The San Francisco call. [volume], August 14, 1909, Page 1, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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Junior Selection The San Francisco Call
Issued Every Saturday Fnor the Boys ianid Girls of San Pranciseo and cyrnia *
HAVE YOU SEEN ALONZO? HE TRIES T0 PLAY BALL WITH STATUE IN THE PARK
THE STORY OF A MOCKING BIRD'S LIFE
IT was a warm, sunny day when
first saw him. He arrived sudden
ly,-unexpectedly, just at sundown. He
was the biggest kind of a surprise; in
fact, the idea of a mocking bird being
anywhere around was the last thought
In my mind when a shrill squawk
smote the quiet air — and he was here!
Five minutes ago I had been care
free, listening to the call of the rob
ins -in the garden, and then — he ar
rived without any warning, a present
from a little colored maid we had with
us. a little maid who had gone back to
school in the south.
I put my hand into the cage to draw
him out, when suddenly there was a
change. His ruffled majesty, flapping
his two little wings, hopped toward my
hand with his mouth wide open and a
shriek that was a regular carving
knife.
What do mocking birds eat? Surely
not seed! I carried him around to the
kitchen to consult with our colored
cook. '\u0084-'
Yes, she knew all about mocking
birds. Thank goodness!
While he sat on my forefinger with
his claws clasped , tightly around * it.
he opened his mouth again and hinted
broadly that we'd better hurry up; he
the most uncommonly, squawkingly
hungry!
Mercy!
As fast as possible we stuffed bits of
strawberry down his gaping throat.
Piece by piece they went down, and.
rtill he cried for more. Then, unexpect
edly, he refused to eat any more, shut
his black eyes and started to take a
nap as unconcernedly as could: be.
After dinner the cook" and I labored
further In his behalf, and he showed
fsuirh great partiality for Ida," the cook,
that when he uttered his first little
confiding note of gTatltude . and recog
nition to her, I became distinctly
jealous. I confess.
I put him to bed on a bit of bloom
ing apple bough, and in the darkness
he was quiet.
But bright and early next morning
he began to issue his regal commands.
1 rubbed my eyes and sought the gar
den to dig for worms. They hart to be
dropped adroitly down his throat at
just the proper angle. The process re
quired art and a twig. The worm, bal
anced on the end of the twig, fell into
the squawking throat if carefully man
aged, otherwise there was a terrible
hubbub, with much flapping of wings.
Really, I never saw such a greedy!
1 think he could have kept It up for
ever if I hadn't gathered him up out
of the grass and put hlm^back into
his new abode, a large canary cage.
I look bark with horror at the thought
of those first days of his advent. He
did make such a racket!
If I ventured so- much as out of the
garden gate to the postbox, one squawk
from the cage, one squawk louder and
fiercer than all preceding squawks
that had ever been, sent me scurrying
home at the rate of a hook and ladder
company on the way to a fire.
"Chuck-chuck." he remarked in a flat
tering little soft voice, when he saw
me. "Of course, you will kindly get me
two dozen nice curly little black gar
den worms this instant!"
Oh, dear me, it was terrible!
As those strenuous days wore on we
decided that so marked an individuality
should have a name. All kinds of
names were suggested. We named him
after the little maid who had sent him;
\u25a0we named him after her school. He
was called -Squawk and .other more
flattering names, but suddenly he be
came known to every one as Peter Pan,
and Peter Pan he remained. . •
JUNIORVILLE PEOPLE NOMINATE GENE FOR THE HIGH OFFICE OF MAYOR
There could not have been a more
fitting name. Peter and I spent most
of our time in atreetop house in the
orchard. It was 1 far enough '.away'
from the house to lake some of the
edge of Peter's voice culture. squawks.
"Can't you stop him?"' the family
tried. "Oh, take . him : away from the
house or make him stop.''
So Peter and I camped in the orchard.
Meekly I tied his treetop house to a
swinging branch -near the ground, arid
meekly I kept him company lest some
hungry cat from the neighbor's should
be allured by Peter's megaphone voice.
