The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-21

had he showed himself outside the door
than a mob of the dirty little urchins
bounced upon him and followed him up
Larkln street till his supply was ex-
hausted.
The litter and general disruption outside
is only surpassed by that within.
From her eminent position In the middle
of the floor California looks mournfully
down on the scene Of desolatiOn about her.
Payilions and bell-towers denuded of
their golden covering show up promin emily
in III their natural ugliness.
Whitewashed rafteTs and pillars with the
greenery stripped of, boxes and barrels
scattered promiscuously everywhere, all
contribute 10 the appearance OF universal
ruin. The brilliant eolored signs that have
not yet been taken down add by contrast to
the barrennesS Of the scene.
The bare floor is strewed with plentiful
crop OF decayed oranges that squash melilf-
luously under the step OF the visitor The
Rock CT Ages and the Sacramento lOcOmO-
tive still remain but thick dust has settled
over the golden fruit and their glory is fed.
Here and there, about the booths are
stacked up glasses and jars of magnified
peaches and pears; but q blue-eoated
policeman keeps an eye on the tempting
array, and the voraeious youth who is on
the still hunt for stray oranges fights pretty
shy of them.
The workmen are having picnic of their
own amid all this ruin.
One who was engaged on top of the cab
of the Sacramento engine was carrying on
an unequal combat with two or three others
stationed in the gallery above. Oranges
were the missiles used. and the battle waged
fast and furious for time, with the gentle
man on the locomotive getting somewhat
the better OF it.
Suddenly, however, a large naval. mel
| lowed with age, struck him quite unex-
] pectedly in the back Of the neck. knocking
off ia nj n nG n
| ing its luscious juice all over the adjoining
| territory. Cut off thus from his base of sup
plies he could but surrender, which he
| accordingly did and forthwith j0ined the
enemy, who had diverted their attention
| toward the party engaged in despoIling the
| entrance arch.
Aside from these little pleasantries every
one was very busy in filling the crates with
the dusty fruit The management had at
| first proposed to distribute the leftover
fruit among the various 0rphanages and
chiIdrens' hospitals of San Francisco, but
it was decided yesterday that the oranges
had become unfit 10 eat. The greater part.
therefore, will be thrown away, but large
pickle factory has been given the Placer
arch.
Over in that corner of the big building
where the aquarium and gr0tto are situated
things are but little disturbed as vet. The
big trout evidently don't like confinement.
| and most of them are resentiDg the idea by
dying The carp. too. are beginning TO
look tri1e pale about the girls. Ups tairs
| there reigns the same confusion. The
once attractive rustic arbor, in which the
| wearied visitor was wont to rest is now but
| a shapeless heap Of bark. All the booths
| have been taken down and are being carted
| off for kindng wood.
One survivor there is who has stuck to
| the wreck, and that is the man who cut
| designs oil glass with a revolving wheel.
He alone is left and is still doing business
| at the old stand. An occasional visitor
strolls up and admires the show of orna-
mental crystal. bat his work is mostly IN
appreciated.
The walls of the art gallery are fast being
| denuded of their treasures. but ore or two
works still lang. Among them is Yelland's
i famous "Cities OF the Golden Gate" A
few anxious artists are nervously supervis-
ing tie packing and removal of their pre-
cious masterpieces.
Down at the end of the gallery, over the
main entrance. the two large booths are MS
yet untouched By the desecratiDg hand Of
the desp0iIer, but the dust has gathered
thick upon the gold furniture and the
crystal mirrors that decorate the one. and
old Atlas is fast assuming the complexion
of an Ethiopian in the other.
The managers don't expect to get the
place clear much before the end of the week
at the present rate of progress