davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05

HlOHs even commonplace, anu we BIOW
tired of them. Why is it?
Familiarity without appreciation makes
things seem commonplace. Supposing the
moon were to rise only once year-then,
whether seen in crescent or with its full
face of light, we should all turn out even
at midnight to see it; but we have grown
familiar with the sight, and So perhaps,
careless. Yet to the heart with apprecia-
tion it is still just as silvery, just as
beautiful, just as wonderful as it ever
was. Men will prepare for months ahead
for an eclipse Of the sun, and all the
world stands gazing in wonder before the
creeping shadow which slowly shuts out
the light of day But every day of the
suns shining, with its warmth and light
and comfort and life-giving power, is
thousandfold more wonderful than the
eclipse.
1 remember with what wonder I took
my first kuruma ride through the streets
of Japanese city. Everything l saw,
from the curious little wagon in which
was riding, the queer little people swarm
ing around me. the strange little band
box houses and shops, to the wonderful
fve-story pagoda and the old medieval
castle, seemed nothing less than marvel
Gus to me. l felt If [ were to stay in
the country for fifty years the wonder
of it would never pass away. But it was
the same old story. l actually lived there
only four years, and long before 1 left 1
could ride from end to end of the great
city of Toxic without single thrill of
wonder Our own land, our streets, our
city, our people are just as wonderful to
the eyes of the stranger; there isn't a
commonplace spot in his own town to a
man of appreciation who has not lost the
art of seeing things.
So it. is with our lives; they are not
common and never commonplace, save to
him who grows too familiar to see the
wonder and the glory contained therein
The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05

ish, and the senior was always very
kind to me. He wrote down my name and
the date that we put into port and SAID
that If ever ne got a chance he would let
my parents know what had become or
me- 1 grew up just like the other MeXi-
can boys and 1 was never lonesome for
Montreal.
Years afterward, when young Vallejo,
who afterward became General Vallejo,
went to Sonoma he took me with him.
Senior Vallejo, his father, sent him there
to manage the large tracts of land that
the Vallejos owned around what is now
Santa Rosa. At the mission of San Fran
cisco Solano was a padre and L used to
talk English with him. General Vallejo
told him my story and he wrote to the
American Consul at Monterey. Through
thfs Consul my parents heard of me.
But did not want to go back to Mon
treal 1 loved my friends, the Vallejos,
Pachecos and the rest of them too much
to leave them:
General Vallejo always treated the
Americans kindly, but they took every
thing away from him and from all the
rest of the Mexicans, who had this coun-
try long before the Americans came to
it, When he died I lost my best friend.
will never forgive the Americans. They
killed him. Not with shot, but they broke
his heart. All my other friends We're
treated the same way. NOW they are all
poor; once they had everything.
''Have I got no one to take care Of me?
never married, and my friends are all
Mexicans, and they are dead or too poor
to help me. What little they have they
will share with me, but / cannot accept
anything from their small savings. I
never made friends among the gringoS.
They did not treat the Mexican right, and
1 hate them"
1t is like showing the proverbial red rag
to the bull to mention the gringo to John
Sebastian. Attempt to defend the Ameri
cans and his weak gray eyes light up with
an intense hatred. He Immediately re-
fuses to talk, and his anger usually
brings on an asthmatie attack.
Addressed in Spanish, however, he
told his story willingly and in a very
clear, connected manner, considering his
years. Though he often wandered from
the main thread of his interesting story
he would never say anything of the hap
The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05

