The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-12

Having only shining silver quarter of
a dollar IN my pockets, started forth to
be prince for day in gay San Francisco
on this amount of cash. The problem was
how to get at least two good meals, to
visit the leading places of interest in town,
TO keep abreast of the news, current litera-
ture, etc, of the time, to hear one or two
hne concerts of instrumental music OF
high class, and generally to have a really
royal time on two bits. My instructions
included an admonition not to accept IA
vors on account of personal acquaintance,
the purpose of this being to have the net
result such as may be achieved by any
person who is much alive TO the possibili-
ties inhering IL existing local conditions.
Keen and pungent odors proceeding
from open doorways on East street sug-
gested gustatory delights, and a police
man, who was indicted into the condition
of the royal exchequer, "opined" that in
this neighborhood breakfast could be most
satisfactorily obtained.
"You see it is this way" said the knight
of the locust club. You can go into this
office and get ticket which will entitle
you to free breakfast at the Salvation
Army Lifeboat; or you can go around
into Jackson street and get a pint of wine
and some meat stew for a nickel, but
would not advise that, because the wine is
the dregs OF watts; or you can go into one
of these places and get a large glass of
steam beer and something to eat for 5
cents"
Five minutes later the edge OF the appe-
tite of the morning was being dulled rap
idly through the agency of three shiny
frankfurter sausages, bread ad ibitum
and potations from deep glass in which
foamed the amber liquid popularity known
as steam beer. The sausages were evil
IDENTIFY cooked by q chef. The smooth and
FURNISHED exterior indicated the interior
to have been properly prepared. Slightly
and shapely like the lady fingers made
by the pastry cooks, they were as easy to
take in ones digits, and they cracked
deliciously at the first pressure of the in
cisors. Then from them was exhaled a
fragrant odor which impelled a flow of
gastric Juice and caused expectation to
run riot. Here was beginning of which
EscuIapius could approve; upon which a
PHILOSOPHER like Seneca might look with
satisfaction, and which would call forth
the commendatory nod of broad girthed
Gambrinus.
Upon the surface of amber-colored beer
hoated foam as evanescent and light as
thistle down. The receptacle holding the
beer was as deep and as musical, as it was
clinKed against another, as bell of Shan
don ''That sounds so grand on the River
Lee" Clearly through its translucent
sides could be observed the sparkling effer-
vescence, the riotous ascent of sparkling
globules which conferred, as reward for
patronage of plebeian beverage, delight
full tang, in which was all the lusty flavor
of sun-klssed helds of bearded barley
waving and rustling in the wind. The re-
porter moved nearer the bread dish. There
was general human gravitatlon in the
same direction. The 'barkeep" looked on
benignly.
Squared off before this array, as the
l frankfurter impaired its sweetness, the
staff of life lent its staying and bIood-mak-
I ing qualities, and the beer percolated
softly as cool spring water drips from a
NOISY spring down grateful throat, not