The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1900-12-12

iate at last Tuesday nights storm
proved too much for il, and about mid
night the rotten old stick fen with
resoundlng crash, which was heard
nign above the roaring OF Inc gale.
Thus vanishes one of the most inter-
esting mementoS OF the early days,
when electric cables were not, and the
only regular means OF communications
with the outer world was by means OF
the bl-monthly steamer from Panama.
All San Francisco went wild with ex-
citement on those days, and the MEM
ory of them is still kept alive by the
|curiouS survival of the Steamer Day
custom. AS a matter of convenience it
became the practice to collect and pay
all accounts at these periods, and
though modern methods OF communlca-
ton have entirely revolutionlzed busi-
ness matters, the plan has endured for
fifty years When a steamer was due
every eye was fixed on Telegraph Hill,
where the tall semaphore pole was dis
tinctly visible from all parts of the
city Everybody knew the code of sig
mails employed, and as soon as the arms
began to move, the name aid character
of the approaching vessel was known.
In the early days there was another
Semaphore Station at Fort Paint, and
the signals from there were repeated to
Telegraph Hill. The method was kept
up until about twenty years ago, when
for being, at the time of its installation
the longest one west of the Rockies.
One by one the old landmarks of San
Francisco are disappearing. Fran
cisco Newsletter.
LATEST FREIGHTS AND CHAR
TIERS.
Adderly British bark, 1,147 tons (on
Puget Sound); lumber thence to sgd
ney; owners account; prior to arrival
Av,tn ota n, har I tor
Cat Chemainus); lumber thence to An
tofogasta; owners account.
Bermuda, British ship, 1888 tons;
wheat to United Kingdom, Havre, An
twerp or Dunkirk; G2; prior to arrival.
Bermuda, British ship, 1923 tons;
wheat to United Kingdom, Havre, An
twerp or Dunkirk; 92, As Sd; re-char-
tered by l.. Kaufman; prior to ar
rival.
Carmarthenshire, British steamer, L.
S7S tons; lumber from Puget Sound to
Port Pirie, 93; by Pope & Talbot; prior
to arrival.
Clan Mcpherson, British ship, 1856
tons cat Tacoma); wheat thence to
United Kingdom, Havre, Antwerp or
Dunkirk; Ell, 1ss Cd; prior to arrival.
Forester, American schooner, 621
tons; lumber from Puget Sound to
Sydney; 92 lis Sd; Melbourne or Ade-
laide, G2 1Ss Cd; Port Pirie, e2 It's Cd;
Dy j. j. moore q 90.
Fort George, American ship, 1,619 tons
Cat Chemainus); lumber thence to Sgd
ney; e2 12s Cd; by Chas. Nelson; prior
to arrival.
John Smith, American barkentine
525 tons Cat Berkeley); lumber thence
to Honolulu; by Renton, Holmes & Co.
Langdale, British ship, 1889 tons Cat
Portland; wheat thence to United
Kingdom, Havre, Antwerp or Dun
kirk; by Balfour, Guthrie & Co.
Mary e. Foster, American schooner,
S39 tons Cat Blakeley); lumber thence
to Honolulu; by Renton, Holmes &
Co.. prior to arrival.
Sehome, American schooner, $50 tons;
lumber from Burrard Inlet to Valpa-
raiso, f. o., G3 IS Sd.
Siam, American steamer, 1891 tons;
wheat to st. Vincent, f. o., f2 5s; op-
ton of Tacoma loading, G2 IS Sd; by
Girvin & Eyre; prior to arrival.
Sofala, British ship, 2160 tons (at Ia
coma); wheat thence to United King
dom, Havre, Antwerp or Dunkirk: 92
IS Cd; by Eppinger & Co; prior to ar
rival.
VIM. Olsen, American schooner, 491
tons; lumber from Gray's Harbor to
Honolulu: by S. E. Glade Lumber Co.
SHIPPING NOTES.
The Zealandia sails for San Francis
co on Friday at 4 o'clock in the after
noon.
The ship Standard secured berth
at the railway wharf yesterday, where
she is now discharging her coal.