mONd dll Ine WOnQerS OIL the last
~ twenty years, there have been few
IL things more remarkable than the
I l development of speed in cycling.
1t seems but yesterday that there
were only four men in the world
who could ride a mile on a track under
minutes, and that Cortis' feat of com
passing twenty miles within an hour was
worlds wonder. To-day Major Taylor,
the lightning black rider of the States,
can ride mile in 1 minute, Il 2-5 seconds.
or, with a flying start, in 80 seconds,
rate of 80 miles an hour; and Elkes, an
other American racer. has covered "a
miles 1920 yards within the hour.
After thirty years of development the
cycle has at last eclipsed in speed every
means of travelling except the locomotive.
1t can give the swiftest thoroughbred
that ever flashed round Tattenham Cor
ner start and a beating in a mile race,
while for shorter distances Persimmon
even would be left painting in the rear.
To illustrate the relative speeds of the
different methods of human progression
let us in fancy start them all in a mile
handicap. No such thrilling race has
ever been seen on any track. and it would
be worth travelling a thousand miles to
see it.
We must place Major Taylor on his
I cycle at scratch. We will take Persim-
mon in his marvellous form of Derby day.
1898; when he covered the course in the
astonishing time of 2 minutes AZ seconds
and, mounting Watts on his back, we will
give him 20 yards start of the bicycle.
The fastest mile ever trotted is credited
to Alix, who brought down the mile time
to 2 minutes. 1874 seconds. ur cyclist will
be able to give this lightning trotter a
start of 31S yards. The fastest mile ever
covered on skates was j. Nilsson's mile
at Montreal, which he covered in min
utes AIS seconds. speed which would
admit of a start of 63 yards from Taylor.
w. G. George, in 1885, ran a mile in four
minutes 1874 seconds, and would require a
start of no Sless than 1854 yards, or 154
yards more than half the mile
The winning oxford crew of 1898 GOV.
cred the course, from Putney to Mortlake,
at the rate of minutes 42 seconds a mile,
and would claim start from the cycIist
The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05
Special to The Sunday Call.

VERY ore will recognize these words
as belonging to the Masters answer
to the first servant, in the parable of
the talents. He was given one talent,
or pound, which he straightway in
vested: and when his Lord comes he
has instead of one pound, ten pounds to
return The point of interest is to be
found in the fact that the servant did not
despise his opportunity.
NV purpose would be served nearly as
veil perhaps, with the answer of the
tbird servant, Lord, behold here is thy
,ound which have kept laid up in nap
bin " Probably one reason Of this action
was 10 be found in the fact that the man
had so very little to use. 1t seemed to
hin, comnonpIace-so small it was hardly
u,ortb investing The easiest thing was
einnIv 10 keep it and give it back when
b,s lord came. What was he? A poor,
unworthy servant! What were his oppor-
tunities? Poor and mean at the best!
What could he do with his common ilttle
1ifeq Not much, surely; and so he under
,,a1,,ed the whole thing and threw away
his opportunities.
There is a good deal of that same spirit
in the world to-day. We think OF our
lives as common, of our opportunities as
poor and mean, and so we come at last to
underestimate the common day, with It's
common task; to underestimate the com,
mon event with it's common settings anu
altogether TO overestimate the occasional
day with its occasional task. would IKE
10 hold the thought before you that, wheh
looked at from a high point Of view, there
are really no common days, nor common
lives nor common events, so long as they
are linked with some genuine moral puI-
nose. And yet things really do seem COM
The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05

tlefieId, but in his home at Galena, in
communication with his officers around
the camp fire, in the hours when off duty
and off his guard. What was the true
measure of President Lincoln? There
are those who say it is to be found in
the heroic patience with which he en-
dured the four years struggle in the
White House. But far more truly was
the measure of the man taken in the
years of preliminary preparation as rail
splitter, surveyor, law student, success
full lawyer and politician on the frontier
of Illinois.
Many men acquit themselves splerslid-
ly on public occasions, rise to great
heights of eloquence and power when in
view of other men, who are mean and
petulant and critical and overbearing and
difficult. to live with in private. 1t is not
so difficult to be great on great occa-
The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05

mon, even commonplace, and we grow
tired of them. Why is 1t?
The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05

81 hear you have little sister at your
house%" said the grocer to a small boy.
Yes, SIR replied Johnny.
DO you like her?" was the grocers
next question.
II wish it was a boy. said Johnny. $50
l could play marbles with him, an ball,
an all those things when he got bigger"
Well said the grocer, why don't you
exchange your little sister for boy?"
Johnny reflected for a minute, then
said, rather sorrowfulIy:
I'VE can't now. It's too late. We've
used her four daVCi',
The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05