I don't know what might have hap"
pened if I had not suddenly decided to
go on a strike. Peter must learn to
put those worms Into his mouth for
himself — he must. Moreover, he must
learn to eat out of a dish, too.- I did
not propose to spend a summer tied to
Peter, all rights reserved.
From that time on Peters-s quawks
moderated. If I could keep safely out
of eight, all was peace and quiet, but
if I appeared anywhere In sight the air
was »ent with insistent shrieks for
\u25a0worms, strawberries, grated carrots,
anything— something to go down that
open void of a throat — somethings to. be
put Into the gap at once!" i
So Peter was banished to the region
•of the ! kitchen porch; ' Here during
the long bright, days of spring Peter
turned • his " thoughts toward his great
est ambition. In low/ soft lisping little
tones, scarcely to be heard, he practiced
singing." We could ' hardly, believe our
ears. . This indeed was "Peter Pan;; the
little fairy of the woodland.—Washing
ton Post.
First American Medal
The first medal, struck in. the United
States, was of silver and- awarded to
Lieutenant* Colonel; Fleury, one* of the
young officers of the French army, who
obtained leave to enter the • service of
Washington in 1777. In the assault
upon Stony . Point,- July : 15, 1779, he
commanded one. of the storming.par
ties, was the first to enter . the main
work and struck the British flag -with
his own hands. For this achievement
congress voted, him a: silver .medal.
After the revolution Colonel \u25a0-, Fleury
went to India, and in 1790 returned to
France. Chevalier John Paul." Jones,
captain of the French vessel - Bon
homm'e Richard, though 'a foreigner,
\u25a0was for some time ; In* the service of
the colonial government. By act" of
congress in 1787 he was awarded a
gold medal in commemoration of his
capture of the Serapls, eight years be
fore/off Flamborough head, Yorkshire,
Peace Be Around Thee
Peace be around~thee, wherever thou
rovest;
May life -be for thee one summer's
day, \u25a0 . - ..\u25a0'.-.-'.
And all that thou, wishest and all that
thou lovest,
. Come smiling • around thy sunny
••.j way! ","-;;,
If sorrow e'er this calm should"- break.
May -even thy years pass off so
lightly.
Like spring flowers, they'll only make
The smiles that follow shine more
brightly.
May time, who sheds his blight o'er all.
And daily -dooms'' some 'joy to death,
O'er thee let. years so gently fall ,:
They, shall not crush one: flower be
neathiv/ > /
As half in shade "and half r in;sun.
This world \u25a0-. along ; its . -"path -advances,
May .that side the sun's. upon- . .'v : \u25a0/./-
Be air that. e'er shall; 1 meet thy
Elances! -\u25a0 " "' —Thomas Moore.
SAN FRANCISCO, Ci^
The Horns of insects
Did you think beetles have' horns? '
' Many people think so, but they do'
not. Parts of these odd creatures ; ex
tend ' beyond their . heads, ' and; as "there,
is no common name to express them,'
we are apt .to -speak, of them' as horns.,
But they are (not: horns nor -antlers,
in any sense of the. word; And 'not
any one set of insects boasts.this form
ation alone. / V-'.-'l \u25a0
We call "feelers" horns, too. Spe
cially fine examples of these, may be
found, and examined with a cheap, low.
power lens, in the common gnat, which
is? so incoriveniently ; plentiful in the
summer, and. in- many of the moths. In
the great green, grasshopper they -are
extremely slender, 1 and quite -as long
as the body. The game peculiarity, but
still more developed, . is found inithe
"timberman," a European beetle, - very
destructive to pine forests; it has 'been
introduced . into /Scotland, ; and is met
with . occasionally in other parts of
Great Britain/ >
Some think these "horns" contain the
sense of smell; others hold it is 'the
sense of hearing. ' The stag beetle uses
his as a weapon of defense, and they
are really; exaggerated jaws; In many
cases they are as long as the whole
of the rest of ; the insect. : and armed
with projections or teeth" that give; it
a most, formidable appearance. ; In riiy.
