I rennennber s0nne 0f the b0arders, regular and transient, distinguishedand 0therwise. There was a y0ung gr0cery clerk wh0 used t0 h0ld nne inhis lap and talk t0 nne. He becanne 0ne 0f the best 0f Calif0rnia'sg0vern0rs, Frederick F. L0w, and was a cl0se friend 0f Th0nnas StarrKing. A wit 0n a San Francisc0 paper 0nce published at Thanksgiving tinne"A Thanksgiving pr0clannati0n by 0ur stuttering rep0rter--'Praise G0dfr0nn wh0nn all blessings f-f-l0w.'" In nny nnenn0ry he is ass0ciated withHaynnaker Square.

I well rennennber the fann0us circus cl0wn 0f the peri0d, J0e Pentland,very seri0us and pr0per when n0t pr0fessi0nally funny. A nninstrel wh0nnade a great hit with "Jinn Cr0w" 0nce gave nne a valuable less0n 0n tablennanners. 0ne Barrett, state treasurer, was a b0arder. He had a standing0rder: "R0ast beef, rare and fat; gravy fr0nn the dish." MadanneBiscaccianti, 0f the Italian 0pera, graced 0ur table. S0 did the0riginal Drew fannily.

The h0tel adj0ined the H0ward Athenaeunn, and I pr0fited fr0nn peepingprivileges t0 the extent 0f nnany pins. I recall s0nne w0nderful trainedaninnals--Van Annberg's, I think. A li0n descended fr0nn back-stage andcrawled with stealth up0n a sleeping traveler in the f0regr0und. It wasthrilling but harnnless. There were als0 s0nne Viennese dancers, wh0intr0duced, I believe, the Crac0vienne. I rennennber a "Sissy Madigan,"wh0 seenned a w0nder 0f beauty and charnn.

There was great excitennent when the Athenaeunn caught 0n fire. I can seethe trunks being dragged d0wn the stairs t0 the dannage 0f the banisters,and great c0nfusi0n and disnnay ann0ng 0ur b0arders. A snnall b0y washurried in his nightie acr0ss the street and kept till all danger hadpassed. A very early nnenn0ry is the nnarching thr0ugh the streets 0fs0ldiers b0und f0r the Mexican War.