penings during the great gold excitement
of 40
'I kept store on North Fork. put some
money in mine, but they cheated me-
is the way he dismisses that exciting
period in the history of the State. He
has wiped mis- memory clear of the
''gringo" and his doings.
But while the present and the immedi-
ate past are dimly impressed, the memo
ries of those earlier, happier days come
surging thick and fast to crowd out the
joyless happenings of later years.
Sebastian has not forgotten the days
of bountiful hospitality when the Mexi-
cans doors swung wide open for padre,
beggar or senior. - He recounts the days Of
feasting and the bullfights nights passed
in watching the fascinating fandango and
softly Strummng on the guitar.
At times he fOrgets that he is on a mar
row cot in a public hospital. With gay
band Of cavaliers he is travelling sixty
miles to attend some wedding where rich
and poor will feast and make merry for
a week. The cavalier in those days would
often travel for days if a pair of black
eyes and twinkling feet awaited him at
the journeys end.
Then there are moments when John Sc
bastian realizes his present plight. But
those moments are fortunately few. He
tells his story, his ages years, the year
that he came to California-1S12, in a sim
pie, straightforward manner that does
not admit of dispute.
For he does not say it boastfully. He
does not wish to be enrolled as the first
and oldest pioneer. He will have nothing
of the ''gringos and their societies" He
states it simply, as if it were an ordinary,
indisputable fact.
Last week Sebastian was removed from
the County Hospital to the AImshouse,
where he expects to end his days.
While a crowd of Harvard boys were
celebrating the Pennsylvania game in The
cafe of Boston hotel one of the students
became infatuated with a gorgeous white
waistcoat worn by one of the colored
walters. He called the man and said TO
him, 81 want to buy that waistcoat.'
what you want of that west, boss"
said the man.
Il just want to buy it. What will you
take for p"
After a good deal of guffawing and
some hesitation, the colored man allowed
that he would take five dollars for it
Done" said the Harvard man, and he
pulled out a five-dollar bill and gave it to
the negro, who began to pull off the
waistCoat.
"Oh. you needn't do that" said the stu
dent; 81 don't want you to give it to me
i just wanted to feel that owned that
waistcoat."
Inc negro went to wait on his own ta-
BILE, when the student called to him,
"Come here!'
What you want, boss?'
The student called the negro up close.
dipped his own fingers into a plate of
cranberry sauce, and with them proceeded
to mark a big ''H' on the middle of the
front of the white waistcoat-his waist
coat!
The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05
Common Little Lives -0undau Sermon
By Rev. Geo. L. Perrin, Boston, Mass.

We thou good seyUamt because thou hast been faithful
very little, hare thou authority ten cites-LA
The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05
Most ThfI|inQ Race on Record.

n MONG all the wonders of the last
~ twenty years, there have been few
IL things more remarkable than the
l development of speed in cycling.
= - hut tor dnrr Ia, L,
The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05

Ohm SEBASTIAN. age 9S years,
birthplace Montreal, Canada
Just a tiny white card of identi-
fcation pasted above a cot at the
City and County Hospital.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-07
Mr.. PIass' Criticism.

Mr. Plass was asked what he
thought, personally, OF the method that
prevailed of holding these indictments
over the offenders after they had plead
ed nolo."
without crdticismg the attorney gen.
eral have an idea that IL offers oppor-
tunities for blackmail or favoritism ON
The part of the police officers or cap
tains. l understand the police have
more or less TO say about such cases
and the patrolman or captain can hold
the indictment over the mans head IN
his own interest. i ind frequently In
other states that THE police are In
league with these places.
"One trouble in this state under pre-
yjous attorney generals has been the
mol pressing of cases, but Mr.. Tanner
saws he has not mol pressed liquor
case since he has been attorney gene
raj.
Mr.. Plass finds another objection 10
the signing of agreements not TO preak
the law coupled with deferring OF sem
tence in the fact that such procedure
does not work the forfeiture OF license
10 sell. He thinks the man who breaks
the law should forfeit the right To sell
for Ave wears.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-07
Police Officers Uphold Attor-
ney Generals Method.
The Chief, Like the State Prosecutor,
Angry Over Statements Of the
Anti-Sa|oon Leaguers.

More OF a hornets nest was stirred
up as a result OF what Rev. Norman
Plass and Washington Prescott had to
say at the Hope Street Methodist
Episcopal Church, last Sunday
evening relative to liquor prosecutions
than was at first supposed.
Attorney General Tanner has ex-
pressed his opinion, in pointed language
concerning these gentlemen, one OF
whom represents the Rhode Island
Anti-Saloon League. while the other
is said to be the prosecuting attorney
for the league, but who on the occa-
sion referred TO is said not to have Of
ficially represented IT..
AS result OF Mr.. Tanners assertion
that he would hold no further commu-
nications with Mr.. Plass and his asSo-
ciates, and would confer only with the
legally elected officers of the cities and
towns in which the league sought to
operate, Mr.. Plass has come forward
and has declared that IL Is his intention
no investigate the court records and as
certain IL Mr.. Tanner has acted prop
erly in the liquor cases. IL So he would
publicly say so: II not, he would speak
unfayorably OF Mr.. Tanners plans.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-07
TESTING CENSUS APPLICANTS.


