The morning call., 1894-05-14

watching the several crews give exhibit
tiOns of their rowing, all sat down to listen
to the clubs quartet render songs and 10
witness the wrestling match between
Hawkes. and Gerdes.
A number of the clubmen had volun-
teered to act as walters to see that none Of
the invited guests suffered from thirst or
"went hungry for a smoke" Boxes well
flied with tobacco and clay pipes by the
score were passed around among the audi
ence.
Amateur boxers of the Dolphins and
sparrers from the Olympic took a turn on
the platform. then a rush was made for
the balcony Of the bOathOuse again to see
Professor Hatman make dive from
50-foot elevation.
After the programme for the day had
been successfully carried cut club men,
bers and guests started in to make glori-
Gus finish. There was no stint of refresh
ments, and Secretary CTonia and other
officers kept telling everybody that they
must not feel backward about ordering.
1t was declared by all that the Dolphins'
inks was grand success.
Since old Dave Warner sold out his
museum at Meiggs wharf. North Beach
has not lo0med up as much of place for
curiosites. Occasionally, however, cti-
zen of that hill-protected part of the city
comes to the front with a really interest
ing piece of debris picked up from among
the rocks that fringe the shore in the
neighborhood of POwellstreet wharf
The latest discovery that has surprised
the beach and caused wise men to scratch
the place where the hair ought TO be, is a
live crab in d whisky bottle.
When Charles HiIdebrant, aged about
ID wears. went crab-6shing yesterday
morning he did not calculate to make any
such haul as he did at about 10 A. NJ. at the
wharf mentioned.
He lowered his net and gave himself ND
to the thought of the possible crustaceans
that might come to his meSnes. When he
pulled the net up ne discovered that the
Tide had washed a plain white glass
whiskey flask DtO it and he was some what
disguised. His disgust was soon changed
to astonishment, Tor in the crystal con-
fines of the flask was imprisoned real
live crab about one and balf inches in
diameter and four inches from tip to
tip"
stopped TO think, but the more he thought
the more puzzled he became. How did
the crab get into the bottle?" he argued.
No one volunteered an explanation so he
adjourned to the neighboring saloon and
there took into his confidence several gen.
tlemen who are accustomed to dealing
with things marine. A motley crowd of
philosophers gathered about him.
The neck of the bottle was small-alto-
eesher too small to admit of anything
larger than good-sized garden spider en-
teriug it,
The mystery grew thicker. Drinks
were ordered. Two gentlemen with red
noses and harsh voices got into dispute,
and were separated only after severe
tussle.
A longshoreman ventured the opinion
that the crab must have crawled into the
bottle when it was young, and decided
that the chosen abode was good enough
for any shellfish TO reside in.
Then the question was raised, How
did the crab live without food" This
was easily explained by a hanger-ob,
who claimed he knew more about the hab-
its of crabs than Professor Garner does
apout the customs of monkeys. Particles
of wheat and silt drified in through the
neck of the BOTTLE" said he.
A Barbary Coaster who was lying to
under the shelter of an uDloaded stone
smiled at this question and made an uncom-
plimentary remark about the gulliability
of some people.
"Oh some guy blowed it in," said he
coBtem ptOusy.
"Dem guys at d. glass works are ALWAYS
up TO snuff. Eve seed whole sailors kit
stored away in demijohn by those glass
workers"
This pretty nearly preciptated a riot.
During the controversy Hildebrant esca ped.
crab. bottle and all. and now the beach
is ringing with discussions of the great
"what is it?"
Ferry travel was very light yesterday on
account of the breezy weather
There were very few arrivals during the
day. The San Bias from Central Ameri-
can way ports. did not arrive, as was ex-
peeted. The Montserrat came In with a
cargo of coal from Nanaimo that loaded
her down almost to line with the main
deck.