The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-08-19
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF SAN
FRANCISCO.
Private Letter From a Lady Travel
ing in California.

.I|
BERKEIY UNIVERSITY. Cal, Aug. 10, '91.
do not think you would
find this part Of the country what you ex-
pected. Nearly every evening It is cool
enough for fire. Most people wear their
winter underclothing all the year. In the
middle Of the day 1t is hot II you are in
the sun, but If you go in the shade you
need a wrap. | took drive day before
yesterday and did not need wrap, but
met eyer SO many ladies with their iurs on,
You do not need your head wrapped, but
you get chilly and want to be warmly
dressed.
There is always fog during some part
OF the day. Here II is not bad, but San
Francisco is said to be second London
for fog. San Francisco is sandy-dusty'
The wind blows perfect hurricane near.
ly all the time.
1t is very hilly, ten times worse than
Kansas City, Actually, some iof the streets
l saw today are so steep that they cannot
drive over them and they are covered
with the grass that has grown up between
the paving stones.
Nearly all the buildings are Of wood
carved and painted 70 look like stone. 1t
looks very odd 10 see some Of these man.
sions-and they are mansions too--built
OF wood. Wood is very expensive, but
brick and stone are more so. One Of their
fine buildings Is built of pressed brick
brought all the way from Philadelphia at
Is cts brick $50 they say. Another rea-
son why they use wood is on account of
earthquakes, They are more afraid Of
them than Of fire.
l took in the town today. II takes
about an hour 10 60 from here there. /
bought map and guide book OF the city
and chose my route. You can take
dummy line from the city TO the south
pillar Of the Golden Gate. where the Cliff
house is situated, This Is kind Of hotel
and observation point built out on the
rocks. commanding a splendid view Of
the Pacific ocean and the gate. Not far
from this house, rising straight out Of the
ocean, are some large rocks called seal
rocks. About the base and sides these are
covered with seals Of all sizes, some enor
nous ones, and around the top are hun
dreds Of gulls. II was rather fine, as !
never saw these creatures In their native
haunts before. The sea breeze was deli.
cious.
The ocean at this point and the bay are
not good for bathing or rowing. The
water Is TOO cold for the first and TOO dan.
gcrous for the second. There Is always q
fog more or less dense over the ocean, SO
that you can not see far, and nearly every
afternoon this fog blows In over the land.
Just back Of the Cliff house the rocks rise
perpendicularly and when you get up
there you find beautiful park. The
walks and driYes are delightful The
borders and beds are marvels Of art. II
does not attempt to Initiate nature There
are oil sorts Of strange plants and flowers
and In every conceivable place you will
find statuary, most of them copies Of the
work Of the old masters II seems strange
to find them there out of doors, though
some Of the fawns aud nymphs are very
appropriate. Just at the top Of the cliff,
overlooking the ocean, is large parapet
nearly forming circle. On the top OF
this are statutes alternating with hugh
vases Of flowers. Back OF this you may
sit and enjoy the finest view Of the Pacific
in the world. II is positively stdpendous
the situation, the view and the thousands
yes millions Of money II must have cost
AS you look down the side Of the cliff you
see more statues-a deer In a little nook
and around an angle of the rock hound
and little further on huntsman.
did not like this park very well, but 4
is too magnificent TO criticise. | thinh
the place is beautiful enough without I
and 1t was a different kind Of beauty. In
agine the Venus de Milo dressed In th,
fashion. They have very good siatut,
Of her here In bower Of green trees.
This park is the private property O
Adolph Sutro, an Austrian Jew, who mad,
an enormous fortune speculating In Ne
vada silver mines. He has his snmme
home here-greenhouses, stables and OBJ
serveratoy-and he is kind enough Y
open II tree to the public, requesting only
that they keep of the grass" and "don'
pick the flowers.
Now, If that place were mine, 1 shoult
tear down the signs and sell at least hal
the statuary, muss up the borders, tanel'
the woods and live there the rest OF my
life, where the sea will always creep uJ
entreating and fall back moaning.
should stand firm though the winds blow
and the sea entrests; and while stant
there shall see all the world pass by
coming from the east, as II is ever doing
out through the Golden Gate, on to tha
bright mist In the west from which onll
phantom ships come back.
WA r.