opinion' they "are of very littlej'u'se,; and
though I have: at various times kept
large_ numbers of stag 1 :\l\ could
never induce dne : of jthem to 'fasten t on
my,, finger,, though the. trial was; made
repeatedly. Nor did; I/ev.er -see ;' them'
fight with one another; . the- only evi
dence ot. -the <males.-fighting:tjiat caille
in.'myway'was the "finding, of; a pair, of
these horns .in 'a -box \u25a0»in<> which-, soriie
stag- beetles had been : . sent^rne,^ though
prplongod^ search; did moti not reveal the
body of the. insect-from which" they ...-had'
apparentlj* been .torn. At the end. of
the eighteenth; century :a": Swedish nat
uralist: wrote of the different views en
tertained with regard to'- the: use .of
these -horns, and - said that some, peo
ple believed \u25a0 they enabled the .perfect
insect to break out :.' of • the pupa case.
In many of the lantern files the whole
head is: produced Into "a; hornlike pro
cess, in some respects corresponding
to' the projections from the " head of
the Hercules beetles. i ; The interest of
these insects centered in the belief that
the enlarged head was a kind of lantern,
which emitted -light, though .satisfac
tory evidence on 'that point is- wanting.
It Is, however, worth noting that : the
local names given', in the'east Ho, the
Chinese lantern fly imply that the in
sect Is luminous, , and It is moreover
said that, this quality of luminosity .led
to ; the capture of the type specimen.-—
Philadelphia Record.
The Daisy
The daisy^ which grows ;wild in the
American fields was called long time
ago the day's eye, which was afterward
known as';dalsy. v One. day when one of
the' woodland .nymphs.^Belides, was*
dancing I with' her; favorite suitor,;Ephi,
geus*, she attracted '.'theV jealous;i"atten
tion of .Vertumnus, : who also" wished to
dance with the nymph. 1 Now, Vertum
nus : had' charge, of ' l the\ orchards" arid
possessed great power.lbut, despite ;this,
Belldes did not want him; for a partner.
Accordingly she ran" froiri>hlm •whenjhe
sought 'her.-' for a dance.' In < order to
escape him . the : nymph called \ f or. r help
from one of the'gods.iwho'cha'nged her
into { the pretty.! whlte^andigoldXflow'er
we call ' the 'daisyJi Vertumrius I was "much
disappointed when he found 'that > the
nymph ihad in rsdmey.wayJiescapedVhim,
but j Belides ; was ; doomed to remain for
ever, on a stalk. • , . . •:;;«•
GOOD STORIES IN FEW WORDS AND BRIEF, POINTED POEMS
Basket Weaving
Basket; weaving ' affords a pleasant
pastime 'and is not. difficult to do. \u25a0
:. '.The rnaterlal forj this work is easily
secured,^* i since * basket 'reeds may: be.
purchased from school supplies stores, .
basket: factories or: florists.
The e- reeds are purchased in long
sWeiris and must ; be. soaked in tepid
water before using to make] them more
pliable. ; The smokes are made\of. reeds
; much heavier - than _ those, used ; " for
weaving purposes, but hat Hvire' wound
withV' ribbons \u25a0..:>' makes', the . prettiest
. spokes;? since the 'ribbon* is 'interwoven
through .the basket. '/'".The^work is not
difficult -at all,: and one soori learns to
become * quite ; expert -at the" task,
new j ideas develop , as : the"" v woHler;> plies
the dainty 'art. -Shallow reed-baskets
are lined with satin arid fitted; with satin
bag tops,; drawn together with' a draw
string. : These useful articles are -very,
pretty.. \u25a0<. A, round, shallowi. basket, t very
much the shape of . a layer cakepan', can
be lined with silk, and "a small' round
cushion, fastened rlri*. the center, with
spools /of thread laced : to the 1 basket
sides and bows tied on -the outside.".' ;j~
If* one; does "not *'care - to} make the
baskets • they can ;be purchased for : a
few cents. . In : purchasing baskets go
into; art .'stores and ; select something
in Indian basket. ; ware,. Jsince ; such
shapes • are L very clever and more .„ ap
plicable for fancy .work.' -'ln buying
• reed for .basket .weaving' get a ; pound
skein at each. number; o^»e, two, -three,
four f and five, since jvarious sizes
r be" needed. s>. ;.-.:-• '.'^".,,V-v. -' i-i, ' .';',-'
Tl^ -^irl ; who is of } Christ
mas gifts/, «vctv.i though months Cpff^, can
; make j something r order.v'arid
certainly 'no \u25a0Handsonje 'gift 4 is imdre ac
ceptable ' thaji* a^w*rk • or scrap :bag. : "r< .
