The San Francisco call., 1913-08-02
FERR Y TALES |
~ LrNDoAY CAnGPBELL

Qscar Bsyfuss hastens to deny the
suggestion in Z recsnt ferry tale that
he was tho forest rengsr who played
the part of guide to the regular sol
diers on that occasion during tho hre
on Tamalpais when they were marched
down hill and up again and back TO
the starting place to put out their own
camp nre. told the tale as It wa
told on the ferry boats. and am sorry
=. in repeating II. ! have sdone any
thing to detract from Oscars reputa-
tion az woodsman.
The story. says Mr.. Beyfnss, rs
probably. true many funny things hap
pered during that fre; but was not
the ranger"
The Beyfuss denial Nas made more IN
sorrow than In anger. He was the vic
tim, doubtless. Of Jealousy. As one Of
his friends said
IT'S tbs same old story the pinute
man gets out and does sornethins
big the hammers BEGIN to rap. It's
this way: Oscar didnst exactly put the
fire out. but he showedsEhe sbldiers how
to do It. and now. when It's. all over,
4 lot Of envious guy. start knocking
II was Oscar. next time the mountain
takes flre, ia let the dslrn thing burn :
q Q q
This Portola business makes nse
tired" said tourist from Milwaukee
as he crossed tho bay the other morn
ing on the steamer Berkeley. "The
celebrations all right. but the idea that
Portola discovered san Francisco ia
foolish. heard the true story from
a neighbor Of mine in Milwaukee. II
was the Germans wh0 discovered San
Franaisco. 1t was through them. by
the way, that Oakland get its name.
at was fosgy the day. the Germans
entered the bay and they sswere on the
ferry depot when the lookout shouted
in low German. Land on the starboard
bow.
1T was near noon and the skipper
was on the bridge trying to locate the
timeball when the lookout, peering on
to the eastward. suddenly cried. Da tst
och land which 10 low German for
there is land also.
Editors of the history texthooks for
the public schools please take notice
Q Q -
"A large white sealion--the first, they
say. OF this color ever8seen IN Che bay
has been escortfng the sausslito ferry
steamers between Alcatraz and the Ma
rim shore for5 the last few days. It's
nrst appearance caused great excite
ment, to which unusual interest was
added when a passenger who looked
as II he might know. declared that It
was q, polar bear.
The sealion, however, finding the
faces that lined the rail eof the steamer
TamAlpais friendly. swam towithin .
few yards of ths vesseI and Eraciously
permitted his admirers to- recognize
him as ! member Of the seal fami1y.
Seals in this part OF { the bay are
plentiful but nobody has been heard
from yet who ever before saw a white
seal IN these waters. Which naturally
might lead to the conclusion that ssals
have a police departnent and that the
one with this l<alpoIhape 6at Is an
officer OF high rank whS rs JUST tri-
uznphantly emerged fro1F court mar
tiaI or whatever the. slkH call theif
fnvestigattons
Perhaps. however ~ are doing the
sealions kn injustice They may not
need police department and perhaps
they don't use whitewash in. their in
vestigations. 1t may be that the white
sealion. like Kotick. the white SEAL
has an important mission in life. apd
~ We could only interview his brothers