Weekly Trinity journal., 1870-11-05
OUR SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.
SAN Francisco. October 2s, 1871

before the reader, but as the census only comes
once in ten years and the subject Of the growth
of San Francisco is q matter that more or less
concerns the whole Pacific Coast, your cores
pondent pleads those facts in mitigation and
trusts that the appearance of the following for
midable array of numerals will not have the ef-
feet of frightening the reader to the local col
umns until he has perused this communication.
OUR HOUSES.
The total number of inhabitants in the city
and county is 100, ,3Gl and to accommodate them
25, ,266 houses have been built, but as SOB OF
these are empty, the figures are reduced to 22,
663 in actual occupation. Showing that not
withstanding the over crowding in the Chinese
quarter and the Globe Hotel with its swarm Of
Celestial abiders, the average is only between
six and seven persons to each dwelling. San
Francisco probably covers greater proportion
ate area than any other large commercial city,
and economy of space in the matter Of hous-
ing is the very worst Of all economy, we may
congratulate ourselves on the good sense that
has given US plenty of elbow room and fresh air.
WHITE INHABITANTS.
Our white residents foot up 1871 ,40l, of whom
9O,4l8 are adults, and the balance children un-
der fifteen. The disproportion in the sexes
amongst the grown up folks is very considerable
being 52 l02 males to SO 1916 females, so that
some IA, 900 more women would be required be-
fore every man in the city could marry. Under
the age of fifteen, the sexes nearly as equa!
as could be desired, and the rising generation of
voters will have no difficulty in finding each one
wife. OF the white males, 81 70l are citizens,
leaving 20, ,40l who have not yet renounced their
allegiance to foreign potcntates, and placed
themselves under that protecting agis of which
we hear so much and might see more The 39,-
3l6 ladies comprised amongst their number 446
who are registered as openly
NAUGHTY.
If we could place any reliance on the correct
ness of this enumeration, San Francisco could
credit herself with having the smallest proper
tionate number of white prostitutes of any city
in the Union. But the most superficial observer
can see for himself that these figures are greatly
below the mark From the returns Of the Chief
of Police the number of unfortunates Of every
grade approximates nearer to 900, and besides
these there many who from the secrecy with
which they exercise their calling, cannot be
known.
cAL1roRNIA-BoRN CHILDREN.
Nearly one out of every four of the white resi-
dents was born in California-or to be exact &c.
562. At the last Presidential election, the first
white citizen born in the State cast his first vote,
but Is, ,346 more are now rapidly maturing in
San Francisco alone, and by the next general
election, it is computed that 900 of them will
have entered the ranks of manhood
GROWTH OF THE CITY.
Comparing the progressive growth of the city
we find that in 1850 the census gave us "a, nc
inhabitants, in 1860, Sc, 500 and in 1870 l50, 800
So that our increase during the decade is nearly
l66 per cent. and the proportonate addi-
tion for the next ten years, would give San Fran
cisco a population close on to 40O,0 600
INCREASE IN WEALTH
And while we have been growing richer in
population at such an extraordinary rate, our
growth in material wealth has been still more
surprising. If all the property in the city had
been divided equally amongst the inhabitants
in 1860, it would have given each one exactly
$644, now each share would be worth 81 1928
Such an increase seems to be almost incredible
but any one work out the sum for himself
from the following fgures-l860, real and per-
sonal property $36, $50, All, 1870, 1921, ALL 1ol
"a gain Of 600 per cent.
CHINESE.
The very small number of Chinese is a matter
of surprise to those who have based their calcu-
lations on the rhetorical and numerical figures
of Anti-Coolie speakers and writer's The total
is only II ,79l, divided into 9,777 males and
2,O4O females. OF these ,l4S arc under fifteen
years of age, and 800 were born in the State
Most of the women are prostitutes, ,452 coming
uuder that designation To know that some ff-
teen hundred heather women have been brouebt
across the ocean to satisfy the lust of great
city is the foulest feature revealed by the census
There are about 255 Chinese families house
keeping, and about 900 attendants at the Mis-
sion Schools. The Chinese own but little prop
erty-only $74,sOO of real estate, and 81 ,l88,.
0Sl of personal property, or less than $ll foI
each individual Gwen this small wealth is very
unevenly divided, half dozen of the merchants
and doctors claiming nearly one-half
ooLoBED PEOPLE.
From the statements of intelligent contrabands
II was supposed that the census would show
about 800 colOrod citizens alone, but instead,
we have only 352 The total colored popula-
tion numbers lo94-males 626, females 46s
AN INTELLIGENT COMMUNITY
OF the total population 7,667 can neither read
nor write-viz.-337O males and 4.297 females
Only nine of these are Americans by birth and
only two American women. The balance is
made up mainly of natives of the gem ot the
ocean. The Chinese being all able to read ana
write in their own language are not included.
MIsoELLANEoUs.
There are 40 Indians 80 blind persons II id.