"Another habitue of Martin and Horton's, and an occasional visitor to the Cobweb Palace, was an itinerant healer who called himself the King of Pain. He was probably the most ornate personage in the San Francisco of his time -- his customary attire was scarlet underwear, a heavy velour robe, a high hat bedecked with ostrich feathers, and a heavy sword. When he went abroad, he rode in a coal-black coach drawn by six snow white horses. The King of Pain made a fortune selling aconite liniment from a pitch at Third and Mission streets, but he lost all his money at the gaming tables and finally committed suicide."-- The Gangs of San Francisco, Herbert Asbury
WHY IS THERE NOT A STATUE OF THIS GREAT SAN FRANCISCAN?
Tags: firstperson, sf
Current Music: no, I can't actually do that
4 Responses:
WOW....
sounds like a great halloween costume, haha!
and as "far" as we have come in terms of culture and "free expression", it's sad to think that there is NO ONE that outlandish (and FUCKING AWESOME) in our modern city.
::SIGH::
He gets a cameo in Sandman #31.
I wonder if Sumner knew about him?
Good to see you're well-read in the Classics. ;}P>
I was about to mention that.
In the issue of Sandman, he has a walk-on cameo in the Emperor Norton storyline.
there's a little black spot on the sun today....