davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The morning call., 1893-05-07
THE RAZoR-BACK HOG.
Down on Fishing Bay Where They
Live on Muskrats.


'If you would see the raZor-back hog in
his paradise" said a Maryander, ''go down
among the Illustrating villages along Pa
tuxent River and the border OF Fishing
Bay. The muskratters are tattered and
unkempt race of beings. and they slaughter
not less than 100000 muskrats every win
ter and spring, trade in the skins of these
animals being Their only visible means of
support, They live In rude cabins on the
marshes, and the extraordinary number of
tn cir children is equaled almost by the
umber of raZOr-back hogs of particularly
sharp and promlDent-> Dined species. This
nondescript member of the pOrcine family
has an important duty to perform in these
unique settlements, and lie does it untir-
ingly and with undisGuised pleasure. This
duty is the making away with the hundreds
of surplus muskrat carcasses that accumu-
late about tile huts of the trappers and
hunters. for although the flesh Of the musk
rat is an important article of food with the
muskratters and their families, they neces-
sarily gather great deal more Of it than
they can consume themselves, and so the
razor-back comes to them and uses up the
surplus. As TO the matter Of this not over
particular class of people making food of
the muskrat though, they are only making
a common diet of what many high-up folks
with a cultivated palate, down in that land
of terrapin and canyasback duck, consider
=
''These raZoT-back hogs grunt and snort
and sQueal around those Illustrating huts
by the score, and seem TO be nobody's pror-
erty any more than The buZZards are. A re-
markable thing about them is thar. although
they devour untold pounds Of fet and juicy
muskrat meat every day. they never show
the richness and generosity of their keeping
by adding single pound of flesh to their
attenuated bodies.
'Lawdd,' said an old darky muskratter to
me once. 'yo' can't fat one o dem raz' back
n mo- n yo' kin a eel rack. SAM
They have another kind OF livestock
down there that seems to be indigenous and
peculiar to that queer region. This is an
animal called the marsh COW. 1t is dwarf
ish, tan gie-haired and scrawny. 1t has
long, crooked horns. wrinkled like me-
rino rams. During the summer these cattle
find good pasturage on the lowlands. but
they are so wild that when they are wanted
by the trappers they have to be rounded up
and corTaed. Sometimes late in the fall
they leave the l0wlands and take TO The
wooded uplands and will not appear again
unless very cold weather drives them back
to the villages for such shelter as the musk
ratters see fit TO give them"
The morning call., 1893-05-07

Murphy, he Of the white beard and white
apron, announced breakfast for the first
mess. 1t ought 10 have been hard tack and
smoked horse and such like, that breakfast
on shipboard. But it wasn't Oatmeal mush
and fresh cream, porterhouse steak aud
new potatoes. fresh bread and hot rolls and
biscuits, with Mocha coffee, was the MENU
1t was disappointment to one who had
prepared his stomach for q sailors break
fast One couldn't have done worse in the
best restaurant in town. And after break
fast the mate smoked meerschaum pipe,
1t was o'clock when the Oceanic wharf
was made again. There stood Captain Haw-
lev-and that his team was hitched at the
other end of the wharf, you knew from the
drivin g-gloyes he wore; there stood Captain
,Hawley waving his hand for the Fearless TO
keep oD. and calling out to Captain Haskell
to tow the Frederick Billings out into the
stream.
She was moored at Folsom wharf .. and
her captain was not little SURPRISED when
the Fearless hove in sight and Captain Has
kell asked FOR line.
81 thought you wouldn't get here till
O'clock" said Captain Meady, ''and here it's
only s. There isn't man aboard besides
myself and the mate and steward
But the Fearless was made fast just the
The morning call., 1893-05-07
MARK TWAIN'S BOOK.
A Sick Man Angry at a Nurse Who
Read II and Did Not Laugh.

