The San Francisco call., 1904-06-05
BERT
LEVY

race OF the old lady by the bridge com
panion Is violent contrast in emotion
Her face, RembrandtesQus In it's in
tensity OF light and shade. tells the
story OF many sorrows. She Is going
70 the States to see a son who Is in
trouble, we gather (you know how
this sort OF news leaks Out) and every
Dody aboard feels sorry and wants to
snow 1t. Somebody proffers her a rug.
another book, which she accepts with
a smile. (What a feeble smile 1t isD
she makes pretense at reading, but
presently she puts the book aside with
a sigh and sits thinking. thinking. al
ways thinking
nary troubles Of a dear little American
girl who has been spending a couple OF
years in New Zealand.
Say" she mournfully complains IN
broad American accent. everybody Is
saying that don't talk bit like an
American. do hope that isn't true.
want everybody to know I'm an Amerf-
can and that I'm going home"
She sits on the bridge companion
steps, her blue eyes looking wistfully
hoineward. It do wish this old boat
would Just hurry" she keeps saying.
One morning our cyclist-hating Eng
Hshman nearly worked himself into an
apoplectfc fit He had come upon a
book OF essays on a vacant deck chair
the crack cyclist happened along and
claimed the book as his.
BY CAD, sir" said the Johnny. sub
sequently describing the incident to his
clique in the smoking-roOm, the
boundah actually reads Rusktn. Ten
nyson and all our othah top-notchers-"
There are a few nervous people on
board who, in anticipation Of their
visit to the United States, have read
up" works on America Foster Fraser's
america at Work" Kipling's From
Sea to Sea-" and "a Frenchman's I'M
pressions Of America" are much IN evi-
dence-as a consequences few people
are asking each other for information
about "bunko- -steerers" and such like
dangerous things. For the special
benefit Of the nervous ones the funny
man on board told the following yarn:
THE Amalgamated Bunko-Steererg
Society Of San Francisco, which boasts
a membership list $1,000 strong. has
what they call its intelligence depart
ment; that is, 1t keeps paid members
Of the society on all boats and trains
to put chalk marks upon the backs Of
passengers worth exploiting. The
chalk marks denote to the operating
members on shore the extent OF the
bearers belongings. Passengers leav-
ing the steamer at Frisco with chalk
marked coats advise the bunko-steerers
their valuables and where they ara
going to put up"
'I'll tell you something IN conf
dence," whispered the low-comedy
man, and his listeners expectantly
drew closer. There are seven mem
bers of the Amalgamated Bunko-
Steerers' Society's intelligence STAFF on
this ship now"
And the low-comedy man left group
Of nervOus men obIfgingIy looking for
chalk-marks on each others backs.
It was the privilege OF the writer to
accompany the commander and his Of
ficers on his daily tour OF '1nspec-
ton" The progress OF the Official par
ty throughout the huge vessel Is
marked by the severest discipline. The
care and attention bestowed upon the
most minute details Is simply as
founding. Now and again during the
Sour the captain would stop to speak a
few kindly words TO a poor foreigner
in the steerage, or. while his eagle eye
took IN the sanitary condition OF
sick mans cabin, CHEEKY story from