The morning call., 1893-04-24

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ALL DAY LONG THERE IS 4 BUSY
fercely there now, one will be sure to
perspire freely # one takes the narrow and
almost straight trail. But IFS a good thing
for n man who needs a sweating, Lieu
tenant Potter and his men use the trail
frequently, but the sweating only seems 10
increase their adlp0se. and when IL comes
to appetites-well, if Mr.. Cleveland's Gov
eminent wants to be really economical. it
should give orders at once that the diggerS
and concrete builders at Lime Point must
ride to and from their work. This would
work big saving to the eOmmissary de-
pariment.
Bur there is a magnificent view from the
top Of that hill that more than repays the
labor of climbing il. On a clear day, with
good pair OF field glasses, the Farallones
may be seen distih city, and even when it is
not so clear, and one looks only
with the naked eye, the view is
unsurpassed Aside from the marine
view there IS, however, nothing worth
going very far TO see at present on
the hilltop. There Is only great big hole
where the guns are soon to be mounted.
But one realizes the wisdom of having the
big guns on That lofty place. They Will
command the entrance to the harbOr and
yet be practically out Of range from the
shells Of an incoming vessel. With vigilance,
and these two guns once in position, 1t
would seem that nothing harmful could pos
sibiy enter the Golden Gate.
Directly opposite this hill are the Fort
Point earthw0rkS and fortitications. They
are far more extensive than those at Lime
Point, and when completed and in opera
ton would be calculated to make drftwOOd
in short order OF any hostile craft fool
hardy enough to sail eastward past Point
Bonita.
At the foot Of the Hill Is more or less
she tered eOyR-l.ieutrnant Potter SAYS il
is less when sOuthehster blaws-where the
barracks and stOrehouses are located \
wharf runs cut here To about the line of
the Needles, and all day long now there is a
busy scene here. for huge scows and RATS
are bringing in the concrete materials.
When The CALI. man visited the place
the other day Lieutenant Potter and the
contractors foreman were enjoying
friendly dispute over two barrels of Port
| land cement The foreman WAS sure he
had landed $40 barrels OF cement on the
wharf, and the lieutenant was certain that
there were but 347 barrels there. There
were enough barrels to nearly fill the wharf; ;
so much was certain, and 10 count them
was no easy task. Finally the foreman got
piece OF chalk and put cross on each
! barrel as he counted IT, When he reached
IS some one said a. ana that threw the
foreman out in spite of bis chalk marks.
Then the lieutenant SAID he could count
them without chaking each barrel, and he
started in to do it with vim that deserved
better success. When he had called out
'20O' there was an odd barrel sitting little
out Of the line with the others. and he forgot
whether he counted that or not.
But after much counting and recounting
it was finally definitely settled on this basis /:
That according to the lieutenant's figures
there were 347 barrels on the wharf, while
tile fOTenau's counting proved that there
were $40 barrels in the lot. just exactly
how the Government report viii show up
on that count cannot be presaged at this
early date. but after it was all settled the
entire invoice was loaded on the scow ana
taken over 10 Colonel MenGelPs men at
Fort Point. The lot had been shipped to
the wrong point, and when one lot was
loaded on the scow another lot, bearing
different brand on the abel, was unloadsd
from the scOw and rolled into the store
house at the head OF the wharf.
There are just two ways to get to Lime
Point. One of these Is to get a free ride
over on Government tug. The other is 10
pay your two bits on the SRusalitu ferry
and walk over the hills
The last is the longer route, but by far the
pleasanter. The hills shut out the trade
winds until Lime Point itself is reached,
and the path leads over the hills where the
wild flowers bloom in rich profusion
From little distance the hills look like
carpets, only that the flowers are more bril-
liant in the sunlight than the colors of anv
carpet possibly could be.
Then there are little clumps and dense
woods Of live oak and madroue, with an
occasional weeping willow by way of
further ornament Through the openfnps
in the foliage bust the sunbeams to keen
the thickels warm and cheerful And
looking out through these openings there is
on one hand lofty hills covered with green
grass aud yellow pOpries, dotted with the
blue lupin and wild sweet peas Of many
hues, aud buttercups and daisies ana wild
margnerites galore. On the other hand is
the blue water and many ships in tho fore
ground. with Angel Island and Alcatraz
for a background.
A more delightful three-mile walk il
would be hard TO find anywhere in the
spring. Aud at the end of it all is the
snOw-white foghOrn station, built firmly on
great rock that runs out in the sea from
the mainland. Here the wind rushes in
through the Golden Gate with n yelopitv
that is quite startling after the long walk Mt
the base of the shetering hills, and one
must clutch the iron railing firmly TO keen
from being swept bodily out in to the bay in
making the few yards from behind the
sharp rocks at the extreme Of the angle TO
the leeward walls Of the fOghOrn house
Two men and one woman live here. Tie
chief occupation of the men in clear
weather Is TO make everything white, even
their own clothes and hair and faces.
All day long Trey WELD the whtewash
brush. Every particle of the exterior of
the little brick house, except the windows.
is fierce white. The roof is white. the
rocks about the house are white, the little
iron bridge from the mainland to the house
is white, the water pipe is white, the very
ground under foot is white, aud when the
white clouds obscure the yellow sun and the
breakers dash into white spray and foam
against the white rocks the effect is posi-
lively startling.
white shows better through the fog"
explains one of the white men who is WELD
ing the whtewash brush, 80 we keep busy
all the time covering up the dark spots made
by the waves when they break high and
wash away the lime"
LONELY here?"
''Not when you're used to It, There's al
ways noise enough. at any rate" and he had
TO put both hands to his mouth and shout at
his highest pitch to make himself heard
above the bowling trades and the roaring
waves.
Sailors Rovroff;uo