The father of Mrs. Anna Jansen of this
city is an invalid whose malady has made
him very peevlsh. He has been bedridden
for many months and when everything
does not move along TO suit him he makes
his dispeasure known in a manner that
cannot be misunderstood. His wife and
daughter, who minister TO his every want,
do all they eau to keep him even tempered,
but they are not always successful. "Why,"
said the young lady few days since,
father is so unreasonable at times that he
would scold if an angel waited on him."
Not long since the mother and daughter
had an unusually hard siege of night watch
ing with the invalid. Both were tired out
and in need of rest. The daughter asked
young man. a friend Of the family, if he
would not watch with the sick man for six
hours from midnight. He readily con-
sented. and when he came to enter upon
the discharge of his duty for the morning,
Mrs. Jansen was very careful in her in
structions. Now. l will add,'' continued
the lady, THAT father is very irritable. so
you Will have to he very quiet while in the
room, only speak 70 him when he speaks 10
you, and do not disturb him If he should be
asleep when it is time for him to take his
medicine"
Mrs. Jansen was about to retire when an
idea entered her mind. Maybe" said she.
is Mark Twain's 'R9ughlng It. it will
amuse you, but under n o consideration laugh
while you are reading, for if you do father
will think you are laughing at him and there
will be scene which might be unpleasant"
The young man discharged Ills duties as
he supposed in a most acceptable manner,
Notwithstanding that when he took his leave
the sick man thanked him very curtly.
When Mrs. Jansen paid her morning visit
to her father she found him in unusually
bad humor In answer to a question the
irascible old gentleman blurted out, "See
here, Emma, don't you ever send that mum
skull to watch with me again"
why. father, what Is the matter with
him? Was he not attentive to you? Did he
not give you your medicine? Did he fall
asleep?'
mo, no. 40 but I was awake for two
hours and l watched him reading Mark
Twain's book all that time and
why father" in'erposed Mrs. Jansen.
II gave him that book to occupy his time
when he was not waiting on you"
"Yes, that's all right" said the invalid
angrily, but that fool sat there for two NOR
tai hours reading that book and never
smiled once"
The old gentleman was tranquilllzed when
Informed that the young man had only fol-
lowed orders.
The morning call., 1893-05-07
ALL BEFORE NINE.
Life on a Towboat in the
Early Morn.
ONE TRIP OF THE FEARLESS.
Half Days Work Done Before Busi-
ness in the City Is Fairly
Commenced.

Along the water front things had been
dull. misty gray all night, for the moon was
hidden most of the time by fieecy clouds.
Now the spars and masts and huls and
ropes were turning from misty gray 10
misty white. 1t was nearly o'clock in the
morning, and as a single figure crossed Fol-
som street and made its way toward the
Oceanic dock, the clouded moon was just
discernible above tue roofs of the East
street saloons.
Back of the gray hills behind Oakland the
grayness was commencing to be tinged with
red and purple.
When the single figure had reached the
very end of the deserted Oceanic dock, a
voice called out, "Ah0y, therep' and a
white-aprODed man with white beard anG
a pleasantly gruff voice opened the galley
door OF the tug Fearless and peered through
the white mists inQuiringly.
"Oh, yCu are CALL reporter" he finally
said. well. come aboard We'll be off in a
minute"
Already the big smokestack was beichng
forth volumes OF lnky blackness and there
was some one stirring in the captains quar-
terS overhead.
Presently blue figure. wearing what
sailors call 'lamy," walked from the
cabin to the pilot-house.
Then wel-dressed man looking more
ike merchant OF lawyer than the captain
OF crack tugboat emerged from the cabin
and walked to the shining brass railing.
Then voice said:
Cast her off,"
moment later the Fearless was well out
IN the stream and heading for the seawall.
In ten minutes she passed the Commodore
ol San francisco, lying at the foot of Wash
ington street.
Captain Haskell was on the main deck
now. The plst had gone out of the white
The morning call., 1893-05-07