II is curious fact that larger num-
Der OF applicants for positions in the
census bureau are unable TO copy fig
ures correctly. Comparatively few of
them make mistakes in addition, sub
traction, multiplication or division, but
when they are required to copy long
column OF figures most of the candi-
dates make grievous mistakes. That
will be one of the most important
duties to be performed by the clerks
of the census. All of the returns OF
the enumerators and special examiners
will have to be copied. and. OF course,
II is essential that the work be done
with perfect accuracy.
The other day. says the Chicago Rec
ord. out OF nineteen people (fifteen
women and four mem only three Owo
men and one woman) made exact cop
les of the columns of figures that were
given them. 1t may be that some OF
them were careless, because they did
not appreciate the Importance OF the
test. but II is suggested that the errors
may be the fault OF the eye and not
the mind. When a person has looked
intently at page Of figures for a
time the vision is apt to be obscured.
The figures run together" and unless
care is taken line is skipped or re-
peated.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-07
0LNEYVILLE

The second band concert under the
auspices of the business men Of the
square will be given tomorrow evening
and the stand will be erected at the
junction of Webster street and Broad-
way. The program will be as follows:
March, Stars and Stripes, Sousa; "a ;
Southern Hospitality Pryor Id
Golden Robin" Bosquct; overture,
William Tell, Rossini; solo for cornet,
Mr.. B. II. Church: selection, Mar
tha,' Flotow; fantasia, Yankee
Doodle" Reeves; solo for piccolo MT
Fred Padley; Ca) Georgia Camp Meet.
ing" Mills; (b) "Patrol, Blue ano
Gray" Hacker; solo for trombone Mr
G.. w. Spary: Rose. Shamrock ana
Thistle" Baeteus; "Star Spangled BAN
ner." ID. w. Reeves, director.
The funeral OF the late Patrick Lo-
gan was held this morning at the resi-
dence OF his parents, 81 Barstow s.r.st,
The room in which the remains resteu
was completely filled with norai oIer-
ings. the more prominent pieces COM
ing from his parents; one from tne
Tuxedo Athletic club. one from ms
shopmates in the spinning departihent
in Fletcher's mill and one from MY
special favorite, his little nepheW, LEO
A requiem mass was celebrated III OF
Mary's church and the intermeht was
Mt st. Francis cemetery the bearers
being j. II. Kelly. NJ. +. Kelly Sharles
j. Logan. Edward J. Logan buwaru
Logan and William Clemley.
The special committee OF the Sunse'
Whist club is arranging TOT uay
outing at the Warwick clup.
Postmaster Harris is confined 10 mis-
home by illness.
II is reported that ex-Chief OF Police
Holbrook is to open a coal ana WOOD
yard at 232 Plainneld street.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-07
AT THE NORTH END.

There is woman living on Back
street who evidently believes that ex-
ercise both before and after breakfast
is good for policemen. In her cellar up
TO couple OF hours after sunrise to-
day there waa an old wash boiler and
am old coat. The cellar was visited by
two fellows who vary the monotony OF
a rather dull existence by occasional
acts of thieving. The visitors removed
the coat and boiler They were seen
coming out of the cellar by the woman
and another person. The night officers
attention was called to the incident and
he promptly started to find the thieves.
He got on their track, but they had too
good a start so they escaped. The night
officer had a good run ON a hot morn
ing, however, and turned the case over
TO the day officer. The woman whose
property had been taken was inter-
viewed by the day man and she gave
h'm a long history or past events,
touching Incidentally on the removal
of her property without her consent.
Fire officer hustled and found witnesses
of the robbery and also parties who
had seen the thieves running away with
the plunder. The thief had dropped
the boiler when the night officer was in
pursuit and the owners interest in the
episode ceased, except as a matter Of
gossip. and the consideration OF the
good she was doing the officers by CIV
ing them exercise before and after
breakfast. The day officer learned who
the thieves were and he asked the
woman IL she would not make COM
plaint against them. Her reply was in
the negative and In the language of
diplomacy the incident was closed.
Joseph Nicholson. a driver for Foxs
pie bakery. who lives on Flora street.
while driving a horse attached TO one
of the pie teams. had the bad luck to
have the horse take a fit and fall down
on Highland street. The horse In fall
ing broke a shaft of the wagon and in
jured the harness Mr.. Nicholson in
making the necessary repairs was as
sisted by officer Mcguire.
The police of the Second Station made
two arrests for drunkenness last night.
There were no disturbances.
A large number OF permits to build
were examined by the police OF the
same station yesterday.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-07
A BdcksIider Punished.

