The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-05

worth. We got ourselves together and had
long session, which had for it's chief topic the
question as to who should be treasurer. The
president of the company wanted to resign on
the spot and take the treasurership. But we
blocked that game by dividing the money as
fast as 1t came in, and you can rest assured
that most OF the tickets were sold in advance
of the show When everything was in readi-
ness and the night of the affair was drawing
near, some hoodlums of the town gave it out
that there would be no show, not If they knew
it. Now, this is where the old gentleman comes
in We had converted his barn into theater
and turned the horses ont into his lawn, all OF
which he accepted as unavoidable. The report
reached him that the tough boys were forming
syndicate to burst up the show, and he
straightway went to the Sherif's Office with
the request that an officer be sent up on the
night OF the performance.
ga man by the name of Joe Cowan appeared,
but as he was too good natured to take strin-
gent measures to preserve the peace we took
the extra precaution OF loading small can
non, borrowed for the occasion, with nails
broken pieces of iron and screws intending to
touch it of when the gang got too boisterous
and scare them away. AT 8 o'clock the curtain
went up and the barn was filed to the main
doors, the stalls being converted into mez-
canine boxes. Nearly every man on the stage
ssJust as the interlocutor was in the
midst of his request, Gentlemen, be seated
there was wild racket outside. Bricks and
stones fell on the roof and yells of derision and
bowls of scorn rent the air. 1t was impossible
to proceed and halt was called. The spokes-
man attempted 10 make q few remarks on what
was best to be done, but had hardly begun
when report was heard like the bursting of
powder magazine, followed by most horrible
E-1x ha In n
slant the stage was vacant and all made rush
for the doors.
ssThere stood Jim Yerington in the midst of
cloud of smoke. He had touched off the can
non and it had scattered portion of its junk
into the leg of one William Musgrove, a we'll
TODD and highly respected farmer who was
quietly vending his way homeward early in
the evening.
'sThe explosion ignited the dry grass, and in
another moment the fence was on fire. The
entire minstrel company ran across the gar
den toward the hose while the outside element
headed for the volunteer fire department. In
half an hour the barn, scenery and general
surroundings were in a state OF wreck, and the
neighporhood was up in arms against amateur
minstrel combinations. Bill Musgrove, the
son of the man who got shot, was one of the
end men, and we helped him carry his father
home.
III. NJ Yerington heard about it, and the
next day made the rounds OF the city and paid
the damage we had executed. It must have
cost him, including doctor bills, gardening,
rebuilding fences and replacing borrowed
scenery, considerable sum, but he never
whimpered. OF course we never had any more
minstrel shows in his barn. He was heard to
remark that he preferred to pay his way into
regular professional show instead OF having
private amateur snap in his barn"
Professor George c. Edwards of the State
University does not join in the chorus of
lamentations over the killing of California
meadow larks. In fact, he claims that the lark,
like Bret Harte's heather Chinee, "for tricks
that are dark and ways that are vain, is pc
culiar."
Besides being the pride of the Berkeley boys
as a mathematician Professor Edwards has
won their affection as an athlete and sports
man. In addition to all these qualifications he
is farmer-one of those farmers who till the
soil for the love of it-and as result he raises
great quantities of garden truck" on his place
near Livermore.
THE pride of my heart, two years ago." he
said in telling of his farm, twas my water
melon patch. toiled much and schemed more
to make that patch a success, and II was.
Every vine thrived and was loaded with great
melons, the marvellous growth OF which was
source of great pride and joy to me.
"But my delight was short lived. No sooner
did a melon ripen than it began to rot. Upon
opening one would find the interior spoiled.
In nearly every case there was little round
hole in the side that admitted the air and
caused the melon to spoil.
al made up my mind that some miscreant
was making me the victim Of his Spite So /
watched that patch as cat would mouse.
One melon in particular l guarded with the
greatest care. 1t grew and assumed most
glorious size and color. One day / went to look
at 1t to see If it was ripe enough TO pick.
at was well did. As / neared it a lark
sprang from the shady side, its bill dripping
with juice. And there, in my biggest melon,
close to the ground, was hole that bird had
made in the rind. / suppose the lark wanted
water or perhaps il liked melon. At any rate,
1 had discovered the miscreant guilty of
destroying my crop and am no longer friend
of the lark, at least, not during the watermelon
season."
P. Lannon, one of the owners of the Salt Lake
Tribune and who is about as well known as
any man in Utah, is at the Palace. Mr. Lam
non has made Utah his home for many years,
and the growth of Salt Lake and the develop
ment OF the State have found an active sup