Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-05-06
San Franeisco.

The Albany Evening Journal publishes the
allowing extract from a letter written by Bishop
Kin. giving his Impressions Of San Francisco,
7 entered on duty last Sunday as Rector oil
Grace Church. DR.. Yer Mehr, the late rector,
"a assistant minister, and is to take my place
when absent. It is built Of wood, gothic, some
What in the style of Grace Church, Albany,
only much larger, and is more church-like IN its
interior, and much handsomer than any Church
in Albany, except the Holy Innocents. 1t is
ouly q square from my residence and in the east
end of the town. During the absence of DR.. Yer
Mehr it had run down, but is now filing up
fast, and We anticipate from present appear
ances, having all the pews taken in a few
weeks.
You speak Of the refined and marble palaces
of San Francisco" 1t is literally true. There
are more splendid buildings here than in Al
bany. One, built of brown cut stone, for offices,
&C., is as large, and fully equal in exterior to
Metropolitan Hotel, in New York. As to the
society, there is more active intellect in it than
any society l have ever seen. There are more
men Of distinguished talents gathered from all
parts Of the Union-ex-members of Congress,
like Governor Foote, Stanley, of North Carolina,
Duer Of New York, Bailie Peyton, of Tennessee,
&c. You may think it a strange declaration,
but it is literally true, that I never preached
with SO much difidence before any congregation
as those in this city. I see before me on Sun
days an array Of talent and intellect that | never
did before in any church. I can select men
here from any part of my congregation whose
names have been celebrated for years in the
politics Of the country from some of the old
States.
And then I think the elegance of living would
somewhat astonish you. | have been at dinner
parties where you might easily imagine yourself
in New York, for they were rs handsome as
those I have ordinarily been invited to there.
There is an ~easiness about society here, rather
European in its tone, which relieved us from all
the stiffness of the East. We live with an in
dependence in our own suit of apartments, just
as l used to do in Florence or Rome, and do just
IS We please in . way l never could do in the
East. Our situation is delightful. San Fran
cisco is built on q succession of hills, and our
street is half way up one, SO that we overlook
the whole city and bay, just as if we were
living at Mr.. Olcott's ON Arbor Hill. In nd
dition to this, We have had every attention we
could imagine, and were it not for the sepera-
ton from my friends in the East, nothing could
be more pleasant than my residence here. The
people themselves certainly omitted nothing to
make it SO.
There is an utter disregard Of money here,
which is rather strange to one from the East.
know two gentlemen here, the income Of one
of whom is estimated at $500 . day, and the
other at $1,000. We are going to start . do
cesar college, and I sent . clergyman to one Of
these gentlemen Thomas O. Larkin) to ask
what he would give us. He at once offered .
township Of $40 acres Of the best land in the
State for its site, and I am to go up to Sonoma
soon to choose it.. This land is exceedingly
valuable, and could be sold at any moment for
from $12 to $50 per acre. When they take
an interest in anything here, they put their
hands in their pockets in good earnest You
may depend upon it, that much rs you abuse
California, were you living here you would enjoy
now imagine,