The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-01-04
1pRou AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT

The CITY of San Francisco lies, as is known 10
most of your readers, on succession of steep
hills, which circumstance, willie it affords mag
nifcent view to those who approach the town
from the east, across the bay, is of great ncon-
venience to its inhabitants, as some OF the Streets
especially in the northern portions of the city,
are most inconvenient of access, both LOT pedcs-
trians and vehicles, and WILL owing to the uenslty
OF population, no doubt remain so, unless the
hope of one Of the city papers that great Lon
don fire would enable the San Francscans, one OF
these days, to remove these natural obstacles, IS
fulfilled In some localities not yet so thick!y SET
tled the city authorities are lcvelng the streets
by blasting the rocks; they do this with strange
disregard of private property. II a house stands
in the way, it has to go OF tumble down. Without
regard to the loss Of the owner. Twas told that
Bishop Kip thus lost his former residence on Sc
cond street; his house tumbled down, but he got
no damages. There are number OF very hand
some structures in the chief business streets OF
San Francisco, especially on California, Montgom-
cry, Sacramento and Bush streets, q few as hne
as the commercial palaces on Broadway, New
York; but the dwelling houses are externally not
to be compared with the elegant private rest@
dences OF the Eastern Cities They are, for the
most part, of very ordinary size, and, as far as
nv observation goes, cut up into numDeS OF
rather small rooms; but those OF the wealthy are
magnlfccaty furnished. The streets in the lower
-or busnessfporsion OF the city are, after rain,
excessively dirty; while up town the winds in dry
weather raise clouds of dust, the like Of which
have never seen. But the climate Is, generally
speaking, very delightful the thermometer hardly
varying in the shade from 10 to IS degrees and
the atmosphere is in clear weather so transparent
that objects can be distinctly seen at almost in
credible distances.
Opposite to San francisco lies Oakland, the
present land-terminus OF the Western Pacific
Railroad. already quite an extensive suburb OF
San Francisco, and destined, perhaps, to become
the chief depot OF the inland trade. 1t owes its
name to the large number Of livc-oaGs In which
it abounds, trees similar though not entirely like
our low country live-oaks.> They are not as tall
as the oaks Of South Carolina, and have smooth
bark somewhat like the olive trees. The new
University Of California will be located at Bcrke-
ley place about three miles to the north OF Oak
land. The site OF the university, embracing two
hundred acres of ground, is already handsomely
laid sut as park, the material for the buildings
Is collected, and the chief structures will, 1t is
hoped, be erected within the next eighteen
months The first two Carolinlans whom | met
were the two Doctors LcConte. both professors
and the elder, Or. John LeConte, at the same time
president OF the university. They gave me q very
warm welcome; their genial faces lit up with,
believe sincere pleasure, when they saw this en-
grated chip of dear old South Carolina stand
Unexpectedly before them. Both the professors,
rF,11r I'M,
proved in health and spirits since their removal
from Columbia and the fostering care OF Mcssrs.
Neagle l. Co. They live in handsome house,
surrounded by q beautiful garden which they
have rented, furnished, until the professors
houses at Berkeley will be ready for their rccep-
ton. While still warmly attached to their Old
home ana friends in South Carolina, they yet re-
alize to its full extent the happy change which
they have experienced by their removal to this
Free prosperous and liberal State The university
contains at present only from forty to fifty grad
uates this is due to the fact that the faculty were
permitted to organize during this term only the
fourth, or, as we call 1t, the Freshmen class, the
schools here not having been prepared to
furnish students for more advanced grades.
Higher education Is anyhow as yet In
an undeveloped state in California; the only good
schools are said to be the Cosmopolitan schools,
which furnish merely common school educa-
ton, such as the New England States have blessed
our country with. There is Latin Grammar
school for boys in San Francisco, kept at the pub
lie expense which Is said to be efficient, but 1t is
the only one OF the kind except few small prl.
vate schools, which gov up and perish like
mushrooms. The people CT San Francisco, even
I;,,, ,,io r-irh fntvn nyc
seem not to care as yer to give to their sons
higher education than the common schools af-
ford. They have made their money without
classics and mathematics, said to me gentleman
orhigh standing, and they think their sons can
do likewise. Besides most Of the richest men live
outside Of San Francisco, and dislike to bring
their sons into contact with the many tempta-
tions of the town. Thus San Francisco is not
promising field for academical teachers.
OF other South Carolinans whom l have met
here may mention Mr.. J. Friedlander the grain
king, as he is sometimes called His handsome
counting house is at the corner OF California and
Battery streets, part OF a fine block OF buildings,
which. no doubt, belongs to him. Though Mr..
Friedlandcr is OF course very much occupied, for
the papers report daily many thousands of sacks
Of wheat "cousigned to ]. Friedlander," }" he re-
ceived yae and has since treated me with great
kindness, a quality which stranger does not
often meet with in O business man Of his wealth
and eminence. Mr. Friedlander Is. of course, one
of the most influential men in San Francisco; lie
owes this influence not only to his great wealth,
but also, and chiefly, to his unceasing devotion
to the advancement Of the prosperity Of both city
and State. lie has, however, lately Withdrawn
altogether from public affairs, because he has an
insuperable aversion to appearing i'll public
prints. Another South Carolinian, who has
gathered in California rich harvest OF the golden
fruits OF his indomtable energy and industry, is
DR.. II. II. Toland. Ipresented the letters which
kind friends had furnished me with at his office.
on Montgomery street. His Office hours were not
quite closed when called, so that had an op-
portuuity of witnessing how the Doctor does bu-
Siness. The office occupies an entire floor, con.
tains an apothccary Shop, two waiting rooms
and the Doctors two private offices. In one sat
about twenty patients, mostly men, who, one al
ter the other, were admitted into the Doctors
sanctum. After the necessary examination the
Doctor stepped cuG wrote prescription, handed
it to the patient to be made up at the apothc-
cary's, and another patient succeeded. This
went on without ceasing until half-past p. NJ
M, in, N