The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 17, 1905, Page 23

THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. phenomenal one *for e land of the romance, assoclated and the tales of the looked upon as the inches, big moun- because of account of her great dis- be only dreamed idered as a icturesque descriptive ds of his millions 1ge made up of I‘\,kt..' flats few of our larger c stage « s of tion. ur cloudless summers, our orals’ and « strange, 1l jumbled together d the ome t 2g0, have c: advancement who, had ast their lots to kee 1 the truth, would, L popul it requires Many of bes an idea concern- evid to for instance, had. when, said that And, coming s to take d few thought lay so a : once the nce pioneers, all all harm hin her worth and mercenary not tear to pay short and amored of her théy could es away. ose who prophesied But if in 1905 blo of Los 00,000 happy would be lemons; ; their people AT | 2 for old and LN : h, our Cali- A ) s ittract them = Y 1ds then A I dven- R e most regarded 3 g , half a'c g enough; s - and faretell the looked upon- as e true, ornia’s up the way now d have a south te would ‘echo to passing who then would have our great wtal rallway lines could not now easily trans- our traffic. our visitors and ourselves, would, no doubt, have been regarded as a fit su for restraint. ¢t has California to be thankful for at the end of this year of our Lord 1905? Let him who asks the ques- tion look about hi Let him regard the fast spreading of our irrigated acres. Let him look at the mammoth steamships coming and going from our ports, each capable of carrying what a fleet & half-century ago could not ac- commodate, and still not capable of taking all we have to ofter them. Let him listen to the locomotives, wheezing der thelir too heavy loads. Let him cast his eyes upon iel BY IAN MACLAREN. (Author of “Beside the Bonnle Brier Bush,” etc.) S it seemed my happy fortune to be much engaged in marrying. especially at the holiday season of the working people, the registrar of the district felt it his duty to glve me a word in season. Recognizing me as a general practitioner with an increasing circle, he warned me of a certain danger into which I might fall together with my patients, and the consequences of which were serious. He informed me that among a certain class of working people bigamy was by no means uncommon and that sometimes both men and women, but especially the men, put a soméwhat broad end generous interpretation on the marriage con- tract, and he even hinted that within a time little ex- ceeding & year the same man would get married twice. Tt was suggested that a minister had better keep a watchful eye and in event of a bridegroom appearing twice before him within & short peried inquire into the stances. And the registrar reinforced my gon- by reminding me that the penalty for a minister lending himself to the violation of law was transporta- tion, or something equivalent to that ancient punishment. Greatly quickened, partly by my zeal for morality, partly by & reasonable fear of consequences, I determined to e t a detective very couple that eame bent on marriage and to deal firmly with s I could discover. ’ fhe Preliminaries. They came into the room with emphasis—four people, s usual, the two lovers and the two witnesses—and the ner of the men and their strength suggested workers arded on my part, for that mind with suspicion, and eir part, which was a shield 1sual situation, they sat down ile I sat down at the table with ling on their faces—which 1s wgement in a study where you have to nd e to conclusions suddenly. Well, let me see that they mes MeKittrick?” licated that he was with some of one who was enterlng on a appeared that he was regarded . determined person by the group. phemia Lumsden?’ I continued with nce that it was e proper people co Euphemia gave me to under- person mentioned and the bride- to speak up and not to be afraid he explained tg her and the com- GOVERNOR GEORGE C. PARDEE. the well-dressed, prosperous, happy and contented people who throng our cities’ streets and traverse our highways. Let him see the glint of mew-made roofs, which, each marking a new family’s hearthstone, dot the length and breadth of California’s empire. Let him listen to the miner's tale of increased wealth; the farmer's story of pany generally, was “a popular hand” and “skilly at marrying.” He also added that the blushing bride was usually called Phemie, and stated his opinion that he had never seen her looking better. A Susplicion. As this line of conversation was threatening to involve the whole company in a conflagration I commanded silence —still playing the magistrate—and began to read over the papers, and I did so to compare the detalls before me with the appearance of the people. For some time T had becn haunted with the idea that I had seen the bridegroom before, for his face was one you did not readily forget, and with every minute this idea was deepening into conviction. His broad chest, his strong legs and arms, his bold looks, his forward manner, his air of good humor, his general suggestion of gay reck- lessness corresponded with some photograph of the past that I was carrying in my memory. Could it be that this was one of those Don Juans in humble life against whom I had been warned? One could see that he was not a men to trifle with, but rather one who must be kept in his own place and who would be quick to resent an insult. ¢ “James MoKittrick,” I said slowly, looking at him all the time as if I were meditating and recalling something from the past. “McKittrick.” “That is my name,” he replied briskly, “same a3 my father, but,” and now he nodded graclously to me; “if it was any satisfaction ye might just call me ‘fighting Mac,’” but I fancled