The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 14, 1904, Page 6

THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. EAR.UNCLE SILAS: T have been here in New York several days without writing to you and feel reproached for my neglect; yet I recall that you told me not write until I had enjoved some a ntures worth re- porting, and that you whimsically offered to wager me z thousand shares of sugar stock that I would have many : 1 ventures. I am stopping at the hotel you recommenc while its comfc are all that you pictured them, from experience, its expensiveness is a constant uld be embarrassing were it not that my holdings 4 L source of sugar refinery afford me justification for libe . The hotel is conducted quite unlike ctville, and while it was a surprise not to find a ce d which of beets and the first breakfast gentlemen gather after tea to discuss the price tariff on sugar, the greatest surprise was that cost $3 93, and was no more plentiful than the breakiast our inn serves for half a dollar. But with such differences between home and here you are, of course, fam , for I find that you are well known at the hotel, and liked, too, by the hired men, who soi times refer to yvou as “a dead game sport,” whatever that may signify. T had been here a couple of da nely, because New Yorkers seem indisposed to niake e w ut the formality of an introduction, and sev spoke to rudely stared at me and passed on their ways without replying who threatened to call the police if I tried any confidence on him. 1 wonder what he meant. one game In this lonely state 1 was pleased to have proach me in the burying ground of Trinity enjoying the melancholy pleasure of findi the last resting places of many great and distinguished mén, such as Alexander Hamilton, and say to me (the gentleman who ap- proached, not Hamilton, said) that he made it his patriotic duty al- ways on visiting New York to do as | was doin ay his debt of respect to the country’s great amen. “But,” he ‘to pay any kind of a debt amounts to a passion w me.” I was pleased to meet a gentleman of so honorable princigles, and pleased at the opportunity of entering into conversation, for I am fond of my fellow citizens, and had scarcely spoken to an cqual since my arrival. I had no sooner told him that T was from Beetville and a large owner in the refinery, and that you were president of the Beet Sugar Refinery and Bank, than he expressed the greatest astonishment and interest, for, as it happened, he is quite well acquainted with you, having met you at the Beet Sugar Growers’ Convention, which I told him you had attended. While he turned out a most affable acquaintance, he was 1arked on the charm of the 2 be charming for those fond of cloudy es, unseasonable cold and a drizzle, and then, after laughing pleasantly at my bright sally, he confided to me that he had just had a bit of good luck which made him careless of the weather. Naturally I asked him to explain, but he was loth to do so. At last he admitted that while he disapproved of all man- ner of gambling, he had, more in a spirit of sport than greed, taken a chance in a lottery and won a large prize. He explained that a censor of morals here, a person named Jerome, was opposed to lotteries, so they were conducted with great secrecy ; that, to collect his prize, he was waiting there for the agent of the lottery, who was to take him to the cashier’s office. Truly, as he spoke a businesslike man came up, to whom my amiable friend showed his ticket, which the agent examined and pronounced to be the winner of the thousand-dollar prize. He proposed that they should go at once to the office and have it cashed, but my friend said, with evident disappointment, that he could not go at that time, for he had an important engagement uptown, for which he must hurry. He asked me if I would be kind enough to go with the agent and collect the prize for him. "I was naturally flattered at this trust in me displayed by one I had just met and readily agreed to do as he asked. He indorsed the ticket over to me in business form, and then suggested that as a further matter of mere form I should advance him $250 on it until we met in the evening. I would willingly have advanced the sum he asked, if for no other rea- son than that he liked you so much, but I had only $100 with me. My friend seemed disappointed for a second, but then said cheerfully that he would accept the sum, as it was a mere form to show that the transaction was on a business basis, stfictly; and he took the $100 so willingly that I was touched to realize how much confidence I inspire even on short acquaintance. He hurried off to catch an elevated train, after appointing a meeting at my hotel in the evening. The agent of the lottery po- litely asked me to have a bottle of pop in a nearby place of re-’ gentleman ap- Church, where | was r the tombstones over A b SLEASED 70 AFPROZCH pIE /Y N THE BUPYING CROUND - OF. ZRINITY : » O CTCH, freshment. so we went to a resort on the opposite side of the street, which is in a basement, but is an establishment of vast size and magnificence, with many entrances and ous rooms. spa gent chanced to see Mr. sther door, and excused himself to cier. Their business must have been agent did not return, though [ waited for We were no sooner entered than th Russell Sage leaving by speak to" the noted fin: highly important, for the him until an employe said it was closing time and asked me if I would retire and give the scrub woman a chance. He laughed a mezningless laugh when 1 explained why 1 had tarried so long, and said “See Jerome or McClusky.” 