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

1t is remarkable fact that San Fran
cisco contains more alleyways, proper
tionate to its area, than any other city
in the United States This od0ity is due
TO the early Spanish settlers. and their
peculiar and oommendable system of lay
ing out pueblo. Each block contain ed
six lots fifty varas square. vara is the
Spanish measurement of yard-thirty-
three inches. Before municipal govern
ment was established, or perhaps without
consulting the alcalds whose lowars were
unlimited, the adjoining property holders
would donate to the pueblo, and especi-
ally to themselves, a small strip of the
outer edge of their lots, thus forming an
alleyway, or free Zone.' This was for
the convenience OF themselves and their
neighbors of the block. Nomads are n OF
over fond of walking. and these short
cuts were made to save time and space in
the matter of business and pleasure calls.
And this is why there are SO many alleys
in the older portion OF the city. They
are numerous in what is now know as
"Little China" and in the Latin Quar-
teri extending from Pacific street to the
summit of Telegraph Hill and down the
other side. They are also found in the
North Beach district, and on Russian
Hill, so named because some Russian
sailors were buried on the hill-beie we'd
to be the first graveyard i'll San Francisco.
Finally, by common usage. these private
alleys became public property.
sThere are alleys running the length of
. block, and coming out on the 9th er
side, stop short. because the owners on
the next block declined TO lengthen them
And there are alleyways extending only
half the length of the block. The owners
of two lots or four lots desired an open
space for convenience, but the owners o I
others were not So liberal and thus block
ed up the alleys. Thus, we have alleys
running off street until they strike a
wall in the next block. This accounts for
the mum Der OF ''places" seen in the older
part of the city. They are not streets,
and some of them are not large enough
to be digniied with the name of alley.
They are seen leading off from Kearney
street, Bush, Pine, Sacramento and Cali
fOrnia and their dim outlines may be
traced amid the tum ble-dowe shanties in
the Chinese quarter. Chinese joss
house is situated in one of these blind
alleys, and another contains progressive
fan-tan game and opium smoking resort.
Some OF those alleys are picturesque
in their Eruggedness, but most of them
are otherwise. "St. Charles Place."
which shoots off eastward from ksarney
street at thu base of Telegraph Hill. is
picturesque in its decay and In the tum-
ble-down rookeries that seemingly cling
to each other for mutual support. The
frontage owners in this place" were ma
tives of France, colonists who came with
an exploring expedition sent out by
France TO colonize California. The
weather. beaten wooden houses have the
Olden-tims French gable ends, peaked
windows little platform for the pots of
flowers. Another picturesque alley is
"Pinckney Place, which shoots off from
q roadway, JUST east of the county Jail,
and zig-zags up Telegraph Hill. 1t be-
gins at width OF perhaps ten feet, and
telescopes to accommodate buildings, UNI
til it narrows into "blind path and, in
stead of running up Il tree, juts up
against tum bledown shanty and stops.
This alleyway has record for crime sec
ond only to Hinckley alley, which II in
terescts. 1t is paved not with good inten-
iions. but with rough planking, with
strips of boards nailed lengthwise so that
the pedestrian may gain fouthold in as
cending. HincSlev alley, companion
piece 0 Pinckney Place, extends east
ward.from Kearney street for two or three
blocks along the base of Telegraph Hill
in the rear of the county Jail. 1t is here
that prisoners get off when they escape
from the rooekry known as the county
jail. There have been more murders
conn tied in this alley than in any other
portion of the city, and they were the
most artocious known IN the annals of
crime. rhesdirk and the stilletto we're
usually the weapons used by the treach
erous and rsveaRefnl inhabitants OF this
dark, dingy and isolated street. Nightly
broils wsre common, and in the morning