davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1909-03-14

Therefore the performance was en-
tirely unique, and it is believed to be
unparalleled in the annals of wild ami
NAL experiences in the United States
Leland came up to the scratch with
a monkey wrench and a long handled
shovel. The first mentioned article
rasped and grated harshly against the
iron bars, while Leland was taking off
a nut to permit him to remove one
upright, and so provide a space
through which it was barely possible
to squeeze his ITO pounds OF pluck,
bone, gristle and good red blood. This
was not a hole large enough for the
thinnest bear in the big cage to pass
out. Between the pars Leland might
go, and did, directly with show Of
agility. but 1T was evident to the
breathless spectators that. IN a pinch.
IL any one of the three bears should
act badly. Leland could never get out
of the bear pen in hurry. Any acci-
dent that might take place would spell
his doom, and by death too horrible
to contemplate calmly
There must be no supposition that
Leland did not fully understand his
peril. He was brought up in the noun
tains. He had been familiar with the
ways of wild animals from his earliest
childhood. Once he. as a boy of 10 years.
saw a sheep herder Killed and torn to
pieces not far from him by Sierran
grizzly bear that was a grim object
lesson. He has trapped bears and
killed them, but has never killed
grizzly. In his composition there Is
stiff streak of what may be called by
the generic term of dare devil" He
had really been dared to go into the
Enclosure. There was nothing to be
gained. Only he was of the sort that
on the frontier. on the cattle ranges.
wherever hardy and stout hearted
Americans have been found or are
found, dislike to take dare"
The rasping OF the monkey wrench
wakencd the three bears from any
semblance of apathy. Really they saw
everything from the beginning through
their narrow eyes. Not the slightest
movement or the most trivial object
was without their ken in all the
wooded and semisavags part OF the
park where they are captives. But
they did not show their keen interest
until the long handled shovel, before
mentioned. was tossed lightly by Le-
land into the cage. Then they were
afoot without delay.
Monarch. he of the glossy. dark fur
that shades handsomely almost into
black over more than "a quarter of a
The San Francisco call., 1909-03-14

Pony express train made its test run
from Hannibal to St Joseph. The gov
ernment had given it's mail contract
to the Pony rider express. but had not
yet closed with any railroad. Up until
1860 the mail had been going up to
St Joseph by boat. So It became neces-
sary for the management of the new
railroad to show Uncle Sam what it
could do.
In comparison with the quiet way
railroads go about such matters to-
day, the preparation for the run OF
the pioneer fast mail is interesting.
Every man on the line considered him
self an important part of the big
event. George H. Davis, the road
master. who is yet connected with the
Burlington system, which now oper-
ates the Hannibal and st. Joe division,
and who lives at Quincy. Ill, issued
orders for every switch to be spiked
and all trains kept off the main line
an hour ahead of the fast mail. The
Missouri" then the best engine on the
line. was selected TO make the run,
with the nervy engineer, Dad" Clark,
at the throttle.
Clark was a fine specimen of the
early day engineer. He was absolutely
fearless. That had been proven in the
construction OF the road. There was
a disagreement between the railroad
company and the contractors, the latter
declaring that no train should be run
out of Hannibal until certain condi-
tions had been complied with. They
blockaded the track with timbers and
men stood on them. The superintendent
told Clark to run his engine over the
line. Clark surveyed the situation and
climbed up into the cab OF his little
engine.
IF you fellows want to die sudden
ly." warned Clark to the men on the
barricade, Just stop where you are"
Clark turned on full steam. The con-
tractors saw what was coming and
scampered, but one was little tardy.
The rebound OF a timber as the pilot
struck killed him. Clark ran his en-
gine over the line. After that when
any particular piece of engineering
work was on hand the honor was in
variably awarded to Dad" Clark.
Clark came out of the New England
states in 1855 to help the westerners
build and operate railroads. 1t was
he who showed them how to change
their engines from wood to coal. Clark
was not only high class engineer
The San Francisco call., 1909-03-14
By Edgar White

