The San Francisco call., 1897-05-09
A SUMMER CAVALIER.

San Francisco has always been accus-
toned to view the approach of summer
with gloomy eye. For some question: BILE
reason, the wisdom of which has found
| the appreciation of San Francisco stonily
inaccessible to its tender feet, every sum-
mer witnesses deflation of population
hereabouts that resembles the escape Of
gas from an overturned balloon. San
| Francisco as a general community stands
stockstill and marks this wholesale ex-
odus in lofty silence. Firm in the convic-
tion that it does not deserve such deser-
ton, it scorns to lift hand to stay it or
to give voice 10 the impatience which stirs
its soul as the outward bouEd procession
of summer-vacaters goes heedlessly by.
Like the proverbial Spanish cavalier who
has been done olt of his sweetheart by
the proverbial rival, this ST. Francisco
| with a swarthy brow stands arms folded
in a side aisle moodily staring at the
bridal cavalcade as it passes out into the
country sunshine.
But underneath the broodins cavalier
city's stoid exterior may not that self
conviction of superiority to the country
rival be a true one? May not the city of
San Francisco indeed be undeserving OF
| the slight which it sustains through the
open preference of its sweetheart, Society,
for the country in summertime? Let
Society pause for a moment 10 consider
San Francisco's advantages as summer
lover and then reply to that question.
What country pastime equals drive
through Golden Gate Park behind team
that is vigorously indisposed to slum Der
by the wayside? What rural road COM
pares with the cliff boulevard as path
for the wheel that loveth cot the rock and
the steep incline? What rustic scene
eclipses the winding way around Ingle-
side, with its blessed insurances agains:
death by hunger or thirst and its thought
ful provision of the mounted policeman
as a protector OF the elusive pocketbook
and the slippery iewel2 What unsettled
district, in short, compensates for its lack
of the convenences which the city and
county of San Francisco affords to seekers
after pleasure?
A change of air is desirable tonic to
be sure. 1t can be derived by two hours
drive from the heart OF San Francisco.
Hunting and fishing are joys supreme
| beyond doubt. The biggest hunting and
fishing clubs of the State have their head
quarters in this City, from which they
make brief excursions into fishing
grounds only a short journey away, re.
turning within couple or three days to
60 to the theater or the Cliff or the Chutes
or some other comfortable and civilized
diversion.
Society can do half dozen things in
the country, to wit: Lie in the shade and
watch the mercury climb out of the ther-
mometer, eat fruit with the footprints of
earwigs fresh upon il, roam through the
woods and list TO the tuneful lay of the
joyous rattIesnake, don a bathing suit by
the sad sea waves and become victual at
a piscatorial picnic. drag a fishing-pole
through fifteen miles of bram BILE and
brake under 120 degree temperature, and
go cunning with a boy and a dog neither
| of which may serve as game in lieu of the
rabbit that roameth not in the path of
the sportive visitor from the city.
But in San Francisco society can lie in
the shade with comfort, eat fruit with
safety, perambulate woody giades that
are as snakeiess as the haunts of ST. Pat
rick, bathe with modern convenience, fish
ditto, and hunt in season where the ad-
vantage of finding what Is hunted NAV
be enjoyed.
Besides these it can do hundred other
pleasurable things in the City that it can
not do in the country.
Society, sweetheart of this aggrieved
lord, st. Francisco, whose worth has
| been SO lightly esteemed in summertime,
attend with thine ear to these rich dis
closuree