New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-19

1
TIES OF A METALLIC CURRENCY.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 17.-When Omaha eel
ebrated the opening of the Pacific Railroad she dis
played banner with this strange device: "Omaha
and San Francisco; what God hath joined together
let not man put asundern In strict exactness il
might have run: what man hath joined together
let not God put asunder;' but who requires mathe-
NAUTICAL precision in patriotic elOquencef For
Omaha read New York, )" and the motto will do
| as it stands
San Francisco contains 100000 people-nearly one
third Of all the inhabitants of California and
fourth Of the entire population Of the Pacific Coast.
In numbers it hardly exceeds Newark, New-Jersey
but in importance it ranks second only to NewYork
1t has the social and business atmosphere of great
capital. The stranger is constantly impressed with
It's breadth, largeness, cosmopolitanism. He hears
conversations in French, Spanish, German, Italian,
Chinese, japanese, and heaven knows what other
tongues. Theodore Parker they say read 80 differ
ent languages If he had spoken them all as well,
think he could have found men to talk with in every
one of them within five minutes walk of Montgom-
| eryst. et.ss
| We have our Western and Southern" hotels
the San Franciscans their OCCIDENTAL Oriental
and "New-Zealand." We are content with Met
ropolitan ;" for them nothing will serve but Coos
mopolitan." Strolling forth this morning stumbled
upon resident friend who italicized his welcome by
| an invitation to glass Of California wine. We
crossed the street into the "Alhambra," the Aero
polls" the 'You Bet" whatever the restaurant is
called, and there encountered four acquaintance Of
his, who had likewise met by chance. One was from
San Francisco, one from New-York, one from New
Zealand, and one FROM Melboune
II they do these things in green tree, what shall be
done in the dryi This infant queen, looking out
upon theSunset through her golden gate, and just be-
trohed to the Atlantic not with the ring and for
mula and stately pageant, as old Venice welded the
Adratc, but with the simple joining of hands and
exchange Of gifts, what will she be in her ripe estate
Already the metropolis of the richest State in our
Union, thrOned on the chief harbOr Of coast-line
which stretches almost from the North Pole to the
South Pole, looking backward upon half Of North
America and forward upon all Asia, she holds the
most commanding position on the globe. And one Of
the most thoughtful of recent English writer's sur
misses that she may one day become a second, if not
a greater, London"
New-York is no longer an antipOde but aneighbor.
Wherever men most do cOngregate one hears CONVEX
sations DO you go East this SUMMER Eyes; |
start day after Tomorrow How long shall you be
gonep Three weeks; possibly four" In interior
California, Nevada, Oregon and Idaho, the name
San Francisco is seldom heard The usual phrases
are when did you leave "Fiscosr or, Are you
going down TO The Bdyp The latter is a relic Of
the old days when ships from home" came in and
went out. In that primeval era the crude city was
n sluggish creature which breathed just once a
month-on Steamer Day. Who will ever forget the
general hustle the hurTying caravans Of freight the
universal writing Of letters, the great crowds on tho
wharf, and the sobs and the broken-yoced God
bless yousr at the boom of the last gun Now every
afternoon the eastward pilgrim, with carpet-sack
and cherished box Of fruit which he is taking ito
brag on" steps into the carriage for the Vallejo or
Sacramento steamer with only careless hand shak-
ing and q cheerful goodbye"
The three leading hotels vie with the New-fork
houses in size appointments, aud fare. The charges
are g. per day. gold. The Cosmopolitan and "Occ-
dental are four or five stories high, but the Lick
House is only three the great earthquake added
to its popularity. The paneed walls of its elaborate
dning-hall are covered with paintings of California
Oregon. and Isthmus scenery. &C. c." might find in
them something TO criticise mildly, but their general
effect is novel and pleasing. At breakfast on the
morning after my arrival. as was scanning them
and studying the bill Of fare, the waiter behind my
chair asked: when did you leave New-York Mr.
-p turned Taround. TO find there an old. well
known Astor House servant; and at the other we'll
filed tables saw more familiar faces than ever
met at any hotel before
The city shows great improvement since 1906 espe-
cially along California and Kearney-sts. But every
one has stories TO tell Of last years earthquake its
frightfulness and havoc The Associated Press, at
the instance Of leading merchants, stated the dam
ages at o. 10000 but hear them estimated as high
as A. 100000 Even after the lapse of eight months
there are wrecks Of buildings not yet cleared away
The devastation was much greater on the made"
lands than on natural SOIL So grave was the general
II. - IL. a nN flta riN "a md
the State that men of both parties subscribed several
thousand dollars to enable grand torchlight process
sion of the Democracy, appointed tor several weeks
later TO come off Immediately. Perhaps they
expected the world to infer that even
Calfornians would not be daring enough
TO vote for Horatio Seymour while the
swift judgments Of Heaven impended, or they
may have thought that any great political demon
stration would indicate that public confidence had
received no fatal shock. An auction sale OF real es
tate the day after the earthquake did show that
uroperty had not deprecated penny. San Francis
co and Oakland are building more low wooden resi-
denees now than before but business blocks of brick
and stone four or five stories high, appear to be ris
ing as fast as ever.
The stranger who has but one day for San Fran
cisco should devote hour Of that to the Landscape
Photograph Gallery of c. +. Watkins. on Montgom-
ery street. Each of his wonderful Yosemite views
is a study in itsef-a complete picture, embracing
ueensward, flowers, trees, rocks, mountains, and
snowy tumbling waterfall, or bit of clear
lake. or flashing river. Watkins has spent
several seasons in tho imatchless Valley, often
studying and experimenting for weeks upon single
scene 10 find the most effective lights and shadows
positions and distances. 1t was rare conjunction
a horn artist, the most favorable climate in the
world for photogaphing and the grandest scenery
man ever looked upon. l once saw Mozier' the
American sculptor, who has lived for 20 years in
- ~ over these views one after another, with