American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-08-14
SAN FRANCISCO.

AS the eye ranges over the undula-
ting surface, covered with neat dwell
ings, agglomcrated in the distance into
masses Of architecture, with wide inter-
secting streets and occasional patches
OF ornamental foliage, to the magniG-
cent bay where thousands of ships mi ght
ride safely at anchor, we can scarcely
realize that this great commercial me-
tropolis of California, this queen of the
"Far Yves" "a further west there
cannot be-S-is creation of yesterday,
as it were. TO be sure the Spaniards
made settlement here as early as IT'S,
calling it Ierba Buena, or good herb,'
from the quantity of medicinal plant
growing on all the neighboring hills,
but it languishcd for considerable pc
riod. The first Spanish houses were
built of adobes, or sun-dried bricks, and
were mostly little better than huts. In
1889 the settlement first began to as
sumo some regularity and the appear.
ance of u town. So late as 1915, there
were only about $50 inhabitants, but,
about that time the attention of Il few
adventurous Americans was attracted
to it, and the population soon increased
to five hundred. In 1913, there was
an influx Of advcnturers from all parts
of the world, attracted by the gold dis
covery of December 1S47. The splen
did harbor Of San Francisco made this
port the rendezvous Of vessels bound
for the land of gold, and laid the foun-
dation of tho prosperity of the city,
The Bay of San Francisco is so large
that the combined navies of England
and America might man1uvre in it. 1t
is completely handbook cd, and its entire
length is fifty-fve miles, it's breadth
varying from two to twelve miles. The
entrance through the passage, called
the Golden Gate, is very striking, the
shores being bold and rocky, and the
passage in the channel, in the narrow
est part, being only mile wide. But
generally the shores of the bay are low
and marshy. TO show how the place
was influenced by the gold discovery,
we will mention a few facts. In Feb
ruary, 1049, the population was about
1000; in August it was estimated at
5000. From April -, 1849, to Jan
uary 20, 1850, there, arrived by sea.
59,88o emlgrants, of whom ,421 were
females. In the year ending April Is,
1880, $4,000 passengers arrived. In
the first part of 1850, San Frantisco
was city. The population was then
from Is, 900 to 10000; in 1852 it was
34,o7O; in 1855, from ZOO to G5,-
600. The story Of the rise and growth
OF San francisco is one. of the most
extraordinary facts of tho age. Ac-
customed as we were to the marvellous
celebrity with which American cities
spring up to grandeur from absolute
nothlngness, the development of San
francisco filed us with astonishment.
Its history is crowded with the most
romantic incidents-the great fires
which devastated; the moral pestilence
which ragged there; the significant ef-
fective action Of the vigilance commit
tees, these will be fertile themes for
the pen of romano for years to come.
The city is now regularly laid out, the
streets crossing each other at right an
giles. The devastating fires to which
we have referred, have impressed upon
the inhabitants the necessity of build
ing in tho most substantial manner,
and the city now contains large mum,
Der OF the most magnificent buildings.
We find now centcred in San Francisco
all the refnemonts and elegancies of
the oldest Of the Atlantic cities; indeed,
in most respects it may compare with
many Of the brilliant capitals of Eu.
rope, for where wealth abounds there
will the professors of the elegant arts
immediately congregate. Thus OH the
shores of the Pacific we have theatres
and operas, painters, engravers, ltho-
graphcrs, architects, the most skllful
in their respective callinQs. They all
meet with liberal encouragement, while,
as a matter of course, the useful arts
flourish, and labor and talent of every
description find q field commensurate
with the broad range of taste and re.
finemcnt which so soon is developed on
this large and liberal area--Nat. Inner.
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g@A. Seventy fine looking Irish girls
from sixteen to eighteen years of age,
have Just been shipped to this conntrv