The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-12
JkeyDine on Imported
Dainties
WHEN i SHIP COMES in
Wharf Urchins Who Know Good
Things and Know How to
Get Them

Not rare picture at the rendezvous OF
the white rats of the water front" under
the rocky brow of Telegraph Hill, over
looking the foot of Sansome street. is that
of lot of poorly clad youngsters busily
engaged in pouring into their outlets the
rich milk of the cocoanut. As they pat
their stomachs in acknowledge of the
fresh receipt, it occurs to the observer that
milk and honey never received more cor
dial welcome to the insldes of thirsty new
arrivals in promised land than this milk
of the cocoanut receives as it flows into
these eager mouths. Down around the
portion of the water front indicated. life
and It's luxuries are enjoyed. The white
rats are not content with fresh boiled
crabs, clam-soup and the varieties of domes-
tic fruits and vegetables that commonly
| form part of the bill of fare. Like Mob
Hill aristocrats, they banker after i'm
| ported articles.
Whenever a vessel lands here from
Tahiti, or some other of the islands of the
South Seas, with cargo of cocoanuts, the
traits" prepare for a picnic. Not that the
consignees of the cocoanuts are reckless in
their liberality. They are not in the habit
| Of distributing the nuts grstis around the
! water front. When a cargo of 10000 TO
! $4,000 cocoanuts arrives, and is piled on
the wharf awaiting the wagons of the COM
mission merchants, a special officer usually
watches the mountain of nuts with an
eagle eye. His task is not an easy one.
The waterfront urchins know just about
when to expect the South Sea vessels, and
! they gather in force to raid the cocoanut
| piles, if such a thing be possible. The
| Youngsters go about the business system
atically, fully appreciating the fact that
an officer is on the alert for their kind of
people, and they calculate the chances to
get clear of the Waterman when they
make a haul.
When there are couple of piles of CO
coanuts on the wharf, as sometimes hap
pens, a few of the urchins attract the at
tention of the guard by rather noisily
making their way to one Of the hills OF
nuts. They invariably succeed in getting
them selves chased off. These urchins, let
it be understood, are as spry as cats, feet
as greyhounds, shrewd as foxes. The
clatter of the feet of the guard as he pur-
sues, for short distance. the fleeing
arabs is the signal for another division OF
the gang. which has been lying under
cover, to spring to the nut-piles from an
opposite direction. The guard turns back
to charge upon the new enemy, which has
already. in a twinkling, grabbed up as
many cocoanuts as it can manage to fee
with and is in hasty retreat
The boys do this work so quickly that.
bv the time the officer reaches the whis-
kered importations from monkey-land, the
voune rascals are buried from view in
some alleyway and the cocoanuts have
been sacked and secreted somewhere to
await a safe moment for transfer to the
rendezvous below Telegraph Hill. Smart
as the guard may be, be will hardly es-
cape being tricked. Almost as sure as a
cargo of cocoanuts is landed in port the
white rats get a goodly share of them
Sometimes they are forced to resort to
holder measures to attain their object, but
thew are never wholly unsuccessful They
have been known to lie in the bottom of
express wagons which are being driven
along the wharf and to surprise the watch-
man by springing out suddenly when
near the nut-pile, snatching couple of
big ones and scamper1ng away as swift as
thought.
When the nuts are loaded on drays the
traits" often follow the loads uptown, and
sometimes, when opportunity offers, they
sneak up and grip the fiber as an Indian
grips the scalplock. with the difference
that the boys come away with the cocoa
nuts head as well as its scalp. AT another
time they may use lath or a long pole to
knock the nuts off the dray into the
street. When a cocoanut is picked up in
the street it belongs to the finder when
the arabs find it. And whatever number
they get is borne to their feasting- place,
where crude state of socialism prevails
where privileges are equal, and where the
cocoanut milk and the cocoanut meat are,
for the time being, the drink and food of
the joyful celebration.