Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-06-09
FRlISCO'S
GIRL IS
SHOWN
Printed Jests That Took the
Rough Edge From Incon-
vencience and Misfortune

the same spirit of humor that led Nero
70 fiddle. 1t was altogether the most
sensible thing that any one in Rome
was doing at the time.
On the side of one Of the curbstone
kitchens on Sacramento street some un.
crowned Nero wrote:
"Eat, drink and be merrty, for to-
morrow there may be another earth
quake"
It wasn't meant to be taken too seri.
cusly. Any one could see that it was
a joke. And as a joke it was more
helpful than another wall sign, which
read:
"UnIess ye repent, ye shall all ike
wise perish"
And, by the way, the context from
which that sentence was taken admon-
ishes us not to imagine that those who
perished were sinners.
A church in the Western Addition
had sign painted over its door. One
word was in big, flaming letters, and
that one word was" He'll"
An inscription below in smaller char.
acters gave the added information:
"At 7:45 p. m. Sunday"
But to return to the humorous side
Of it. Those inscriptions on the sides
of the curb kitchens represented the
greatest discomfort of the hou-, and
they were literally covered with jest
ing.
"Don't kiss the cookl" That was
what somebody chalked on the side of
his cookhouse. "Salmi of duck all the
time; libster Neuberg ready soon, " was
the cheerful, if not accurate, bill OF
fare displayed on another.
All the famous restaurants OF San
Francisco had located on the curbs-if
you believed the signs on the streets
One was called the "Fairmont," and
another across the street advertised it.
self as the Uufairmont." The Way |
side Inn'' and the ''Inside Out" were
neighbors, and the "House of Mirth'
looked little like one of those New |
England barnyard structures that are
put up at Thanksgiving for the smok. |
ing Of hams and bacon.
Earthquake Shakes" were adver'
tised at s cents glass, and the "Do-
drop In" was the caption Of rustic
kitchen composed Of window blinds, re-
enforced with mating. One, less opti'
mistic, wrote;
"Out in the cold world,
Out in the street."
But il was not long before some one
added:
But what's the use of kicking
When you we got enough to eat
Some one advo- tisedl her cooking
thus;
"House Of Mystery pies, 81"
Over the tables in one Of the more
pretentious restaurants was the printed
advice;
"If the waiter does not please you, |
shoot him; but for Gods sake don't
shoot the cook for We can't get an
other. He's doing his best"
.'water, both fried and boiled, ~ was
some humorist's idea Of what the
board of health meant by writing in
chalk on all the blind walls advice not
20 drink uneooked water.
Apropas Of the board of health, its
industry led TO placard the city with
minute instructions about necessary but
usually unmentioned tAings.
One unconscious humorist advertised
''fried eggs at reasonable rate, but
he was almost eQualed by two doctors
who advertised that they "had
moved" Evidently the tremblor made
them both feel small
The commercial signs took up the
spirit of humor where the rustic ktch
en- left of, when the gas was turned on
in tho houses
"Safes opened FREE for those who
are unable to pay" was the rather
puEzling sign displayed at the foot Of
Market street
At the top Of flight Of marble
steps that no longer led anywhere was
marble slab taken from the ruins and
doing duty as q directory OF the ten
ants who had been "fOeeed TO move on
account OF alterations on May ISL
s'we want you to know that we are
stll alive and quite we'll" was the
sign that appeared at the peak of a
heap OF ruins on Market street,
"Pushed 10 the wall, but coming