The San Francisco call., 1908-05-09
SAILORS HAVE time
! ON BARBARY COAST
Five Thousand Blueiackets Visit
Celebrated Quarter and
Shake Things Up

There was enough alcoholic energy
concentrated in one San Francisco
block last night to move 16 battle
ships and four cruisers off 20 dry docks
which every one knows is the marine
equivalent OF the water wagon-turn
those same battleships and cruisers
three times hard a starboard and send
them all home singing the combined
drinking songs from six German grand
operas. But as the energy was scattered
over an area of 1900 bluejackets, 1,506
coryphees, 81 almost prima donnas.
214 bar tenders and $4,000 staid. re-
spectacle sight seers and empirical So
biologists, the effect was not offensive
ly noticeable IN the individual instances
at least, not before midnight.
That one block was Pacific street be-
tween Montgomery and Kearny. That
one block is the condensed Barbary
coast.
Last night was the first big liberty
night since the feet has been in the
harbor Two hundred men from each
ship came ashore making an aggre-
marines. The large fraction of them
drifted to where the bottles were thick
est and the chances of enjoyment the
greatest.
Then some $4,000 of San Franciscans
evidently have such close daytime en-
ployments that they could not, get off
to see the ships come to anchor or to
see the parade Thursday morning. So
they went up to the Barbary coast last
evening" They had to see the sailors
somewhere. and they probably realized
that they could see them more mobil-
lied in Pacific street than anywhere
else
PAINFUL-BUT STILL
OF course, itNwas a painful thing for
respectable women to. have to go to
| noisy, drunken Pacific street, even If
they went in automobiles, but duty
| called them out to see the boys in
blue and they never faltered. Some
felt the call of duty so strongly that
they even brought their children. 1t is
! painful enough to go to Pacific street
when one has to go there to earn one s
living but the call of patriotism is in
sistent, and led many men to bring
their wives and some mothers to
bring their children to this ornamental
center of sociability last evening.
The .bluejacket ashore was the social
leader of the district last evening. He
| was in every theater in the street and
in every dance hall. Tim McGrath en-
| tertained him and the young women
whom Mr.. McGrath has TO make talk
! for the sailor lads and other thirsty
strangers found much food for .conver-
sation and drink for the bar percent
age. Tim became millionaire or
| something before daylight. On a huge
placard before his place Tim announced
| that he was the man who discovered
Tom Sharkey.
Il get them ALL said Tim, "as he
deftly rang UP s43.25 worth of drinks
on his cash register with one hand and
handed out ten bottles of beer to a
I'll
see, it is this way; They know I was
the one who stood by Sharkey. Now
| Sharkey is strong with them. but I'm
closer, see? Sharkey lets the boys
drink at his bar but don't let them
| in the bar room. Here" and Tim rang
up 3S more dollars and pointed to a
seething' room, there I let them stay
and drink and in the morning l let
them sleep in the chairs until 1t is time
to get back to the ship. I have a good
crowd tonight See. there is Bat Mel
son. and Tim pointed to the light
weight wearing dashing and giddy
neck tie and dancing with girl that
would answer to the same general
description. There Is Bat Nelson. He
comes around here to dance and work
OF a little weight that way
TOPsIEs DREW WELL
| At the door of Tins place stood
George Sonntag. the man lof former
dime novel tendencies. acting as figure
head for sthe establishment.
Next to Tins place is Lou Pur-
chelIs- PurchelI operates to catch the
colored vote-his own skin is 10 de-
grees darker than the hide of tor
pedo boat--and last night he drew we'll
Purchell has nimble colony of Topsy
Venuses and they smoked cigarettes
and drank amber potions with the
darky heroes of the fleet and with some
| of the white heroes, too.
Spider Kelly has establishment for
ladies and gentlemen opposite Nc
| Grath's place. Spider last night
granted an interview to representatives
of the press and declared that he was
charmed, indeed with the graceful con
duct of the boys of the Atlantic fleet
and considered that they were
thoroughly representative gentlemen
| of the old school.
Not all the refreshment parlors are
| located in Pacific street. The zone
rather slops over into Kearny street
One forelady in a Kearny street liquor
center and dancing retreat told touch
ing story of how two apprentice boys
got wretchedly drunk in her place and
were out of tune with the dignity OF