~ GREAT deal has been written
about the Pony express. that
thrilling dash on western ponies
across 1000 miles OF mountains,
prairie and desert TO deliver the west
ern gold miner his tissue letter from
the east at $500 per letter, but COM
parauvely little has been heard Of the
steam engines part IN the long race.
When William H Russell, a far
seeing lreighter Of the west. heard
that q Wall street syndicate had
offered 70 transport mail from New
York 10 San Francisco and to exceed
sny time hitherto made II guaranteed
en- annual subsidy or compensation Of
100000. this Wild and woolly west
erner proposed TO handle the mail be-
tween St Joseph and San Francisco
1880 miles OF canyon, gulch, mountain
and Indian infested leyel-in 10 days
By the watchl
There were no trains TO the far west
Ga those days and when the freighter's 8
proposition arrived the government
smiled and said II was waiting TO be
shown.
How the Pony express OF the west
was organized and developed IS now
being written by & gentleman Of Kan
Gas who was a part OF the service, and
knows the ms and outs Of the most
picturesque and successful enterprise
ever ineugurated probably better than
any other man now living.
A most important element IN the
pioneer scheme for fast mail service
from coast TO coast was the Hannibal
and ST. Joseph railroad, just completed
across northern Missouri. Although 206
miles long, the building OF this road
was regarded as the mightiest COM
mercial feat OF the period. It united
the two great rivers OF the continent,
and the event was typifed by trans
porting several barrels OF water from
the Mississippi on the first through
train and discharging them in the Mis-
souri. It was an elaborate occasion.
The state government was officially
represented at the ceremony, and all
OF the big men Of the state were there,
IN addition to the railroad officials.
This was February 13, 1859. A little
over year lster-April 8, 1eeo-the
The San Francisco call., 1909-03-14
By David II. Walker

IrHREE bears in their huge cage in
Golden Gate park glared at a
trinity built, athletic man as he
stood near them. erect and alert, to
have his picture taken for The Call in
their threatening vicinage. Outside of
the cage stood an artist and the writer
OF this, looking curiously on at the
spectacle, and without self-reproaches
in view of what might happen at any
moment
II had been reported that Will
lam Miller LELAND had on one or two
occasions ventured into the cage, which
is more large yard fenced in with
stout iron bars than a cage. Also it
was known to superintendent McLaren
OF Golden Gate park that no other man
could be found in all his force who
was willing to risk his life by stepping
within the inclosure. When leland
was asked IL he would be pictured
among the bears, he unhesitatingly
answered that he would. More than
that, a date having been set when the
event should take place, Leland was
on the ground some minutes before the
and he was prompt to declare that he
had not changed his mind and that he
would go in at once.
OF course, performers who travel with
menageries and are resplendent in
spangles. armed with iron rods and
surrounded by attendants who arc
ready to interfere from the outside if
there are any threatening manifesta
tions on the part of the half tanned
brutes, are not rare spectac1es in the
cages of lions They carry whips, pis-
tolls and, more than that have been
SO used TO intimidating their roaring
charges by inflicting upon them tor
ments that in the hearts and minds of
the brutes there is q. degree OF whole
some respect that goes far TO insure
safety of life and limb.
In the case of Leland there was no
such chain of mitigating circumstances
He entered the bears domain totally
unarmed. He confronted in their undis-
puted realms ex-denizens Of the caves of
the high Sierra and the Businesses of
the Rocky mounta..as, whose natures
have never been ''cowed by blows or
violence of any sert; who could not by
any form Of explanation be made out
to be performing bears" and who
were in all essentials as wild as if
roaming through the cattle ranges or
In the tules and over the steep slopes
of lofty mountains.
The San Francisco call., 1909-03-14

intruder who fails to recognize the Gus
tom OF the commutcr to reserve a place
But she does not worry long about it;
time is precious to all these readers.
She opens eagerly to the turned down
page. The story is of love. All the
stories she reads are OF love-of tall
young heroes, of sweet, low voiced
women. beautiful always. with some
strained relations; an occasional death
and a villain or two. And in the end,
all the tangIes untangled. the deserv
ing lovers properly paired off. 1t all
ends in one grand climax of love.
Little Romance Lover holds her
breath AS she gazes out for one brief
instant over the shimmering waters to
the Golden gate. But she does not see
the wonderful riot of color. She has
only raised her eyes before turning the
last page, trembling and fearing to
look down again lest something might
happen to prevent that story ending
in the way all good love stories should
end-with the hero and his Violet in
each others arms
slender little girl from a mean
little home In a dreary neighborhood,
she gets much from her pretty love
stories. She gets an ideal of him who
viii come some day--a beautiful, op-
timtstic certainty that he will come;
and though she looks out over the bay
10 the beautiful Golden gate. and sees
it not, neither does she see quite so
plainly the wire fence that is round
her all day long. She closes her book.
ana something stays with her-some-
thing OF hope and romance.
Key Route boat that runs an hour
later carries each morning another
reader. young woman of neat, trim
hgure, clad in a perfect fitting tailor
suit OF mannish gray cloth. Around
her neck and wrists are narrow bands
OF white linen. Her hair is brown. it
is glossy and smooth. showing effect of
careful shampoo and attention. Her
The San Francisco call., 1909-03-14

