The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-02

wash the shore, there is a ramshackle
frame building which for months has worn
Gee whizz, I'm so tired" expression
about it. It is three-story structure, and
on account of its dingy and disreputable
appearance generally looms up in an other
wise well-built neighborhood like black
berry pie stain upon a summer dudes
white picnic paiamas.
For months past it has been an eyesore
to the residents of the vicinity with its
great staring windows from which every
vestige of glass has long since disappeared,
thanks Tor otherwise) to the industriously
inclined though vicious adolescent popa-
lation of the vicinity, and its bare win
dows through which the energetic summer
winds play tag and emphasize their appre-
citation Of the enjoyment by weird and IN
canny reyels in that way which winds have
when they are boisterously frolicsome.
But, the neighborhood put up with all
these things, and uttered no complaints
outside of their little gossipy circles, or
when holding confidential chats over their
back fences. They did not even wait upon
Mr.. A. Paladini, the Italian fish m erchant,
who owns the ramshackle building, and
endeavor to convince him that its days of
usefulness as structure, even for hog pen
purposes, was over; that, in fact, it was
time for the building to quit playing the
House of Usher act by 'darkly nodding to
its fall" but to come to the dissolution
period without any further delay.
Now a change has come over the spirit
of the neighborhood's nightmare. The
fiat has gone forth that the old tenement
house must be removed, as it has passed
beyond the limit of reasonable offense. In
fact, the old building has gone completely
wrong by betraying tendencies of a fire.
hue r.l,a anfnr fol
into partnership as disturbing element
vigorous and apparently up-to date ghost
who has most pronounced and original
ideas in the haunting line.
just how the old ruin fell into such evil
ways as to call for its speedy demolition
can only be surmised, but backyard Cos
sip ascribes it to many causes. The one
most believed is that the aforementioned
adolescent community is in the. main
responsible for it. When the last of the
eight Italian families who lived there
moved away seven or eight weeks ago and
left the place in loneliness and gloom, the
youngsters of both sexes and ages made it
their headquarters. They not only caused
an emigration epidemic to spread among
the rats which until then had held Sec
ond mortgage upon the premises, but with
their mad capers and boisterous frolics had
rscked the building from joint to joint, in
side and out, and allowed the wind free
access by breaking all the glass in fourteen
windows.
1t was after this had been going on up TO
two weeks ago that the building began to
come out In the frebug role. First fire
was discovered in the dismantled cellar.
This was extinguished with few buckets
of water by the neighbors. The next day
flames were seen bursting out of the rear
kitchen. A still alarm was sent in, and
Mrs. Hansen and several other women,
Al i -. al
nut street, fought the fire and succeeded in
putting it out. There were other fires thus
found and so the neighborhood concluded
that the house was imbued with an inordi-
nate desire to destroy itself by fire. As
there are many fine houses Immediately
adjoining the tirebug structure, the agita-
ton was begun with vigor to have the Fire
Department condemn the building.
Then the house changed its tactics.
There were no more fires. but three nights
ago strange noises were heard in the big
desolate rooms, and there were some who
said they saw flashes OF light. In the
morning the neighborhood suffered from
thrill of horror when the news went around
that the place was haunted. From the
start the newcomer displayed business
activity that was alarming. He only put
in about an hour each night in Humping
the walls and floors. and after that he car
ried out some of his original ideas. During
the night clothes lines were cut and any
holdover washing thereon would be trailed
in the dirt; then stones were thrown at
adjacent windows, and in several instances
the glass was broken. At other times
planks and timbers were thrown out of the
windows of the house of myster, falling
upon the pavements with crash. These
were only a few of the pranks attributed to
his ghostship. The boys of the neighbor-
hood used the place no longer as rem
devious.
Since Sunday it is reported the ghost has