The San Francisco call., 1908-09-27
Bv Addie l. BalIou

Df 4 l0OlO As LollOO
-. REASURED for many years
among the archives of relics and
curios. in the Pioneer building,
that nerished with the holocaust
o. April IS. 1906. were a few memen-
toes of early days IN the history OF
San Francisco. valued and sacred prin-
cpally Tor their associations. more
hOnored In their decadence by care Of
preservation than in their active serv-
ice were the surviving relics Of past
t'--@A characters peculiar to San Fran
cisco.
lacidentaIly Of the once famous
iva dogs Bummer and Lazarus the
ST and stufy hides which suggested
no pride OF ancestry or pedigree supe-
rior 70 the ordinary small cur. they
We're the citys adopted waits and en-
dOwed with virtues which appealed TO
the many human waits of varying de-
gree. with such masterfulness as to
immortslize their memories with en-
balmment under taxidermic skill, duly
labeled and set up after demise. Bum
mer arrived unannounced, probably by
some passing vessel. was forsaken and
forgotten. and, Sinking for himself,
soon became familiar with ways of for
aging adapted 70 his need and. being Of
honest habits, waited with regularity at
the market place for his meals, to then
disappear with a grateful wag of his
abbreviated tail until mess time came
again.
Where he took lodgings was not
definitely known. He soon acquired and
responded TO the name OF Bummer.
and was known and respected far and
near for vices which he might have
scQuired but virtuousIy refrained from.
One morning Bummer appeared with
an air OF understanding and approval,
accompanied by a brother canine in
distress. Somewhere he had picked up
a forlorn. broken legged dog, evidently
as homeless as himself, and bringing
him TO the market. asked in his dog
appealing way that the unfortunate
might share his food. waiting beside
him and licking his wound meantime.
Sympathizing hands bound the broken
leg which soon healed, but the com
radeship Of the two dogs never ceased
while both lived. and they were known
as Bummer and Lazarus.
Near by, and conspicuous in their
glass case preserYatiVe, duly labeled,
was the exhibit, the uniform and ac-
cOuterments wont to habilitate the per-
son OF the erstwhle man of des-
tiny. empty now as were the honors
claimed by their illustrious wearer,
self styled Norton ], emperor of the
United States and protector of Mexico.
Perhaps though, best eXemplified by
the term '-pretender" was this one time
universally known landmark of old San
Francisco. from its primitive days till
the time of his death at some 20 years
OF age, more or less He arrived in this
city on November 5, l649, via Rio Ja-
metro and Valparaiso from South Africa,
where il is said. be passed his youth
indinerentiy at the cape Of Good
Hope, and for some years he occupied
himself in business in the ordinary
way among businessmen. He became
posseSSOr Of considerable realty near
the present site of the city hall He
invested in ventures Of shipping teas
and coffees from the tropics, ii is
stated and the loss Of one of his car
goes was in part responsible for his as
sumption Of the reins of government
as emperor of the United States and
plenipotentiary extraordinary TO Mex
leo.
Whatever the line of his incarnation
might have been VIII doubtless remain
a mystery, confident though he was,
through the testimony OF a fellow COM
rade OF the kings own Horse Guard,
a reliable witness at Buckingham pal
ace that he was or by rights should
have been, the son of his majesty
George ~ and Queen Caroline, though
possibly he was. or might have been,
changed in the cradle at the time of
his birth, but that by some unexplained
fr7nSfer or substitution his rights had
been usurped. but when the time came
to assert them he should come into his
own. California had recognized his
authority by declaring him through the
legislature of 1923 emperor OF Cali
fornia. but the act was suppressed be-
cause he would not give up the ma
tional cause.
With never failing assertiyeness
he watched the growth and prosperity
of the city from hill to hill and to the
Golden gate, and the approach of many
well laden ships as they entered, with
paternal pride, and directed the COM
mercial and other interests of the ma
tion with a supervision alike unique
and unouestioned.
Familiar 10 every business house. and
child Of earlier days a fragment of the
history o. the city, as was the pathetic
yet characteristic ability OF everything