ness and it was daylight. The Oakland
hills were ablaze with flames OF various
shades of red.
The captains whistle sounded. Port,
Joe, he said. and in moment or two the
Fearless had turned and was retracing her
track. This time she went quite close 10
the black and gray hull of the Commod ore
Take this line" said the captain of the
tug in an ordinary business-llke tone, aud
as be said it one of the men threw high
coil of light rope, that ought TO have been
caught by the able seamen of the ship Com
modore. But it wasn't. The rope fell in
the water. 1t was hauled in, and recoiled
and retossed. 1t was remissed, too, and
this caused Captain Haskell to remark au-
dlbiy that "lt is only a rope; don't be afraid
And TINS encouraged the Commodore's
able seamen did eventually catch the coil.
On the end Of it was a three-inch aawser.
This was made fast to the stern of the
Commodore, while similar rope was passed
from the bow of the Fearless TO the bow Of
the ship.
The whistle sounded again. The tugs
propeller churned the sea iata white tassa-
once more. and In an instant the big three
masiad ship. in ballast TO tie Sound and
standing high out of water, began to glide
out backward into the stream.
Steady, joe" said the captain. Run
inside Of that British bark.
Steady" said Joe. as he moved the
hAlGCA thAto bJtHAS " oldl BUdIU duu kept III
there till the British bark was passed aud
tile road lay almost straight through tie
Golden Gate and ont 10 sea. Now the stem
hawser was cast off and the big Commodore
took her proper place. hundred feet or
more behind the Fearless
Come inside and get a cup OF coffee"
said the steward, and, one after another, as
each could be spared from the c0iling of big
and little ropes and the work of getting
things In shipslape generally, all hands par
took Of prema'ulinal draw one" The
captain had his coffee served to him on deck
and between sips he gave orders.
The sun was three feet above the Oak
land hills now and tile morning was a per
feet one. The air was soft and cenr and
every feature in the wonderful marins view
that opens out when Black Point is rounded
was strlkingly sharp and clear. 1t was 6
o'clock.
Two able seamen kept on coilng the hemp
aud wire hawsers on the forward deck
Two other able seamen were splicing two
tOuT-lnch hawsers In front of the port gal
The morning call., 1893-05-07

same, and the mate of the Billings was sent
ashore to get help. lie returned presently
with half dozen 'longshoremen, and the
hawsers were duly and tightly made fast
Fifteen minutes later, the Billings, big,
cOpper-lined. full-riGged ship from New
York, was being towed out in the stream
When the right place was reached Captain
Haskell blew his whistle.
Get your anchor ready" said Captain
Meady.
Get your anchor ready" echoed the
mate"
Let co." said Captain HASKELL.
PUNK! splash! down went the anchor
and there was horrible grating sound as
The anch0r-chaln was played out.
Shell take about thirty fathoms here"
said Captain Haskell to Captain Meady
Give her thirty faihOms," called out Cap
tain Meady.
Give her thirty fathoms." echoed the
first mate.
Aye. aye, sirl' came the chorus from
the lUngShore sailors
Then the Fearless steamed back to the
Oceanic dock and her mornings work was
over,
The morning call., 1893-05-07
THE AMETHYST.
1t Is Sacred, Found in North Carolina
and Most Brilliant in Sunlight.

