The Placer herald., 1870-04-30
SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent
San FRANCISCO, April 2sst.

81 n Francisco took an impromptu holiday OF
three hours Saturday last to witness the
blowing up of Blossom Rock. As early as ten
o'clock crowds of people began to wend their
way TO Telegraph Hill. aud about noon the
streets presented an appearance like the Fourth
of July. Those un ortunatcs who we're confined
by business to their stores were certain that the
affair would turn out a failure; those who could
go were openly sanguine that Colonel Won
Schmidt would triumph over all difficulties, but
secretly shared the opinion that they might be
disappointed 1t was a magnificent day. The
glorious panorama OF the Bay stretched to the
horizon, the water ripped and sparkled in the
sunshine, boats. yachts, steamers and every con-
ceiv.be description OF marine Graf. skinned
along its surface. and Il balmy breeze came III
through the Golden Gate, painin roses on the
cheeks Of ladies' giving brightness to the eyes of
men and a general feeling OF gEldsOmeness to
the assembled multitude. By twelve o'clock
| Telegraph Hill was bllck with swarming hu-
manity. Fair damsels, Barbary coasters. stad
merchants am, noisy boys mingled in republican
equality; pcddlers huck>ters aud enterprisng
| vendcrs OF small wants reaped rich harvest;
dyspepics and invaIids drank in Gil OF pure
refreshing air. and the amount Of health gained
must have been sufficient to effect the cty's NOR
tali,y Tor weeks to come, and depress doctors and
drug stores to the very verge OF despondcncy.
III one Fort Alcatriz uttered warning voice.
the wreath OF smoke slowly melted away. forty
thousand watches were hzy pulled out and
compared. and the huge crowd patiently resigned
itself to another hall hour Of expectancy a
quarter past one -Alcatrnz again speaks, Il tired
steamer tugs II scow from the dangerous vicinity
OF the works. adventurous boats steer off from
the neshborhool of so much powder, gatly
dressed yachts and steamers, circle like swallows
round the rock, always Keeping at safe dis
tance, boat with the electrician and engineer
null fran ~ th, tn
and skill ninety thousand eyes are fixed on the
little blank spot in the Bay, and so passes fifteen
minutes more.
llalEpast one. 4 brcakless silence seizes the
immense throng; the anticipation OF weeks is
crowded into a moment; another gun from AL
| caraz an instant ol Intense wachtulness and
no explosion. Colonel Won Schmidt is immedi-
ately voted an arrant imposter and his proles
Sional reputation is mercllcssly demolished. Ap-
| pies, cakes, oranges and bottles are produced
IRON the rccesses OF pockets and the inner nan
consoled by Il surlcit of good things. Men light
another cigar; women wish they had not come,
boys shout, yell and make themselves obnox-
iously dislgrcelblc as only boys can do. Two
puenacious individuals kindly relieve the tedi-
| um by getting up d II 2ht; stray dog is stoned
and hooted into wild state of hydrophobia;
disappointment sits on every visage, and Won
Schmidt Is again and again pronounced an ass
and humbug. But now boat rows off to the
| rock and expectation again rises In about
| twenty minutes 1t returns, and when some thous
ana yards away, u flag i'll it Is waved aad stimuli
Mneously cloud OF smoke leaps into the air, Il
column OF water is thrown up hIndreds of feet,
low, rumble as of distant thunder is heard, the
Bay is covered with acres OF foam, cheer rises
from an army of throats, mnge vita a chorus
OF whistles from the steam craft, an! thus is
blossom rock destroyed aud Colonel Won
Schmidt nude hero
There was no loud report, no great wave no
immature earthquakes; as 4 spectacle it was nci-
thcr grand nor wonderful, but the people, the
mob OF humanity, that WAS the surprise, the
veritable astonshmcnt, for San Francisco never
saw such a dayi ght gathering before aud will
not lor perhaps miny years to come. Soundngs
show depth of twenty tour le where this Oh
struciion once stood, so one more danger has
been removed from o"eans domain and the sea
has one small terror less for navi igators.
GENUINE GYpsIEs.
Amongst the ncongrous elements composing
our population who would have thought OF meet
ing with u gang of gypsics? On Saturday an
encampment OF them was discovered at Oakland
| Point, as comfortably provided with donkics
dark-cyed children anu covered wagons as il
they had just stepped out OF three volume ro-
nance. lhe females made quite sum OF money
by telling fortunes, but Oakanders have u ira
diiion derived, 10 doubt from the reprehensble
perusa OF light literature) that Gypsies are no.
ted for Il lack OF knowledge about the rights OF
property, and so the hereditary wanderers were
ordered away.
BILLIARD MANIA.
We are threat cned with another billiard ma
MIA. The contest is to be for Golden cue, en-
tiling the possessor to call himself champion of
the Pacific. 1t was thought when Rudolphe des.
poiled us of the diamoned tipped stick that we
could rest in peace Tor awhile, but there is not
l..,t .i.l,.< ~. II Il
alton aud every little boy in the city will again
grow learned about breaks, and runs and
strokes and points
STREET RAILROADS.
Jack Stratman, who, since the Tribune faseo
had disappeared turns up in the new character Of
an associa e in street car enterprise TO be call
cd the San Francisco Belt Railroad. 1t COM
mence at the junction OF Eleventh and Bryant,
runs through hall the streets in San francisco,
until it gets back to Van Ness avenue, and from
thence to the point OF beginning. Work will be
commenced in one year aud completed 10 three.
His partners are 4. j. l.. and s. W. Smiley, and
j. NJ. Verdenal. the Chronicles lat clever cor
respondent from Sacramento, but now interview
ing the Salt Lake Saints Tor that journal. An
other projected street car company Is TO begin at
Cemetery avenue and end at the ocean beach
near Seal Rock.
INSURANCE OPPOSITION.
There is a prospect of a lively row among the
Insurance a gents who are about to commence
regular system Of cut-throlt opposition. The
public will probably be able to stand it with
measurable iorttude Thomas Mooney, with
sharp eye to business calls II meeting at Phtts
Hal next Monday to take advantage OF the quar-
rel 10y establishing an Independent company
Thomas Mooney President, MIR. Mooney, Secre-
tary, and I. NJ. Treasurer
THE LABOR QUESTION
Another gathering OF unemployed met on
Tuesday to discuss the situation, but the only
conclusion arrivcl at was that the times were out
OF joint all over and especially in San francisco.
Ii is shame to sneer ut these poor fellows, will
ling to work yea uiible to OBTAIN it, but some
oil the proprieLors 10 change things or the bet ter
are so very foolish that it makes Que wonder if
they ever read. The most sensible and original
remedy WAS that expoundel on Sunday by au
unknown individual. He thought that u good
pestilence, two or three fierce wars and an Occa-
slonal lamne would put everything right The
world was too crowded and the sooner some of
us were hustled oil TO eternity the better it would
be Tor the remainder. Good logic, but | am