The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-12

the president of the Wage-workers' Union
which is another organization of strug
Cling laborers.
Mr.. Sells is reported as being now inter-
ested in cooperative railroad scheme, his
object being to enlist the financial support
| OF railroad employees, as shareholders in q
railroad enterprise which is called the
"San Diego, Pacific and Eastern Railroad, u
and by which he proposes to construct a
railroad from San Diego to Salt Lake City
Mr.. Joyce remarked that he saw Mr.. Sells
| In town few days ago.
But poverty and disputes over meageI
eXchequer are not the only troubles which
have made the existence of the common
wealth one of vicissitudes. Certain alarm
lists have charged them with being social
lists OF the red flag order, and are bounding
them in the hopes of being able to prove
that they are preparing to precipitate a
reign of blood and terror. Even some of the
anarchists complicated in the Haymarket
riot OF Chicago are said to be working in
harmony with these poverty-stricken I'M
fortunates, and the awful Schnaubelt is
again charged with being in the near
vicinity.
These fears are based upon some dis
torted reports of the movements and ex-
pressions of these so-called red flag social
lists.
1t seems that by some means an adver-
tisement had been inserted in several
Eastern papers, presumably by Manager
Sells, reading something like this:
Wanted-Any person applying to 219 Geary
street, San Francisco, Cal, can receive board,
lodging and clothing and his pro rata share of the
net profits by doing two hours work per day.
Apply to cooperative Commonwealth" San
Francisco, Cal.
Persons naturally continued to respond
to this advertisement in desultory sort
OF way some time after the commonwealth
had removed to Sc Natoma street, and SUBJ
lected the present occupants of 219 Geary
street, Mrs. j. Mcguire and her daughter,
to some annoyance. Mrs. Mcguire reports
that on Tuesday a rough-looking man
came there, saying he had seen the adver-
tlsement and insisted upon being admitted
into the house: in fact he did walk in, she
says. She was not at home at the time,
but her daughter was, and the latter was
door and called Mrs. Augusta L.
Ohm, next-door neighbor living
at 2174 Geary street, telling her
that man had broken into the house.
Mrs. Ohm went out to call Policeman Car
roll, who just then, however, did not hap
pen to be on that beat. BY that time the
stranger concluded that there was some
thing ine3plcable about the advertisement
and the people answering to its address,
he came in.
Then Mrs. Ohm, who is wealthy
widow owning considerable property IN
that neighborhood, though her humble
abode would not indicate it, began to re-
member the strange doings' of those
curious people that previously dwelt in
Mrs. Maguire's house. and Mrs. Ohm s
daughter, Annie, recalled that they were
wont to hold meetings in German in the
back yard there and at times said fearful
things, which she, Miss Annie, plainly
some of the expressions. according to her:
when we are thousand strong we will
resort to force, if necessary.
1--WE will parade the streets of San Fran
cisco, and without a permit, too; and
should the police attempt to interfere, we
will resist them to the bitter end"
Furthermore Miss Annie A. Ohm stated
that they were all well armed. Once she
said she was seen by the Commonwealers
talking with Policeman Carroll and over
heard one of them remark:
eff the policeman comes here we will
kill him."
Miss Ohm had also observed that all the
new members who came spoke in German
and would tell how far they had walked
they had their blankets with them as if
they had been accustomed to travelling on
foot and sleeping out at night. The only
furniture they had, she said, was stove,
and she Is sure that they are socialists of a
revolutionary order, judging from their
Sunday meetings in the old German
church.
That is all there is to it, and the few
Commonwealers have been entirely ignor-
ant of the awful vision of the red flag
which their presence has conjured in the
minds of few observing persons.