguna, and the
| Spring Valley pumping works are % hidden
| by the foliage that they do not mar the
| beauty OF the landscape unless one peers
into the details.
Sutro's elysium rises from the foot OF
TINS canyon 10 almost the brows of Twin
| Peaks. There are shady dels and silYery
| brooklets here. and the earth is covered
with velvety green til al is very inviting.
Last Chance Is fortunate in its magnif-
cent scenery and beautiful attitudes. As L
was passing out through the wicket-gate
Mrs. Weaver, the matrOn and superin tend
ents wife, came in. She spoke very kindly
| when l raised my hlt to her.
she asked me how | came to be In the
| Almsh0use. and L was glad enough that she
| did not press the point. for | was fearful of
cOntradlctIng the extempOre tale of VOC |
had already poured into the superintend-
| ents ears.
l did say that had been sick and in hard
luck.
She said she Hoped the pure air and bright
| sun would do ME good and asked ME
whether | was comfortable.
"As comfortable as | could expect in
| such place, | answered.
She asked me If | cared to read, and when
l said "YeS" she told me she would leave
some books for me in the Office.
She said that a good many people were
unfortunate In this world and that ought
to keep up my courage and get we'll soon.i
She said some other things like this and
said them all in cheerful, kindly way that
was more mothefly than patrouiZing.
! l learned afteTward that the patients at
Last Chance and the New House look for
ward 10 her daily visits as to a ray of SUM-
SHINE. She has a friendly hand and a
| kindly word for all the sick men, and no
man has disease so unpleasant as to keep
her from coming to his bedside every day
| and giving him word OF cheer.
The patients themselves told me this. and
her treatment OF me inclined me TO give
ready credence TO all such stories.
During my stay at the Aimshouse never
heard an inmate speak of Mrs. Weaver
other than in words OF the greatest respect
ana many chance encomiums were show.
cred upon her in my hearing at the New
House and Last Chance.
Thursday morning met TiIlson, the head
nurse of the New House. who is accused oil
| crueltles.
found him In the chicken-house. said