The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-02-21
San Francisco Twenty-Seven Years
Ago.

/
We found bleak and meagre frontis-
piece to our Book of Fate. few low
houses. and many tents, such as they were,
covered the base of some of the wind
swept, treeless hills, over which the June
| fog rolled its chilling mist. Deserted
ships of all sorts were swinging with the
tide. A crowd of men swarmed about
what is now Montgomery street, then
the mud shore of the bay. 1t was Alad-
din's old lamp, however, homely as 1t
seemed, and fortune was there for those
who had what my father used to call "a
stomach for fight" or for those who,
born lucky, succeeded by virtue OF the
unknown force to which we concede
that term.
There were then some three or four
regularly built houses in San Francisco,
representing the Hudson Bay and the
Russian hide business; the rest were
canvas and blanket tents. OF course
there was no lumber there for building,
and there were not even trees to be cut
down nor would any man have divert
ed his attention from the mines to 60 to
house building. A little later, when
they found the hardships Of mining life
too great and the returns too uncertain,
the tide turned, and many men came
back to make fortunes at steady work in
building up the town. Sixteen dollars a
day was ordinary pay for carpenters.
The young officers of the army and navy
there used to lament to me that their
business was so far less profitable. One
of them turned to profit his having been
on the Wilkes surveying expedition, and
made really u great sum of money by
plotting in the thick incoming fleet of
vessels of all sorts.
was taken to one of these houses,
which had been the residence of Liedes-
dorff, the Russian consul, who had re-
Gently died there. 1t was a time of
wonderful contrasts. This was a well
built adobe house one story high, with
good veranda about it, and beautiful
garden kept in old-world order by Scotch
gardener. Luxuries of every kind were to
be had, but there were wanting some
necessaries. Fine carpets and fine fur
niture and fine brentwood piano, and
no house-maid. The one room with Il
fire place had been prepared for my sleep
ing-room, and had French furniture and
no end of mirrors, but lacked fire.
The club of wealthy merchants who
had this house together had excellent
Chinese servants, bat to make every
thing comfortable to me they added the
only woman that could be procured, who
accepted a temporary place of chamber
maid at two hundred and forty dollars u
month and perquisites. One of the per-
quisites was the housing of her husband
and children as well as herself. She had
been washer oman to New York regi,
ment, and was already the laundress to
these gentlemen. She was kind enough
to tell me that she liked my clothes, and
would take the pattern of certain dresses,
and seemed to think it matter of course
that would let her carry off gowns and
wraps to be copied by her dress maker, a
Chinaman. declined this as civilly as
could, but the result was that she threw
up the situation. .
The only really private house was one
belonging to a young New Yorker, who
had it shipped from home, house and fur
niture complete-a double two-story
frame house, which, when in place, was
said to have cost ninety thousand dollars.
At this price, with the absence of timber
and the absence If labor, it will be seen
that it was difficult to have any other
shelter than tent. The bride for whose
reception this house was intended arrived
just before me, but lived only few weeks !;
the sudden and great changes of climate
from our Northern weather into the trop-
les, and from that again into the raw,
harsh winds of that season at San Fran
cisco, were too much for her, even with all
the comforts of her own beautiful home.
At party given to welcome her the
whole force of San Francisco society came
out. the ladies sixteen in number.
Visits in the daytime were held as a
marked attention. l WAS told that "time
was worth fifty dollars minute" and
that must hold as a great compliment
the brief visits which were made to me
constantly throughout the day nv busy
men.-Jessie Benton Fremont, in Hdrper's
Magazine.
How PRAIRIE DOGS GET WATER.-It
.,-..s 49,