The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-01

, street Superintendent awoke ana stopped
| further progress.
South of Market street these alleyways
are few and far between. The merican:
| did not believe in the front door visiting
| ground or free zone territory for prom
| enade. Every foot of land was utilized
| and OF the solid blocks of six squares
| there are very few alleyways.
There are manv alieyways also to be
| found in that portion of the city border
ms on the bay, in the district known as
| the FLATS, " and along what was once Mis-
| sion Greek, extending from the bay to the
| old mission church. Some of these alley
ways have been built over" by enter
| prIsing Americans, who cared little for
breathing places.
| AS ruls the alleys bore the name OF
| some one of the prominent Spanish resi-
| In front of each house were rustic
| benches for the afternoon slesta. But all
has disappeared since the Americans
came.
A traces of the adobe houses Of the mr.
iginal settlers in these alleyways have
disappeared. They. were succeeded by
the rude frame and: cast-iron shantIes OF
the invading goldhunting pioneer, who
not only changed the style of architect
ure, but also the name OF the town from
pretty and expressive Herba Buena good
herb to San Francisco. While tho allsys
and places remain, sons in a modified
and others in an exaggerateds condition,
only few of these earliest buildings are
found. They stand as tom bstones of the
pasta connecting link between the
Spanish pueblo and the American city,
and are curiosiites. On Jackson street,
Just in the rear of the postoffice building,
two of these antique and strangely mod
eled iron shanties stand. In their search
for gold people had not the time to
hnild bOnsaa pQrfpi
These relics, with many others long since
dismantled, were brought from Nav York
in sailing vessels. The iron frame and
covering was constructed in sections ana
.:tted together on arrival. Some were
made Of cast-iron-bult to stay, and
Others constructed of wood, and subse-
1uently patched over with iron az an old
boiler. One of these is found at the INC
tion of Kearney street and Montgomery
avenue. andis Curio. The gallery is on
the fiat roof, which was no doubt utiliZ-
ed by its earliest occupants as laundry
yard and point of observation. The
sheet-iIon buildings in the rear OF the
postoffice ore occupied by old. clothes men,
junk dealers, and are filled with wares in
keeping with their own antiquity. In
some of the alleys may be seen traces of
similar shanties, but patched, weather
bea ten and dilapidated, in keeping with
their surroundings.
y Ob only UdVe All VI lI6
buildings, with few exceptions, been
removed, but evan the pretty and descrip-
tive names of the alleys have been OBJ
liberated. In giving name to an OBJECT,
the Spanish also have in view the de.
scriptiye and picturesque. The alleys
were given names that conveyed some
meaning. An alleyway shaded with
dropping willows was descriptively named
Sansal, instead of the American plan of
calling it Jones alley because Mr..
Jones happened to be the biggest man
in the alley. And others were given name S
sgnifving whether they were alleys. or
merely courts extending only to the next
corner Laguna street was SO named to
signify pond in that vicinity. But on ~
a very few of these Spanish names now
remain. Yet California is so rich in
pretty manuscripts. flowers. tim bers
rivers and mountains. that it seems
strange that better names have not been
given to our streets. These names would
not only sound prettier, but would con-
vey great deal of informato to the
visitor.
Copyright 1885, by r. Garner Curran. }