from journeys start to journeys end,
seldom raising his eyes. The books
that he reads are heavy. and particu-
larly well bound in pale yellow leather
And in them you will find no pictures
OF fair women as frontispiece.
He comes aboard the boat among the
last of the crowd. He has waited al
ways for the trains full stop. And
coming aboard he wastes no time, but
finds his nook as soon as possible;
takes his seat. and as soon as he has
taken it he has begun to read Once
In while he raises his head to look
out over the railing. He looks through
narrowed eyelids He is puzzIing over
something that he does not quite un-
derstand. At such times he often tries
to memorize, going over the passage in
an undertone to himself. softly. again
and again.
He is studying law. He studies law
by himself. on the ferry boat at home
every moment he can steal to do IL.
He clerks in book store. Some day
he hopes to get in a law Office. But he
is paid for clerking in the book store
and In the Office he could earn nothing
at first So he must wait Meanwhile
he reads from the yellow leather bound
volumes, every morning and every ev-
ening on the ferry boat. crossing the
bay.
he lives In his law books during
these trips He sees none about him.
The crowd is not even an interruption.
II earnestness and singIeness Of pur-
pose can bring success he is going to
arrive at his own.
A quiet little girl, merry eyed, dressed
all In soft gray-gray dress, gray fur
toque and big gray nun. on which
she rests her book-reads Dickens on
the 10 O'Clock Sausalito boat. She reads
him slowly, lovingly, as though she
feared to lose word. And always
while she reads her iitt1e face keeps
working Sometimes her Tips trembis
The San Francisco call., 1909-03-14

wheels of the train were on the track
at one time or not. The furnace was
drawing magnifcently. a streak Of
fire shot out of the stack, and the wood
sparks flew around like snowfakes.
Some of the railroaders IN the car
described the sensation while fall
ing down the hill' as like that of being
On board a skiff in squall.
The pumps were put to work while
gravity was assisting in the race.
They were operated by the drivers and
only worked while the engine was in
motion. The inspirator had not yet ap-
peared.
Across the Charlton river came the
New Cambria hill, a still greater one
than down from Macon. The terrific
momentum already attained served to
drive the train half way up with
hardly any perceptible reduction of
speed. But the eXhausts became slower
before the peak was approached. The
fireman piled in his dry cottonwood
and the safety valve sent column of
steam heavenward.
The white faced passengers breathed
easier. but the relief didn't last long.
The summit of the hill was reached,
the little engine snorted, as something
alive, took the bit in its teeth and
was soon rushing along as If inn
PEELED by a mighty wind. When the
waiting thousands at the st. Joseph
depot, Engineer Clark stepped majest-
ically from his iron horse looking
mussed up, grimy and grand. For the
moment he was the hero of the hour.
He had made the trip from Hannibal
to st. Joseph, 206 miles, in little over
four hours, feat that hitherto had
been regarded as next to the impossi-
BILE. Everybody wanted to shake hands
with the keen eyed man who had done
this great thing
But there is a tincture of bitter
ness in the sweetest cup. A little in
significant looking fellow with a
peaked cap, riding boots and light whip
was standing beside bay pony at the
United States express office. It was
Russelrs pony rider waiting for the
little mail pouches. Blood, nerve and
muscle took up the burden imposed by
the hour glass where fire, steam and
mechanical skill left off As the car
rier rushed toward him with the mail
pouches cheer after cheer went up for
the little man who was to make the
The San Francisco call., 1909-03-14

and her eyes blink for an instant
Asaln the lips part suddenly and there
Is the sound Of a smOthered laugh.
Sne IS not on the ferry boat She Is
IN Dickens world. with its people
laughing and crying with them. Now
sne is with Pip. standing beside the
Httie ngure In the churchyard. viewing
with him the graves OF his mother and
rather and five little brothers. theSe
as ne pictures them. all dying at the
same age with their hands in their
trousers pockets. She sits besfdo 49,.
al the dismal dinner table viii. ~
hides his thick slice OF bread Soy-r
next his thin little leg ana xvoDd.-s
now ne IS going TO ger more for tbat
terrible convict. Again she listens -
good old Peggotty OF the flying b,tf-
ness. wilma <
AHete are many students some ~
them doing eleventh hour work ~ ~,
morning after an evening approprfatss
-or amusement; others-and there are
Ios.'s ins- SaPslnese boys among these-por-
lns over their text books because fhe1-
neeo use every moment they can rst
Aor themselves and their 1earninp
businessmen. well sroomad ~-,.,.
snIe"u INES IN their faces insnact
leatner notebooks with keen. nar~orrs.s
oses. hhotS OF too eager young fellows
see over one another,s shoulders a.
cookers sheets A messenger bov SITS
-,,-a'as - sothsr aDsorned In the hamboyant
covered lie OF Nick Carter. A t6ir
raced. somber eyed young man erlarc.- ,,.s.-
oreamiiy from Elizabeth BroTnin~S.
sonnets of the Portuguese. Nona -
tnem' are travelling across tha ba~l>
tney nave 1ourneyed for the time rs~
beyond IT'S shores. Oblislous. thev AZ
among those less happy indivi1uais
s.s9.. Sn1 isnore their opportunities aud ana
oSILy IElps each SO much lost tina e..
whose ending they ars elwaya is,-s.s 80
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-18
OXFORD SQUARE lot
SELLS FOR S4500
Purchaser viii Improve with Resi-
dence Costing 2,ooo-Other
Sales In District