The Minerals.
Although esteemed as a gem it is, unlike
most gems, more brilliant by sunlight than
gaslght. The most beautiful specimens
are brought from Brazil, Ceylon, Siberia,
India and various parts of Europe. 1t is
found also in North Carolina, Mount Hol-
yoke and Nova Scotia. The shores Of the
picturesque Basin of Minas, made famous
by Longfellow's poem, "Evangeline," fur
nish many fine specimens of this beautiful
stone.
After the frosts Of winter have broken and
scaled the face of the bluffs, then is the most
favorable time to hunt, not only for the
amethyst, but for other minerals, such as
chacedOuy. agate. malachlte, calcite, anol-
cine apatite, natr0lte, etc, found there in
the debris at the foot of the cliffs.
1t is said that Cape BlOmidon amethyst
is in the crown of France, and that 375
wears ago Sieur de Monrs carried several
large amethystS from one of tha large
islands in the basin to Henry " of France.
geodes or after n fresh fall of traproek.
The oriental amethyst is really a violet
colored sapphire. which is an exceedingly
rare gem and of brilliant luster 1t is re-
garded as a sacred stone, and is used 10
ornament the cross and pc toral ring of
Catholic Bishops. The ancients often used
the amethyst for cutting figures, both in re-
lief and in intagiC, and there is in the Ma
tional Library of France delicately
wrought profile Of MRcenas, Roman
statesman of Octavius' time, engraved on
AMETHYST BY Dioscor!des, one of the four
cele brated enErayers mentioned by Pliny.
The morning call., 1893-05-07

royalty and for high altars of chapels and
cathedrals were rich In design aud IN
cOlors almost beyond description. No
less grand were those wrought fop
less prominent gious houses, aud
princely homes were usually thus adorned.
And, as the story goes. 'n bowers OF ladies
fayre aud upon gently swaying green wards
these costly breadths of matchless tints
served a goodlie purpose for the steppings
of noble DANES and teGder-footed maydens"
1t was like a poem and picture, says one
writer, 10 view the celebrated Baldnk car
pets, inwrought with gold and silver threads.
and so brillan and exquisite of tint as to
serve as canOpies stretched upon poles to
shield the royal presence. Their glttering
sheen, their shifting lights, as sunshine and
breeze played over them, created a mosaic
of rare beauty; still further were they
utilized by being laid under couches at
banOuets
The morning call., 1893-05-07

ley door and casting hungry eyes at the
d0ings Of the steward inside, who was get
ting breakfast ready.
Engineer Leonards had lit his second pipe
load and was leaning against the doorpost
of the engine-room.
The man with his shirt outside his
trousers was still at the wheel He is Mate
Tewrin. but is better known as Joe"
They say that once he made voyage to the
Cannibal Islands of the South Seas and
that ever since he has worn that ''lamy."
He is now looking out to sea and smiling
unconsciously at the beautiful scene be-
fore him.
Every body on board the tug is smiling and
CHEEKY. They could not be otherwise with
the sun shining so brightly and the air so
balmy and rareied as it was this morning.
The few sober men on the Commodore
now began TO climb up into the rigging and
soon a sail hero and there was lOosened and
ready to be uniurIed to the gentle north
wind that blew down over Marin's green
bills as soon rs the omen sea was reached.
''She won't get all her canvass out for a
day or two yet" explained the engineer,
"f0r her crew are mostly drunk and the few
sober men couldn't handle her under full
canvas"
When Fort Point was passed the sea
began to swell. and when the edge of the
Potato Patch was reached there were great
moving mountains and valleys in the water,
but no white caps. The great swell seemed
ineXpllcable on such calm morning when
the bay had been like sheet of glass.
Its the strong ebb tide that does It,"
said the mate. This amt rough at ALL"
he added, and then, as he stepped out of
the pilot-house, he made desperate clutch
at the railing TO keep from falling overheard
and 10 emphasize his statement that 1t
wasn't rough.
When Point Lobos and Point Bonita be-
gan to look like little gray specks and the
ocean had breadened out till it looked as
though all The world were water. the Com
modore cast off the hawser. the Fearless
turned, whstleG parting salute to It's late
tow. and then steamed back through the
gate and down to the busy, buzzing city that
was now thoroughly awake.
AS Point Bonita was repassed, Steward
The morning call., 1893-05-07
CITY HALL COMMISSION.
Sheriff McDade Secures an Addition
20 His Quarters.

