The morning call., 1893-03-13
ONE FERRY LOAD.
A Hoidenish High Jinks
on the Piedmont.
Returning Picnickers Make Rome
Howl Above and Below Deck of
an Oakland Ferry Boat.

When the demure and peaceful Alame-
dams reached the Oakland mole lastevenlng
on their way across the bay to this wicked
city-for 1t is wicked, compared to Alameda
they were shocked trfle to see two po-
licemen at the gangway.
They wondered and pOndered not little
on the why and wherefore.
little later, when the Berkeley train
which caught the o'clock boat rolled in
and began to discharge its cargo the why
and VIII herefore was answered abundantly.
A thousand picniekers were returning to
this wicked city, and the few pious Alame-
dams who crossed with them had an object
lesson in Sabbath desecration that VIII be
remembered with much profit.
They came down the gangplank in twos
and f0urs; in octavOs and duodecimos. They
were young and full of frolie, and-aEd-
well, lager, if the whole thing must be told.
Not entirely full of the latter, nor all
even partly full, but from the sulphurous
atmosphereb Glow decks and the excessive
hugglng on deck. the pious Alamedans were
led to believe that the sundry barrels and
bottles which had accompanied the same
crowd over early in the day mad not gone to
waste.
They swarmed over the Piedmont like
crows on a prosperous cornfield. Tney took
the regular local travel stand up.
And they made Rome howl for twenty
long minutes.
The young men who did not hug their
lady friends were hugged by their lady
friends.
There was more wasting of arms and less
wasting of space than the Alamedans bad
ever seen before.
The single couples sought the lee corners
outside and inside the cabin by the paddle
boxes.
The octayos and duodecimos sat as closely
together as they could on the long benches.
The rest stood up, for there were 10 more
seats.
-Four boys, full at least of mischief, ran
down the long mole and leaDed aboard the
escaped the ticket-puncher.
Then the whistle blew and the paddle
wheels turned.
Three groups to the windward and stern
sang, Tell Ne With Your Eyes; another
''Ta-ra-ra- boOm-de-ay' the third, Maggie
Murphy"
A good.looking blonde, with voice like
a steam calliope, seated on her gentleman
friends knee ny the leeward paddle-bnx.
sang Lost On the Wild Moor"
Various other groups and individuals
sang various other melodies not set down in
the orthodox hymubooks
Two girls, whose gentlemen friends had
gone below to fight, danced on the rear
deck.
On the forward starboard deck three
youths were smoking one and a bali
cigarettes.
YOU'RE full of cold sour"
you bet your sweet life."
''l' m dead on"
Get on TO his jags."
"See."
These were the more prominent remarks
passed by the various couples to each other.
Other things were said, but these and kim
dred witticisms made the greatest impress
sion on the local travellers.
Forward, on the port side. was more
y0callzation, very promiscuOus and very
much conglomerated.
In the saloon cabin there was more vocal
ization. a wee little brunette with big
black eyes was dancing clog for the bene-
fit Of those who could get near enough to
see the shape of a neatly turned, black
steekinged pair OF ankles.
Below decks they were fighting, and
drinking, and smoking, and eating and roll
licking.
The tobacco smoke and the fumes of malt
and spirituOus liquors formed an atmosphere
that was opaque to the point of dimming
the incandescent lights. And two unfor-
tunate horsrs kept sneezing all the time.
The four Chinese below deck were great
ly interested at the antics of the white men.
Never had they, perhaps, seen civilization
10 such strange gnise
1t was a revelation to the phlegmatic
heather, and they realized more than ever
the wide gulf that separates them from
fully enlightened civilized mankind.
Several mothers there were with small
children. The latter were mostly crying for
bed, and their infant voices mingled strange
ly enough with the masculine curses and
the half-drunken hilarity.
Upstairs and downstairs Kearn y-street
dance. hall could hardly have tied q
more hOidensh scene.