New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-01-26
CALIFORNIA.
uIETY AND MORALS IN SAN FRANCISCO.


day. your correspondent rejOcinely and proudly tes-
fes to you Of the great advance, in the right direction
which has been achieved by the City Of San Fran
saeo.
Only twelvemcnth past and gambler. and the
gsHtlirg spirit were in the ascendant Gambling neils
were open and crowded by day as well as by night
Now they are nearly or quite deserted by day, and the
seal Of reprobaton and stigma attaches 70 those VINO
frequent them by night; and recent decision mas
been given by the Supreme Court declaring an egsa
tive acts authorizing gambling unconstitutional and
ns, thus placing the whole tribe OF gamblers without
a. pale OF law as they shoald be. While The Sun
(the most widely circulated paper in the Sste) and
Tie EreninT Journal have taken bold stand against
tkis deadly and infamous vice, grand Jurles nave
spttsu action has been aroused in the City Councils,
and the public mEd generally turned TO the subject.
Within the next year predict that public gambling
Sens will have ceased to exist among az On what
elorious conquest over crime will this be how many
Hundreds Of bloaed corpses have been shed from the
bay, and discovered by their putresence amid the
hp,its of our valleys and upon sand blls-reck-
less suiedes-yictims Of despair and the thievish
hpavsry of our licensed gamblers, may
nerate Glorious will be the day which records the
utter extinction Of their tribe in California
The San, the late Grand Jury, and the rejecting
ppbe mind is now alive TO the cOnside ration Of the
eless open RIGHTEOUSNESS tolerated 10 the past and
present Of our City. IL il not as damnngy gross
once it was yet how shocking TO the mOrast the phi
Dttropst and patriot 10 witness the degradation to
which nan may descend and in his descent drag down
fen ale charmf gTaces and lOvelness which once had
being. But the dose has been and is too strong We
are length nauseated and the decree has gone forth
In deep toned feeling that vice Of this stamp shall at
least hide lite deiormity.
That tlaektwisted feeling which has 80 long pre-
vailed in relation to personal encounters and the muir
drous and assassin spirit of revenge has at length met
it's rebukc, and no longer will it be perfectly safe for
one to shoot down another il dog in the streets Of
fan Franefco.
PeculatioD and fraud on the part of public officials
will bsncelorth too, have to be adrOitly managed the
pro1sey of the past having reached its eliminating
point II il now beginning TO be admitted that worth
less y6eabt nds have but little claim upon public
confidence. In California too many questionable char
aeters have held public positions because the salaries
were too trifng TO be acceptable TO honest The
stealrgs were a Turing bait however, for rOgues
Wiser cOuBsels will soon prevail.
There are rapidly maturing reformatOry tendencies
throughout every department OF our social condition.
both In city and country, and those who are hopeful
and earnest workers for the great good have ample
cause for rejoicing; and although that great lever Of
moral fefo nation the temperance cause, meets with
much sitiayor and many sorry rebuff, still its advO
Gates have stout hearts and clear heads; they know
they cannot fail Of eventually The past year
has witnessed steady increase In Its ranks and It's in
teIestiDg and ably conducted weekly journal published
in San Francisco 10 IN evidence that spirit is mani
tested by it's friends worthy Of all praise
Churches, and Sunday and Day Schools are multiply
me- with observance Of the Sabbath but little short
ofyour own city. Under existing conditions must
admit there lisa gain upon the public morals by these
means b.
SAN Francisco, Saturday Dec. 81, 1853.
Tie marked feature Of the present year with u.s. has
been the vast and s i'll continued outlay in real estate
and building operations with the steadily increasing
value Of oil desirable property, especially in good bust
nets locations and very desirable positions for private
residences in many instances prices have gone up be-
yond all realizati,n with liberal advances still refused
The ely 10 of speculation, but it ia us such class
Of speculation az lots on Tbirtieth to Fftieth-st 10
New.York were twenty-five years since, when they
could not be got OF at even 25 or $50 per lot unless
upon the avenues There ia speculation except to
win at present pIices to those who purchase to hold,
and in few years it lie impossible but that the win
nings shall be enormous. As acquainted with all
the premises IL manifest that San Francisco 10 dss
tined many years to hold one OF the proudest posi-
tons on earth. The salubrity of her climate her mag
pifcsnt bay aud roadstead the mineral and agrcultu-
raj resources which sustain her. together with her GEO.
graphical location oil point to that proud future to
which she is speedily destined Operations in real
estate therefore the safest investments possible for
those who design to hold their purchases for length
Of time especially while immense fortunes have been
realized by transactions during this year
Rents still maintain the high figure of the year, al
though il supposed that the largo number of fire.
proof brick buildings which have been erected would
have materially reduced them. The demand, however,
is fully equal to the supply, and immense blocks of
buildings WILL at present rates, almost pay first cost
Wltbln TWO years fOr instance tnlrd ttOfy ONCE
in good locations twelve by fifteen feet rent for
fifty to sixty dollars per months second story, same
size, eighty to one hundred dollars Obbing and
failing stores from five to eight hundred dollars per
month, in irst.rate locations, size of roem varying
from twenty by thirty to twenty-five by forty feet For
heavy business exravagant charges are sub
nitted to- The amount paid for store hire per month
in San Francisco Is absolutely incredible to unnitiated
ears. There s some for the enormous charges
which prevail while bricklayers and masons receive
from ten to twelve dollars per day, and the hodsman
Eve and six dollars, with lumber lime, etc, at sim
liar pitch.
The market closes for the year with an universal
glut feature which has characterized its every phase
almost throughout that period. The most rufnous
prices for shippers have generally prevailed The down
ward prices, with enormous expenses to meet, have
made this of the least profitable of years since our
occupancy of California for business men, not only in
San Francisco, but the State generally, II teaches
wholesome lesson, even if dearly paid for by all con
cerned.
Tie amount Of treasure which has gone forward for
1863 falls short OF my anticipation having only ached
to the SUN of $556S5,l75 Ia, being an increase Of
100000 0O, in round numbers only, ever 1852 The
amount which has been taAen home privately has been
largely increased, but nothing like proximatey cor
rect estimate can be formed.
The amount paid into our Custom House during the
year ending this day is 81, So, 975 81. From other
sources, nearly 100000 more.
Tie low fares which have ruled hOmeward during
several months past will probably reduce our increase
Of population by sea to less than 5000, and by all
sources TO say, not than about % 900 for the
year. Ours is prolific soil; the domestic increase
will tell roupdly Altogether our present population
may reach $50, zoo souls.
The agricultural products Of the State this year
have exceeded all computation and the widest expect
alton. The horn Of plenty" has poured forth con