The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-11-26
fwntten for the P. c. Advertiser.
eman1scencos of san Francisco.

She was, in the parlance OF those days, a hyde
droyer. Impressed with the verdure of the sur
rounding hills,-the almost gale of wind which
blew US swiftly through the passage, on coming
at anchor,-we anxiously looked for the great
city. For even in those days San Francisco had
a great name all along down the coast, not, as
we ascertained, upon personal sight from the as
pect of the town. but from the extensive ranches
and missions surrounding the bay, the same sup
plying the California bank notes and SeO0, tallow,
which the traders SO much desired in exchange
for their goods. But apropos to the city. Hav-
ing heard SO much of Yerba Buena and La Bahia
/ de San Francisco, we looked for the city all We
could see before landing vas a few houses-very
few, looking mostly like rough sheds and one,
ON the extreme left, appearing like a house taken
from the upper deck of a ship. We certainly
admired the spacious bay and surrounding eoun-
try, but as to the city, We thought, like the
Frenchruan who visited Washington some years
ago, that it only needed people and houses to
make 1t one of the greatest cities in the world.
However, we debarkcd q little inside what is
now Clark's Point, on a pretty sand beach, now
about Sansome street, and proceeded to the store
and dwelling of Nathan Spear, a Bostonian, but
who was last from Honolulu. He had a partner,
VIM. Hinckley, also from Massachusetts, and
previously from these islands. Besides Mr..
Spears store, who went among the native Cali
fornians by the familiar lame of Don Natan
(Nathan), and which was the rudest kind of a
country store, with a little of all sorts, prominent
among which was a big p~uncheon of Jamaica
rum in one corner, with a cock in it for the de-
location of all customers ad h6itum; there was
Spears dwelling house from aboard ship, as
aforesaid, and Hinckleys' house in the same en-
closure. Both of these gentlemen have been long
since dead, but we say it gratefully to their
memory, their houses were the principal resort of
all strangers, both foreign and native, and where
hospitality of the most cordial sort was dispensed
at all times. ---r .e.f yu. ra .ta
Towards Rincon Point was the Hudson Bay
house, kept by a very kind, hospitable Scotch gen.
tleman, married to a daughter of DIR. McLaugh-
lin, his name we cannot now recall a little fur
Their on was the house Of one Jack Fisher, mar
ried to a California woman, also an emigrant
from these islands. lie killed the beef for the
city. a little further up was the billiard room,
KEEP: by Vioget and Shureback. Further up the
hill was a large adobe house, belonging to an old
resident, Richardson, rented by the celebrated
Limantour as a store; towards Clark's Point,
that is now, was the house and shop Of Davis,
an English ship carpenter, and what was then a
long distance off, the residence of a widowed
California lady. Dona Juana Briones, who was
the laundress of the town, and her place was
consequently called :. Washwoman's bay" These
seven or eight houses constituted the entire
d" Pueblo" of Yerba Buena, or what is now San
Francisco. There were generally more vessels at
anchor opposite this imposing city than there
were houses on shore. The captains and super
cargoes did not generally have much of any bust
ness in the sc city''-the real interest being in
sending about the bay with capacious launches
to collect hydes and tallow from amongst the
different ranches. .s
For pastime, the day was spent in the early
part at Don Spears or Hinckleys, and then an
adjournment for the afternoon to the billiard
room of Vioget & Shureback. At shutdown all
hands repaired on board OF one of the ships to
take a good big supper of beef steaks and frijoles
California beans), and thereafter to play vingt
ct un reals being short, each player bought up
so many beans at eight for a dollar, settling gains
or losses with the banker at the end of the game.
about IL O'Clock or SO, after a hot toddy, the
air being cold, such gentlemen as belonged
ashore, and who were not disposed to take a state
room on board, repaired to town. With the
arrival of a vessel from down the coast,
'r a trip across the bay to a fandango, to some
Did Californian's ranch, who had a family of
pretty daughters, such was the routine of life
md amusement in what is now the 8. great Pacific
At night as you roomed in the back part
IF Don Natan's store, if you were anyway wake
ul your ears could be RECALLED by the yelling and
bowling of t coyotes a species of cross between
dog or fox and prairie wolf. In the pauses of
he blast, which drew f~earfully through the
heads, their bowls sounded like the voices of
distressed spirits. Such was San Fran
DISCO a little more than thirty years ago. People
lsed frequently to speculate what would be the
uture of this magnificent bay and its surrounding
country. Don Natan said that he had no doubt
in fifty years from that time it would be a
great place, especially if it came into the posses
ion of the United States, and advised new Corners
o invest in lots, which were even then laid out
~ the Mexican notwithstanding to a plan,
If course, where the writer of this used in the
morning to pick veritable mushrooms on the
ide hills. "" 81
This writer actually bought from the Alcafde
guerrero four lots for the enormous sum of one
'unce (Sl6) apiece, the :" Guia," or deed, from
Alvarado, at Monterey, costing four
dollars more-in all the enormous sum of twenty
lolars, for what we suppose is worth about
toenty dollars now or little more On examination J
f the Mexican law in regard to titles, it was
scertained that the law required a house to be ]
'uilt, and the lot enclosed with fence in a year 2
nd a day. Now, it is to be considered that red
Vood lumber was worth twenty FIVE cents a foot
the woods of Santa Cruz, and the wages of
he only two carpenters in the place, Davis and
andrews, at eight dollars per day-so that to
improve In the most shed-like manner a fifty by
ne hundred vara lot, would cost from FIVE to ]
even hundred dollars, and if not improved in
ONE such way, after the year and day expired,
be lot reverted to Government. IF you intended
D leave, the probability was that soon after your 4
GRO rfnre vour ianrnvanaptz Uould- Ia fraDS-