The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-13

self if he expects to find incipient Michael
Angeles or mute, inglori0us Dantes loung-
ing around the purlieuS of Telegraph
Hill, as rule. Italians of real geniu- are
too we'll appreciated at home 10 emigrate.
Verdi to-day is an infinitely more sought
after person even than the POI ular and
beautiful Queen Marghrrita, and the pub
lie ovation mat the rising young composer,
Mascagni. received three years ago in his
native city of Florence was more brilliant
and enthusiastic than had ever been ten
dered TO prince or potentate within the
memory of the present generation of Flor
entlnes.
Artistic ability is generally the result OF
several generations of culture, and. gen
orally speaking. it is not her edu ated
class that Italy sends US. but her peasants.
the class that for generations has hshed
the sea and titled the land.
"Can you tell me why nine-tenths of
those 1tahan immigrants herd In the
cilies?" asked a prominent business man
the other day of a CALL reporter. why
don't they get out into the country and
plant olives and grapes, as they did at
home, instead of peddling lines and black
ing bOots?"
well-known member of the Italian
colony gave as the reason: "Our peasants
associate agricultural labor with poverty,
and imagine that they would remain poor
if thew left the city. so they stay here, and
by irugslity and hard work generally
make money"
Il is aniie surprising what large sums
they do smass Dy saving and living
fTugally until they have established them
selTes Most of the peasants from upper
and lower Calabria 90 into the boot
backing business. They do not launch
lut Il hey have saved $4,000 or $4,000.
Then ths7 ast0nsh people. 4 fine dwell
ing win al tns latest improvements,
iust cou pleted on Fllbert street. is lhe re-
suit Of bootblaek's accumulated nickels.
Ibe "Old Curiosity Shop, made famous
by tie pen Of Dickens, has counterpart
in the estab.i shment of Ancient James"
place on Stockton street. Why the pro-
prietor is called ''Ancielt James" one can
readily surmise after viewing the aeIeTO-
geneous mass of stuff he offers for sac. and
the origin of his title NAV be attributed 10
the irreverent youth Of Stockton street.
On the Bowery in New York for many
years character named Stapleton kept a
shop widely known as The Other
World"-prObably because the articles 10
stock were mostly Of no earthly use.
Ancient James" place ressm bles it in
,point of variety of contents, but differs
from it in that he handles nothing except
goods that be can dispose Of. His stock In
trade Is a com bination of secondhand
store, an exhibition of minerals, fifteenth
century heirlOums and the works OF pre-
historic men. Anything from cand E.
stick TO coffin, from bodkln to buzz
saw, is evidently p1ocurable at this place.
No attempt is made TO systematically ar
range the goods, but they lie piled around
the floor, strung along the walls and sus-
pended from the ceiling In bewlldering
confusion.
One reason why Italians accumulate
wealth is that they do not lay out their
money in spirituous liquors. North Beach
drinks wine, but it Is very frequently OF
home manufacture. Any tune from the
middle of September until November each
family purchases from ore 10 three tons II
grapes. These are placed in vat and
crushed with the hands or feet. In the
latter case rubber boots are frequently
worn.
After this process the juice OF the grape
is covered with loose lid and left from
seven TO ten days to ferment. 1t is then
drawn off into barrels, when, in about a
month, the fermentation is complete. The
wine. however, Is not yet sidered fit for
use, and stands till the spring. Then the
careful householder selects a time when
the moon is on the increase and draws his
wine of into other barrels, that have been
prepared for its reception ty burning a
sulphur stick inside them. These barrels
are slowed away for six or seven months,
when the wine Is 0nsdered ripe for use.
The result of this primitive process Is
known among the Italians as vino nero"
black wine. 1t resembles claret more than
chianti, and is drank here on all ordinary
occasions. In fiesta, however, imported
wines of Tuscany. Piedmont or Sicily,
such as Asti or Marsha, are INDUCED in.
Italians, like most wne-drinkers, do not
go upon what is popularity known as
Tags. Sometimes when they grow ex-
cited or convivial over their beloved game
OF baech, unwise rotations are INDUCED
In. But even then the enemy does not
overpower thu sons of Italy. They retain
enough good judgment to go Immediately
TO bed, and the next morning wake up
well and hearty ready for a days work.
Taken as class the Italians are extremely
abstemlous. In spite of their daily use Of
wine, or. as they would contend, owing
to it.
Bacchi. which bears an unacko W ledg ed
relationship to English bowls. is one of
the few Italian national games. A circu-
lar sign on Broadway hangs over the door
way to narrow passageway leading back
into a room probably forty feet long On
one side of the room is pit probably
thirty feet long eight wide and four deep.
AlOnp the side of the pit a railing runs