The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1853-06-16
Lady's View of San Francisco.
Extract from private letter to the Philadelphia
Bulletin, dated


Bulletin, dated
san FRANCISCO, April 20, 1858.
X Telegraph Hill commands n beau
tiful view of the whole bay and harbor of San
Francisco, and from it the first view is obtained
of approaching steamers. 1t also commands O
fine view of the town, which lies scattered in al
directions at its base. Until accomplishing the
ascent of the hill can have no idea of the size
of the city. There never was such an active
busy town. People move about like ants in
all directions, houses are going up, hills are
coming down, hollows are being filled up, cis-
terms dug and gardens planted while on the
wharves the excitement is amazing. Quite far
out of town and near Clark's Point, Adams &
Co. are building O wharf which is to cost p1o0.
600, although it would not be much thought of
at home. 1t is to be finished before the 4th of
July, and on that day they are to give sump-
tuous banquet ON it, for which invitations are
already out.
You can have no idea of the way in which
money is spent here Everything is engaged
by the month instead Of the year. A man is
worth SO much a month /: a building rents for SO
much a month a months lease is taken upon
"a house. L know of several stores that rent for
$500 month, and no ordinary little wooden
house rents for less than S1G0 month You
pay 81 for a tooth brush 81 for having your
hair cut $40 for riding half a dozen squares
in a hack and ST for riding three miles in an om-
LII tlIuc Oue lOTSttS Hi ABOUT Sn1illngS
and sixpences and calculate altogether by dol
lars. Think of paying 81 for newspaper on
the arrival of a steamer of sitting down to
breakfast on eggs costing 81, so per dozen, but
S1-50 per pound and milk 25 cents per quart
of visiting people who spend So, 900 month and
yet live plainly. Happily money is made fast as
well as spent fast.
The rainy season nearly over and our real
winter will soon commence, for the summer here
is colder than the winter. The climate is most
singular one and one that | cannot describe. 1t
is very ariable and yet always the same, for
there are no great changes in the seasons as with
US. So long there is no wind and the sun has
power 1t IS very pleasant the thermometer
rises to 20; We open all the doors and windows
and put on thin dresses. Suddenly, the wind
rises-always from the North west-we close
doors and windows, light fires, put On morno
dresses, and, sometimes furs. Gentlemen ne
yer go out at night without their overcoats.-
There is vast deal of rheumatism in the place.
owing, presume to these sudden changes in the
atmosphere. The houses are so slightly built
that the cold winds penetrate them, aud as fires
only used in parlors and dining rooms, we
feel the cold very sensibly. In the sinner sea-
son ladies never go out during the prevalence of
the winds. They go out always before O'clock
and visiting and shopping have TO be done then
or not at all For the same reason th ere is no
afternoon service in any of the churches. The
wind begins to bl ow exactly at one and blow
steadily until sunset.
As we are still in the rainy season, the streets
are in a terrible condition. No western travel
Ter ever saw such roads. The streets in process
of being cut away, are only sufficiently to
make the streets nearly impossible for carriages,
many of them are entirely so. The senses
too. are constantly offended by offal, old beds,
boots, bottles, dead dogs and cats and old cloth
ing lying in all directions. This is certainly the
dirtiest place ever saw and there is little hope
of its improving in this respect for it is
tally NeO York in everything, and what with
the Chinese Dutch, French and New York sys-
tenn of government, it will never be exactly the
place for a Philadelphian to delight in.