New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-02-11
CALIFORNIA.
BlYiRD TlILORS LET7ERSn~So. IIXV
ian Franci-eo- Growth business. ar.
s9~c.A Correspon1ence q TIE Tri5rue

Mss-I Crsaey q MeEl,fh
OF al the marvelons phases Of the history Of
the Present the growth o. SAt Francisco IS the one
which vii most tax the belief q the Future lis
parallel was never known sni shall never be be-
held again ! spess only what have seen
with nv own ewes When | landed here. not
lai,e e1ur months Az. .ounl scattering town OF
tents and canvas houses with show OF frame
buildings on one or two streets. and population
of about * thousand. Nov, see around ME a.
actual metropolis display IN street after street u
wel-buit eiifces hl.eG with Al active AMI enter.
pr.sinp people and exhibiting every mark OF per
manent commercial prosperity. Then. the town
was limited to the curve Of TIE Bsy fronting the
anchorage aud the bottoms o.. the hills Now, it
stretches 70 the ;opmOst highs aIlOgs the shore
around point after point, and sending back a long
arm through 4 gap in the his. taxes hold Of the
Golden Gate and builds lts warehouses on the open
strait and almost fronting the b,ue horizon of the
Pacific Then the gold seeking soioanuer lodged
IA muslin rooms and canvas glrrets with o phiio
sophie lack OF fiirutare and his simple though
substantial fare from fne boards Now, lofty ho
tells. eaudy with perandahs and balconies are met
with ia all quarters, furnished with home luxury,
and aristOcratic restaurants present daily their
long bills OF fare, rch with the choicest technical.
ties OF the Partisan cuisine Then. vessels were
coming in dav after dsy 10 lie deserted and useless
at their anchorage. Now. scarce a day passes, bat
some cluster Of sails bound 0ufrard through the
Golden Gate take their way u ali the corners OF
the Pacific Like the magic seed of the Indian
aggier, which grew, blOssomed and bore fruit be
tore the eyes of lis spectators san Francisco
seems TO have accomplished Iu DAY the growth
u bali a century.
When | first landed here bewildered and
amazed bv what seemed an unnatural standard
Of prices. expressed the opinion that there would
be- before long a great crash N speculation Things
L APPEARED then, had reached their crisis, and n
Vas pronounced impossible that they could remain
stationary. This might have been very natural
.des At the time but the subsequent course OF
affairs has shown ii 10 be incorrect. Land, rents
goods. subsistence. SC. have continued steadily 10
advance in cost and as the credit 81 stem has been
meanwhile prudently contracted, the character OF
The business now doue IS the more real and sub
.iantsl Two or three years will pass, IN all prob
ability, before there IS a positive abatement OF the
standard OF prices. There will be fluctuations IN
the meantime. occasioning great gains and losses
bat the fall IN rents and real estate when It comes,
As It inevitably must in the course OF two or three
years will not be 80 crushing az AZ first ina
gined ! doubt whether 1t viii seriously njure the
commercial activity Of the place. Prices viii
aercr fall 10 the same standard as IN the Atlantic
states Fortunes will always be made here by tue
sober, inleNiEtAt, ihAusLlDasf ana thtfAttt DAt
40 one who Is either too careless too spirltess or
too ignorant 70 succeed at home need trouble him
sell about cmigratny The same general rule
holds good As ell here as elsewhere, and It is al
the better for human nature that 1t does.
Not only Is the heaviest part Of the business
here conducted on cash principles, but all r'nts,
syen 10 lodgings IA hotels are paid IN advance.
single bowling alley, IN the basement story ct the
" ard House new Hotel on Portsmouth square
-prepays $1,000 monthly The firm Of Findley.
Johnson Co recently sold their real estate, pur
chased year ago for 10000 az $500 600 $4,000
down aud the rest IA monthly instruments OF
:l2 500 The purchaser, Mr. Steinberger, has
since been offered $1,000 monthly, IN advance,
tor the rent alone, which would thus pay az once,
the first cost OF the property This IS iair speci
men OF the speculatous daily made here. Those
ON lesser scale are frequently OF very amusing
character but the claims GA Ones astonishment
are So constant that the faculty soon wears out
and the most unheard OF operations are looked up
ON az matters of course The greatest gains are
std made by the gambling tables and the eat
no houses Every device that art can suggest 10
used to swell the custom Of the former. The latter
lind abundant support m the necessities OF large
floating population ia addition 70 the swarm oil per
manent residents ko~es Circus, which IS stll
here. does an immense business, and a large. and
handsome iheater is about u be erected on the up
per side OF porsmouth.square. If conducted with
broomiug order and decency the latter establish
rnent vii have decidedly moral effect by dimin
shin- the influence OF much greater evil
The great want OF san Francisco IS Society-
Think %, a city Of 3d. 600 inhabitants, peopled by
men Alon. The like Of this was never seen be
lore Ever, man Is his own housekeeper dong
iumany instances his own sw eeping, cooking wash
M aud mepding 4 company Of rash men are To-
Gated 81 the Fresh " alter Pond doing a driving
business in the Laundry line Many home-arts
learned rather by observation than experience
here come conveniently into play lie who cannot
make q bed cook beeisteak or sew mp ms own
rios and rents is unit Ia be a citizen Of California
Nevertheless. since the town has begun to assume
a permanent shape. very many OF the comforts OF
iie IN tie East are attainable. family may now
i've here without suffering any material priystlons
and If every married man, who intends spending
some time IN California wol,d bring his family
nth him. a social influence would soon be created
to which we might look FOR the hsppiesl results
There has been vast improvement IN the means
1i living since my previous visit ~ san Francesca
several large hotels have been opened, which are
equal IN almost every respect 10 houses u the
second elias. in the Atlantic cities. The Nard
House. kept by Col MYERS, and me - railcs
Hotel. bv the Messrs Parker. completely throw
into the shade all former establishments The
rooms are furnished with comfort and even luxury,
and the tables lack few OF the essentials OF good
living according 10 home taste. The Sleeping
APARTMENTS of the 81 Francis are the best IN Cali
,oruia The cost OF board and lodging Is = 50 per
nonth-which is considered unusually cheap.
room al the Ward House Gusts ESQ monthly,
without boarding The principal restaurants charge
s35 a week for boarding. ana there arc lodgins'
houses where berth or bunk one ogi o. my
ia the same room-mAy be had Tor 80 week
The necessity u al immediate provision Tor all
branches Of Government service, Is too striking 70
need particular reference. Mess something be
speedily done the administration OF many Offices
here must become impossible. ! trust Congress
Will not pass thrOug h the Winter without adopting
some plan Of relief. which readily Dc accom-
plshed-in the civil department BY direct N
crease Of emoumeut, IN the military and naval by
al advance in the price Of ra;ions' during service
on this coast Our Legislators must be made -
understand this enormOus standard Of prices ana
the fact that many years mast elapse before II can
b. materially lessened Men 10 these days VII not
labor fJr pure patriotism, when the country IS soe
u pay them.
The Double Mail brought By the Oregon, amount
ipg 10 5000 letters and several tuns OF news
papers. was ready or delivery IN little more
thau'two DAYS after It's receipt here. Mr. Moore
and MS clerk. as usual worked day and night TO
scoompli.h the dis,ribaton. The Post otice was
in state Of siege Tor several days and the queues
fornea 10 the several windows numbered hundreds.
NJ. am, a. thee o clock ia the morning bring