The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-30
SAN FRANCISC0'S WAYS
WHY LIFE ON THE PACIFIC COAST
IS SOMETHING OF A LOTTERY.
The Prevalence NJ 0ambling-Iivlng En-
pcuses The Restaurants - Living Very
Much ON Ertrcmcs-It Is More Partisan
than American.

on the second Tuesday of each calendar
month. and brings with it rather curl
ous condition of ATLAS. Although strict
/ ~ against the common law, lottery
tickets are openly sold-coupons they
are callcd-and il would seem that every
man, woman and child in tho town IS
the possessor Of q twentieth q tenth, a
fifth, half or q whole ticket The en-
tire city "plays the game
If you socially visit a friends house,
the host or hostess expresses an interest
in You by inquiring the number Of your
lottery ticket and mentioning the num-
Der Of theirs. The clerks in the stores,
the merchants at their desks, and the
boys on the streets all have tickets or
sections Of tickets, and as a matter Of
course the day Of the drawing is one of
unusual excitement. Extras are issued
from the newspaper Offices giving the
/ numbers Of the lucky coupons; the bull
| lctin boards are besicged by a deeply in
/ tcrestcd mob, and tho next day column
interviews are y1blished with the win
ncrs Of any particularly generous sum.
/ All this, TO the visitor from abroad, IL
more than passing strange. To tho resi-
dent it is an ordinary circumstance Of
life. Your true San franciscan would
as soon 80 without his dinner as without
his lottery coupon; sooner much sooner,
am sure.
But it must DO borne in mind that less
than fifty years ago San Francisco was
settled by the gamblers, and the spirit!
chance they inculcatod hasn't disap-
pcarod by any means. Gambling. or,
more politely speaking, speculation, is
as rampant today as it was in 20. You
see it not only in real estate, mining
stocks and business enterprises but it is
met in the every day walks Of life Step
into a cigar shop TO buy a weed, the dice
are promptly brought out and the atten-
dant is ready to throw them and see
whether you shall pay for two cigars or
none. Ride through the streets on
cable car with an acquaintance and he
wants 10 flip q nickel TO decide whether
YOU or he shall pay the fare Women
ply the seductive thing called poker as
doftlv as the men. and skill in "a quiet
little game with a small limit appears,
on the coast. TO bc a national character
istic. However, it is perhaps needless TO
dilato ON this peculiar phase Of the mod
ern Californian.
Living IN san Francisco is to many d
vcxcl social problem. Uncertain respects
tits like Paris. either very costly or very
cheap. One finds it the most expensive
and again the most reasonable city in
America I'm which TO reside. Rents are
hi.h. WAGES of servants more than dou-
blcwhat they are i'm the cast and house
keeping isa luxury which the man of
modest means cannot comfortably en-
i0v A tidy little two story house brings
sC0a month. q servant girl will not work
for less than S30 and if She is good
cook so is her price. The family wash
ing is always done outside and costs
about s. week. Thus 500 month
is required for rent and wages alone.
Living at the leading hotels is also cost
lv. about 81 a day with incidenlals
added
OF course, the vast majority Of ordi-
nary people cannot afford this mode Of
life. and the plan generally adopted is
expressed by the words furnished
rooms" san Francisco appears TO the
'ranecr like avast lodging house. Turn
whore YOU will. Furnished rooms 10
rent" crccts the eve. In the midst Of the
business thoroughiares. along the side
streets. out ON the fashionable prom
enables. an over the city and its suburbs,
rooms are 20 leo for men, women and
children. They are TO be had at all
prices. from 81 a week 10 500. For in
stance. am now occupy ing parlor and
bed room, with bath room privileges, for
IS a week I'm the same building are a
.score of couples living in "a similar way.
They pay for their apartments from s.
10 SIS week OF course, this mode OF
life is not conducive 10 morality.
i'm fact. it offers premium on promis-
cuous relationship, but in San Francisco
no one inquiries about the private affairs
of his ncighbor, and the reputation of
the city is far from being like unto C@
sar's wife. The rain falls upon the just
and thc unjust. and the landlady, from
The lowest to the highest grade, takes
her fee from any respectable appearing
couple and "nO questions asked" This
enormous population existing in lodg-
ines lives at the restaurants which
abound in the city. They are Of all
kinds and conditions-French, English,
Italian, German, Spanish and simple
American. Meals can be had all the
way from ten cents TO s., but the large
majority Of people favor what IS known
ms the popular saloons, where the serv-
ice is neat and clean and the food whole
some and we'll cooked These immense
dining rooms, Of which there are several,
are unique. We have nothing like them
in the cast; they appear indigenous to
the soil.
When first saw this bill Of fare as
sumed it was n place similar to the
"chcap and nastys' in London or the
students cafes in the Latin Quarter OF
Paris. but took three meals at one OF
them Yesterday, and my experience may
be worth relating. Nearly all the dishes
arc 10 cents each; if YOU take three it is
% cents: or two 10 cent dishes and one
10 cent dish is 30 cents This mode Of
discounting is peculiar and quite a study,
although the Frisco clerk and modest
merchant have it down fine. Potatoes
are always served free, and SO at break
fast are English mullins. toast, corn Bis
cult and bread Of all kinds. \ pint bottle
Of family good red or white wine is
served for 10 cents. Let me give you a
bill of fare made at random for three
meals, costing in all less than 81:
BREAKFAST
Oatmeal aud cream.
LAMB chops. water crosses and potatoes.
| Coffee and cream.
Hot English mullins. corn bread, butter, etc.
| LgA-n
| Pot Of tea and cream.
| Toast and corn bread.
An entre of meat. potatoes, etc
EOftle ~ white WING