The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-30
IT TURN ED JOE
JEWETT'S HEAD.
MELANCHOLY RESULT OF TELLING
A BLACKSMITH He WAS
HANDSOME.
FROM FORGE TO FORGERY.
lHE DEPLORABLE ENDING OF THE
CAREER OF A SAUSALITO
DUDE.

year or more ago Joe Jewett OF Sausa-
Tito swung the hammer in his fathers
blacksmith-shop, and made the anvil ring
with his lusty strokes, for Joe was a mus
cular boy. He beheld the British clerk in
his Tam" and fannels pass by without
envy, and would TURF without regret from
the contemplation OF the sauntering
virgin to forge a shoe or mend wagon
tire. He was the pride of the old man,
and the prop of his declining years. Joe
made the sparks fly, and did not care the
heft of a shoenail whether his face was
grimy or not.
In an evil day some one told Joe Jewett
that he was handsome. This was a down
right untruth, for Joe, though we'll
proportional young fellow enough, had a
face where sparks and SCOT had left their
1ndellble traces. 1t might not stop a
clock, but it would certainly have an effect
on the pendulum. Joe consulted his
shaving-glass, and began to think his in
tormant was right. 1t also dawned upon
the young blacksmith mind that he was
too pretty to waste his time forging horse
shoes when so many lovely ladies were on
the lookout for real handsome men. And
IN one fell jump Joe leaped from the
forge to the position of a village dude, a
something that Sausalito girls might be
well proud Of
He put aside his hammer. he abandoned
the bellows, the ring of the anvil became
hateful to him, and putting his savings
together he bought hand-me-down suit
OF the latest spring style. At least it was
SO characterized in the advertisement.
Now, Water street is Sausalito's leading
thoroughfare, as, dotted with chowder
traps on the seward side it winds away
toward the reservation. Here Mr.. TENET
summed himself daily and smiled and ogled
the native girl as well as the summer resi-
dent. But his impartiality and industry
had no effect. So he transferred his fas-
cinations to town and became daily pas
senger on the ferries Even in San Fran
cisco Mr.. TENET could not find any one to
love him for himself, and his stock of
a sporting life is hard life, and that even
steam beer connot be consumed without
the coin equivalent. So he became anx-
ioUs to go into business.
To a gentleman of his talents the saloon
trade offered the most congenial opening,
and he approached the venerable chowder
king, Charley Dexter, with suggestions of
copartnership. But Mr.. Dexter was not
born yesterday, and concluded that Joe's
style was too rapid for him. The young
blacksmith conld not, after tasting the de-
lights of dissipation and calling the creme
de-la-creme of Sausalito society by their
Christian names, go back to the forge.
But he must have money, and therefore he
took the plunge, and from being an honest,
industrious mechanic Joe became forger
and a thief. He went and is still going to
the large hardware-stores with orders for
goods to which he attaches the name of
well-known citizen. The articles he thus
procures are mostly of marine character,
and as the individual whose name he FORCES
a U1chtSman there q TlaJ1Si w. Oh O11f
the demands which carries them through.
Montague & Co. and number of other
hardware-stores and purveyors of ships
furnishings have been victimized by this
disreputable and inharmonious blacksmith,
for Joe, among his other fads, has an idea
that he can sing and play the banjo.
The police are looking for him, but the
fellow lodges them and keeps on in most
successful course of swinding. There was
rumor in Sausalito yesterday that Joe
had committed suicide; but the victim of
misplaced confidence in his own charms
forged an order for a compass on the very
day his body was supposed to be tossing
in the barbor.