Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-04-29
Oar San .raNciNc0 letter
SAN FRAN, I-cp. April : 1851

SAN E'EANI-co, April -, lSSl.
EDITOR STANDARD: Since writing
my last letter, tlcrc has been some
! reaction here in rega,d To ideas con-
celninG the comm rec of thus cIty,
and those business men who, few
weeks ago, saw Il big black cloud in
the near future, are whistIing again
quite merrily, and they stoutly as
sert that San Francisco is not going
to be left out in the wet after all
, There have been several meetings in
this city since the opening of the
Southern route, manly in the inter-
est Of shippers, and the latest report
is to the effect that a compromise
has been agreed upon by Eastern
and Western shippers which secures
to San Francisco the Asiatic and
Sandwich Island passenger and
freight traffic for an indefinite length
of time. SO much for the railroad
| lookout.
We are in the midst of the highest
excellence of the strawberry season;
tons of this delicious fruit coming
in every day. Word is received
from all parts OF the State that rgri-
cultural pros cts were never better
than at the present time. Season.
able and refreshing showers have
been the order of the present month,
SO far, and weather prophets believe
the rains will not wholly cease, this
year, till quite late in May.
A lively earthquake shook up our
citizens early on the morning of the
10th inst. Stockton claims to have
experienced the full vigor of the
ground wave. Door bells were vigor-
ously rung and clocks stopped in
that city. For SO slight shock, it
was widely extended.
We hear a good deal about the
booming times all over the Puget
Sound country, and I think 1 am
not mistaken in saying that you will
have large influx of emigrants, adj
venturers and tourists from this
State during the coming season.
Look out fo1 them and use them
we'll. For the last three or four
weeks, every Portland steamer has
left the wharf. here crowded with
passengers. Of course, many of
these people will find their way into
Washington Territory, and should
they meet with proper reception,
| they will become a valuable addition
to your growing commonwealth.
On Saturday last, the China
steamer Oceanic, arrived at this port
with no less than 900 Chinese in the
steerage, and having enough small
pox on board to infect the whole
coast. Seven Chinese were down
with the disease in fully developed
state; one of them thought to be in
a critical condition. The mongol-
ians were Immediately transferred to
an old steamer hulk which has been
moored to point about two miles
southeast from the foot of Market
Street, and placed under strict quar-
antine regulations. So you see the
burden of the song has been changed.
1t used to be "The Chinese must
CO." But now it has become "The
Chinese are coming" The case
would be more tolerable if they came
among us cleansed from their native
plogues. What the result will be
when this new batch comes ashore
and perambulates our streets, time
only con reveal. It has been sug-
gested that the entire ship load be
sent elsewhere without being allowed
to land here at all. 1t is under
stood that the Chinese 6" Six Com
panies," of this city, have the mat
ter in their own hands, as to the ul-
innate disposal of this last cargo of
their diseased countrymen. The
Board o: Health is actively at work
at the difficult problem. A death
from smallpox occurred at the City
Hospital yesterday, but in no way
connected with the newly arrived
Chinese.
1 think, short letters are better
appreciated by general readers than
long ones, so l will say "Here's to
Puget Sound" in a glass of Spring
Valley ice water. V1sIToR.