The San Francisco call., 1913-08-22
FERRY TALES
By LINDSAY CAMPBELL


The practical joke has been with us
ever since the serpent induced Mother
Eve to violate the terms of the lease
under which she and Adam occupied
the garden of Eden. In the hands of
kind hearted and experienced young
sters like the members of the After
deck squad, the practical joke fur
nishes wealth of innocent entertain
ment and material for many ferry
tales. Just as accidents, however, will
happen in the most efficiently ordered
households, so will the best inten-
toned of practical jokes go astray
once in a while. and there are times
when the practical joke is two edged
sword, a boomerang, bomb and
something of an abomination. The
is in the position of the man in the
glass house who throws stones.
e g q
Take the case of Jim Bolts, for ex-
| ample. There is probably nobody in
California street who has had more fun
than Bolts out of the practical Joke.
He is an artist at the game. He has
been known to make one little Joke
furnish entertainment for his friends.
discontinue for his business rivals and
free advertising for himself. When 1t
comes to joking his real name Is Napo-
leon Jiu-jitsu Bolts.
Bolts went to Oregon a few weeks
ago on business. During his absence
Fred Jebsen. the Adonis Of the local
shipping world. received letter In a
womans handwriting and bearing a
signature that was not on his visiting
list. The lady admired him and wanted
to meet him and would he please for
give her unconventional intrusion and
answer his letter.
q q 9
Now. Bolts has always been jealous
of Jebsen's ability to retain the boyish
slimness of his waist. There was ref
erence in the lady's letter to Jebsen's
"sylphlike waist" 1t was this refer
ence and the knowledge that Bolts was
putting on flesh that made Jebsen con-
clude that the letter was a practical
joke and Bolts the author.
The alleged writer gave her address
as Cookies Springs.
Miss So-and-So," said Jebsen to the
bright young woman who acts as the
secretary of his company, will you
please call up Mr.. Bolts office and find
out if he went to Cookies Springs. Bet
ter put 1t this way: ask them II he's
still at Cookies Springs
As 1t happened. Bolts wife answered
the telephone. She said: mo. and he
hasn't been there" calmly enough. but
when Bolts returned from Oregon he
was given this question to answer:
IF you were not at Cookies Springs
why should woman call up this office
and ask II you were 'stilr thereg'
The foregoing little bit Of history
may help him with his answer.
g g g
When Miss T.. Clare Dutton, clerk In
the Office in the ferry building of the
quarantine division OF the state board
OF horticulture, went on her vacation
last year the practical Joke brigade in
the office disturbed her holiday joy with
a bombardment of picture postals.
When she went away this year she an
nounced her determination to keep
secret her place of sojourn. She told
nobody where she was going.
A few days ago she wrote to Fred
What the letter contained doesn't mat
ter, except that upon an early answer
depended to some extent the enjoyment
of her vacation.
Please let me know by return mail"
she wrote. "as ] will have to make ar
lrangements In advance"
Her value in the Office Is appreciated
and her request would be granted. but,
unfortunately, she kept her word about
keeping secret her address. The post
mark on the envelope is undecipherAhlo
and the only clew to her whereabouts
contained In the letter fs the statement
that we got gorgeous view Of Shasta
this morning"
| The young men who played the prac-
tical jokes last year are now devoting
their energies to the task OF locating
the victim of their fun through the
above slight clew. Incidentally they
have Joined the never again" class In
! the school OF practical joking.