The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-09-05
CHARLIE IS BACK.
After Six Years Absence
He Returns.
HE DOES NOT RECOLLECT.
No Explanation of His Sudden
Disappearance.
HE DOES NOT RECOLLECT.
A CHINESE CHARACTERS STORY
He Lived Nearly Thirty Years on the
Water Front, Then Dropped
Out of View.

Yes, the chief wharfnger is jealous of
"Chinese Charlie" Charlie made 60 cents
yesterday. and it was the first inning he
had made along the front for six long
years. The chief wharinger saw him
gather in the dimes, and that is why he is
envious of the poor deluded heathen's
prosperity.
Charlie tells this story himself. He re-
lated it to a number of tugboat captains
and newspaper men. calling on Captain
Gray, superintendent of the "redstacks, "
to substantiate what he said.
Poor Charlie is q little erratic, so of
course Mr.. Boobar. the guardian Of the
State docks. is not angry at the Celestiaps
accusations.
Mr.. BooDar only laughs and says Charlie
has strange history; that the Chinaman
has been on the front for over thirty years,
but that within the last six years he has
been missing. He dropped out of sight in
1888 as suddenly as he popped into view
In 1894. He is queueless, wears oyerallS
and smokes stumpy clay pipe, just as be
used TO. Indeed Chinese Charlie is a
character such as you don't meet every
day.
The temperance of the strange China
man after an absence OF six years caused
genuine surprise.
The morning dawned down at Vallejo
street wharf just as it always does, and in
the dim light towb0at-hand noticed
Charlie sitting on stringer at the end of
the bulkhead smoking his clay pipe and
contemplating the big English ships an
chOred out in the stream.
Charlie did not seem to notice that pso-
pie were SURPRISED 20 see him on earth
again. He did not appear to know that
humanity along the bays edge thought
that be had shuffled off this mortal coil
long months ago anu refused incidentally
TO have anything more 60 do with "heaving
lines"
Charlie has not lived, he has simply ex-
listed. The past has made no impression
on his memory. The future is given no
thought by him.
driffed into San Francisco naEbor on a
whaling bark. Ii was his first voyage
from his native China, and be had not for
saken the slick black queue. nor perfected
HIS English vocabulary sufficiently 10 say
any words other than mo sabe."
He left the ship soon after her arrival
and settled down TO life in California as a
restaurant cook on the city front.
Charlie soon became known TO every
sailor that visited san Francisco. he
developed a liking for tugbOats. and be-
fore ne had been resident of the State
more than three years ne knew the record
of every towbOat man in the city. He
could tell the horsepower OF every tug and
talked ship" just as glibly as ever horse
man talked horse.
Finally the family of q Captain Douglas
took Charlie III low and gave him a conn.,
Portable home. He was useful TO them as
household servant even If he was mem
tally incompetent to certain extent.
The idea struck Charlie that he would
like to become an American, so in tit of
patriotism one day he cut off his cue ana
threw it into the fireplace. mo likee
tail no more" be said.
Then Charles friend, Captain Douglas,
died. The shippers family was broken
up and Charlie had to shift for himself
He was keen enough to find q means of
subsistence.
Every time ship was being locked
Charlie would be on hand. He would
Imagine himself specially appointed to
help bring the vessel in, rushing hither
and lhither on the dock, giving orders and
wbistllng after the fashion of tug cap
tain signaling his steersman.
When the vessel was safely tied up then
Charlie would doff his hat and pay a visit
to the captain.
1.-TWO bits. please" be would say.
what for?" would ask the skipper, in
surprise.
Me bring your ship in. Me Chinese
Charlie, chief man on front"
After matters were explained Charlie
would usually get his fee.
he kept up this practice until nearly
every captain that came to port had heard
of Chinese Charlie" Every sailor hailed
him Familiarity.
Thon the funny little Mongol dropped
out of sight. Some people said he had
ian nfh rn6
away: but, nevertheless, he had gone and
LETT not even MS discarded tail behind
him.
Six years rolled by. ships and tugboats
came and went from the wharves, but still
no Charlie was there TO ask for tae priyi-
lege OF carving a line Or fastening a
hawser.
1t was really humorous sight to see the
look of establishment that came over the
faces of the water-fronters when Charlie
put in an appearance. He just doomed up
at the end OF the pier like a lost spirit and
caused almost as much surprise.
He didn't know himself how he got
there, nor does any one else.
Charlie looks little thinner than be
used to, but he still appears healthy. He
dresses in sailors shirt, pair of over
alls and an old vest with brass buttons on
it. He went after the vessels that came
alongside the wharyes just as of yore, and
he imagines that the Chief Wharfinger is
jealous of the money he is making out of
the seafaring men.
1.-The Chief no likee me-" said Charlie
yesterday. "He see me make money he
no likee. Charlie no care. Charlie get
along allight, won't he, Cap'n Gray"
Captain Gray said YES" and the man
was pleased. He pulled at his pipe and
screwed his wizened face up into strange
expressions.
Where have you been these six years,
Charlie Z" was asked.
blank look came into the Chinamap's
eyes. he tried to think, but the effort was
too much.
81 don't know. I-I-don't know" he
replied. Then he rushed away to hail the
tug Sea Queen, that was approaching her