The weekly union record., 1864-04-30
San Francisco Letter.

San Francisco Letter.
SAN Francisco, April -, 'G7.
Agreeable to request, proceed to give q
short resume of matters and things as they ap
pear to the eye Of q long time dweller in the
woods And first of the trip down-took the
steamboat "visalia," at Marysville, for Sacra-
mento, and had one of the pleasantest trips o!
the season-how any one can go by stage over
the dusty plains when pleasant trip by wa
ter Is the alternative, is passing strange And
by the way let me give one word of caution
to any member of the Guards" Don't be
caught over night in Marysvlle, for the Ri
fes'' seem to think themselves licensed to treat
each individual member something after the
same style they did the company upon the oc-
casion of our trip to that place. Your cor
respondent was forced to cry pecaui in the
"wee sma hours" and was let off on his parole
Offenders of the Guards will understand). On
our passage down. passed the celebrated
"Hock Farm" the residence of one of Cali
fornia's pioneers, Gen. Sutter. Our Legisla-
ture done one good act that will cover a null
titude of sins, when they voted a monthly sti-
pend to the old General.
SACRAMENTO.
On our arrival we found this city looking as
if they were expecting an attack from Forests
Guerrillas, throwing up what at first appeared
to be sand batteries, but upon inquiry found
that they were only building lerees; and these
would appear to be equally useful TO keep wa
ter out or IN, as judging by appearances every
drop falling inside OF The leyee must either be
absorbed by the earth or drawn out by artif.
cial means as there is not the slightest chance
for drainage. Our trip down to the Bay city
was made on the Yosemite one of the neatest
boats afloat. Every thing on board is fitted
up in fine style, and her saloon is unsurpassa-
bic. each pannel being ornamented by a fne
painting of some scene at home or abroad ;
among which were the. y osemte Valley" and
falls.
THE CoMANCHE
Was one of the first atirartons to be visited,
and no one can form correct idea Of her uu-
less by personal inspection. The different
pieces of iron that belong TO her are now scat
tered over large space, and person can
hardly realize that so much weight can be put
into vessel of that size and float. The plates
for the turret are all arranged ready for put
ting together, and consist of eleven thicknesses
OF inch iron bolted together, the bolts only
going through three plates, thus remejylug
the evil of the first monitor where the bolts
running through the entire mass were liable
to be driven in by conclusion The pilot house
constructed of eight inches Of iron put together
IN the same manner sits upon the top OF the
turret and is covered by plate Of iron. But
that which most attracted attention is the
carriages on which these enormous guns rest.
These are so constructed that one man can
handle one of these guns as easily as under the
old style be could six FOUNDER.
There are now several hundred of the shot
and shell for the guns out aud it looks impos-
sible that anything can withstand them.
The last OF the mouitor is now out, and if it
is put together with half the dispatch that
Capt. Merritt has used in raising her, It will
not be long before San Francisco can bid de-
iance 10 the wooden nayles of the world.
NORTH BEACH
is the resort Of the traveller to enjoy the luxG-
ry of a sea bath, and inhae the breeze fresh
from old Neptune's dominion pntainied BY
contact with mother earth. Here also Orc
Williams can find two old residents of their
burgh, VIM. Nichols and Frank Clark Mr..
Nichols has very nicely fitted up place where
you can look out upon the Bay aud that guar
dian of San Francisco, Alcatraz Island. and
Frank will always be found on hands ready to
welcome any dweler of your ague-smitteu
country.
There also is old Abe and his menagerie
where fond mammas can show lheir little dar.
lings the bears and the monkeys and other
an,miles too numerous too mention.
THE THEATRES
still continue to draw their usual crowds
although the actors are low down 10 the scale
there not being q respectable company of &C.
tors in any Of them. At Maguires, they have
after Mazeppa and the "Menken,7 giving the
public taste of the Dog drama" Mr.
Blanchard and his dog Carlo having beer
starring it there the past week. Between you
and l, good reader the dog is the best star o.
the two. AT the Metropolitan Midsummer
Nights Dream" was brought out on the tri.
centennial birth day of Shakespeaer, giving
way tonight to the Opera of "Ernani."
! The Eureka minstrel company is the best in
/ the State. That is saying considerable, bui
no one that has heard tnem will dispute it
/ Abeeco whom we used TO think 50 good il
/ Ballads, Is with them,- But is completely ecip
sed by Wambod who has the sweetest voice
ever heard. His songs of Mother kissed mi
IN my Dreams aud Brothers fainting at tht
Door, are worth double the price Of admis
sion, and his sweet rendition of that old song
/ I'm leaving thee in sorrow, Annie" can moi
/ be excelled.
/ Blythe last steamer there was quite an ex
odns of Theatricals, the Menken. J. 8. Booth
who goes to join his brother. and Little Lotia
who will be remembered by the most of ole