Johnny- s So: Loflg-at the Fair
Oh ! dear! what can ;the -.matter be ?_ ;
Dear ! ; dear I j what ; can ._ the ; matter: be ?
Oh! dear!! what the; matter be? '
Johnny's so long at thefair.
He promised he'd buy me a fairing
should jplease -me,' \u0084.
And then*:for ( a kiss, oh, he vowed he
would } tease? me; f- i * i
He promisedhe'd bring, me a bunch of
'; blueribboris '\u25a0/. -::- : -' \u25a0-
To tie up my bonny brown hair. ,
Oh! dear! .what, can'the matter be?
Dear! dear!- what 'can*, the -matter be?;
Oh! dear! what ;can .the matter be?
"Johnny's, so long atthe*fair.
He promised he'd bring me a basket'of
\u25a0\ \u25a0/ .posies,';.*' ,-' '\u25a0'\u25a0';-: - - >*i '\u25a0'; • ' '\u25a0\u25a0'.\u25a0\u25a0 ,'\u25a0
A^ garland of lilies, a garland of roses.
A little!, straw hat ; to set off the blue
• ribbons •"' ' *. "'. '
That, tie up my bonny brown, hair. , \u2666
Oddities of Some French Writers
,Le Sage, the author .of Gil .Bias,
could work only when : ' the'* sun' was'
shining." At?,high > noon his mind was
clearest arid | his ; inspiration f greatest. I
Mezeray, * on vi the i; contrary, /.required i
the light 'of ' a candle or 'lamp to/iwrite;
during the day he closed •* his ; windows*
and., shutters -and made ( nlght^fof., the
day. f So' also did'tEugQnejSue and Al
fred:de .Musset: : '*-Buffon^wrote v only in
f ull;dress,'' : , white !gloyes r and! a peri/
\u25a0;*. Charles \u25a0•V-Etienne -"wrote ;, lying, -upon
his .bed; GustaveVPlanche, > the critic;
while"' •'^writing.V-.atey ' candy^\u0094 and^Mgr.'
Dupanloup* always* dictated * his^/ser
monsvwalking;the;jfloor;of -his r roorii. ] .;
• Berariger'i the i' greatest ;Ffench r song
writer, acquired ' his • education ;. very • late
in -life. >iln>; his iyouth', he -nevertheless'
wrote - verses, «ahd '"• tlie \u25a0: lines
he! made (use', tof > a\paper.rule. . .*
The -i Letters at ; School
One day/ the letters went' to school,'
And, tried to teach/ each other, •
They got so mixed,, 'twas .really hard '
To, pick^' one '/from; the:other.
A went^in first, and- Z went last;
.The i restt were- all between them —
X L M and N.OP— ' V.
' I :wish' you could have seen them!
B C D ; E and J X L,
Soon jostled! well their betters;
Q R S T— l grieve -to - say-—
v.Were very 'naughty letters.;.
Of course.'ere long t they came to words — t
. -What' else could be expected? . .
Till :E; made D J^C arid T
Decidedly dejected. ' ; -
Now "through it 'all'the consonants
Were rudest .and
While all .'the -pretty vowel- girls
Were; certainly the smoothest..
And nimble Ukepf far from^Q,
r With face 'demure and moral, -
{'she; said, "we we two,
''"So 'apt to 'start a' quarrel!',';
But spiteful P said, "Poof \ for U!" ' .
(Which^made her feel: quite, bitter),
And.^calling OLE ; to help,
He really tried to hit her. . t'/s'v
Cried A, "Now, E and C come here!
