The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-06

II.
The first presented 10 my mind is Frank
OSbistOD, possibly because of his unusual
height. which is feet and inches. He
Is an Englishmau by birth, but thoroughly
American in feeling He comes from the
Old Scotch stock of Osbaldistone. and has
Inherited goodly share of the sturdy man
hood and gallanlry of his al cestors. He
IS frank, generous and jolly. aud manages
o get out Of life all the good there is in t.
He was for several years a Cnmstock MIN
Ing superintendent, and is now operating
mine near Idaho Springs, Colo. When
he left Virginia City among his effects was
nearly carload Of dogs, shOtguns and
hshIng-tackle.
Late in the seventies he accepted nomi.
nation for the Stale Srnate on the Repu.
lean ticket in Storey County. To the sur
prise of his friends he was most shock
ingly beaten. All the Irishmen in the
mines opposed him because he was by
birth an EnsliShman, and all the English
principally from Cornwall-voted against
hun because. as they expressed it, lie was
not one OF I'VE uns." He still laughs at
the result, and declares that he received
scarcely votes enough out of poll of 5000
TO entltle him 10 place on the tally
sheets. A friend in financial distress could
always depend urOn Franks helping
hand, but he was iHdiScreet in his benefac-
tons ard seldom received anything in re-
turn. Among the many assisted BY him
was young man who thought a fortune
could be made in raising ducks and
chickens. A capital of three or four hun
dred dollars was all that he required, ana
Frank advanced the money. The hatchery
was established near Reno, with quite a
stock OF fowls, largely composed Of ducks.
a month later Frank received letter from
the young man, whose name was Hogan
asking for a further advance of S25. and
assuring his patron that no more money
would be required. as he had devised a
scheme for curbing the vOracity of his
ducks. Passing through Reno shortly
after, Frank str0lled over TO Hogan's
place and was handed into the chicken
yard by the delighted proprietor. Among
the fowls was variety unknown TO him.
What are these 2" he inquired, point
ing to number of birds of strange as
pect.
Ducks" replied Hogan with chuckle.
Don't you think | know a duck when /
see 1t? They're some sort Of gulls. I've
seen something like them in Pyramid
Lake"
Hogan.
why. you're crazy, mani" exclaimed
owe me against ten-cent piece that thew
are not ducks"
We got the dime and I'll take the bet"
sald hogan wrote to you that had
new racket on ducks, but didn't exnlain
exactly what 1t was. Ducks. Won know
are terrible eaters WITH their scnon'
shaped bills they just shovel the grain into
their mouths and never know when tn
stop. Two Of 'em can eat more iLana
horse. Well, their Internal scooping was
breaking me mp in business. as well a.
starving the chickens TO death. so | lus,
Whitfield their bills down to point and
told 'em TO stop their shoveling and go to
pecking. They were a little awkward
about 1t ut first, but they soon got the hshg
OF II, and the saving in grain is a mighty
big Item. And then again"
There, that Will do" interrupted Frank.
glanclng at the Whitfield bills of the sad.
vlsagrd ducks. shut up your ducks ana
get patent. There's a fortune in il. Bat
you dnn't owe me cent. Your ducks,
bills have settled mine against you"
Osbiston has told this duck story all
over Nevada and Colorado, but it is funny
enough to entitle it TO hearing elsewhere.
George Birdsall, Andrew Peaslv. lack
Perry and Peter Larkin constituted a rough
and ready quartet contributing largely to
the boisterous element of life on tie Com
stock early IN the sixties. They had been
New York hremen. and were prominent in
the organiza ton and management of the
Volunteer Fire Department of Virginia
City. They were also connected at inter.
walls with the Police Department, and as