The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-09-02

Seventy-fve feet of giddy whale
gave the water front treat, and Mike
Fitzgerald of the Merchants exchange
a sudden bath yesterday morning. Had
the whale been II feet In length Mike
would have been handled more harshiy
and the water front and shipping gen.
orally might have lost an efficient and
energetic marine reporter. but Fitz-
gerald escaped by a fuke's breadth, so
the docks and wharves viewed the bay
boulevardier with glad amaze and
waved the merry hand to the leviathan.
The whale, whose nickname is Bfue
Beard-he has such killing way with
the ladies--has been spending the sum-
rner in. the vicinity OF Santa Cruz, rails
ing old hob with the nermaids from
Cottage City. The summer school is
now over. and the place became dull, so
the little boy Blue Beard played hockey
last Friday and started for this city
and bay.
FLIRTED WITH sCHoOLMA,AMs
Yesterday morning the enterprising
mammal steered his pompadour through
the marcel waves with which nature
had adorned the Golden Gate, out Of
compliment to the Sabbath and the
smiling sun. and gently steamed up the
bay. The coastwise steamer Eureka
was steaming down the bay about the
same time, en- route to the seaport town
from which 1t deprived it's name.
"Eureka!" cried Blue Beard. seeing .
bunch of Humboldt county school-
ma'ams abaft. "Howdy. girlsr
Then he plunged his ebony brow into
the emerald face of the bay and waved
his tail languishingly at the damsels on
the boat. This whale was quite wag
In his way, and so he wigwagged saily
The girls liked the subtle charm of the
marine monsters Establishments and
waved back passionately. One ex-
coed threw the gentle creature q box
of panoche; another sent a boquet OF
flowers floating toward him and third
tossed book OF Ella Wheeler Wilcox's
waving tail.
But the Eureka passed on its way,
the purser growing jealous OF the win
ming ways OF Blue Beard. and ordered
full steam ahead. much to tho chagrin
OF Captain C. Noren. who was amused
By the old sport OF the sea-
When the coaster had gone the whale
looked about him with tears In his
eyes for something to firt with. Then
he saw the pilot boat Lady Mine. The
name looked good to him. The capers
that creature cut to win the heart Of
the Lady Mine were beautiful to see.
He dove and spouted and clustered,
now astern. now aport; now doing
larboard watch, again holding seance
with the bowsprit.
LOVES LABOR LOST
But It was loves labor lost The
Lady Mine was true to her frst love
and the philandering OF the whale went
for naught.
In a fine frenzy the whale sank to
the bottom Of the bay. About this time
Mike Fitzgerald started in whitehall
boat to board some inbound ship. Sud-
denly the whale Mapped his tail out OF
the water just two feet away from the
whitehall. The nip caused commo-
tion and Mike Ngot q very systematic
shower bath and lost his two oars. The
conditions looked serious for a few
minutes, but the chagrined lover foated
away and let Mike recover his oars and
row back for dry outfit. Mike says
that the whale gave him the most
thrilling experience in his life.
Ringing three bells in his engine
room the whale put on full steam
ahead and steered for Hunters point to
go on an oyster cocktail spree.
Fitzgerald had narrow escape, for
the escapades of whales in these-l
waters frequently end disastrousIy.
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