The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-04-21
THE GOLDEN GATE
Gen. j. H. Baker Writes Enter
tainingly About It.
Gives His Impressions of San Francisco
Life...Fias Turned His Face
HOmeward.
San Francisco, April IL, 1899.
LETTER NO. Z.

The Mankato pilgrims VINO nave
been wandering through Southern
California since last November, turned
their steps northward more than two
weeks ago. We went to Santa Bar
bara, which did not realize the expecta-
tions we had formed of it.
After doing" the town pretty
thoroughly, and especially visiting the
house where Mrs. John F. Meagher, OF
bright and blessed memory, lived and
died, we departed. bag and baggage,
for this very lively and commercial city
of the Golden Gate, ycleped San Fran
cisco. This is city of trade and traffic,
an entrepot for the peoples OF all
nations, a Babel of tongues, and full OF
points of interest, and of variety
enough to satisfy the greediest OF
tourists. We have made it our business
to do the town. Our visit to the
great battleship Iowa, was patriotic
duty and faithfully performed. No
writing can convey to one correct
idea of the individuality of one OF these
monsters of the sea. They are not only
superb in all their equipment, but they
are power personified. Everything
about it is built to destroy and de-
molish a foe, and if properly handled,
as an American seaman can handle 1t,
it will truly accomplish its purpose. If
eyer you have opportunity, fail not to
visit battleship, for then only will
you fully understand the strength
there is in navy.
OF course every one coming here
visits the Cliff House." which sits
upon rocks overlooking the Pacific. and
where you see hundreds of seals, sport
ing in their clumsy, ponderous way, on
their little island homes, but in full
view. They are protected by the
government, and so the ungainly
creatures are never disturbed. Golden
Gate Park, which comprises over one
thousand acres, is delightful place to
visit, with its endless attractions, such
as splendid drives, animals, a fine
aviary, green houses, concerts, trees
and flowers of a Thousand kinds, Straw
berry Hill, with it's view of the ocean,
charming places for children. There
are none of those horrid signs keep off
the grass, but the children just roll on
it, in perfect enjoyment.
We took in the U. S. mint, and saw
the specie of the nation made, from
start to finish. We looked into the
huge vaults where fifty millions of
silver we're piled up. Nobody wants
the silver, and here it is held by Uncle
Sam for future contingencies. The
country has absorbed all it requires,
and Bryan can never force more into
circulation than the people want. We
saw one hundred thousand dollars of
gold coin drop from the huge dies in
the short hour we were there, with the
royal eagle of America stamped there
on, as they fell into baskets. Our
guide told us the gold coin went into
immediate circulation, while they were
glutted with silver. We were informed
that gold was coming in. in constantly
increasing quantities from every por-
ton of the country for coinage. Thus
has Providence provided honest money
for all the people, and an ample supply.
Gold is in general circulation here, and
it Is difficult to get paper currency,
which is so much more convenient
And we went to Chinatown in the dark
midnight. , The bazars, the Chinese
theatre. the shops, the josh house, the
dark and senuous alleys, where murders
had been recently committed, the
opium joints, reeking with opium
fumes, where we saw thirty in one little
underground room stepped by the drug
to dreams Elysi an through all these
scenes our guide conducted US, till we
were actually nauseated with smells
and scenes. Nor should we neglect to
mention che Acknowledged slaves of lust,
WIN pOClcu upoh no ehiOuSh AobOlSCN
doors, as we passed the halls allotted to
these Cyprian women, who are not
there by choice, but sold to this lewd
slavery by the tyranny of the Chinese
power and system. which holds sway in
Christian America! This is truly re-
markable city. Here is wealth and
poverty, civilization and barbarism,
side by side. Here is the world. the
flesh and the devil. They euphoniously
call it the Golden Gate" but if the
gates We're ajar, you might easily catch
a glimpse of perdition.
Its city of $50, 900 people, rs public
schools, 800 churches, 10 theatres and
countless wide-open saloons. What l
particularly notice, is the absence; of
beautiful homes in this city. There
are no places which make you long to
live in them. There are more flowers
and floral beauty, around single cottages
in Los Angeles than there is around
all the cold stone palaces on Knob
HILL" where millionaire wealth has en-
trenched itself, as if in granite fortifi-
cations against the dread coming of the