The San Francisco call., 1895-12-18
DUNKER'S WE|NERWURST,
How the Supervisor Is Said to
Have Stood Up Nick
AhrenS.
Imported Sausages in Return for In.
fence With the Fire De.
partment.

Imported weinerwurst sausages are said
to have been added to the list of articles
acceptable to the wealthy member of the
Board of Supervisors from the Seventh
Ward in return for favors done in his Off
cial capacity. The story OF his gathering
in of S. pieces, hats and suits of clothes
have all been published, but a new one
that might interest the Grand Jury is
submitted for its consideration.
The way the story is told down on Fol-
som street among his neighbors would in
dicate that there is touch of ingratitude
in the nature of the member of the Solid
Eight, and one old neighbor who ran with
bunker in the Lincoln Hose Company
years gone by swears that never again will
he help the represe entative from the Sew
enth to stand up q man for a package of
sausages, not even imported weinerwurst.
Nick Ahrens has a big sign along the
whole front Of his saloon on the corner OF
Market and Steuart streets. and several
months ago the Fire Marshal com planned
that it was likely to interfere with the de-
partment in case of fire and recommended
its removal. On receiving notification to
remove it Ahrens, it is said, hunted up his
friend bunker, the chairman of the Fire
and Water Committee of the Board of Su-
pervisors, and bunker Immediately inter-
ested him self in the matter, saw mem bers
of the Fire Department one afternoon
about the hall and induced them to allow
the sign to remain.
William ]. Harrington, the well-known
politician, says that he happened to be at
the meeting of the board that afternoon
and tells the sequel: "Dunker and | are
neighbors and have been for many years
In fact, we ran with the old Lincoln
Hose Company together, and l have never
that he would stand any one up
for anything.
"But that day after the board adjourned
we met and he asked me to jump on the
car with him. Going downtown he said:
You know Nick Ahrens, don't your
Yes said 'oId friend of mine
"Well, I'll tell you, Billy, what I want
you to do for me. You see have fixed it
for him to keep his sign out on front OF
his place. Now l want you TO give me
big sendoff when we go into his saloon
want you to tell him how mucn trouble
had in getting him that permit and that
sort of thing. See, don't your
Certainly, Chris said, i understand
perfectly and FL do all l can l thought
visor again or maybe Sheriff or Mayor,
and l always like to help my old neighbors
0ut when | can.
''Well, we got down to Ahrens place
and went in and bunker gave him the
glad hand and said: Well, Nick, I've
fixed that thing all right for you, but it
was a big job. Those Fire Department
people are hard men to manage. I've had
OTIS of trouble over it..
Then | Clipped in and said: Yes,
Nick, and it was lucky thing for you that
you had such good friend in the board.
Ii took a lot of pull to save that sign. Such
,hlngs can't be done for nothing. The
chances are that bunker had to give awav
several places to the chief of the Fire De-
partment or the fire wardens in return sor
citing the sign stay Then Mr.. Ahrens
back room. | don't know what happened |
n there, but bunker came out pretty soon |
ooking very flushed in the face. I was |
ust sampling a bit of imported sausage.
Have piece of this sausage, Mr.. bunker
said; it's very fine ana / asked him if |
I was California sausage or imported. |
Why, that's weinerwurst,' he said. Say,
Ahrens, at least you might give me saus- |
Ige or two for all I've done for YOU
"Ahrens was willing to do that and or |
1ered his barkeeper to wrap some up. |
After stopping the man from ringing some |
ordinary domestic sausages in on him |
bunker got the weinerwurst and we |
tarted on uptown. We walked on up as |
ar as Folsom and Fremont and stopped |
here to have a drink, but do you know |
bunker never made an offer to divide; |
ldn't offer me even single sausage. |
Veil, it's not the first time | have been
eft bunker is ungrateful," and Harring-
on whistled the Sweet By and By."