Emil Firth has sold to Fred *.
Colby 100x171 feet at the southwest
corner of Eighth street and Delaware
drive. in oxford square, for s45o0 Mr..
Colby will erect a $4,000 residence on
the property.
The same owner has sold to John
H Dean 50x171 feet on Delaware drive
south of Tenth street for sl100. The
purchaser has plans prepared for a
very artistic bungalow, which he will
erect at once.
oxford square is situated between
Wiltshire boulevard and Pico street.
west of the Country club. The avenues
are seventy feet wide and the lots III
feet deep and range in width from so
to 100 feet The tract is situated in
the best part of the Wiltshire boule-
ward district, has high-class street i'm
provements and is improved with
number of very handsome residences
Pico street is paved with asphalt from
oxford square to the business center.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-18

WILL be large verandas, sun room, etc.
Grounds are large, being 2O0x16O feet.
and will be laid out with. beautiful
drivewalks. walks. ETC., and planted to
choice varieties of flowers and trees.
Consideration, $500.
Lot and Modern House
]. C. Browne to G. G. McCombs, an
unimproved lot on the north side of
Twenty-first street near Cimarron; lot
40x120 feet. New owner will improve
with a modern two-story eight-room
residence, containing all the modern
conveniences, and costing about $500.
Consideration, $4,000.
L. f. Pettibone to Walter Fricker.
an eight-room modern bungalow on
Twenty-third street, between Cimma-
ron and Hermosa. Bought for perma-
nent home Consideration $500.
Arnold & Dodge to Z. r. Rice, an
unimproved lot on the west side of
avenue, Ramona park being 110x160
feet New owner will improve in the
near future. Considera ton $1,000.
Arnold & Dodge to r. r. Smith. an
unimproved lot on the west side of
Garfield avenue, 500 feet south of Ell
Monte road. Ramona Park; lot 110x160
feet. Bought for an investment.
Mrs. M. F. Rondell to George Win
field, the northeast corner of Sixteenth
and oxford streets; lot 53x101, i'm
proved with a modern two-story. eight
room house, containing all the modern
conveniences. Bought for an invest
ment Consideration $500.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-18
,over street, l189-E. Mcdowell; alterations

Hoover street, 1139-E McDowell alterations;
$500.
Avenue IS. Ill west-J Kohnke, owner; j.
Nav. builder: history broom house; $500
Towne avenue. 1851. A. Creamery Co.
owner; F. S. Spauldng, builder; 3-story cream
cry; $42 900.
Hoover street. 1909 south-G. Dodge, owner
and builder: 1-story 1-room barn; $3.50.
Arroyo seco avenue 1851. Nav, owner and
builder; history she'd SIS.
Croker street 440l-E. A. Wayar, altera-
tons; 800
sixtieth street. 1853 west-C. w Alexander,
owner and builder; 1-story 5-room house; $1,000.
san Pedro street, 6210-F K Harvey, owner;
Graham, builder; 1-story Broom house; 5000.
Wisconsin street, 3939-Chandler & Chellis,
owners and buders 1-story e-room house
Sixteenth street. 64S West-E Lloyd, altera-
tions; $3.50.
1880.
eleventh STREET 28o7 west-E. c. Magarvan,
owner; a. B. Kuhn, builder; history 1-room
Fifty first street. 1915 west-H Fowen, own
er; J. S Harshman, builder; history 6-room
house; $500.
Fifty-third street 400 west-G. w Haigh,
owner; j. s Harshman, builder; history g.
Eighth street, 2ls west-w Grgos, altera-
tions; s35.
Vernon street, 2sa west--A. L. Botser, own
err; F. b. Fuerst, builder history 6-room resi-
derce; $500.
Wilton place, 5O2s-L A. Investment Co
owner and builder; 1-story 5-room house; $3.50.
Third street, 1919 East-F. w. Franz, altera-
tons; $500
Brooks avenue, She II. APPEL, owner and
builder; HISTORY barn; $50.
Sixty-seventn street, 32G West-Miss n. Ty-
ner, owner; j. l.. Brown. builder 1h-story g.
room house $500.
Paloma street, 1523--D. Mcleod, alterations;
$50.
Fifty-hrst street, 522 west--o. Lefevre, own
err and builder; 1-stoiy 6-room house; sl70O.
Wilton place 47l4--L a. Investment Co,
owner and builder HISTORY 7-room house;
1880.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-18
BUILDING PERMITS
FOR SIXTEEN DAYS

