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distant city outlined against the far horizon. At
the close of a long, hot day of sandy travel, just at
sunset the first fresh breeze from the Pacific greeted
the traveler—“ California,” some one said, and sud
denly a mass of verdure, a bewildering glimpse of
rich farm lands and rolling country buist on our
view, and almost as suddenly darkness fell, and we
were compelled to be content with the promise of
“San Francisco in the morning.” A night of rapid
movement through Southern California resulted in
a morning which brought us almost to the city’s
gates, and soon the dusty train was exchanged for
the big Oakland “Ferry” which was for years the
only entrance into the city of San Francisco.
The trip across the Bay is indescribable—travel
ers have often said that not even the famous Bay
of Naples can equal in beauty that of San Fran
cisco Bay—more than half surrounded by blue hills,
lying close to the water’s edge, there is a glimpse
of the Golden Gate in the far distance, while close
at hand is the city. The Mirage of the Desert is
rivalled here—the water front of San Francisco is
more beautiful, though almost as unreal in outline—
stately buildings of every, conceivable sort of archi
tecture seem crowding one above the other, as far
as the eye can see. The hills on which the city is
built give added height to its buildings, and form
a sort of setting for the city itself which, viewed
from the Bay is most unusual and most interest
ing.
In silence, the “overland passengers” stand as
the landing is made, each one a little awed, if the
truth be told, by this sudden revelation of Nature’s
lavish handwork supplemented by the craft of man.
Naming of the Golden Gate.
Almost invariably on the “overland boat” some
one tells the story of the naming of the Golden
Gate, but if it happens to be in the early spring
time, the gleaming gold of the yellow poppies which
cover the hills on every side make explanation un
necessary for it is easy to understand how the early
settlers, making their tortuous way to California,
around the Horn, were impressed with the gold-cov
ered entrance into San Francisco Bay.
But the little sentiment permissable to the travel
er is soon dissipated by the evidences of a great me
tropolis which he sees on every hand.
Market street, from the ferry landing to Mont
gomery street, a distance of about a mile and a
quarter, was at one time beneath the blue waters of
the Bay itself, but the land was gradually reclaimed,
filled in and made one of the chief points of com
mercial pre-eminence in the city. It was difficult
to think of Montgomery street as ever having been
itself the water front, for the solid block of hand
some masonry, the towering office buildings, the
State and national banks, the wholesale houses and
above all else the Palace Hotel for years the
Largest Hotel Building in the World,
gave an air of stability to lower San Francisco
which is unequalled by any other business section
of any other city in the country. I never quite un
derstood why I was daily so impressed with this
very part of the city, but it somehow appealed to
me**in many ways. First, perhaps, because I knew
what gigantic labor was required, in the early days,
to construct a city of this vast dimension and of
such apparent stability. So many “forty-niners”
were to be found who told such amazing stories of
the hardships of that time, of the lack of every
necessary element of civic comfort or even civic
possibilities that the results actually attained seem
ed almost fabulous.
I have said it was difficult for a resident of the
East to adjust himself to life in San Francisco
and perhaps one of the chief causes for this was
the climatic conditions. It was no uncommon thing
to see women in seal skin coats and dainty summer
millinery, or men in huge overcoats, with collars
turned up and mufflers adjusted, wearing straw
hats! This concession to the change of seasons
seemed about the only one made by the people, and
it never ceased to amuse me, although I did it
myself, of course!
In this connection a word about
The Climate of San Francisco
will be opportune. There is a certain sameness
about the seasons, but it is a very delightful same-
The Golden Age for April 26, 1906.
ness—l can describe in no better way than by
comparing at least ten out of the twelve months to
those Hist days in early fall which come to the
East laden with the breath of approaching winter.
“How exhilarating,” we exclaim—“l can do any
amount of work now; don’t believe I will ever be*
tired or lagged out again!” Now, that is San
Francisco climate, and 1 verily believe its forceful
power, its strengthening touch and its energy-creat
ing influence is the secret of the success which its
people have met with during their entire civic his
tory.
There are damp days and foggy days, and in mid
winter there are cold days, but there is seldom a
warm or hot day, and the average days are sunny
and cool with a sharp tang from the ocean that is
absolutely inspiring.
One evidence of the invariable temperateness of
the climate is the
Marvelous Mass of Flowers
which grow out doors, all or most all, of the year
round! These flowers are splendid carnations, gor
geous roses—La France, “Jacks,” and Mareschal
Neils; heiliotrope, which grows as tall as a man’s
up-raised hand can reach; sweet peas (in season)
and chrysanthemums in a profusion so lavish that
one is almost overwhelmed. These flowers are sold
on the streets of San Francisco for almost nothing
—25 cents will buy a bunch of carnations almost
too large to carry; the same amount will invest the
astonished purchasers with long-stemmed roses
enough to fill the house with perfume, while 10c
will buy a bunch of violets many inches in circum
ference and even five cents is an amount which will
command almost as many huge chrysanthemums as
can be conveniently carried in the hands! The
annuals of the coast are perennials in San Francis
co, growing out of doors all the year round.
