The San Francisco call., 1899-01-01
His Gift a Diamond
Watch Charm.
BARKENTINES IN DISTRESS
CANNOT MAKE PORT IN TIME
FOR NEW YEARS DAY.
Captain ''Pete" OFT Did Not Get Back
on the Acapulco-Captain B.
Cogan Able to Be About
Again.

Chief Wharfinger George w. Root was
treated to an agreeable surprise
yesterday. The wharfingers and collec-
tors on the front took advantage of his
retirement from Office to assume the du-
ties Of Clerk of the Supreme Court to
present him with a magnificent watch
charm. During his term OF Office the
chief has always been most considerate
of his subordinates, so they could not let
him depart from among them without
some token of their esteem.
The old waiting-room OF the Sausalito
ferry was used for the occasion. The
boys" had draped it with flags and dec
GRATED it with evergreens, while a plat
form had been erected at the easterly end
of the room. Chief Root was about to
take the ferry boat for Oakland when
Sergeant Tom" Mahoney of the Harbor
Police took possession of him. and saying,
You are wanted badly to straighten out
a dis lrbance on Clay street wharf -
marched him away In vain the chief
protested that he had to catch a boat.
Mahoney would take no denial. When he
was ushered into the room there were
present all the employees of the Harbor
commission and many of the prominent
business men on the front. After a few
opening remarks by Captain w. r. Leale
the presentation was made by Assistant
Chief Whartinger Scott. He told of the
PHEASANT TeldtlOnS tndt ndu always SA-
listed between Chief Root and the men
under him and wished him as much sue
cess is his new office as he had had dur
ing his charge of the water front.
Speeches were made by Dan Il. Cole,
T: B.. O'Brien, A. E. Pryor and others,
after. which a cold collation. was spread
and the health of the new Clerk of the
Supreme Court was drank with three
times three. The charm presented is in
the form of a Masonic emblem, the center
piece Of which is a four-carat diamond
Mr.. Root was completely overcome by
the goodwill shown him, and had some
kindly remembrance of him.
BarkentineS seem to be in hard luck
The S. G. Wilder from Honolulu, the Tam
O. Shanter from Willapa and the Cleaner
from the Columbia River, have been off
the heads since last Thursday night and
cannot make port. Friday they were in
bunch fourteen miles south-Southwest
of Point LoboS, while yesterday they had
got to within three miles of the Golden
Gate when they had to anchor. Late in
the evening the Tam O. Shanter took d
tow but it looks as though the crews of
the others would spend New Years day
a sea bat within sight of home
The barkentine Omega was also outside,
but Captain Harrington managed to get
her past the fort. Then the tide turned
and she began to drift out to sea again,
but the anchors were dropped and the
vessel hung there until wind and tide
once more suited, when she made the
upper bay The schooner Volunteer, sew
enty days from Caleta Buena, had also
TO anchor outside, but tug came along
and brought her in. Captain Harrington
of the Omega reports that on December
Il, in latitude 45 deg. 16 min. north, longi-
tude 127 deg. 30 min. west, he passed a
lot of flooring. planking, fencing and
laths This is probably the deckioad of
SOME lumber vessel that was caught IN
the recent northWester.
The steamer Acapulco arrived from
Panama and way ports yesterday with
out Captain Pete" OFT, the pilot, who
was carried away on the City OF Para.
1t was thought the two steamers might
meet off Point Conception, and in that
event Captain OFT would have been trans
.ferred. The pilots are now building their
hopes on the City of Para reaching MAJ
atlan in time to connect with the Cura-
Gao in which event Captain OFT will come
back on that vessel.
Word was received by the Merchants
Exchange yesterday that the British ship
Glenard from South Shields for San Fran
cisco with a general cargo, had gone
ashore at Dungeness in heavy storm.
A lifeboat- was standing by ready TO take
off the crew in case of an emergency.
Captain B. Cogan has left. ST. Mary s
HOSPITAL and in a day or so will be out
and about again. His wife wished him
to remain another week at St. Marys
and was getting ready to cross the bay
to persuade him to remain, when the cap
tain walked into the house. He had to
undergo a very painful surgical opera
ton. but is now on the high road to re-
covery and will be ready for another
cruise to the Arctic In q few weeks.