The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-13
ASPECTS OF SAN FRANCISCO
eOUTnERx METROPOLIS SLOWLY
LOSING SUPREMACY.
Car system the Best In Ameraea-
city use9aaIeA for Residence
The soldfers Are OmnipReseat.


Editorial Correspondence
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal. Aug. SIT b no
exasxera;ion TO say that there are from
600 10 10 90 vacant houses. fats ard store
rooma In San Francisco. The ITO Let
,,xn Ia the mort conspicuous feature OF
this fine city. and i,s multiplication during
the past four years has been both I'M
press.ve and ALARMING. doub. II the city
has grown In population In that time. ana.
from what have seen. i am inclined to
think that 10 has actually lost. rnes one
candid citizen who told me that IL the gov
eminent had not come TO the rescue OF
the business community By moo!iizing
thoswaEds OF United States troops here.
and II 1t had not consequently made large
purchases Of supplies. he really did not
see how many merchants would have
taded through the year. Tho United
etatAs." said ne. ''has found II profitable
20 make the city the chief rendezvou. for
its troops because .t struck a fat market
and keen competition. and has been able
to buy It's supplies at very low figures.
IT has placed a large amount OF money
stimulus to both the Wholesale and retail
trade. Jobbers have not made much
money oslt OF the presence OF troops. They
have simply avoided loss otherwise insvi-
table. California has suffered enormously
from the dsouth. and ! do not know what
u going to happen when the war ends and
the troops leave
OF course this Is a gloomy picture drawn
by an interested person, and In not to be
taken at full value. 1t In q fact that San
Francisco has been losing commercial
prescige for many years. and II douetess
viii be fact that II win not recover il
Cor years to come-never. In the judgment
Of competent Observers But II must not
Be- forgotten that the processes by which
it. foremost position are gradual and the
causes numerous and siow-wori<ing and 1t
must also not be forgotten that its losses
have been relative rather than real In
other words. the city has not kept pace
with the growth and progress Of the Pa
cific coast. Its trade has been cut or in
all directions. and IL has maintained Itself
largely by the development OF the terri
tory Immediately tributary. The beginning
Of tt decline Was the completion Of the
Northern Pacific railroad. IA long ago as
1@3. Up to tina. time the single transcon-
tinsntal railroad had lis sole terminus in
this California city and the trade relations
between Oregon. Washington and British
Columbia and their southern neighhor
were close. The coming of competing rail-
roads largely changed the commercial and
Industrial outlook OF the Pacific North
west. and instead of customers tho north
ern cities became competitors. II WA the
same IN Southern Cahforr's. The build
Ing OF the Southern Pacific and the Santa
Fe opened M a great empire. OF which
Les Angeles became the leading city. The
Oriental trade was divided between Seattle,
Tacoma, Vancouver and Portland And,
20 cap the climax. the Southern Pacific
railroad made Sacramento. Stockton. Santa
Rosa. Los Angeles and several other
places terminal points with termina. rates
grievance of San Francisco agains, the
Southern Pacific railroad. Except Ia the
matters of time and convenience. the
Coast city has no real advantage over
Chicago. or even New York in securing
the trade OF these interior towns.
had been absent from san Francisco
for Four years. and ! found some changes
IN lts material aspects and some Increase
In lis activities on my return The changes
have been decidedly for the better. with
THE ohtrusive exception OF the unoccuplea
buildings Several fine buildings have been
erected. notably the spreckels. The Eg.po-
rum. the Examiner and the City OF Paris
The Spreckels Ia noble and beautiful
structure. Golden Gate park. Al once the
pride ard glory OF the city. has been cen
stancy emeelilshed with new monuments
fine ediaces, magnificent drives and an
amazing variety OF perennial flowers and
cFeY-veriant foliage. The Sutro baths are
literally a gigantic marvel. The new cNr
house. unlike the Oil. i,s an adornmen, 90
the rnsEef ana precipl,ous surface Of the
unpctufeeqae seal rocks The Market
street. depot will compare favorablv with
similar modern structures IN the ra.,
The street. car system. aiways magnificent.
hss been made even more satisfactory and
complete by the addition ~ electric cross~
town lines and the adoption Of an elaA-
crate scheme OF transfers that makes II
rrac'ioaSe Ter traveller 20 ride an entlr,
day fer 4 single nickel TIE Market Sire,
company. which - e subsidiary Southern