The morning call., 1894-01-21
HERE AND THERE.


Stories and incidents concerning the career Of
the late A. j. Gambill multiply now that lie has
passed away. Many Of the stories are piquant-
too piquant, in fact, to be given In cold type.
They are witty, 100. but the Attic salt with which
they are sayored, is entirely too strong for
modern readers. There is one amusing Incl
dent of his early life when he was driving stage
in Tennessee, and which was characteristic OF
the man, that will bear relation. There had
been damaging storm. and many OF the roads
on his stage route were badly broken up, ard
in some places carried away. On one OF his
trips he reached a bad spot In corduroy road.
and his leaders came to dead halt. The stage
was late, and the passengers were anxious TO
get through. Jack put his whip in the socket
and calmly took in the situation.
Jack, jack" the passengers called to him,
mpatently, "Wbat are you going 10 do? How
are We to get thrOugh?"
Hold your Jaw" replied the irritated driver;
"and get out yer, a couple OF you fellows ana
take the leaders heads"
Jack descended from his seat. and looked in
vain for any means to fill tile break.
Suddenly bright idea struck him. He was
Loaded down with public documents ton or
more, aud without more ado, he seized this
freight, and threw bag after bag into the chasm
till he made passable roadway, and the horses
and stage were led over safely.
~ don't KNOW" be used to remark. when
telling OF this incident, show The con-
sIituents OF the Congressman got along with
out their documents, but l do know that
the stuff made the best piece of road on the
corduroy for some time. They were well dis
tributed too, after while, for when the water
rose higher most of the documents fioated down
the creek, and the voters who lived in the bot
toms had free reading for quite while. 1t
wasn't as dry, either, as such documents usually
are" Jack used 10 add with 4 chuckle, 1.-The
creek attended TO that"
Here is another little bit. Long after, when
he was fOurshing in California. he took oc-
casion to doubt at luncheon party that some
small and delicate fishes preserved in oil, be-
fore the guests, were sardines as they were as
serted TO be by the caterer.
what do you think they are, Colonel Jack?"
asked the caterer.
MINERS replied the colonel. senten.
tiously.
Tut, colonel, do you know a sardine when
you see it?"
hand in his pocket, drew out a lot of gold and
silver coin. and planked it on the table with the
challenge:
"I'll Just bet this cash that not one OF them
are fish ever Topped tail In Sardine Creek"
Not many people are ever compelled to sub
sst solely on diet OF barnacles. and when
they are 1t is generally after they have been
shipwrecked on some desert island instead of
in The midst of a wealthy Christian community.
And yet that is what man has been doing for
several weeks. He has often been seen climb
ing over the half-rotten piles in the vicinity Of
the Mall dock at low tide and scraping off the
mollusks, but nobody paid any attention TO
him until the other day be sat on stringer and
commenced TO make a meal out of his gift from
the sea. do you like those things ?" asked a
bystander, land don't you know they are
poisOn?" They haven't poisoned me-" an
swered the man, "and don't eat them because
like them, but because 1 have nothing else
and don't know when will have" His story
was only another chapter OF the terrible expe
riences of the unemployed during the winter.
He was an unmarried man and had wandered
around he streets OF San Francisco without food
until he nearly dropped from exhaustion before
he thought of eating the barnaces. That was
over three weeks ago, ana in the meantime he
has eaten nothing else. He was perfectly will
ing TO talk about himself as he greedily de-
vouied the tiny, raw bivalves. Pretty tough
| food. amt they?" asked the man who was
watching him. "You bet they are.' he replied,
throwing a handful OF shells into the bay, "but
l would rather eat them all the rest of my life
than beg"
One of those mysterious little scenes to be
met with in large cities was enacted at the
| junction of Market, Jones and McAlister
streets few days ago. The cause and result
OF IL are still mystery to all who saw 1t except
| the actors. and, perhaps, always will be. 1t
was about o'clock in the afternoon, when the
| streets were full of people, that an elegantly
dressed lady, who had been standing on the
edge of the sidewalk, was seen to walk absent
mindedly In front of a McAllister-stTeeL car.
She did not seem to see the car, and the grip
man managed almost miraculously to stop II
! within six inches OF her aud saved her life. The
next car that came along she did the same
| thing, but was saved by milliner's girl, who
set down her bandbox and literally dragged the
lady from in front of the wheels. In few min
utes another car came and the same thing was
repeated, but man who had seen both pre-
vlous attempts at suicide was watching her and
pulled her ont OF harms way. He held on to
her and blew a police whistle. but before an
officer arrived an elegant private carriage rat
lied down Jones street and man jumped out.
Without saying word to anybody he took the
woman from her last rescuer and hustled her
none too gently-into the conveyance. A mo-
ment later he jumped in aft er her aud the car
rage was driven up Jones street at breakneck
speed.
Thomas Hill, the landscape painter. has
never been known to teach painting but once
ana that was in The School of Design. where he
temporarily took the place OF professor, who
! had died, until a permanent instructor could be
obtained. Hill flied the place about month
and such teaching as he gave The pupils viii
never be forgotten. A sample of IL is con.
| tanned in the experience of former pupil who