that I detected some bravado, as if James was not quite so much at his ease as he wished me to_belfeve. : “Your baptismal name,” I sald speaking carefully, “is quite sufficlent for any legal purpose, James McKit- trick. Do you know,” and now. I leaned back in my.chalir and looked steadily at him, “that I have a notion we have met before.” “It's not unlikely. It might have been on a cheap trip down the river.,” but James was not quite at oase now; hils jesting was distinctly artificlal and I thought that there was a new atmosphere in the room. “No,” I'continued, “I do not think it was on a steamer. I am rather inclined to suspect that it was in this room.” “Well,” said “fighting Mac,” after a pause, “I'm not prepared to deny that” and his bravado was rapidly crumbling away. HIs figure seemed to recede In the chalr; instead of “thrusting himself forward one woula say that he was trying to hide himself. “Mgre than that, McKittrick, unless I am, very much mistaken you were in this room not more than a year ago,” and now I eyed him sternly, feeling that I was on the verge of a great exposure. The gentleman who had done time was distinctly alarmed and felt that things N N e S N S R R N RN N RN P R R R N0 S0 0 S0 N0 o this year's gains; the merchant’'s glad rejoicings as he contemplates the balance of his twelve months' work. Let him see our workmen coming and going to their work. Let him only lopk about him and see, on every side, the strides that Callfornia, little more than fifty years of age. has made within the year last past. Let him but use his were taking an unexpected turn and that no one could tell what would happen next, while the bride and her friend cast doubtful glances at the bridegroom whose past career they evidently knew had been of a troubled character. For his part it flashed across ‘me he was 160king not now so much confounded as bashful, and before he spoke my confidence in my own shrewdness and- his guilt had suddenly weakened, but I repeated stoutly, “Yes, In. this very room, and with a marriage party.” A Mohammed Groom. “It's a fact,” he blurted out, and then a roguish ex- pression came over his face. His figure filled out again, he thrust forward his head and was himself once more. “In this very room, as ye sald” repeating my words with humorous intonatfon, “but as sure as death the last time I was here, just eleven months ago, I was the best man.” “Quite so, McKittrick, and I covered my retreat with what dignity I could. *“I was certain we had met before. Yours is not a face one can forget.” s~ “Did ye think,” and McKlittrick dominated the roo “that ye had married me afore?” but fortunately his mood turned to humor, “Na, na. twice inside one year is carry- ing things too far. Phemie,” he sald, and he turned to the interested bride, “I'm judgin’ the minister thinks that I am a Mohammedan,” and so the Incident closed in fage- tiousness, which unfortunately I was never able to thors oughly subdue. It was evident that the best thing to do was to hurry on with the service, and I directed the four to stand up_ and take their places, a movement which Mr. McKittrick, who was now In great spirit, did his best to turn into a comedy, desiring to stand with the bride on one hand, and the bridesmaid on the other and declaring his will- ingness to be married to them both, which he said was the habit of Mohammedans. It was with: great difficulty that I could get the company reduced to a fitting astate of mind, and even after they were In their places Mr. McKittrick was offering genial invitations to the brides- maid to selze the opportunity, which caused both ladies much amusement. 5 When he was reminded, that other people were wait- ing to be married and that he must restrain his humor for a more suitable season he settled down and invited 'r;wh:o “come on,” as if we were going to have a prize- ght. g “Marriage is an honorable .state, instituted in the Garden of Eden—" ' “Garden o' Eden. My weord that’s a while ago. Noo, I never heard that afore. Might I ask “s that In the Bible?” This was really very embarrassing and threat- ened to take away all good from the marriage service, =0 I exhorted him to be auiet and not to ask questions eyes and ears, and if he nnd not things enough to more than equal all his: fondest expectations, then, indeed, he must be blind and deaf to all the sights and sounds about him. Of the thousands of young, sturdy, brainy ploneers who, if 1849 and 1850, llned every mountain stream in the northern and southern mines, while, with pick and shovel and rocker, .they worked the miraculously rich placer mines that drew them hither—of these busy thousands, who thought that Callfornia would, long before the ad- vent of the twentieth century, be noted for her copper, her petrcleum, her semi-precious gems and nearly three score of valuable products of the earth that, in conjunction with her gold, make up her $i0,000,000,worth of mineral rroducts? And who, of all that happy, careless, lively c ever dreamed that California’s trees woul 1 crew, their products even to the Antipodes, or her great valleys _feed the hungry of Europe with their wheat? And who even in his dreams,’pictured the 50,000 among them ever, cars that in 1905 were required to take our oranges, our lemons, our Winés,” our:grapes, our walnuts, our olives, our peachés, pears, apricots and apples to the East and even to Europe? Great is California, exceeding, even in her present O.n“' partial development, the wildést prophecies of even her most devoted partisan. Greater in.extent than all the .\;W England States, with New York and Penns.