If both will 'aid a minute, > -
Good P, .will 'join in making. peace!: \u25a0 \u25a0
i Or else . the- mischlef's>ln t it." \u25a0 . :
Ahd'sniilingE the ready f sprite, -V
: . Said. "Yes," '. and .count me, double." i-
This /done, sweet peace"< shone o'er, the*.
\u25a0 / scene.*,. •-- -•
And gone was all the. trouble! . •
Meanwhile,; when U andjP. made up,: ' '»
1 Tbe cons'nants • looked about them.
And: kissed, the vowels, for,'" you see,
.They couldn't do "without them.
' ' "'• — '— — : 'J.y'.'-
How They Settled! It
Two bicyclists , had "a* heated discus
sion about -the; speed of ; their respective
machines. They decided to frun a race,
and : took ' along -. a ; third ; party as judge
or umpire. ; ; In their, haste at the start
the two? machines came 'together an<l
both* fell; to? the ground.,
1 "My: work is i done," ; said the ,um
pire.' f'This spill has put you both on
the same: level." T
The Beleaguered City
Beside «the Moldau's rushing "stream, .
• With, the;' wan mooii overhead !
There" stood, as in an awful dream,
The army^f the dead.
White as-a sea fog,' landward bound,
The "'spectral camp was seen, .
Arid with a sorrowful^ deep sound
•."-; The river flowed between.
No- other voice nor sound was : there,"
:No drum, nor. sentry's pace,
The mistlike; banners clasped.the air,
As clouds with clouds embrace. '
\u25a0Butiwhen* thei old f cathedral : bell *
•T; Proclaimed " the •mornings "prayer,
The wild < pavilions Jrose' ; and fell,
On the alarmed*air.U^-'-
Down.;thejbrpad ivalley fast and far' :
H:The> troubled armyifled; :
Up \ rose\' the.; glorious morning ; star,'
The ghastly host was dead.
Language of :theQ Day
-• ;. Extract •\u25a0 from ?;a; fashionable ,-. novel -of
the Z twentiethYc'entury:- ;I; I ,; ' '
'\u25a0:\u25a0 J"The \u25a0: count *gave * the border ; for I; his
carriage.' v A j few.' minutes later; the au
tomobile "'.'prariced".on* t the .plaza.": •.
Holding the Breath
Divers* increase the time that they
can .remember under water by a little
preliminary "deep breathing. A late
experimenter has found that without
preparation he . could . hold his . breath
for only 42 : seconds, but : after one
minute of "forced- breathing he. could
hold k it for '2. minutes and 21* seconds,
after three minutes for 3 minutes
and 2J seconds and after six minutes'
for 4 minutes* and 5 seconds. The ef
fect of the fo'reed breathing appears
to be?a; freeing of the blood and body
tissues from considerable" carbon diox
ide. - It proves to' be undesirable,' how
ever* to continue the 'forced breathing
more than .two or three minutes, for
if it . is prolonged the' muscles of the
hands become rigid and remain com
pletely paralyzed for a minute or- two
after, holding the breath ibegins. In
actual practice the rf pearl divers.^ of
Ceylon, take only a. few deep breaths
before descending.
The Morning Mist
Look, William, how the morning mists
Have covered all the scene.' . j
Nor house" nor" hiir canst thou behold
Gray, wood, or meadow, green. i
\u25a0 - -- \u25a0- -. • \u25a0 --•.-" \ \u25a0 ;.• :
The distant spire across the. vale
1 These floating vapors shroud,*
Scarce are the neighboring poplars seen
Pale shadowed in the cloud. :
But seest thou, William, where, the
. Wmists ' f
. Sweep o'er the southern sky,'-
The dim effulgence- of the ;sun'-
That lights them as they/fly?
Soon shall that "glorious, orb of day
. In all his strength arise. .
And" roll along his \u25a0 azure way,
Through clear and" cloudless skies, i
Then'sliall we see across the vale
The village spire »o white.
And the gray wood arid meadows green
Shall live again in light;;
— Robert Southey.
