donn@sdchema.UUCP (03/28/84)
Someone said some time back that they had been in Yreka, California, and had gotten a kick out of the sign 'Yreka Bakery'. I remember thinking at the time what a remarkable coincidence it was that the words formed a palindrome... Last night I happened to read what Sam Clemens had to say about Yreka: '... Yreka... acquired its curious name -- when in its first days it much needed a name -- through an accident. There was a bakeshop with a canvas sign which had not yet been put up but had been painted and stretched to dry in such a way that the word BAKERY, all but the B, showed through and was reversed. A stranger read it wrong end first, YREKA, and supposed that that was the name of the camp. The campers were satisfied with it and adopted it.' Of course Sam was never noted for being a sober reporter of the facts, but he WAS in San Francisco in 1864, and the town of Yreka must have been founded during or after the Gold Rush of 1849, so the story has at least some small probability of being veracious... Will wonders never cease, Donn Seeley UCSD Chemistry Dept. ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdchema!donn
robert@hpfclq.UUCP (04/15/84)
I had heard of this about a year ago so I called information for Yreka and asked for the number of the Yreka Bakery. I was very disappointed when she said that there was no listing. Does anyone no if there really is a Bakery in Yreka by that name? I suspect there is not if it doesn't have a phone. -Robert (animal) Heckendorn ...!hplabs!hpfcla!robert