\'l\‘anlnfi adl :d to them. extending north and south lron‘: 1b0ut th egué. tude of Washingtom, D.fC. to t“h‘i:(s‘c(f)rL[h::'lv:‘s;:;\{”;. a; ce 900,000 of happy and contented people. Our ‘e from blizzards and the ice KinZ's withering Y New o sturdy sons and daughters of bleak New by b never cruel in thelr e tand's stony soll. . Our summers. gl eome those who suffer under :the torrid sun of Eastern No -other St safe from cyclones, tor- Eastern clime i) nadoes and ti ters such o sons and daugh- tented lives. athe in the nder storms, can give her ortunities for happy and con 1 C y one Where else. but In California may i . ach on strawberries and oranges, fresh from ocean and lunc e on New Year's day? a mlay one see ice harvested $rom the mountain of such a county as our Nevada County. while. in tern end oranges and lemons are being gathered D cat? “Where else, in all the world, can ona merge from the winter snows of our mountalns, towering 10,000 feet above the sea, and, within (hi’g‘e hours, be safe e ound, within the green-leated paradise of the Sacra- N o NValley? Where else can such an extent of fertile MEntO e found as those 6,000,000 extending from Redding aeres B Bafiersfield, almost any one of which will produce N ehims from oranges to potatoes? What other so-called Ay ill, Jtke ours of Impérial, produce, when wedded to the water of the irrigation ditch, such ‘corn, alfalfa, b o ptrom, and the thousand and one things our fertile - " will produce? deéi‘rrtsul()unbl?fl streams, harnessed to the turbine wheel, eand_the petrolenm underiying so many thousands of our e ‘have solved the prpblem of cheap power for Cali- . And our climate, which allows our people to work ™ day and all day, gives us & manufacturing advan- tage which, before mnn§ years, will make us the indus- er of the world. trial e o the course of empire takes its way,” Bishop proph otically announced nearly 200 years a will be the nmext halting place of the world ot trade, commerce and intellectual ~superlority. , through the long centuries, has been successl\'e}y ‘o 'Bgypt's, Greece's, Rome's, Spain's, Holland's, O ocs., Germany's, England’s and now hovers over our » State: rhe soft and kind summers and winters of Greece and Rome hdd much to do- with their pre-eminence in once, trade and peaceful and warlike conquest. The clan and Roman youth cotld grow and develop in 14 I3 body through all the days of every year. No er heats nor winter colds retarded their alifornia, like Greece and Rome, d sities against which her youth must con- nd nd other million and three-quarters of people can s can we of two great universities—the University instruction to the vine and tree. boast of California and Stanford—giving free 4500 of our ydung men and women. Calitornia’s future in trade, commerce, manufacturing, horticulture, viticulture, mining and all the products of rih is beyond dispute. At the end of this century the she will be foramost in wealth and intellectual advance- ment. These two mark humdn superiority. ‘What Greece and Rome were to the world California will be. Romantlc has been her past; great is her infant present; overshad- cwing all the world will be her mature future. OB S SO S SO NS NN SOSOOB PO B B SO SOOI N S SNSRI NN INTERRUPTIONS OF A GENIAL BRIDEGROOM | and T got through another sentence when the bridegroom breke in again. “Garden o Eden,” and I resolved never again to mention the first Paradise. “If you'll excuse me, had Adam and Eve witnesses?” a stroke which greatly delighted the company and showed that Mr. McKittrick was a jocose person. “Not another word PIl say if you object.” Then leaning forward to catch sight of the dride’s friend, “I doubt there was no bridesmaid. Come on, sir. My word, the Garden of Eden.” Game to the End. When it came to the vows, Mr. McKittrick acquitted himself with dignity, afirming everything with a voice which might have been heard In the street, and adding the gratuitous promise that he would keep his bride in order. “Obey, Phemle, ye heart that, and mind ye, keep it. It's a wiselike promise,” and he demanded to know whether it had been used in the Garden of Eden, and without waiting for an answer, which he was not likely to get, He explained to his friend that if the woman had only minded that word “obey,” they might have been in the Garden of Eden yet. During the signing of the papers the happy bride- groom wandered round the room examining the books and plctures with much interest, and various jocose com- mentaries, till he was brought to the table to sign his name. This sobered him very much, and he asked to be allowed to take off his coat, explaining that it was only in such easy undress he had any lberty with the pen: He also guided the pen, not only with his hand, but with his tongue,.and wrestled greatly with his sur- name, hesititing Detween 'two t's and one, and belng In “some doubt as to whether it looked befter to write Mac ‘or Mc—a fine point on which he consulted the company. Once he had accomplished McKittrick, the load lifted from his spirits, and he had an easy mind. “Now that I've settled to the job I might as well finish 4. Would you like me to write ‘ightin’ Mac'?" a suggestion which seemed to greatly please his friends, and I had seme difficulty in restraining his zeal. “Well. well,” he said somewhat disappointed, but brisking up, “have it as ye please. - It would have rounded off the corner, and helped ye to remember me the next time I come, man,” he said, turning to the best man, “the min- ister thought I W a Mohammedan.” As he was leaving the room he eaught sight of a picture near the door, :Vhlx‘:h.he had overlooked, and called his wife's attention o it “Ye see that, Phemie,” pointing to a Highland land- scape, “take a good look at it, my woman, for ye'll never see that again. That's the Garden of Eden.” And ‘fight- ing Mac’ departed in high spirits, rewarding the waitress in the hall“onm a lavish scale and promising to be back with the year.