The San Francisco call., 1896-11-19
TENAN TED BY
SPIDERS AND DUST
Widow Lemon Refuses to
Disturb Her Husbands
Drugstore.
For Ten Years It Has Stood as
When Death Called Him
Away.
Blindness Will Soon Prevent the Faith.
full Sou. From Seeing the
Well.Known Place.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL,
aO8 Broadway, Nov. 10.

908 Broadway, NOV. ~.
An attempt recently made TO lease a
store on Broadway, near Third street,
brought TO light an interesting case OF
woman's devotion to the memory of her
husband.
Mrs. Lemon lives at the back of the
store. which is located one door north of
Third street, on the east side of Broad
way. For over ten years she has lived
there, but not thing in the store has
been touched since the night her husband
died suddenly of pneumonia.
DR.. Lemon was the proprietor of the
drugstore, which was established over
thirty years ago when lower Broadway
was the busiest part OF the city. His
place was known all over the county, and
he was equally popular as a drugstore
propr ietor and as physician. About ten
years ago he died. ana the widow decided
that she would leave the store just as 1t
was when her husband last left it, and
she has refused to alter her decision.
Many years ago the windows became so
entirely frosted with dust and cobwebs
that no one has been able to look inside
from the street. A rough wooden batien
is nailed across the window, and for over
five years the thousands of people who
have passed have not known that 1t was
an empty store, like many others IN that
part OF town.
The interior is interesting 1t is COM
plete drugstore. The walls are covered
with shelves, on which are labeled bottles
partially filed with drugs. Mildew has
done its work, but a large portion OF the
bottles and viais are no worse distlgured
than with half an inch of dust and cob
webs. The varnish on the shelves and
fixtures has disappeared, and the wrap
ping-paper, once white, has long since
turned yellow. The scales contain some
drug that was IN process of being weighed
when the proprietor hurriedly went TO his
room, from which he was carried out few
days later. The prescription-book is
open, but is covered SO deep with dust
that the writing is not legible. A bottle
with the stopper out is beside it, and the
prescription which DR.. Lemon was filing
ten years ago is beside it.
Large pieces OF paper hang from the
dank walls and festoons OF spiders tracks
connect one side of the store with the
other. The key in the lock has rusted
and the aged widow uses rear entrance.
In the window are old almanacs aid par
GELS of herbs that have long since lost
their virtue. The lamp is also there that
burned out the night the proprietor lit it
for the last time.
a ghost IN the deserted store. Such a
luxury, however, is unnecessary, as the
place is ghost in itself.
Mrs. Lemon Is now an old woman, but
when a proposition was made lately to
lease the store she refused 10 listen TO it,
and declared that it should remain as it
is. 1t is reported that in her will she has
desired that the property shall not be dis
turbed for all time. Ii this be the case,
her desire cannot be carried out. as the
house Will not be habitable for many
more years.
During the past few months blindness
has overtaken the widow, and now she
can only see with difficulty. Every day
she goes into the store and looks a the
place once occupied by her husband. Be-
fore long she will go in there, but will see
nothing. Although her income from her
property is very small, and barely enough
for her wants, she will not add TO it by
renting the drugstore.
The Macdonough Theater.
OAKLAND CAL, Nov. l8.-"Alabama F"
one Of A. NJ. Palmer's plays, with good
cast and special scenery. Will be the attrac-
tion Friday and Saturday evenings, and a
popular price matinee Saturday afternoon.
Darkest Russia" will hold the boards
next Monday and Tuesday nights.
Dedication of Reed Hail.
OAKLAND, CAL Nov. 1S.-The beauti-
ful new Reed Hall, in the Ebell Greek
Temple, corner of Thirteenth and Harri-
son streets, will be dedicated tomorrow
night by a concert of unusual excellence,
under fashionable patronage. Those who