The San Francisco call., 1906-07-01

Sullivan was telling me of his hero
inc of the fire
My own mother he said. was the
first among women, but if my: mother
had never been, and choice of mothers
had been passed up to me, Ia have
taken her.
':Irish?" says /.
No; Scotch says he. But Celtic
just the same. he added with his in
gepuous grin.
She lived out on. Van Ness avenue"
ne went on. down somewhere near
Market. When the Hayes Valley fire
began TO gain headway she yanked her
wash boiler out on the sidewalk.
over an oven winch she made from the
bricks of her own demolished chimney,
filed the boiler with water-where she
got il heaven only knows-and made
hot coffee in wash boiler lots for the
-f1re-hghters and anybody else who
wanted il. / was out there and lodged
back three times from the fire to the
wasn- boiler. That coffee saved my
life. 1t was good coffee. She even
kept the cups clean;. dipped the coffee
with a long handled .dipper and poured
lit into cups. What do you think OF
that? And the fire only three blocks
away. When. one lot was exhausted
she made another. The supply did not
give out all day.
Il LlIdfly iaAOAiS III NIlc III pOOI
devil of clerk living out on Larkin
street. came along and told her that
:his wife was in Jefferson Square and
that the fire had almost reached his
fat She knew him, it seems.
Save anything?'. she aslsed.
+ "'NDt says he.
Come right back with me- says
she And back she dragged him
through smoke and soldiers.
They picked me jIp on the Way.
thought that I owed it for the coffee
We got out the baby buggy-it seems
there was a baby-and put in some sill
verware. The clerk tried. to ring in
"a lot of stuff. but she wouldn't stand
for IT.
wife will be needing she said. and so
we loaded in haby,s. thin gs- exclusively.
When we got back to. Van. Ness the
soldiers were there and we couldn't get
Within a block of her house. Three
hours after the fire swept over IT.. She
lost everything. she rs. out in a tent
in Jefferson Square now. If you ever
happen: out that way, look her up.
You'll like her" -.
IN JEFFERSON SQUARE.
SuliIvan.s enthusiasms are usually
worth while, and went out to Jeffer-
son square. purposely to see his heroine
Nv
and the refugees were fairly we'll set.
tied in their new quarters. AS Sullivan
had done. L fell in love with her. at
first sight. AS a matter. of course. her
tent. was the neatest and most home
like in. the lot, IT had a. good sub
stantial floor. with a piece. of bright
carpet in front of q low sewing table.
which she had picked up somewhere.
On the table was homelv little clock
some china and vase of flowers, In
front Of the door she had a bench and
a focking-chair. The ground about the
tent was swept clean There was no
dust in this transient home The phase
harmonized well. with the woman. but
somehow its coziness brought a lump
to- the throat.
II have. been. very Fortunate she
told me. "A carpenter. built, cabin
next door, and only stayed IA week
When. he left he gave me the boards:
made floor for nv tent and sold
what were left for $2.4O3"
And In this way did she account for
every article that she had. "A
looked at the strong capable hands
and thought that good management
had had a lot to do with the good luck
The kindly. gray eyes; the firm chin.
the broad forehead, friHged with hair
fast turning with white--Sulliyan's
heroine wasn't a day under .50-spoke
strength of character. alertness, ability
to overcome difficulties to do things.
kindEness: just the sort of a woman
that would spend her life making sac
rifces for the weaker of her Kind. 1t