The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-03
HE HAS LOST HIS STATION.
Chief Harrington Closes the
Keller Office.
SOME AMENITIES OF EXILE.
Exciting Scenes on the Shores of
Owens Lake-Summary Action
of Indignant Citizens.

! Presley T. Jenkins, the erstwhile gay
and festive weather sharp at the San Fran
cisco station for atmospheric prophecies,
is in trouble again.
Every one rememb ers his meteoric career
| in this city last year. He came hither
under the most favorable conditions of
weather and political influence, with an
opportunity to make record on storms.
Instead of wrestling with the problems of
the skies. however. he found 1t more to
his trade to cali the turn on the happen
ings of the town. He became of the turf,
turfy. He developed a taste for all the
pleasures of the man about town, and
loved to tickle his palate with delcaces
usually confined to the realms OF the mil
lionaire.
A bard-hearted Government rewarded
these refined tastes with salary of only
S125 month. This sum suff1ced to pay
for champagne and cigars. but left n tn
ing with which to purchase the necessaries
of life or TO provide for a wife and three
young children. The result was a long
line of creditors who assembled daily
about the Weather Office in the Mills
building to obtain a settlement. with the
Quently absent from his desk, however
and his creditors received nothing but
promises. An inspector happening along
one day suspended the sporting weather
prophst. and he was subsequently reduced
in rank and banished to the little hamlet
of Keller on the shores of Owens Lake.
There his duties were nominal, and
after a month or two of exile he obtained
ten days leave of absence. He returned
to this ctv and enjoyed himself In his for
mer haunts. overstaying his leave by i've
days. The Washington Office was dis
pleased atsthis, and was not Modified by
the com planning letters which poured in
from unsatisfed creditors. Jenkins was
frequently admonished TO pay up and
warned that no further reflection on the
service through his vagaries would be
tolerated.
The chief OF the bureau at Washington
| finally lost all patience. however, when
complaints from Keller supplemented
those already on file from this city. Let
ters received from several residents OF
Keller indicate that the weather officer
managed to beguile his long hours of
leisure in spite of the restricted popula-
ton. More than one old habitue Of min
ing days is said to have thrived as the re-
suit of Jenkins love for green cloth and
| ivory chips.
In his report the inspector who investi-
gated jenkins peregrinetions while sta
| toned at San Francisco referred at length
to the jaunty prophets attentions to a
young woman with whom he was fire.
| Quently seen at public resorts. A mon tn
ago this fascinating female appeared at
Lone Pine. a village fourteen miles dis
tant from Keller. About the same time
! Jenkins purchased a horse 10 renew hi,
army training. Keller correspondents
aver that he frequently rode over to Lone
Pine. and his attentions to the young
woman from San Francisco were soon the
| talk of all 400 residents of the little town.
| Gossip soon informed Mrs. Jenkins of
these Incidents. Boarding freight train,
she arrived at Lone Pine and is said to
have verified the rumors of her husbands
friend ship. High words followed in the
little hotel. and listening ears soon ac-
quaiDted the entire population with the
state of affairs. Mrs. jenkins carried hor
husband back to Keller, however; but
once at home the anger Of the weather
special at her interference was so great
that she accused her husband of personal
violence. exhibiting a black eye as ev-
dence of her charge.
Every enc in Keller was speedily up in
arms at this, and all championed the cause
of the wife. A committee Of citizens de-
termined to confne Jenkins in boxcar.