The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-26

from very small beginning-from little
nugget of pure anthony that he held in
his hand. I asked him where it came
from.
''Some Mexicans sent it to me from Mon
terey," he answered.
'Found a mine of it there2" I asked,
more to be soclable than from curiosity.
Eyes and no, he said. "About two
years ago, when they were prospecting in
and some similar nuggets. They thought
it was only lead and went on, cursing their
luck because they could not find gold. But
they saved nugget or two, and when they
came up to San Francisco they brought me
this one. When told them what it was
and its value they went back to search for
the lead, but could never find it."
"Is anthony worth much?" | asked,
still bent on. being agreeable. 'They use
it in type metal2"
Eyes, and in some other things" he
said. Then he leaned back in his chair
and regarded the shining nugget contem-
platively for moment. cts worth 20
more than that. I've seen the time when
it went up as high as 40 cents pound.
That was when He stopped suddenly,
then changed the thread of his story. The
lead to his tale had been struck-as unex-
pectedly as many weary prospector has
come upon lead whose beginnings reach
back into geological time no more an
GENTLY, in comparison, than the begin
ming OF this romance of contemporaneous
history.
"When | was lad in Boston," began
the chief wharfnger, still regarding the
nugget that lay in the palm of his hand,
there were dozen or more apprentice
boys in London who looked with longing
eyes toward America. They fancied all
fhi rnccilata in hiC 1o apl
impatient till they should be men and
could come here. They had little social
club among themselves, where they used
to meet and talk of their favorite theme
America. 1t struck them one day to put
box on the table in their clubroom and to
resolve to put into this box all their spare
coin. After time it should be broken
open, and the money in it should
be used to send one of their num-
Der to the United States. He, of
course, would make his fortune in
month or two, and then would send for the
others. The boys denied themselves many
small luxuries in order to swell the fund.
When the box was opened its contents
were found to be sufficient to send two of
the lads across the big pond. They drew
lots. The lucky ones were Walter Murray
and William Filmer, one lawyers clerk
and the other printers devil They came
to Boston, to the same neighborhood where
i llNeQ. OluC6 tucn l. nave lOSb SignG or
either of them. I'm not good on dates I
can't tell you the year they crossed, but it
was still in the days of sailing vessels.
"Filmer, the printers apprentice, soon
found work in a printing office at good
wages, but it went hard with Murray. We
laughed at lawyers apprentice coming
to America for work. Filmer made friends
with his employer, and by and by he told
Murray he could give him job. Do you
know what Murray's job was? Pulling
the leverage on big Washington hand
press! Ia. ha, ha!H Mr.. Rutherford
laughed heartily at the remembrance of
the lawyers clerk working at the hand
press. ~ used to go in to see him-ha, ha-
all ink and sweat! Ha, ha, ha!
plucky boy. He used to come down early
in the morning and stay in at noon to learn
to set type. In six weeks he could set as
we'll as many of the older apprentices
and the boss put him to work at the case.
After that it was easy sailing for both the
lads. They were earning good wages and
saving a little. They stopped at board
ing-house where the landlady had an
awfully pretty girl. And both of them,
sure enough, fell in love with that girl.
Well, they couldn't both have her, SO they
agreed to let her settle it. She chose
Filmer and in year or SO they were mar
ried. 1t broke Murray all up, this did,
ana he left MS lop anu went OH TO New
York. He worked while there setting
type, and then the Mexican war broke out
and there was call for volunteers. He
was one of the first to go. He Joined
Stevenson's regiment and came around
the Horn and was in the battle of Cape
San Lucas.
"Filmer, he: stayed right on at the case
and after while he had printing Office
of his own. Oh, he prospered. 1t was he
who invented electrotyping. Then he in