The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-02
A PUNCH-MADE "PULL"
Mrs. Chadwick Mixed Drinks
That Reached the Hearts
of Big Men.
THEY LIKED HER HUMBLE BAR.
That Explains the Mystery In the
Interesting Case of the
School JanltreSS.

Mrs. Chadwick's "pull' is out-that is,
it's not exactly 'out" because it's such
quiet, deep and unobtrusive pull" but it
has been located, and like some other oc-
cult things it has only been partly under
stood.
Mrs. Chadwick is the La Honda School
janitress who makes such fine milk
punches according to Director Scott who
knows good things, and whose $50 a month
Job is so strongly fortified that two valiant
but vain efforts to part it and her have
nearly wrenched the School Department
10 pieces.
The first effort was to get the job away
from her to give to another deserving
woman who had friends. 1t succeeded
that time two years ago, but two weeks
later the director who got her out quietly
moved for a reconsideration. The present
effort is to get her away from the job, and
it was made by the Grand Jury. Up to
date Mrs. Chadwick is having nip-and-
tuck time, with the chances apparently in
her favor.
The secret of Mrs. Chadwick's pull is
discovered to be in those very milk punches
and the fine old extract of corn and rye
that she has dispensed at her little bar
next door to the La Honda school. Never
before has portly good-natured woman
on an Almshouse road gained political
power because she made good milk
punches. Whatever be her fate her life
sets forth a wise moral. What she has
done she has done well. 1t is conceded
that she has been good janitress. When
school called it was the business of this
IL n
humble roadside bar, and it is because she
did it so well that when Grand Jury gets
out and thunders at her her all-great
pulp gets in and whispers to respectful
ears.
There is nice point in morals involved.
May the janitress Of public school sell
nice, big, lace-covered, nutmeg sprinkled
milk punches to School Directors and
other people that are wayfaring? Most of
the directors say YES" but their moral
perceptions may be punch-worn. The
Grand Jury thinks not, and Mrs. Chad
wick S friends say that some of the grand
jurymen are prohibltionists. The Grand
Jury sent its vigorous letter to the Board
of Education on the report of Mr.. Iredale
of that body, who investigated everything
in the situation but the punches.
Mrs. Chadwick, 1t transpires, has been
for sixteen years gratifying thirsty people
on the Almshouse road, little north of
the park. She has lived with her family
in little one-story house that has bar in
front room.
For years she has pursued the business
policy Of mixing good drinks and keeping
behind her bar the kind of stuff that
Pacific Club men and that sort OF people
like to take nip of when they are riding
out that way and that they will take some
trouble to get at.
Dor fNfNn1r cir NV
officials and some men who belong to the
Chamber of Commerce, ETC., have come to
know and like her goods and her homelike
place, and some who came oftenest grew to
like very much the round-faced, pleasant
hammered and good-hearted barkeeper.
Lots of them liked to get out of buggy
and, beaming with hearty good humor,
say, "Good morning, Mrs. Chadwick,
you're looking bright this fine morning."
And they liked the welcome when Mrs.
Chadwick would cheer up, smooth down
her hair, wipe her hands on her apron and
say, why, Mr.. Goodselier! The bless
ings of this morning to you. Why
shouldn't l look bright when my old
friends remember me?"
Then pretty soon they would say some
thing else real nice, and Mrs. Chadwick
would sometimes say: Eyes, that's what
you liked before, and the other day, when
1t was most gone L put 1t down there
behind
Then the talk might grow sensible and
they grew, too, to understand how life
went with Mrs. Chadwick. They would
take another and be interested in the little
troubles and hopes of the honest-hearted
hostess and give her all sorts of good ad-
vice in benevolent way. So some men
whose names are often in the papers came
to like and respect Mrs. Chadwick as well
as her punches, and so Mrs. Chadwick S
punches, out by the highway, came, IN
Il ii -l,.ar aehA ~
into struggles with school boards, men OF
influence would readily go around and see
School Directors and quietly say: "Look
here, this talk about Mrs. Chadwick is all
rot. l know her and she good, respect
able, Woodworking and deserving woman
and I'd like to see you do her justice"
That's the kind of a pull that Mrs.
Chadwick has turned loose on the school
board, but the pull would decline to be in
terviewed. The Grand Jury says that her
place is resort for disreputable charac-
tiers. Director Clinton says that she is a
respectable woman on the plane ofan Eng
lsh barmaid.
Mrs. Chadwick smoothed her hair and at
times nearly cried when she told about her
trouble.
Its somebody that wanted the place
that started all this" she said. 81 know
about where 1t all comes from, and it's just
like woman. Talk about my place being
disreputable! You ought to know the
people that come here and bring Their
wives too-people that stand just as high
as anybody. They wouldn't do it if my
place was not respectable.
eff l do sell glass of beer and a mills
punch, is that so awful, if I'm an honest
Woodworking woman? l know there:
other janitors, and teachers. too, in the
School Department that could have worse
things said about them than anybody car
say about me. There's five saloons or
the school property at Fifth and Mission
streets; and as to children being hur
by going past decent place like mine
look at what's around other schools in the
City and what the children have to go by
There are no private rooms in my place
and when the Olympic Club boys come VI
here they sometimes want to sing song
but that don't corrupt anybody.
GAS to me, the whole neighborhood viii
tell you. There's nobody knows what
going on better than policeman, is there
Well, when l was telling the officer that
been on this beat so long what that woman
was up to he said, Well, now, Mrs. Chad
wick, if she walks as straight path a
you do, she'll be all right Ask Adolpl
Sutro about me. When he raised every
body's rent around here four years ago,