Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-07-16
TOW RID SUNSET
San Francisco and Rouudabou..
TIE CITY OF CONTRADICTIONS.

would be for our Board OF Public Works
| These high steep hills would be worthy the
| genius and ambition which that go-aheai body
| is now wasting on the few slight elevations that
| prevent Washington from being a dead level.
| Here they could dig and haul 10 their hearts
| content, and voters could be employed from ore
| election day TO another without fear Of charges
| Of colonization for the purpose of carrying
| loans" Such, or to that effect, am informed,
| was the exclamation Of conservative Washing
| toEian soon after his arrival here. short
time ago, as the fog lifted and tie dust settled
sufficiently TO enable him 10 see &" the lay
| of the land Every stranger doesn't take
| that view OF the matter, perhaps; but
| no matter where tLe visitor comes from
| he is pretty sure to see on nearly every
| hand so many odd features and such sharp con-
trasts with his OWE home that he is uncOnsciOusly
| provoked into making some exclamation OF sur
| prise or comparison. find myself in the same
| predicament, although I well know the subject
| is old and thTeadoare, and, albeit the story is
more than twice-told tale, yet must say a Few
words about il. And first of the hills that so i'm
pressed our fellow citizen. They ere both plenty
| and high. Too much so, it may be- for the strict
purposes of either beauty or utility; get after one
| has had an opportunity to admire the great and
| charming variety presented frcm an elevated
point OF view, and seen the heavily loaded wagons
| climbing the high ard steep street grades, he
| cannot hep wondering what need there is for
| putting the people Of Washington to the expense
| and inconvenience of pairing down the few h!sh
| points which at once serve to give the national
| carital picturesque appearance and clean
! face.
| Next, OF the wind and dust. OF these there
| is literally end. Washington. bad az she is
| represented to be by her enemies, is literally
| nowhere in this respect beside Frisco" AL
| summer long heavy raw gale blows in from
the ocean from carly in tie forenoon until after
| sunset, and often until far into the night. The
| sun Is generally Obscured after ten O'Clock in
the morning, and the range OF vision is extreme
| ~ limited, tor the violent gusts OF wind bring
| FROM the broad expanse OF water an almost IN
broken and imPeneti able bank of fog, 20 wrap
| the city in its chilly embrace. This visitation
IS always disagreeable, ana very often it has the
| density and moistening effect of driving rain
storm. Nor is this all. The high bare hills ly-
ing between tie city and the ocean are nothing
but huge mounds OF shifting sea sand. This is
constantly whrled and dritted through the
streets like new-fa!len snow in a nor-easterIy
gale along the Atlantic coast. The
result is that deep banks OF loose sand lie every
where in the city,-notaby in the upper and
unpayed rOrtons,-on sidewalks, in the streets
on Goorsteps, in vestibules, and frequently in
parlor, dining room, and bed-chamber. Here
to-day and there tomorrow, it is perpetually
shifting. Where you had clean firm walking
in the morning you compelled to wade
through a sand-bapk shoe-mouth deep or deeper
at night, and sometimes rice rersu. Not often,
however. Generally you find sand where the
clean places used TO be, rather than clean places
where the sand used to he. Here, as il Wash
ington, observe that the wind is good deal
better at depositing filth and dust than az carry
ing In Professionalism is of course Tffrulf
and disagreeable to the last degree under such
circumstances, and even riding in close car
rage il uncomfortable and UusatisfyiDg. From
these data the reader will rightly judge that the
two most profitable professions III San Francisco
are those OF oculist and bOot-black.
But standing ont even more prominently than
the hills, the wind, or the dust. are the queer
contradictions OF climate in the city, ana the
striking contrasts Of costumes 10 be seen every
where Oh the streets. However much one MAJ
have heard or read about them, and however
much he may be prepared to expect on these
points, the stranger Is apt to lie constantly sur
priseC and amused by new and strange develop
nients in those directions. IS rule the early
mornings are clear warm and pleasant, UP t.
ter clock OF thereab9uts, when the cold west
erly wind sets in. Those ladies who 20 out to
shop promenade or ride and expect to get home
before that Eour are generally clad in lighi
summer clcthing-often ia their musiins and
lace shawis. Those who leave home later take
the wise precaution 70 dress warmer,-usually
ia heavy silk or WOODEN goods, with velvet, thick
cloth or eyeh fur jackets, and often with an
quently hapIens therefore, that one the iour
seasons well t. piled III the apparel OF a single
group OF ladies' chatting together on the street.
The effect OF these sharp contrasts hardly ever
fails to be both absurd and puzZliDg. aad, no
matter how well you may understand the ration
ale OF the great variety, YOU still find yourself
wondering how IL all comes about. As for the
men, their rule rs winter wear the year through
Occasionally you SEGA straw panama hat in
close COMMUNION with thick OvercOat, but the
wearers OF these are generally from the hot val
leyS OF The interior, where the upoIla slow
school themselves 10 the fact that winter lies
Just across the bay, so short distance from their
summer LONE. Such thing linen suit OF
clothing on a gentleman is never or very rarely
seen the streets of San Francisco. save in the
form of duster and Oyeralis. Fer my own
part, found II necessary after nv arrival here
70 provide myself with thicker WOODEN under
clothing than l am ever obliged TO wear
at home, even in the coolest weather,
and never venture down town without taking
with me III oyercoat which I find sufficiently
WARM for the ordinary winter season Ia WASH
ington. For ride to the Cliff House or any
where in the near vicinity Of the city,
extra heavy overcoats for gentlemen and fu-
wraps tor the ladies. with plenty of wooden o.
fur robes for the protection Of the lower ex-
tremities, are always indisrens able. In short.
there are very few days during what is our hot
test season At home when a ire in the sitting
room is not in order here. "A single fact will
Illustrate this. read in tae kilograms OF the
afternoon papers this evening that the thermOm-
eter registered 1O3 degrees in the shade at New
York and % degrees at Washington to-day
(July q; yet am writing this by steady Goa
FIRE, which is not only agreeable, but actIsIly
necessary Ter personal comfort.
FLOWERS AND FRUITS.
Still, in spite of these anomalies of climate
and apparently great drawbacks to vegetable
growth, flowers OF nearly all kinds flourish in
the open air within the city limits in such pro-
fusion and TO such degree of perfection a. t.
quite puzzle the understanding and overthrow
all preconceived ideas and theories on the sub
ject. In fact, in these respects the floral display
here quite puts to shame that OF even the gov
eminent conserv atories at Washington or any OF
the best establishments Of the kind elsewhere On
the Atlantic slope.
As to the matter Of fruit, that is another
thing. Save in points of size and beautiful
appearance, / do not think the fruits Of Cali
fornia are generally 50 much superior to those
Of the eastern and middle states - 10 commonly
represented. Pears are better Is . rule, and
grapes are greater in variety and usually better
in quality than with US ut home; but with these