The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-06

very hardly toward their San Francisco
brethren. This is the first New Years
week when the postmen of Oakland have
not been able TO add nearly a months sal
airy to their income, and they attribute it
directly 10 the greed and persis.ency of
two carriers across the bay. Last year 4
prominent San Francisco merchant forgot
his annual duly to his postman and so the
carrier left card. As there was not speedy
response a second card was sent in marked
second delivery" Another carrier re-
ceived a tip from merchant at his down
town Office and left a card 1T The same
mans private residence. Both these gen.
tlemen sent protest TO Washington and
the result was that cards, souvenirs and all
other methods OF calling for boxes were
peremplorily forbidden.
AS a result of the order, said Postmas-
ter White to-day, the carriers have only
received about one-half OF what they usu-
ally collect. This custom OF giving pres
ents at Christmas originated When the
postal service was a very different lnstltu-
ton from wuat it is now. Then the car
riers had 10 deliver all their letters, no
matter how many hours It took them, and
at holiday times the work was so hard that
they really deserved more than they got.
But things have changed wonderfully since
then. What q carrier cannot denver IN
eight hours is left Ov. until next day and
no one is oyerwOrked. While l am not
opposed to people giving the carriers all
they want 10, il should be q purely vOlun-
tarV gift. 10 solicit is certainly to belittle
the public service, and viewed from this
point, the recent orders OF the department
are certainly commendable. Our postmen
receive $3.50 a year for eight hours work
day and are sure OF their jobs for LIE, so
long as they behave them ST. Ives
when Oakland is declared to be first
class ot1ice, as IL will be in few years, the
carriers Will receive $1,000 a year. These
conditions are very different from what
they were when the gift custom was inau-
gurated, and there are some carriers who
would actually refuse tips If they were
offered, considering that the acceptance of
such Is an act OF humiliation"
Science came to the relief of a young
lady who was much annoyed by persist
ent, but obnoxious, lover recently. One
OF the employees at the electric-light works,
who works till the last circuit is cut off
and the city placed in darkness, was Wis
tied by his newly welded wife every night
so that the couple would enjoy each others
company and walk home together after
the cars had stopped running. For sew
eral nights the lady was followed by man
to her and attempting TO smile agreeably.
be circumstance was duly reported 10
the night electrician, but as the sidewalks
are public property and the mans actions
were perfectly gentleman-like, nothing was
done. After a while the ardent follower
went as far as the power-house and took
the liberty Of looking in through the win
dowS.
Then a neat little plot was decided upon.
One night the electrician made it his bust
ness to be at the door when his wife came
She went in, and a few steps behind her
came her shadow. The very agreeable
electrician spoke cheerfully, and after a
few sentences the ardent follower was in
ylted in to see the machinery. The offer
was accepted, and after a very pleasant
few minutes the visitor was standing on a
loose iron plate. II was an innocent-look-
ing thing, Just what IS expected to be seen
in machine-shops, and TO walk over it was
the most natural thing in the world.
While on the plate the engineer carelessIy
took hold OF a handle that hung loosely
from the end OF wire.
There, feel that" said he, handing it
freely TO the visitor. 1t was grasped as
freely IS offered, and instantly there was
yell from the visitor. The other end of the
wire was connected with the iron plate
and en- route 1t intercepted few batteries.
The woe-begone lover completed the cir
cult
The victim yelled and roared but was
unable to move, and while the frightened
wife cried enough the husband laughed
and assured her that the inconvenience to
the visitor would not be permanent
Alter extracting all manner of promises
from him not to follow or annoy his wife
the electrician turned the current off and
the frightened shadow fed and has not
since been seen on Franklin street.
The report that the Merchants Ex-
change of Oakland will incorporate for
building purposes so as to have a perma-
nent exhibit of goods, and another report
that the exposition movement has also be-
come a permanent one and has incor-
porated for the purpose of building an exhi-
bltion hall, augur no good for either move
ment. On the surface it looks as though
Oakland would benefit by having two Der
manent exhibits and annual shows, bat il
means, without shadow OF doubt, the COL
lapse OF one, and possibly both plans.
Both bodies are undoubtedly acting in
good faith, but the exposition business bids
fair to be done to death. Because one
exposition, and that the very first one and
consequently a novelty, was a pronounced
success, it does not follow that a show on
an average every few months will be
equally popular. There Is also something
else to ne considered. The exposition was
a success because SO many elements
worked together for its success. The two
new movements are opposed 10 each other.
President Fish of the Merchants Exchange
was not one of the executive committee OF
the recent show. 1t was decided that it
was to be a manufacturers and producers
exhibit, consequently Mr.. Fish being a
merchant was not eligible. NJ. ], Keller,
president OF the Board of Trade. is a man
ufacturer and, of course, was eligible. He
was vice-presldent of the exposition and a
prom nent worker throughout
This distinction formed the basis for a
rumor thatth was friction between the
exchange and the Board OF Trade in the
inception Of the exposition, and that the
exchange, although it loaned its head
quarters and offered the services of its sec
rotary, held out, as body. This was not
strictly true, as three exchange di-
rectors, Theodore Gier. II. o. Trowhridge
ana Fred Bee er, were on the exposition
executive committee, but that there was a
lack OF harmony between the presidents
ef the two bodies is proved by the two
schemes to accomplish what is practically
the same object. ANY man with any
knowledge of this city knows that with an
institute as proposed by the exposition
committee and an Exhibition Hall as pro-
posed by the Marpbantci Evchan0a ono