Lieut.. O'Neil endorsed Capt. Mars.
tons view and said that only last Sat-
day Mr.. Tanner sent a man out to Jail
at his (Lieut.-9, Neif, 81 request, be-
cause he had been detected in selling
contrary TO the law and in direct viola
ton or his agreement with Mr.. Tanner
and Capt. Stevens. who he (O'NeiD was
representing at the station for the rea-
son that the captain was at home Ill.
The Tiverton cleanup which came
last week and without the knowledge of
ten Anti-Saloon leaguers. and by which
five probationers were brought into
court and sentenced on old indictments
because they had violated their pledges,
has a humorous side TO it,
Mr.. Tanner had notified the town au-
thorities that he would at any tims
they sent TO him a written request for
such action issue capiases and have
probationers brought in. Such a re-
quest came from ten Tiverton town
councilmen and the ,men were sent
over Now there are certain people in
that town who are endeavoring tn con-
vince sundry gentlemen OF political
prominence and understood influence
that they had had nothing to do with
the rounding-up and sentencing OF the
people referred to.
Mr.. Tanner. i'm discussing the situa-
ton. recalls that one prohibitionist ala
lowed his clients, whom he defended by
appointment of the court at his own
personal solicitation. to plead nolo con-
tendere to indictments charging them
with illegally selling liquor, and that
subsequently he besought the attorney
general to quash the indictments and to
allow the accused to go on their own
personal recognizance.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-07

where he had requested Mr.. Tanner to
bring in a man who had been released
on probation, the man had invariably
been apprehended. taken into court and
sent to jail
Under this plan of holding up man
after he had pleaded nolo contendere
and had paid the costs Of prosecution, a
great work of publication had been
performed in his district. Particularly
did this apply TO the Atwelrs avenue
and Spruce street locality, where a
short time ago the Italians were selling
Unfortunately.
Today the people OF that district, IL
they are To have wedding or n Chris
tening party, and desire To dispense
beer to their guests, call at the station,
tell what kind OF a festivty they pro-
pose TO have and ask II IL will be all
right IL they tap keg or two of lager
The captain has told them that they
had the right to serve such refresh
ments; but that they must be careful
how they give IL to women.
Never" repeated Capt. Marston. was
my district as clean as il is today"
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-07
Outside His Domain.

That IL was pointed out today by an
officer is a matter which Is entirely oue-
side of the domain of the attorney gen.
eral. The supreme court, upon several
occasions, has decided that the license
comm.s ssioners are a law with them
selves. They may refuse TO grant a IL
cense, or they may grant one, provid-
ing that the proposed location does not
arouse the opposition of owners OF ad-
jacent real estate.
II a license dealer violates the stat
utes. the officer continued, the latter pro-
vide that the commissioners may re-
woke the mans license. While such he
roic treatment has not often been re-
suited to- an equally efficient plan has
been to wait until the year terminates
and then to refuse 10 renew the license
and to put the man on the permanent
black list
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-07
Chief Baker Aroused.

Chief Baker is also hot over what the
anti-saloon leaguers have had TO say.
He asserts that they came To see him
and that he cheerfully laid before them
his views OF the existing plan for con-
trolling those who would, II they could.
continue 10 do an Illicit liquor business.
He supposed that they were after in
formation to be used in connection with
their crusades. and not for something
upon which they could hang an unjust
criticism.
In view OF all thar was said at the
Sunday meeting, and since then by
Messrs. Plass and Prescott, Chief Ba-
ker reiterated his hearty approval Of
Atty. Gen. Tanners method of dealing
with the Illicit liquor dealers. for the
reason that he knew where positive
good, a positive gain had come out OF IT,.
Capt. Marston, I'm speaking OF this
matter, said that in every instance