At a meeting of the City Hall Commits
sIoners yesterday resolution was adopted
giving the front rooms on the west side of
the first floor in the northeast wing to the
Board of Health. The rooms now occupied
by the Board of Health were assigned for
the use and occupation of the Sheriff
Architect Shea was Instructed to draw up
plans and specifications for refitting the
Board of Health rooms for the Sheriff
Commissioner Broderlck favored remoy-
ing the license Office from its present loca-
tion to the northeast wing. in order that it
could be nearer the treasury Office, as con-
siderable money is trans ferred each day.
But Commissioners Ellert and Creswell
thought it was better to move the Board Of
Health to the nor beast wing.
A resolution TO paint the metal roofing of
the new City Hall, as suggested by Archi-
tect Shea, was deferred for one month.
\ communication from Judge a. A. San.
derson, asking that tho rooms now occupied
by the Free Library be assigned to him as
courtroom, was placed on file
Tie following progress estimates were or
dered paid: f. Williams, S7931 &c: O'Con-
nell e Lewis, $3.50; L. & E. Emanuel,
1851 IS; w. Shook & Sons, 1851 %. To-
tai, SI4, $40 70.
The morning call., 1893-05-07
WANT STRAIGHT NUMBERS.
Sunnyside Residents Petition for a
Systematic Method.

The Lakeview and Sunnvside Improve
ment Company sent q petition to the Board
of Supervisors yesterday asking that the
streets of the district be properly num-
bered. The numbers now are so indiscrim-
inately scattered, without any regard to Sc
quence, that the residents and visitors are
greatly Inconvenience. The company asks
that on the avenues running east and west
III the Sunnyside Tract 100 numbers be al
lotted to each block. between the streets,
commencing at the eaSterly extremity of
said avenues; the even numbers to De on
the right side of the avenues and the odd
numbers The left; that on the streets
running north and south fifty numbers be
allotted to each block between the avenues,
the numbers commencing at the southerly
end OF each street. the odd numbers TO be
on the left and the even numbers on the
right side going north; that for each twenty
fiye feet frontage on each side of each of
the blocks on streets or avenues number
shall be given, and as many numbers from
the 100 allotted to each of the avenue blocks
and fifty allotted to each OF the street blocks
may be used as necessary, depending on
The frontoge of each block on avenues and
streets.
The morning call., 1893-05-07
FACTS ABOUT PIANOS.
Five Millions in This Country and
the Uprights Have the Call.
Pittsbnrg DIspatrh


Where do the old pianos 20 when tbey die /?
New York is the greatast piano producing
capital OF the world. Its greet piano firms
are numbered by dozens. They practically
control all the concert business. They have
sprinkled the middle portion of the town
with great warehouses.
Five million pianos in the country. an
expert tells me. Ten million people who
can i'pay a little" A few hundred who
play great deal
Did you know that flats have revolution
lied the style" in pianos? Thirty wears
ago folks who couldn't afford grand piano
bought what they called "s9uare' one,
ioned
Now square pianos are out and the M
right in again. keeping company with the
folding bed in the characteristic homes of
the metropolis, where, as st. Clair Nickel
way says. dogs wag their tails up ana down
instead OF Sideways, as in othsr cities.
And the old pianos are in boarding -houses
ana all sorts OF queer places. You can get
one Tor S15-at auction. I've seen 'em In
queer plaees-the cabin of canai-hoat. a
Crow Hill
The morning call., 1893-05-07
tors, and so ordered that Its communication

tors. and so ordered that Its communication
be placed on file.
County Clerk Haley sent a communion
tion TO the committee suggesting that the
committee require the production of the
record OF transmission of documents from
Police Court to the County Clerks office
Mt the examination to be held on Monday
when the rehearing of the Mahoney case
will lie resumed.
The proposition of Joseph Kline to rent
The Old Hall OF Records for lodging house
was declined, Chairman Denman saying
that the city wanted the property to trans
form 1t into Jail building.
The committee reported adversely on the
petition of Mrs Perry of 306 Turk street to
be allowed 500 for damages caused by the
qnarantining of her house during q case of
SMALLPOX some time ago
The morning call., 1893-05-07
She Had Been Told OF One.
From Life.

