The San Francisco call., 1896-06-28
What Oliver Optic Saw
in This City
He Had Entree to the Bohemian
Club, but Did Not Fully Com
prehend the High
Jinks


two generations as "Oliver Optic" passed
through San Francisco last December on
an East to West trip around the world.
He completed the journey April z last
when he arrived at Boston from Liverpool.
Mr.. Adams has printed (Dos published) a
narrative of the Journey. The story is
told in that style OF delightful simplicity
which made the 'Oliver Optic" books and
magazines so welcome to boys, girls and
grown people in many lands.
He introduces the story of the trip by
saying: II have visited every country in
Europe, from Ireland to Kazan, in Russia.
and from Norway and Sweden to the
southern part Of Italy, and have been to
about all the islands of the West Indies.
l have been in all the States of my own
country except nine, though l have not
travelled all over them. / have been
through the Dominion of Canada, from
New Brunswick to its western boundary,
in Lake Superior. 1t seemed to me time
to go around the world. My friends re-
monstrated with me- principally because
intended to go alone; but their protests
were not vigorous-were rather mild. They
thought l was too old to go alone, but l
insisted that l was some months short of
a. and was as able as ever to take care OF
myself. The objections were withdrawn.
~ went to the office of Messrs. Henry
Gaze & Sons, in charge of w. II. Eaves,
for my tickets for the entire trip from
Boston to Boston. paid for them $500,
including only steamer and railway fares,
though | was found on all the steamers,
which included the greater part of the
frin I T0aid for INV claQnara and for
board at the hotels, fees on the steamers
iinrickishas, guide, carriages in Colombo
Gibraltar and London $541, making the
total expenses $1161.
'Thus armed with pasteboards for the
trip l left Boston December IA, for Chi
cago, and at o'clock for Minneapolis,
where 1 intended to spend what time l
could with my son-in-law (Sol Smith Rus
selD, daughter and two grandchildren.
We made very jolly Christmas
of it, and the head of the family escorted
me to the station of the Northwestern
Railroad and saw me comfortably in
stalled In the sleeper for San francisco"
Impressions of San Francisco are thus
recorded in the brochure:
"If there is any better hotel in San
Francisco than the Baldwin, don't know
which it is. With gentleman from To-
! ronto, whose acquaintance 1 had made
on the train and found to be a pleasant
compan ion, we were shown TO suite of
rooms on principal street, up one flight,
having two large sleeping apartments, a
parlor and bathroom. We were charged
four dollars o day each. The table was
excellent and l greatly enjoyed the hotel.
] walked about the streets of the City. 1t
looked like a busy place, and has many
elegant buildings.
"On Monday / took a carriage and rode
over some of it with my room mate, James
f. Walker. After exchanging my order
for a ticket to Yokohama we visited the
China, the largest and finest of the Pacific
Mail line, in which my passage was en-
gagged. 1 was somewhat surprised when
we came to her to see on her stern that
she hailed from Glasgow, for / had sup
posed that all the ships of this line, like
the City of Peking, in which l had once
sailed from Boston to New York, were
built in the United States. She
looked like solid vessel and one that
would be entirely at home in heavy sea,
and this ability is vastly better than GIN
gerbread work in the cabins.
"In the train l had the pleasure of meet
ing Harry Francis, and his kind offices
gave me the entree of the Bohemian Club,
which / visited. It's apartments were spa
cious and elegant. with nothing gaudy
about them, and its large library indi.
Gated that it had been selected by men
who knew books. / was received in the
most genial and cordial manner by two of
the members, though / am sorry that l
have lost their names. / met there Hugh
NJ. Burke of The CALL. l was also very
fortunate in meeting DR.. Beach, the sur
geon of the China. | had very pleasant
visit, though am afraid l did not fully
comprehend the high iinks and the
''low iinks" which are so peculiar to the
Bohemian Club.
Another day was spent in walking and
riding about the City: and 1 went aboard
the China after luncheon, December 81,
and sailed at o'clock. At first as the
steamer sailed down the bay had enough
to do to observe this noted sheet OF water.
1 recognized some OF the points and
places of which l had read. As the ship
went out to sea 1 repaired to my state
room, where found my little Japanese
steward putting things to right. He had
turned up and secured the upper berth, so
that l had no excuse for humping my
head against it. The electric light was
so placed that l could read after I had
turned in as l am in the abit of doing.
/ found an excellent and well-selected
library in the warm cabin of which l
made use during the voyage.
THE number of passengers was small.
l made the acquaintance OF most of them.
and found them very pleasant people.
Five ladies were missionaries, one of
them being doctor from Portland, Or.
Captain Seabury was heightened gentle
man, always pleasant, and l considered
him a model sea-captain. 1 became quite
intimate with ]. w. Saunders, the first
officer, with whom l spent pleasant hours.
"The weather the first two davs of the
voyage was mild and pleasant, with yery
| little wind. Then came savage gale
which had hardly moderated before an
other came. We had what the first officer
called 'cross-seas,' and the ship pitched,
rolled and twisted, and it was not an easy
matter to stay in ones berth at night or