The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-11

as an extraman for the Sutter-street Rail-
road Company. Eight weeks ago the work
gave out, and from that time up to the
present he has been idle.
On Monday last he was down to his last
cent, and had not the slightest prospect OF
earning anything. The people with whom
he had lived for seven consecutive years
stood by him, and as long as they had a
loaf of bread he was welcome to half of it.
At 2 P. NJ Monday he was respondent.
At 2:30 P. NJ. he was iubilant.
A telegraphic order for $500 on the Bank
of California arrived, and shortly after
ward another cable saying, Come home
atonce Draw for $500 more if necessary"
was received.
The conductor is now settling up his
affairs, and will start for Copenhagen next
Tuesday.
Such in brief were the California expert
ences of Count Otto W. Mailing of Den
mark He is a splendidly educated man,
speaking the English, French, German,
Russian, Danish and Swedish languages
f1uently When asked how it was that he
came to be car conductor he looked at the
questioner in establishment and asked in
return, 'Have you ever known what it was
to be stranger in a strange land and out
of job?"
Receiving no answer he continued: "I
had that experience, and tell you dol
lar looked as big as cartwheel to me in
those days. That was how L became car
conductor, and, like many better man, l
got into the rut and stayed there"
Count Otto was at one time lieutenant
in the Danish army, but disclaims any
military knowledge, saying he only served
six months in order to comply with the
law. From Copenhagen he went to Russia,
where he managed three large estates
owned by Messrs. Kreblas & Weltz. While
in the land of the Cars the lady to whom
he was engaged to be married caught a
cold and died from pneumonia. This
Frustrated him for time, and on his re-
covery he severed all his home ties and
came to California.
The relatives of Otto Mailing are all
wealthy, the head of the house ranking as
"a Baron in Holstein, Germany. One of his
aunts died last month leaving 100000,
two-thirds of which she left to Otto, and
the remainder to his cousin. The latter
considers that he is entitled to one-half the
money, and has begun contest of the
will. That is why Count Otto is wanted in
Copenhagen.
said he yesterday, 81 will have enough to
live on. I am an American, however, and
no count and don't want ever to be known
as one again. AS soon as my affairs are
settled l will come back here and make my
home In California. l have many good
friends here among the Danish society and
the conductors and gripmen on the road.
We were comrades for many year while I
was one of them and we will be comrades
again when return if they will allow me-
don't mean by that that I want to con-
duct car again" and the Count laughed.
81 have no hankering after saying, Fare
please, any more and l never want to hear
the words again unless am the person adj
dressed.
''As TO my family. my father was Ger
man, my mother Dane and I was born in
Russia, so you can guess at my nationality.
The easiest work l ever did in California
was at the Pioneer mines in Amador
County. There 1 worked the electric lights
and looked after the dynamo. The hardest
work was during the last two months dur
ing which time I have been idle.'