The morning call., 1894-01-12

The building was erected for Halleck,
Peachy IL Billings. a successful and prOmi-
nent law firm in early San Francisco. 1t was
completed at the close of 1852. and was
then the largest, most elegant and most
imposing building in California. AS late
as 1S49 the site on which il stands was
partly covered by waters OF the bay.
Many interesting stories are told about
the stately building, presenting queer con-
trasts with modern methods and affairs.
The material. excepting brick and stone,
was nearly all imported purpOsely for the
structure. Iron came from New York at
cost of $4,000. doors. holdings, sashes.
etc. were brought around the Horn in
ships, and the cement that subs tituted lime
in walls and plastering, came from Eng
land. Masons, plasterers and carpenters
were paid SO day while working on the
building. A plumber who had just arrived
from the East heard of q contract in his
business and grabbed it up. He did the
pumb iDg work and returned home the
same year with his fortune made. Orig
inally artesian wells supplied water, and
each closet and toilet bad separate water
system. The ground floor had an elegant
bath house, which cost many thousands of
dollars, but all these were removed years
ago.
ut was the days of fires" said Colonel
Granniss yesterday, when this building
was put mp. The town had been destroyed
by two CONGREGATIONS. and the great object
was to guard against the flames. Old Gen.
eTal Halleck was an engineer in The United
States army when he came here in 1876 as
a captain. Later on he studied law and
withdrew from the army. He Joined the
firm OF Peacby d Billings, a very success
full law firm, and subsequently supern-
tended the construction of the Montgomery
block. The idea of fortress appears 10
have been IN his mind. Outside walls are
twenty-four inches thick. inner walls six
teen inches: every window has iron shut
tiers, and throughout the walls have arches
running in the brickwork.
The receipts were $1,000 a month-opce.
Thirty years ago they were $500, but now
they are down to $3.50. The old Bank Ey-
change saloon paid $500 a month ia the
fiftes, when it was rendezvous for every
one coming TO town. The cIgar-stand was
deserted by It's owner in 1871 because, as
he used 10 say, the bottom has dropped
out OF San francisco and there's nothing
in the business when receipts fall below
S1C0 a day."
Every old lawyer in San Francisco
some time or another bad an office in the
building. 1T was nest for Judges and
attorneys. Colonel Hoge paid $3.50
month for offices, which he got for $50
before he left. The San Francisco Law
Library was established in this building
in 1861 or 1868. and remained here for sew
eral years 10 the large hall formerly used
as the Bank Exchange billiard-rooms, then
by the stock board. and now occupied by
portion of SutrO's library, where 103 600
volumes are stored at present All the
heavy brokerage and stock business of the
ComstOck was done in these corridors for
years.
flames King of William was shot down
diagonally opposite the southeast corner
of the building after leaving the Bulletin
office. The block had long been the Re-
publican headquarters. 1t was the center
of The town in the stirring times of early
san Francisco. The building and ground
cost over half a million dollars"