'l'l'n' former is the cgusor of merals 1 has already mentioned, and witht whoin, naturally, 1 could hidve no possible business. Who McClusky is I do not know. I was distressed to have to return uptown without having col- lected my friend’s prize, but as it turned out my distress was need- less, for my friend neglected to keep his appointment with m detained, I conclud by his important business. Waiting as long as 1 deemed necessary, I left a note at the office against the chance of my friend coming, and then 1 strolled out into the main street, which many features of life it seems proper I should investigate as a lesson in my sociological studies. I had walked but a few squares up the brii y lighted street when I was accosted by a man who inquired where he could get change ‘for a fifty-dollar bill. He was a stranger from the West, he said, and just met a man to whom he owed a small sum of money, which he wished to pay. I was glad to occurrences of the d commodate a stranger like myself, but the y suggested to me that the transaction be undertaken and compicted in the presence of ail parties involved. The stranger ag 1 and led the way to the private room of one of the splendid palaces lining the strect, and there, to my delight, presently came the gentleman 1 met in the churchyard. To my astonishment he seemed shocked to see me and.started to leave the room with precipitate haste. I am a young man of more than ordinary keenness af wit, for when I saw the unduc haste of my agreeable acquaintance it suddenly dawned upon me that it was owing to some mental trouble that he had not kept his appo ment with me; that he would be an easy victim of designing per- sons, and it was my duty to protect him. So I forcibly detained him and gently asked him why he had not kept his engagement. My fears for his condition were at once justified ; he answered that he had neyer seen me before, and even denied that he had re- ceived $100 from me. I pitied him. 1 considered but a moment what to do, for my mind works rapidly and accurately, and I said to him: “Sir, you are suffering from the effects of ity excitement; it is my duty to keep you from designing persons.” The keen insight I thus displayed caused both the others to laugh heartily, and it was some moments before they could do more than utter unintelligible things about it being a pity to “do” so easy a thing, the meanness of taking candy from a child and other remarks not germane to the occasion of our encounter. So I stead- ily insisted upon my plan and led my friend out into the high- way, and there finding a policeman briefly related to him the in- cidents of my acquaintance with my companion and asked that he be taken care of. The policeman looked dazed for a minute and then said, in a threatening tone: “If you make me lock up this gentleman T'll take you along, too, and you'll be detained as a witness; you'll be in the paper;; Jerome will lecture you; your picture will be in the Rogues’ Gal- lery; the Grand Jury will indict you for feloniously playing against ;hty:"peac"c of the little old island of Manhattan, and McAdoo, B | AR I interrupted the talkative officer to ask him if he refused to take care of the unfortunate gentleman, and then he looked more dazed, but at last said: “Sure, if that’s all you want, I'll take care of him, if you'll make a hurry sneak back fo your hotel and say nothing.” I walked away, pondering on my friend’s unfortunate plight, and so deeply did I ponder that I must have walked in a circle, for presently I came upon him again, talking and laughing with the policeman. They did not see me, but I overheard my friend say, as' he gave the officer a ten-dollar bill, “The trick was so easy for you to turn it is not worth more than this.” I hope he will recover his mind enough to call for his lottery ticket soon, for I dislike to have so valuable a collateral for such a small loan. As you know him so well, tell me something Vs SIMPLE MARRATIVE FA GENTLE STRANGERS ADVENTURES IN NEW YORK. N° F YOU PZREE IE LOCH UP Z74S Y CEN TIE A | AL THAE YOU FLOKG. 70O. about him. Have I mentioned that his name is Mortimore Mont- morency? So his card reads, though I o;erheard’ the officer call him “Joe”—“Hungry Joe,” I think he said. 5 A{“fcctionately% yo{xr nephew, REUBEN. P. S.—I was taking this letter to the post box when the hotel detective accosted me and said he had seen me conversing on the street with a man he must warn me to avoid, a noted bunko man. When I asked him what a bunko man was he looked at me so wearily that I realized how fatigued he must be. After I had told him my story he said that I had loaned the one hundred dol- lars to ane no better than a swindler. When I proudly showed him the lottery ticket I held as security his look of weariness deep- ened, and he said, “If you won’t take my word go to the hotel of- fice and ask what that ticket is worth.” I am treated with great respect at the office, owing to the ex- cellent reputation you have established here, still I thought the clerk’s manner was not altogether polite as he looked at the ticket and then at me. All he said was, “This is worthless.” Of course I regret the loss of so considerable a sum, still I feel that it may not be a loss after all, for when my friend recovers his mind T be- lieve he will repay me, as I am convinced that he was an innocent purchaser of this worthless thing—being a friend of yours. I think of going to Coney Island, the races and other places of innocent amusement, and will write you any experiences which may be of interest. R. oS % .