Permits to the number of 1854 for the
erection of buildings of total valua-
ton of 1885, 1872 were issued from April
to April is, inclusive. by the depart
ment OF buildings of the Los Angeles
board of public works.
This exceeded by twenty-three per-
mits and $1S0.669 In valuation the rec
ord for the corresponding period of last
year.
The current reports show the issu-
ance of permits for eleven class e
buildings. to cost sl07.S00. and 154 class
d structures, of total valuation of
$199, S82
The Fifth ward leads. with ninety
nine buildings of a total value of $685.
075, but the Third ward shows much
larger value of buildings, the figures
being twenty-six permits and $1l5,459
in valuation.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-18
TALK OF CONSOLIDATION
AWAKENS OLD SAN PEDRO
Realty Becomes Active and Many
Speculative Sales Result.
Three Years Asleep

SAN PEDRO. April 1.-THE real es-
tate market of the harbor city, which
for the past three years has been more
or less dormant, has within the past
few weeks taken on a new lease of
life, and, while some of the old realty
firms have as yet made no sales, they
all report a steady inquiry for price
lists.
The more fortunate dealers have
made some good sales, the principal
one being a 25-foot business lot on
Sixth street, which was sold three
weeks ago for $500 by George H. Peck
& Co. Other sales by the same office
within the past few weeks were re-
ported today as follows:
Lots % and %, block 81, for $4,000:
lot IS, in block l, Esperanza tract, with
five-room house, $500; lot %, in block
8. Carolina tract, $500. and lot %, in
block s, same tract, for $3.50
In the Ocean View tract they report
lot in block and lot IL in block 6.
O. s. Ihrig has purchased five-room
modern house on lots 10 and 20, block
49, of the Pacific Improvement tract;
consideration $3.50.
The firm of Ferl & Blackenhach re-
port having sold improved property
for $4,000, same being lots l and in
block g. this city. They also report the
sale of a five-room modern house on
lot 8, block s, Rudecinda tract, for
$3.50. A ne-room house on lot IA,
block ., Arcadia Park tract, brought
S25O0, while lot 3, block Is, Rudecinda
tract, sold for $500. Lot q, block 81,
was sold for $500, and lot II, block "a,
sold for $1,000.
Lewis Hansen reports to have sold
lots 10 and 20. block 81, for $500 each.
The five lots sold in block 81 are on
Fifteenth street and have all been
purchased by local parties during the
past week. Some of the purchasers
say the only reason they bought the
property was that consolidation with
Los Angeles seems assured and they
believe the investment at this time was
a good one on account of the early
conteOorlq ted IniOn
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-18
PLANS kASPARE
COIN HOSPITAL
BOYLE HEIGHTS STRUCTURE
TO COST $4,000
SANTA BARBARA CHURCH WILL
BE BUILT
Beautiful Grecian Edlfice, as Planned,
Meets with Approval Of Trustees.
New Apartment Structure
for Ocean Park

Architects are preparing preliminary
sketches for the Kaspare Cohn hospl-
tai to be erected on Boyle Heights at
a cist of $4,000. Plans have been APP
proved for a handsome church build
ing at Santa Barbara to cost $25,O00
1t will be of Grecian architecture
Plans are being prepared for three
story brick apartment building for
Ocean Park, and plans are now ready
for a three-story apartment building
on Pasadena avenue, to cost $lS,00o, a
number of two-story brick structures
are being planned and during the week
there were completed numerous plans
for bungalows, cottages and residences.
The Builder and Contractor reports
among the architects as follows:
Architect Norman f. Marsh. 206
Broadway Central building, has had
his plans approved by the trustees of
the First Baptist church, Santa Bar
bara, for new church building. A site