The French National Costume
A" rich foreigner-had ordered' of a
French artist a series of paintings .'of
the national costumes of different na
tions. He had received several of them
which. pleased, himj much, but when the
costume France came he was more
than surprised: to see a painting repre
senting a man in his shirt sleeves Lwlth
a roll of cloth, under his arm and a pair
of scissors in hand. "\','What does this
mean? lexpected the French national
costume!" "That is what lam bringing
you. ,' The French change their fashion
so often that I have given' to' my model
cloth ; and scissors, so that he v may cut
,his "dress, to'hls fancy every v time" he
.wishes." \u25a0"
The, stranger, finding the joke quite
good, kept and paid for the picture.
Home Thoughts From the- Sea
Nobly, nobly Cape Saint • .Vincent to
;. the,,northwest .dledlaway;*
Sunset : ; ran.' one / glorious :blobd-red,
I 1:/".;I 1 :/".; reeking, into, Cadiz bay;
Bluishrnid "the' burning \u25a0water, . full in
\u0084' face^ Trafalgar ; lay; ,v "-;..- '
In the 'dimmest; northeast.- distance
dawnedGibraltar'grand and.gay;
"Here and here did England help me —
-\u25a0' How can I help England ?' say, \
Whoso; turns as '; I,; this V evening, jturn
', : Vr to God ' to i praise Tand '• pray, . \
While •Jove's]planet*rises yonder,; silent,
•over Africa.
. —Robert^Browning.
Evening
Oh, Hesperus! Thou bringest- all 'good
things — - ' \
Home to the weary, to the hungry
. \u25a0 cheer, > r'-u. ""t =,
To the young bird the parent's brooding
"•- . .wings, :..:\u25a0\u25a0 y-y-h;
\u25a0The welcome stall to the o'er labored
: steer! ' "jf^tt*WW
Whate'er of peace about our hearth
stone clings, " . . .
Whate'er our household gods, pro
tect of dear.
Are. gathered round us by thy look'of
rest;
Thou bringest the child, too, to the
mother's breast.
Soft hour! which wakes the -.wish and
*. melts .the heart
Of those who sail the seas, \u25a0 on the
first day , • • ' • \u25a0 .
When they from their . sweet .friends
1 are torn apart, *
Or fills with love the pilgrim' on his
. way, » \u25a0
As the far bell of vesper makes him
start, "'wßalßy
Seeming to weep the dying * day*»
decay; •
Is. this a_ fancy which our reason
scorns? n *
Ah. surely nothing dies but some
thing mourns!
— Lord Byron.
Indian .Women Run " Ferry 80
Years "
Two "Indian women, known a»/'Sal"
and '"Cynthia,** members of, the -camp
of Ehrenberg. Ariz., lay claim to the
distinction of being the oldest; ferry
proprietresses on the face of the globe.
They are twins, 101 years old, and since
the time of the presidency of Andrew
Jackson; 1829. have eked out a daily
existence .pulling the cars of. a flat
bottomed, home made scow on the Col
orado river. The legends of the tribe
have it that the two women first es
tablished the Terry at "the 'request of a.
chieftain of the Mojayes, the tribe that
once ruled on the reaches of the ; Colo-^
rado.
Little Boy Blue
Little boy blue,. come blow your born.
The sheep's In the meadow, the cow's
in the corn: ,
Where's the little boy- that look 3 after
He's under the haycock fast asleep. *
Will you wake him? No,' not I;
For if I do, he'll , be sure to cry.
The Switzers Flag
The Swiss is red and it bears a
Greek cross in its center. The Switzers
declared their independence in 1307; and
at the battle of Morgarten. 1315, where
the A'ustrlans = were defeated, they car
ried a plain red fleg without any de
vice... During the seventeenth . century
a white cross was added, though it is
said that the cross appeared on some
Swiss-flags as early as 1333. .The dif
ferent cantons of Switzerland *. have
different coats of arms and different
flags.
Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee
Tweedle-dum and tweedle-de,e
"Resolved to have a . battle. v '^ : \u25a0
For * tweedle-dum • said . tweedle'-dee
Kad-spoiled his nice n.ew rattle.
Just then flew/ by a monstrous, crow,
"As big as \u25a0 a tar barrel.
Which frightened both the heroes so,
- They quite forgot their ; quarrel. / '