All .the year round vendors display their wares,
one of their chief “stamping grounds” being the
open space surrounding Lotta’s Fountain at the in
tersection of Market and Kearney streets. This
fountain was donated to the city by the little ac
tress Lotta, and was in almost constant requisition
both by animals and humans, it being arranged for
the use of both!
Fancy the picture presented at this point—the
pretty bronze fountain completely surrounded by
the masses of brilliant blossoms, the busy tide' of
traffic flowing in three directions—along Market,
Kearney and Geary streets, and the people, always
gayly dressed, always cheerful and prosperous, look
ing generally busy, yet never failing to pause a
moment here and to carry with them some fragrant
burden of brilliant color and unusual beauty.
A special characteristic of the people of San
Francisco is the universal habit of
Pleasure Seeking.
On Saturday afternoons it would seem as though
the entire populace sought some place of amuse
ment or recreation. Almost every office and whole
sale business house had a half holiday on Saturdays,
and fathers and families with their entire domestic
contingent could be seen flocking to parks, the Cliff
House, to the ferry (the gateway to “out of town”
resorts), and to the theatres. In San Francisco
there is a twelve-month theatre season and it was
always a source of interest to me to note the thea
tres in mid-summer. Crowded houses were the rule
and it became customary for New York actors to
make a special San Francisco season during July
and August, for they found it in very truth a har
vest time for the player. Perhaps one of the most
inspiring sights in all the city was Market street
at midnight or just after the theatres closed. That
seemed to be the hour chosen for recreation, con
viviality and general relaxation. But if there was
much good natured liberty there was wonderfully
little license, and it was a rule and not an excep
tion for ladies to go alone to theatres in San Fran
cisco at night, and it was rare indeed to note any
instance of rudeness or insult to them.
Perhaps this was just one evidence of
The Old Pioneer Spirit,
for there was a chivalry for women in the early
days which the native Californian seems never to
have quite lost sight of.
(Continued on page five.)
tory.
News of the Week.
Eastman Johnson, the painter, is dead in his 82nd
year.
More than SII,OOO has already been contributed
in Boston to the fund for the purchase of the old
Paul Revere homestead.
M. Abramoff, the Cossack officer who treated Ma
ria Spiridonovo, the revolutionist, in an outrageous
manner while she was in prison, was assassinated on
April 18.
Already preparations are being made for a great
British delegation to the world’s convention of the
W. C. T. U., which is to be held in Boston, Mass.,
in October.
Maxim Gorki and the woman who is known as
his wife, may be deported from the United States
because of false representations in securing entrance
into the country.
The marriage of King Alfonso and Princess Ena,
of Battenberg, has been definitely fixed for June.
The foreign ambassadors who are to attend the cere
mony, will arrive in Madrid on May 8.
The discovery is reported from Weidersehinz, in
Carinthia, of a lode of quick-silver nearly half a
mile in length, and from one to three yards in depth.
The proposed bridge across the Eastern branch
of the Potomac river, is to be 1,000 feet long, with
a draw 100 feet wide in the middle, and will cost
at least $900,000.
Scientists of international repute met in Phila
delphia, April 18, the meeting being one of the
features of the celebration of the 200th anniver
sary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin.
Captain Joseph Graham Morrison, aide de camp
and last surviving member of General Stonewall
Jackson’s staff, died at the home of his sister, Mrs.
Stonewall Jackson, in Charlotte, N. C., on April
12.
The fifteenth continental congress of the National
Society of the Daughters of the American Revolu
tion, assembled in Washington, April 16. For the
second time the proceedings were conducted in Con
tinental Hall, a building erected by the Daugh
ters.
Elaborate plans are being made at Colorado
Springs to celebrate in truly Western style, the
centennial of the day in which Lieutenant Z. M.
Pike first sighted the famous peak which was af
terwards the land mark of the hardy pioneer whose
wagon train wended its way slowly over the plains.
There is good authority for the statement that
a secret international congress of anarchists will
be held in America t b e early part of June. Seven
well known anarchists have left Switzerland sep
arately and by different routes for America.
A despatch from Rome says Professor Zambrano,
who was delegated to estimate the damage done the
soil through the recent eruptions, has submitted a
report in which he says that twenty-four million
pounds of sterling is a moderate estimate.
President Roosevelt has decided to appoint Chas.
B. Aycock, former governor of North Carolina, and
Van Leer Polk, of Tennessee, members of the dele
gation from the United States to the Pan-American
conference, which is to meet in July at Rio
Janeiro.
A reliable source reports that the Japanese gov
ernment intends to adopt parts of the Swiss sys
tem of militia with slight modifications. During
the last four months, two Jananese officers, a colonel
and a captain, have been studying the Swiss sys
tem. and the organization of shooting clubs and
have reported favorably upon the result of their
inquiry.