The San Francisco call., 1896-04-30

minute at my boyr' 1t was Chris Buck
ley. the lord of Ravenswood, who spoke,
and after he had uttered the words tear
rolled from his sightless eyes.
| Chris Buckley, the San Francisco poll
tician, is known to all Californians, and
his alleged Vaccinations have been given
to the whole world through newspapers
who are opposed to his policy. But it was
not the Chris Buckley OF the City Hall
who spoke. Forget for a moment that
Buckley ever knew Supervisor or
city official; forget that his name
was ever associated with any schemes
that came under the piercing eyes of
grand juries; remember that the man s
most powerful enemies to-day were for
merly his friends and supporters or were
supported through him, and that conse-
quently their judgment of his doings may
be little warped; remember that he was
but the center of q storm of indignation
| that enveloped others as completely as he;
carry out these suggestions and invest the
blind father with mantle of charity and
human sympathy. and then think for half
a moment of the awful significance of the
parents heartrending desire as he said:
81 would give s1O0, 900 just to look for one
minute at my boy"
| The husband and parent at Ravenswood
is a very agreeable and interesting man to
meet. If visited in the forenoon, as he
was recently, he will invariably be found
walking in his garden, arm in arm with
his wife, for the owner of Ravenswood de-
lights to walk among his trees and shrubs
to enjoy their perfume and to hear his
faithful partner tell of that which he can
| not see.
To everybody but the Assessor, however,
the undispnted Lord of Ravenswood is
Chris Buckley Jr.-the child whom his
father has never seen. He it is to whom
the father referred when he made the re-
mark already quoted.
Young Chris is the great source of COM
fort and solace that compensates for the
| terrible loss of pleasure that his father ex-
periences by not being able to enjoy the
| visible beauties of his luxurious home.
There is ''den" at Ravenswood. It is
a beautiful apartment that the father
owns, the boy controls, and that both
parents and the child enjoy. There is
handsome library in it, and a well stocked
sideboard. On the center-table are the
daily papers and the magazines. Under
meath the table and in various places usu-
ally held sacred from such debasement
are drum m-sticks, blocks, rubber lizards and
horses and picture books. They belong to
Chris junior, and his childish disregard of
decorum does not disturb his father-he
does not see it. He only knows that his
boy is happy and that he has been told he
is pretty child and like parents who can
see for themselves he firmly believes it.
For hours each day the father devotes
himself to his boy. He teaches him verses
tells him little stories, listens attentivelv
to all the lively prattle and baby elocution.
and is at once his friend, father and in.
structor.
The Buckleys live very quietly and nm.
ostentatiously in their beautiful home
Occasional entertainment of San Fran.
cisco friends take place, and these are
always royal events. At Livermore Chris
Buckley is all but worshiped He has
eniisted the good will and friendship OF
ell OF Livermore Valleys residents and
those with whom he has had dealings.
But then, Chris has not worried himself
ABOUT Alameda County politics and does
not register from here.
Mr.. Buckley was asked how he came to
settle in Livermore Valley, so far away
from the center of his political work.
Il expect it was through the hospitality
of my old friend, Assem- yman Joseph
Black, now dead. Visiting him
often, ] very soon discovered that
the air here refreshed me, and
that the climate the year around was
most delightful. / have travelled all over
this State, into every nook and corner of
it. and say in all sincerity l never found
climate that suits me so well as that
which enjoy in this valley. We are