Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-29
COSTLY FOOD FOR '4oERs.
High Prices That Prevailed In the
California Restaurants In Those Day >

COSTLY FOOD FOR '4oERs.
High Prices That Prevailed In the
California Restaurants In Those Day >
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
If life was not all cakes and ale among
the '49ers; IL among the vast majority the
daily menu was limited to "slapjacks,
hard tack coffee and BEANS occa-
sionally diversified by an unfortunate jack
rabbit or quail. whose misplaced confidence
in mankind brought them too early to the
pot of the hardy miner. neither was 1t en-
tirely devoid Of luxuries in living for those
whose appetites were on a par with their
financial ability to crafty them
In San Francisco the Iuxuriously inclined
were wont TO seek habitation, whether for
legitimate or illegitimate reasons we need
not now stop to inquire. Opportunity for
self-indulgencc of appetite was not wanting
from the very beginning of things. pro-
vided. already hinted at, that good
digestion. while waiting on appetite. was
supplemented by a sufficient supply of
"sheckels' to give practical rein to it's in
diligence. Where the gambler f1ourished in
all his glory. and the CLINT and glitter of
gold passing from hand to hand on all
sides too common TO excite observa-
ton or comment. 1t need not be wondered
at that no limit of price put upon the good
things of life would prevent men enjoying
them
Even among the adventurous and hardy
gold hunters the yearning for the flesh
Iots. which they had left behind them. did
not pass unassuaged when opportunity
offered. no matter though the rate to be
paid therefor was one far beyond the
bounds of what they had been reared to
believe was more than the height of ex-
travaCance.'
Recalling a scene in Illustration of this
iact. the writer may mention an incident
Of the month of July. 1s49. Encamped
with his companions upon the banks of the
Sacramento. where Sacramento City was
Just beEinnins TO take on the semblance of
q town in the stages of embryonic form, he
witnessed the arrival of n daring Specu-
lator. who had come all the way from the
mission of San Jose with wagon load of
potatoes and onions for sale. In less than
thirty minutes every onion and potato had
found purchaser at the upset price of 81
per pound. while the venturesome specu-
lator started back a richer but probably
no wiser man than when he conceived the
profitable venture.
But ii Is of the hotels and hostelries of
San Francisco in 1879 and the early Eos
that this paper Is intended to recall. in the
belief that the wide contrast between the
cheap luxurious living of today and the
prices of that early period may not be de-
void OF general public interest. Perhaps in
no other aspect nor from any other point
of view was the composite and cosmopoli-
tan character of the population of San
Francisco at that time more strikingly ex-
eInpiitied than through the national nomen-
clature of the restaurants of that day, as
well as the national personality of their
enterpr:sing proprietors.
If there was this wide variety of national
ity of hotels and restaurants. with their
corcoEEiitants of varied national character
istics i'll cookery, there was a singular
sGmcDcSG in prices, no matter whence he
came or what the nationality of the host
b..ir rarff
which home industries had to pay for. and
against which there was no protection
Notwithstanding the fact that there were
cattle in countless herds upon "a thousand
hills in those days. though game was in
abundance ana the water teemed with fish.
Yet all these common needs were not yet
brought to market in sufficient quantity to
make them other than luxurieS. OF vege-
tables there were practically none. To put
1t as q writer in the Annals of San Fran
cisco ssntcntiously stated il. In 1870 the
announcement of a real cabbage for dinner
world have set half of the population fran
tic with strangely stirred appetites." The
justification Of this seemingly exaggerated
remark will he found IN the perusal of
sCTr1e Of the MOTEL bills of fare of that day
where the potato figures of hardly less
value than "a golden apple of Hesperides'
and a plate OF cabbage costs 80 cents In
one sense. at least. cabbage heads were
far less common in those days than they
are now, saving nothing about the other
Sang sense of the eXprsssion-since
nickel will buy whole one sold at retail
big enough TO feed a whole modern board
ing house If fairy supplemented by its
legitimate ally. the toothsome corned beef
The cid adobe City Hail." which stood
Oh the southwest corner OF Kearny and
Clay streets. was the first hotel of preten-
ticus proportions and character erected in
San Francisco. 1t was built in 1916. In
the DAYS of its greatest glory-in 1Si3-its
I'LL OF fare embraced ducks and quail at
from 81 10 s. each. salads 81 to 81 and eggs
from ~ cents to 81 each.
The Parker House. which stood on
kearny street, where the new Hall of Jus
tice is about being erected. was built in
1~iS-i9 by Robert A. Parker 1t was
Observation-Disclosures wooden building. the
lumber in its construction costing $40 per
1.F1 feet IL went down in the first great
fire OF December -. 1919. while under
rental mainly to gamblers a s15.TU
month Rebuilt in the spring of 1850, II
went down once again. and finally. or May
i. $50, in the second great confag rat ion
that being the very day upon which it was
completed
While the name was literally legion of
the Italian osteries. German wirthschafts,
French cabarets. Spanish firidas, Chinese
chow-chows. American. English and other
restaurants. at every one of which prices
were charged that would stagger the rich
and well-kept habitues of the palace of
today. the so-called frst-stop hotels were
numerous. TOP high-water' mark was
supposed TO have been reached when the
Ward House was built and opened, in the
autumn of 1919. 1t was situated on Clay
street. opposite the middle of the old plaza,
and although then regarded inspir-
ing and luxurious affair, would today hard
ly pass for third-rate beer saloon. 1t
was the favorite place of resort and indul-
gence for the elite of that day, however.