New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-05
CALIFORNIA TRAITS.
GUESTS WELCOMED FOR THEIR WORTH - THE
WEIGHT OF EA-LIONS-PERMANENT EFFECTS
OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. SMALL CHANGE
-CAUSES OF HARD TINES.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 2O.-Nearly everything
that has been said of san Francisco be verified In
ones personal experience during ornight's stay NO
time need be wasted in gltterne genealtles of speech
action. The people OF the coast ready to meet
you than half way and your wishes are realized
before they be fully expressed Letters OF lnroduc
ton of almost everywhere but in California
Here the best introduction one can have Is an honest
face and an inquring mind. Everybody Is busy, but
everybody has time and inclination to attend to people
States" There need not be the slightest hest
tatou or embarrassment the part OF the visitor In
the expressive phrase OF New-iOrk sh0pkeepers'
If you don't what you want, ask Tor IT.
1t will he forthcoming II is a little perplexing'
If not gratifying to discover after the hrst DAYS
sojourn in San Francisco that You are among ola ac-
quantances People to whom you have been INTRODUCED
however incidentally informally, never at loss 10
recall your name or fix your identity. You need never
fear being accOsted alluded TO 90 Mr.. Whatshis-
name" or "Mrs stick-in-,hemud." You are constantly
kept AT your ease in the that you yourself
only yourself but TO everybody else Ana III TINS
ready recognition there is neither offensive patronage
nor offensive toadysm. 1t is Of little moment to gen
uine Californian whether he is entertaining MajorGen'
Augustus Smith or plain John Jones He does Mt trouble
himself particularly the extraneOus circumstances
his guest, and not at all about his family vault
He is always looking for cOarse god, aud yon pan
out" well in the essential qualities the nonessenal may
drift down the sluce-way and mingle with the muddy
DRIVE To THE CLIFF HOUSE.
few things are always taken for granted concerning
new visitor TO the Pacific Coast first, that he VIII
breakfast AT the Cliff House the second morning after
his arrival; next that he will to Yosemite as soon as
he decide which route to take next that he VIII VISIT
the Chinese Thcater and the GeysCrs within reasonable
time and continually next that he will accept every
body's invitation to dinner and say nothing about It,
The drive to the Cliff House appczing suggestion,
mi nd toll
you that he will call your hotel about o'clock in the
morning and when you knocked out of bed by
the uncOmprOmisiDg watchman whose chronomeier Is
prOvOkingy correct, make hasty toilet and get down
to the street, you will find establishment in waiting
for YOU that you will be likely to mistake for the private
turnout of retired diamond merchant The horses
are exactly matched and stand their pins like mon
archs of the turf the carriage and findings glitter with
magnifcence the robes, which ample, are SOFT ana
white as ederdown; and your friend, arrayed IN MS
"best storecOthes" sits smngupOn the box, ribbons III
hand aud lacking nothing but brass buttons ami pen
wiper TO complete the picture of your youthnream''
when that traditional ship should come in and every
body be happy. The drive to the CHI House IN that
crspv morning hour behind that nervous span of bays
is thing peculiar to san Francisco. Nothing IN your
previous experience will gave You any data OF 'ohpa
SON and nothing that you will be likely hereafter 70 en-
counter will remind yOu of it except by contrast Naght
but itself can be its parallel. You pass along smooth
macadamized road seward, taking in your course
beautiful view Of Lone Mountain and the cemetery
named therefrom, a glimpse OF the Golden Gate, ana
hay emmer Of the FaraOnc Islands, lying 80 miles out
at sea The Clf House is appropriately named, ana TINS
must answer for its description In fact, with an appc
tc at 90 degrees in the shade and the thermometer
down 4O hardly be expected that one VIII have
much appreciation of or TASTE for architecture. As to
the taste for porcrhOue steak rare and DrOcd Spring
chicken, that admits Of but one mode Of discussion.
That one mode is promptly adopted, and with sweeping
results
The attraction at The Gin House, aside from the drive
her and the breakfast, j. the free show of sea-lonS,
which can always he safely rcckoned upon. The rocks
near the shore are wcnigh covered with these curious
nphib les than from 30 TO 80 being constantly in
view They plunge aboSt in the waves, and climb up
with an awkward wriggle upon the sides of the rocks,
fhtipg for eli gibe positions, and barking Ike unedu-
Gated dogs all unconscious Of the human interest they
excite and seemingly reckless OF the doube-bafreleu
opcra-sasses which cyeled at their heads IL has
been an amusing and harmless pastime to call these crea
lures by name years the one that attained
and held the highest point the principal rock was
called Ben Butler" and thus passed in,O history And
so Bowes and Richardson and the versatile guidebook
writer's have scyerally recorded their interview with
Ben Butler, and everybody who follows everybody
else to the Clifton House must see Ben
Butlcr or die in the attempt And thanks to the kind
ness OF the proprietor and the easy creduy OF his
WAYS Oh view There are probably hundred sea-ons
that have endured this obOquy, but as there Is never
more than at time and exchanges are frequent no
disastrous results have followed According 10 Cafor-
mia estimates, these monsters are not to be lightly
considered the largest Of them enjoying the reputation
Of weighing tus. Barnum it is said has recently
offered 900 apiece for four Of them to weigh not less
than LOCO pounds each. This conditional Offer " dol
lar mound for live scaiOns will settle the question OF
their weight From the ordinary means of estimating,
shrewd Yankee would guess the weight of Ben Butler
10 be about 400 pounds and the smaller fry in proper
lion.
HOW THE EARTHQUAKE WAS SUPPRESSED
There is but one thing peculiar to the Pacific coast
which Is in any danger of being underestimate and
that is the earthquakes which are so frequently and 50
unceremOniously served up here If want to put
check the enthusiastic selfexaltation Of resident
Californian, introduce the subject of earthquakes The
effect will asonish you. unless you have already had
what is never publicly given true account Of these
awful visitations. Men whose worldly interests
cenercd on this coast will attempt to bclitte this ire
mendous drawback, but person cannot remain here
long without learning incidentally that the earthquake
panic among the residents deep seated and universal
A lady, whose husband is one OF the prominent men of
this coast assured that the half had been told
to the state of the public mind during ana subsequent to
the great shock 1863 The newspapers under the
strctest censorship and the telegrapc reports
toned down to sudt the wishes Of property-OwneIs
rather than to subserve the truth. For weeks and
months after the fright, fictitious sales of real
estate were regularly reported at fair rates.
though not a foot was actually sold and but very Little
has been sold to this day You will be told of fabulous
prices asked for city lots and rancho lands but you will
hear OF purchasers II is so difficult to get AZ the real
value Of earthquakes one very percepble effect OF the
earthquake panic is seen in the style of buildings
being erected The best thing that say OF his
building that it is earthquake proof Persons adj
vesing for boarders usually careful to say that the
house is broad the ground low, and securely built OF
rood. Stone and brick structures everywhere at