The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-05

teresting street this city does not af-
ford. The buildings which line it are
not imposing. They represent for the
most part the back elevation of struct-
ures which put up imposing fronts on
Market or Mission, and are somewhat
careless as to the rear view. From my
window l see tailors at work, book
keepers making long rows of figures,
and in going in either direction am
obliged to pass a number of saloons
and poolrooms. There is a sausage fac
tory, too, which saluteS the olfactory
senses with a suggestion of things long
dead and partly cooked. There are
tumble down rookeries in which people
live because they have not the enter
prise to die, and tow-headed urchins
who thrive on dirt. But all these are
mere incidents. The street itself is the
study. There are sidewalks on either
side, but few venture to tread them be-
cause they are devoted to the storage
Of goods, Not long ago boy, led by
the rashness of youth to walk on the
walk, had a case of goods fall on him,
whereupon he died, as might have been
expected. Presumption of this sort does
not go in Stevenson street. The pru-
u6uL TAKE 10 the Vi the IOdu,
but there they find that a pit has been
digged for them. It is a peculiar road.
1t has a cobble surface, subject to sud-
den and violent changes-that is, when
it has a surface. Ordinarily the bow
els are being torn out of it, and sur
face is one of the things it lacks. One
day there will be necessity for secret
ing a pipe of some sort in it's depths,
and the next day a new set Of men
spy out and disinter the ~ipe with all
the air of having made a great discov-
cry. After each convulsion the cob
bles are replaced with care. They are
noble cobbles, each one standing out
like the sore thumb of the lamented
Nye. 1 do not see why they are ever
put back, for as sure as they are, they
are yanked out again. They simply
serve to make the passing beer wagon
more vociferous, and having done this
are straightway disturbed by the picks
of fresh lot of vandals. There have
been some buildings erected at the
Third street corner, and the brick and
lumber from these has taken all but
the space necessary for a strictly sober
man to use in threading his way. In
dry weather the dust is a foot deep, in
wet weather the mud is two feet deep.
The saloon-keepers tell me CONFIDENTIAL
ly that their business is being ruined,
and even the tramps wont to thrive on
the odor of sausage are getting discour-
aged almost to the point of hunting a
job. Altogether Stevenson street is a
joy and an inspiration. Those who in
wade it, and get as far as The Call
brainery, may think they hear the
whirr of dynamos. but no. That sound
is the editorial organ of thought athrob,
and it is aided and abetted in volume
by the charm of environment. Steven
son street is daisy. There is not an
other like it in the whole municipal
garden.
San Francisco should be proud of the
distinction of being a port of call for
line of steamers, for some reason not
explained, running to San Diego. Aft
er awhile we may grow to the dignity
of being declared a suburb of Mil
Valley.
would counsel the bright man of the
Fresno Waterman not to be nasty. He
doesn't need to be.
The fact that Edward Atkinson does
not want the United States to keep the
philippines is the strongest argument
yet advanced for doing. SO. Atkinson