The Shasta courier., 1870-10-01
To Let-A City.

Go where YOU will--in the heart Of the
city or the suburbs, the business centres
or the quiet streets lined with rows OF
dwelling houses-these significant words,
"To Let" stare you in the face. They
stasas..s sessz from the doors, from the
windows, from the walls and from the clos
ed shutters.
"To Let" One who will take ride
through the city, if he is of an observing
nature, will begin to conclude, from the
freduently recurring "bills," that most of
tue scIty is to let-that all San Francisco
is.to let, save house here and there that.
strasgely enough. seems to be actually
occupied Yes, there are exceptions to
every rule, and there are sill few houses
in the city whose tenants have not left
But the great rule overshadows these puny
exceptions-the rule that San Francisco is
depopulated, and that we have whole
city sDto let"
do we err? Ask the almost completed
census, which dwindles our population
down to about l35,000 These might be
called fair figures, considering that we
Only. numbered $4,000 in 1867 but,
everything. considered, they are perfectly
contemptible A year or two ago we were
predicting, for San Francisco a population
ia 1870 Of from 100000 to 250, 600
Some ever went as high as 100000 Not
without reason, either, for the middle
classes and laborers were pouring in from
the East, where times were dull and where
fair reports were received of this ''good
csaIitsy'' on the Pacific coast Six steam
ers month were arriving, each bringing
ft6n 500. TO ] 500 mechanics, laborers
and. their families, who came to seek a
good home, and with their sturdy arms to
develop the vast resources of California.
Why did this few of immigration case?
Why now does every steamer carry out OF
thisport, for New York Uia Panama, from
5H8 70 1000 of these people? Why is
this valuable aid slipping away from us
antkFkenhing' TO the East, even if times
are dull here? Go to the Steamship
Cotnpahs's Wharf on the day of departure.
and you will hear "When we started
. fos1tahfornia We did not know we were
coming to China" is the expression you
win hear from every mouth. 1t is the
baneful presence of the Chinese that has
Taralyzed white immigration, and sent
away, broken and discoura ged, thousands
ofwhite mechanics, laborers fnd artisans
thAt-had sought homes on our coast. Ask
them why so many houses are "To Let
in San Francisco. They sabe. While
the Chinese occupy hundred or two of
houses, the white workingman who would
pour in and permanently settle here but
for their presence, would occupy thousands
Business of every kind would be far bet
ter, as every one must understand, and the
monthly steamer from China would not
carry away from a hali-a million to a
million in gold, never TO smile on our
'Fohahge" again with its bright presence.
Capitalists and property holders must
be blind indeed not to see this. In fact,
we stink they will see it soon. Failing
pockets are wonderful eye-openers, and
when. they begin to look around on
whole empty city, with thousands of acres
Of "non productive property-When those
terrible words, ITO Let" stare at them
from almost every house, ana San Francis
co is like a city of the dead while thirty
thousand Aslatics huddle together within
a-space scarcely big enough for circus
lot, working for nothing when there is no
work to do annd no sale for manufactured
articles, and paying probably the one
hundredth of what would have been paid
By the white men they have temporarily
supplanted; then, indeed, We think they
must begin to see it, if the light of reason
has not entirely faded from their eyes
Golden City. -