The San Francisco call., 1896-03-15

darky had been mesmerized. After this
the captain of the vessel dictated an order
to the surgeon warning him not to repeat
his mesmeric experiments aboard the
ship, as they were hurtful to the necessary
discipline.
Farragut was afterward on shore leave at
Norfolk, Va, when his attention was again
called to mesmeric feat. In the house
where he was staying negro servant had
as regularly as clockwork washed the front
steps and polished off the big front door
every morning before 9 o'clock. His mas
ter found him, with his work undone,
asleep on the front steps. He scolded the
negro harshly, when that same surgeon,
who was also enjoying shore-leave, made
his appearance and excused the negro, say
ing he had noticed that the fellow was
about to begin work and thought he would
see if it wasn't possible to put him to sleep.
The surgeon then astonished the behold
ers, Farragut among the number, by
breaking the spell and bringing the negro
back to consciousness.
Among the close friends of Farragut
during lis four years on this coast was
Commodore G. H. Harrison OF Sausaito
"Farragut was worshiped at Mare Island
and Vallejo" said the commodore. His
life on the island, however, was compare
lively uneventful. Nevertheless he showed
himself to be as full of energy as an egg is
| full of meat. Few men in his position
would haye striven to build up the island
as he did. He did not scruple to get right
in with the laborers and to furnish an
example OF how thing should be done.
l recollect one day being on the island
when Farragut was overseeing the sink
ing of well. 1t was noontime and the
laborers had finished for the morning and
were leaving the hole. I was looking for
Farragut, and my query as to his where
abouts was answered by some body direct
ing me to that we'll. / went over, and was
rather surprised to see at the bottom of
the hole, pecKing away at the earth, and
all arrayed in his naval uniform, the COM
mandant of the island, David Farragut
There are very few officers in the service,
thought I, who would sacrifice portion
Of their dinner hour to such labor as Far
ragut is engaged in.
A story full of amusement is told of one
of the earliest Functions" at Mare Island
The stone dock and drydock were COM
pleted in Farragut's time and he had de-
cided on day for the opening. He had
not planned nor did he anticipate cele-
bration on any extensive scale, and had
made no elaborate preparations for the
event. His friends had concluded, how
ever, to make the day a memorable one.
The day came and the crowd that came
with 1t amazed the commandant with its
nence from all around the bay and they
had TO be entertained.
The commandant knew that the crowd
had to be fed, and he was thunderstruck to
learn from his steward that the stock of
liquors was down almost to nothing.
Farragut was equal to the emergency.
He summoned servant and ordered him
to go with all possible haste to various Off
GERS on the island and request them 10 con-
+rih to hot ~
for the general benefit of the OCCASION
The officers responded nobly. White
bottles and red bottles and black bottles
poured into the gap to supply the deiei-
ency. The stone dock and drydock were
opened with any amount OF impromptu
eloquence. Then the crowd was invited
up to the commandments house to drink to
the future usefulness of Il e new improve
M ents. The crowd was not very hungry,
but it was an awfully thirsty crowd. The
liquor held out we'll.
After the feast Commandant Farragut
could not hide look of pain. Calling
friend to one side, he exclaimed: ''I'm en-
tirely amazed at some of my officers. Some
of them who have always borne regulations
for sobriety are reeling around under the
influence OF liquor. am actually shocked,
and would never believe such thing were
/ not myself a witness to it.
The whole matter was soon explained
from the kitchen, where the servant who
had superintenGed the distribution of the
liquor had got into row on account of
assertions that he didn't know whisky
from lemonade. He might have known
lemonade, but of fortified liquors his
ignorance was supreme. He was forced to