JOE MAGARAC: "Following the earthquake which ravaged most of San Francisco back in 1906, most of the food supply in the
city had been destroyed. Yet, the people of San Francisco did not starve. Now you are probably asking yourselves, how can
this be? Well, pull up a chair (Fellow Toastmasters and Guests) and I'll tell you the Tale. The name's Magarac--Joe Magarac.
Ho-ho, yes, the popular American Folklore Legend in the Early American Steel Industry, that Joe Magarac! Now you might
say, that me and two other American Folklore Legends were responsible, for keeping the people from the brink of starvation
following the 1906 Earthquake. It all started when The Steel Workers of America, and The Railroad Workers of America were
having a joint convention in a building overlooking The San Francisco Harbor. That's when the earthquake hit, trapping us
all inside the building. And the building was just about to cave in on all of us when out of the panic stricken convention
crowd walked that famous steel driving man of The Chesapeake Railroad! Yes, I am talking about John Henry, one of the other
American Folklore Legends I was talking about, and a personal friend of mine. Now it only took one blow from John Henry's
mighty hammer against the side of the wall, to put a hole in the wall big enough, that we were able to escape through it,
out into the street, overlooking the harbor. As soon as we were safe and sound out in the middle of the street, the building
collapsed. Then I turned to John Henry and I said 'Thanks for saving our lives John Henry'".
JOHN HENRY: "Why don't mention it there, Joe."
JOE MAGARAC: "Say John, I'm pretty certain that most of the food supply in this city has been destroyed. If we don't
do something, the people in this city are going to starve in short order. Now just south of here is the Monterey Peninsula,
where I just happen to notice 80 herds of wild cattle grazing down there. Now I got it from our old cowboy friend, Pecos Bill,
that nobody owns those cattle, and they are all for the taking. So, if we were to go down there and fetch all those cattle,
and bring them back here, Ho-ho, there is enough beef and milk to last these people for months!"
JOHN HENRY: "Why that's a mighty good idea there, Joe Magarac, except for one thing. There ain't no ship in that there
harbor big enough to bring the beef cattle here."
STORMALONG:" Ahoy there!"
JOHN HENRY: "Look Joe Magarac, That's our old friend!"
STORMALONG: "Aye, John Henry! 'Tis your ol' friend and shipmate, Captain Alfred Bulltop Stormalong, in the flesh and
at your service. Avas, there Joe Magarac! Havn't set eyes on ya since I keel hauled a shipload of your steel clear to Birmingham,
England. How be the ol' steel mill running anyway?"
JOE MAGARAC: "'Ho-ho! it's doing fine, Stormy.' Old Stormalong they use to call him. He was the other American Folklore
legend I was talking about. In fact, he and my lumber jack buddy, Paul Bunyan, were about the same height. as for his famous
ship, The Courser, it as big enough to haul 200,000 herds of wild cattle, more less 80 herds of wild cattle. You see, our
friend Captain Stormalong just happen to be sailing by at the right time."
STORMALONG: "What do you need me ship for, John Henry?"
JOHN HENRY: Why we need that there ship to go fetch them beef cattle on that there Monterey Peninsula, and bring them
back here, so the people in this city don't starve, Stormy."
STORMALONG: "It's cattle ya need, is it? Well, hop aboard matees, no sooner said than fetched! Shiver me timbers, and
all that fiddle-lee-dee!"
JOE MAGARAC: "And so our story concludes, as John Henry, Captain Stormalong and myself, set sail for the Monterey Peninsula,
fetch the 80 herds of wild cattle, and bring them back to San Francisco. And so the people of San Francisco did not starve.
Ho-ho, once again, the three of us made a big splash in American Folklore! And you might even say we accomplished the same
mission, as this here tale I'm telling you--HAULING A SHIPLOAD OF BULL!"
