Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-07-28


DEAR HERALD: So much has
been written about the PalaceHotel,
the lavish scale of expenditure on
which it was erected, its magnitude
and the pretentious defects of its
architecture, that I am perfectly
sensible it would be a twice told
tale for me to touch these hack
neyed topics. But there is one as
pect of this mammoth hotel to
which 1 never remember to have
seen allusion, and it admits of a
comparison which is certainly
novel. Every one has heard of the
superb court, which the parallel
ogram form Of the building made
SO feasible and so obviously sug-
gested. 1t and the colonades which
surround it are the only really fine
features of an edifice which may be
fitly termed the "Sharon.Ralston
folly" This magnificent court,
with the draft compelling applian-
ces, would be an immense success
in Los Angeles or in any other
semi-tropical country. But, in the
climate of San Francisco, 1t is one
Of the most grotesque things con-
ceivable. Only fancy any delicate
person sitting out in this court
yard, in the "cool of the evening""
and taking his or her death OF
cold! The most robust man in the
world has to wrap his overcoat
around him, when he essays the
experiment., and even then he is
chilled to the marrow. Lit up at
night by electric lights, the Illus
ion is perfect Of an entire region
by moonlight. Were this hotel
planted down in the ballny atmos-
phere of Los Angeles, Santa Bar
bara or San Diego. and especially
If dozen or so Of the orange trees
of the former place were planted
around the court yard, it would be
the most exquisite scene imsgina-
ble. But neither our orange trees,
nor the soft South winds blowing
over our iilimitable banks of VIC
let's, are here, and one only shivers
OH looking at this brilliant scene,
and wonders at the misapplication
of wealth. Hsd Sharon built his
no tel In Los Angeles he might not
have enriched himself, but he cer-
tainly would have acieved sani-
fary and artistic triumph, for the
doing of which valetudlnarians
and tousists would rise up and call
him blessed.
Last night numerous and wei!
appointed brass band, which is re-
cruited from the employ and wait"
ers in the hotel, discoursed some
creditable music in the courtyard.
The hole scene, if the overcoats
and raps could have been igL ored,
was highly charming and almost
Romantic.
THE CHINESE EMBASSY.
The telegraph Will have advised
YOU of he arrival of the Chinese
Embassy, an event Of which L was
an eyewitness to-day. The suite
was Il numerous one, comprising
some thirty persons, all told. The
baggage, from its multitude and
multiplity, would have distracted
even Sara atoga Flora McFlimsey.
The more exalted the rank of a
Cbinaman, the fatter he is, l
should judge, from the ensemble OF
this distinguished Celestial party.
The grand high Muck.a-muck wore
a white beard, and very long one
or Chinaman. Their costume
was not very different from that of
the Angelo no specimen Of the ge-
nus homo, except that it was much
richer. Stiff brocades formed the
main staple of the garment of the
higher dignItaries. They wore
straw hats of a Celestial pattern,
with the indented crown filled in
with some rich crimson feathsry
stuff. They were evidently quite
as curious as Americans would be
in China, and no sooner were they
fairly landed in the hotel than
they started off in carriages to see
the sights. Talking of sights, the
most curious Of all was to see the
way the Chinese population gath
cred about the Palace Hotel to wit
ness the arrival OF their distin-
guished fellow countrymen. 1t
was an illustration of the poets
happy conceit, Zone touch of ma
ture makes the whole world KIN"
Just precisely as Americans would
turn out 10 welcome the arrival Of
an American Minister in China,
did John Chinaman gather to greet
the representatives of theBrother OF
the Sun and Uncle OF the Moon in
the United States.
CESSATION OF BUILDING IN SAN
FRANCISCO.
had learned from the newspa-
pers of the Golden Gate that
houses by the thousand here were
without tenants, but | confess to
an intense surprise at the little
.u~orrass xvhfei, has beeu made in