While they sewed for the bazaar the con-
versatiOn had turned TO the subject of
woman, her rights aud wrongs; what she
she should do aud be. and what she should
not; the merits and shortcomings OF good
many absent friends not being neglected.
ION. WELL" remarked Mrs. Nofit, as she
finished stitching a fourteen-ineh collar on
to a nightShirt that would otherwise have
fitted John l.. Sullivan. and began DasIing
a sleeve in the wrong armhole of a ehild's
dress, which from its unnatural proportions
was evidently intended for a new variety Of
humanity. ''oh. WE'LL no doubt there never
was an altogether perfect woman. Did you
ever hear OF one. Mrs. Meek ?"
Yes" quietly replied patient-looking
little woman who had not been taking mucn
part in the discussion. there was one-Fye
oftsn heard of her-but she's dead now. She
was my husbands fret WIFE,"
The morning call., 1893-05-07
Fire Commissioners

The Board of Fire Commissioners met
yesterday afternoon when the following
appointments were made: j. Horrigan.
hoseman, engine II; 4. FGller. truckman,
truck 4; II. Darr. hoseman. engine f2. NJ.
Filzhenry, driver, truck 5; II. Mitchell,
driver, hose l; j. Lavaroni, hoseman. hose
/; j. w. Tracy. hoseman, engine ia: 3,
Mcintyre, hoseman, engine 10; j. L..
Hanna, hoseman, engine s. Thomas Meag-
her. who has been ifteen years in Tho
service of the department, was
granted pension of SIT so per month.
The following designations were accepted:
George T. Silvey, Henry Mcmahon. Henry
NJ. Coleman, John Lavaroni. s. X. Mitchell,
john l.. Welch. w. w. Harvey, fireman,
and John Feeny, engineer of the water
tower stationed at the Corporation Yard,
who were found guilty of fighting on May
3, were reprmanded and restored to duty.
The morning call., 1893-05-07
By Last Will.

William A. Holden's will was filed in
the Superior Court yesterday. He be-
queaths his house and lot on Twenty-third
and Shotwell streets to his widow, Margaret
Holden, with reversion to his son William,
and the remainder Of his $1,000 estate is also
left to his widow. His second son Lewis is
given $40.
Mary Pfeiffer divides her estate, valued
at S25oo, between her husband. daughter
and granddaughter. Her son Louis is not
provided for.
Hannah Barrett, by her last will, divides
her property equally between her children,
Margaret Dorgel0h. Maurice Barrett. Han
nah Barrett and Mary Barrett. She leaves
ABOUT $1,000 worth Of plopertY.
The morning call., 1893-05-07
squire Abinston's Good Deed.


Some years ago letter was handed to
Mr Baird, written by the wife of a former
friend In this the LADY informed him tnat
her husband was dangerously i'll in Paris
and that they had unfortunately reached
the end of their resources. Under these
circumstances she ventured TO ask for as
sistance. Without a moments hesitation
Mr.. Baird summoned the most eminent
physician Of the day, and, having stated the
circumstances, he handed him a blank
check, with orders to proceed forthwith 10
Paris, and at Whatever cost to bring the in
valid back 70 EDgland-comple:ely cured.
His orders were carr. Id nnt to the letter.
and three weeks later his L. &JAturned
to London, accompanied by the d0ct7r
snatched literally from the grave by
Arlington" Baird's millions-and, what is
immeasnrably more ereditable. by "Abing-
ton" Bairde's generous impulse aud genuine
kind-heartedness. After this let the over
righteous stoD their cackling criticisms con-
cerning the poor lad, who, while he be-
friended many, was his own worst enemy.