The San Francisco call., 1899-05-15
THEY WORKED
LIKE hA|LERS
At LARKSPUR
Good Citizens Lay a
Plank Walk.
DAY OF WORK AND REJOI hNG
A NEEDED IMPROVEMENT MADE
IN A HURRY.
Bullshead Luncheon in Shula's Grove
and Programme of Song
Round Out the Auspi-
cious Day.
A NEEDED IMPROVEMENT MADE
IN A HURRY.

Two-forty on the old plank road was
nothing to the pace set yesterday by the
dWellers at Larkspur in the construction
of their new plank walk 1t had taken
lot of public spirit and the better part
OF a month to get the money together to
purchase the material, but little more
than half day to make one of the most
noticeable improvements in the pretty
Marin County resort.
The better the day the better the
deed, thought the citizens of Larkspur
and so they chose Sunday for the work
Anton Shula, who puts in the better part
of six days in the week in this city in the
cigar business and the seventh in his
vine-embowered home at the head of
Larkspur canyon, acted as generalissimo
OF the occasion. He was up with the
chickens yesterday morning and took per
sonal care to see that every other person
that had promised a hand in the work
had an early call and good breakfast at
the Shula table. More than twenty able
bodied residents and campers responded
to the Shula "'raus nit 'ihm," appearing
in their oldest clothes, carrying saws and
sledges, picks and mattocks for the work
in hand
AT the tap Of they set to work, having
been reinforced by that time by a crowd
of small boys who acted as water and
nail carriers. From Ward street, which
is opposite the depot, to Madrone avenue,
which marks the entrance to the canyon,
the force of citizen laborers strung out
along Magnolia avenue, and the buzz of
the saw and the rap of the hammer was
heard in the land. Sawdust filled the air,
which stirred early with a lively breeze,
and chips flew in every direction. Men
hurried this way and that with the
planks, and other men grabbed and nailed
them into position.
he
there such a rush of work. Fiends incar-
nate were never in such hurry as the
husky twenty on that plank walk They
threw dirt right and left; they cut and
laid lin stringers; they swung sledges and
walk began stretching its magnificent dis
tance to the camping grounds.
Shqla,. who had been appointed a depu-
where along the line. carrying planks,
saving some and hammering others His
chief assistants We're Charles Dodge, his
brother-in-law, and William Martin who
dwells at Inglenook in Larkspur Canayon
when he is not busy in Wells, Fargo &
Go. s auditing department The. idea of
in his efforts to raise a popular subscrip-
ton to purchase the materials he found
no reader supporter than Martin, and in |
the laying out of it the same hearty CO.
operation was shown.
So steadily did the volunteers work that
by noon, when the lunch bell rang out,
the walk had been almost completed TO
Madrone avenue, 1900 feet from the place
of beginning. 1t was a good mornings |
work and the amateur carpenters were
hungry, and although they would not ad-
init it, a little bit tired. Thev were not
slow to knock off for bite to eat, but
they were not prepared for the feast that
awaited them in the grove. On long ta-
bles set around in the shadow of the red
woods a number of the ladies of Larkspur
had set a most attractive luncheon. bulls
head being the chief attraction In ad-
dition, with their own fair hands they
fed the hungry to the number of sixty !
some of the drones having Joined the
busy bees who had been buzzing and
buzz saving all morning.
The fair cooks. who acted as hand
maidens to the feasting workers, were:
Mrs. William Martin, Mrs. Samuel Rice,
Mrs. T. Howell, Mrs. McGivney, Mrs
Patterson and the Misses Nettie and Fam
ME Cobb, Their reward came in the way
the luncheon disappeared and in the
knowledge that the new walk was more
for their sakes than for any others.
After the luncheon half an hour was
taken for play, during which an impromp-
tn song programme was rendered be- |
tween cooling drinks. w. Moore sang a
solo, Because the Occidental Trio
joining in the chorus. P J. Eisenmann's !
barytone was heard in "Once in the Pur-