York. Blustering waiters in greasy clothes switch-
ing filthy towels about the noses of their guests,
bawl their orders from morning till night and from
nio'ht till almost morning, in the honorable effort to
fill the stomachs of the great unwashed. Loud of voice
and with faces red they cry, through the hole which
opens into the fizzing, smoking kitchen, *' Hurry up
them cakes !"" Plate of fish-balls quick!" "One
rare steak ; one hash ; plate o' fried tripe, with one
onion, done brown!" "Come, why don't yer hurry
up them cakes ; don't be all day ! " Thus they con-
tinue, through the busy hours of meal time amidst
clatter of dishes, and now and then a crash resulthig
from a collision of the carriers, varying their stern
calls with benign and soothing words to the afflicted
customers : " One moment, sir." " I'll attend to your
case, sir." " Now then, sir ; we have as you perceive
by the bill of fare everything you can wish, sir." A
miner mumbles forth his order, and the next moment
is almost lifted from his seat by the shout : " Cakes,
sausage, tripe, fish-balls, liver, and tea for one, quick ! '
Long Wharf, by which name the lower end of Com- mercial street in San Francisco was known in the early years, was the rendezvous for thieves and thimble- riggers as well as for all sorts of peddlers, criers and "givers away" of merchandise. There Cheap John flourished in all his glory, and no matter how hard the times, drove, what appeared on the surface, a lively business.
" That feller in thar talks as ef he had his tongue iled ;" remarked an attentive observer, a tall, raw-boned, hatchet-faced individual, one evening.
" Talking of iles," immediately broke forth the facetious auctioneer who overheard the remark, "I have something here which I rayther think will kinder take you," at the same time holding up as many bottles of hair oil, brushes, and pieces of soap as both hands could contain.
" Here's a lot of goods, gentlemen, worth
