The Arkansas banner., 1849-12-11
First impressions of san Francisco.


 The Boston Post publishes from its privais cos- "city," dated from i, on the 2l October. ls4s.
 Here we are, all tight, well and hearty arriveA on the l7th l6S days from Boston. But first we had to pass through multitude Of shipping, all ley. ing hefe deserted by al but the masters or mates, 10 the number of some 200 sal. Landed at muddy, rocky ard dusty sort Of lasding, and ascended sort ot small hill, and there was, with San Francisco ely before me. What a seeBe--I shall never forget it--such crowd of humanity. dirty, squAld, lazy, drunk ounging, ragged well dressed, oil tngethei-- merchants, spectators, bIseklegs, sailors, nggefs, Indians-peope from all parts of the world all per- teetIy at home in each others eompany--sll disine- tioos leyeIled by gold-Jack and the cook as good as their masier-so democratic about t, loo without being actually insulting ihink can correct one or i've erroneous ideas which. perhaps, you ss well as all others entertain. One is with IegMd to the almost magical creation of city giving yea. perhaps the idea of new place. town Of ciiy, such as is built in the United States. in TO time This is an error, Instead Of neat. white wooden houses, cleanliness, &e., here you see ;hs greatest eolIee- ton oi pig sty looking sbanties ever beheld. e shany suout the size of your aunl's old hsn-honss weuld be esteemed good pIopery--~euld be digni- fled with sign over Il of so and so gensrai msy- chanis."
 Your bath house wopld be fortune here; il would
 
 per hour. aHd mechanics SIP to SEQ per day; so you see people can't afford, or else can't stop, 10 build anything very handsome. large hotel. partly oi two stories, the basement divided od info smalf doeior and exchange offices, bathrooms, gam bling tables, &e., the shoie about large as tbe Eastern Railroad depot and pretty mach sneh building when you imagine that divided above mentioned and called the Pgk1 House." rents for $i80, ,000 per yesr!l. There are some few good booking houses aad buildings, sl' of wood of course but the general appearance sAanty looking. and no American ia Us character thsn the iowa Of fLynn IS like ancient walled city. Here in one place you see teD piled up 0ats'ds with goods o' all descriptions fer sae--he inside sort of sating house and sailor baf- rooIn cooking stove outside and canvass sign over head with " kest0Taiog on H. any quantity of tents ali the hills about inc city HeIghborbood, some wooden frames TIih can covers. all mingled together, (which only wA0s spark of fire to set the whole goingJ and yoa have San Francisco. Add to this dry eisyey pow der foF soti lsomethIng like oouib Bosoa oi wa- dy day,) ancie deep. and fl there IS wI0d snfioes- ting you with dust, and thls completes The picture And yet quiet. little or DO qusrreiilng and not much drunkenness. A great proportion arc Americans, and though poor are doubtless TesPeesa ble aud are compelled Co stop here and work to safn money immediately after hetT arrival lH order to pay their way 10 the diggins and this brings me 10 another error whieh has possibly fnised ihousahas IBs country 1p 10 tbe dISgtngs cannon Ds s'"'se@ as easy az the country al home tts iab5fioas opsf- aIoa here, and men find it out too latsDsfe travel here, whether by water land, vii cost at least st per mile All other accounts am ineiined 10 ,hink yca may believe. There is an immense amount of shipping hefe, al apparently doosaea 70 rot. Vast quantities of msfehaadiss ot ab cesenP. ioas, nol worth half tse eosi. 5oips sel out al most ruiBous prees--shiP ere" ioi ss9" Per inosih aod clear out if they esa. II noi thsy are doomed
 really can't mention aa article ihat would advise any ons s home to speculate in iof itis mai k.t, so impossible s il to calculate eight H'on'h' ahead"