New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-06
The PARIS or HE PACIFIC.
LIFE IN 4 SINGULAR CITY BG TIE SEA.

LIFE IN \ SINGULAR CITY III HE SEA.
STREET SCENES IN COSMOPOLITAN SAN FRANCISCO
PECULIAR PHASES OF LOCAL CHNRACrER-A
ROBUST. PLtAsUREIOYING PEOrLF-SU%DAI
oN HE EUROPEAN PLtN--ruE PorULAR TASTE
FOR wOoDFN BUILpiNG- A&r BAY WINDOWS.
IRON Az OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT o. rHE ruHrNEl
SAN FRANCISCO. Nov. 15.-tvcIy American cIt'
has ts local yccuartlcs, bat few can boast Of great
originality in site growth people and customs. lie
n chief place among this small collection Of unique
cities San Francisco can certainly lay claim. l. mas
scarcely salient feature in common with any other
large CITY IN tins country, East West. II seems
70 have grown from pure impulse, and III a lawess
fashion which fouis at all rules and precedcnts.
The original settlers squatted on the low-!ylng
ground along the bay about mile from the old MIS-
sion Dolores the seat of Spanish Influence II was
a camping ground of adventufcrs like those who
swarmed into Leadville last year. Ii was tented
field for The first half year OF its occupation by tie
Argonauts. TGen it gradually took on the look OF
those shambling towns which now line the overland
route from the Missouri TO the Sierrss 1t grew like
n verd on a Southern river bottom. II claInbered
up the steep sides Of the Telegraph and Russian
Hills, and gave 10 the wharveS along North B"ach
an air of fevc rsh commercial activity. The broad
level stretche toward the Mission were unOccupicd.
An artificial city WAS constructed by building over
the bav. There were more hills to be subdncd than
Rome ever dreamed Of Houses were perched on
SUBMITS that knew no animal save the venture
some goat And these hills still remain, lending to
the Young city an element of the picturesque
which outweighs all its other dover of beauty.
Bult on point of land shaped like clenched fist,
il is washed on two sides by the waters of the bav
on the third by the ocean. An old sed-caDtan used
10 be fond of telling about his visit to the MIS-
sion ten years before the cold-dust was fonnd III
Suffers mil-race. His ship was loaded with pepper
and he put into the Golden Gate-tllen an unnamed
entrance to a superb roadsead-to get water. lie
was wont 10 hold forth on the beauty OF the ,enln-
snla on that April morning when he sailed around
Telegraph Hill He declared that the city had
ruined the place, and that the discovery OF gold
was the worst misfortune which ever beiell a
charming pastoralland He was cynical and en-
FILTERED by ill-ortune for he only just conval
escent from the gold fever He brought from the
mines nothing but broken health, and by strange
irony of fate he ended his days Waterman in
the old mint Of this city. guarding the precious
metal which had always euded his own search
NIGHT WV FROM THE BAY.
Perhaps the most striking view OF the city used to
be gained by the stranger from the ferryboat which
wharf TO the end Of his journey. In the dusk of a
Winter day the city by tho sea looked like giant
niece Of fireworks in full blaze The waterfront
could be traced by the many colorcd lights OF the
shining mt the wharvcs. The streets which ran
directly up the steep Russian, Clay aud California
ST. bills were marked by two twinkling lines OF
lamps that looked like ladders of light set against
the great cloudess wall of black sky. The lights III
"A thousand windows seemed like Chinese lanterns
hung in huge pa-k and the whole spectacle re-
sembed one of those marvellous cities OF enehant-
ment of Arabian story. But when you touched the
wharf the glamour vanished you fell at once from
the age of Haroun al Raschid to the busy world of
to-day. Here was city like other cties-with
bnliantly-lighted shops and an army III restless
people jostling one another the sidewalk. kear-
ney-st. by ight resembles Broadway from twenty
third TO Thrty-fonrth-sts.: Market-s is close imi-
tation Of Sxth-ave; but the crowd on the sidewalk
is a San Francisco crowdand could be paraleled no.
where east of the Mississippi. person in eccen-
trio dress excites much attention even III New-York