Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-08-15
IMPRESSIONS OF A GREAT CITY.

an easy undertaking to set down and
write exactly what you have been looking
at every day, for months at a time. but
you try it once and you will soon see
how difficult it is. am in what is con-
sidered great city, and have walked
its streets and climbed its hills, visited
its parks, and lived among its people
for months, and just now | thought |
could write out the impression made
upon my mind, and describe truthfully
and exactly what does exist in this city
of San Francisco in the State of Califor-
MIA, and find it most difficult thing
to do, and am afraid of failure even be-
fore begin. Yet | will give it trial,
but impressions do not always convey
the truth as l have just limited. so
that it may be that my own may not ac-
cord with many others that have already
been published of this city by the sea.
will begin by contradiction, and
say that San Francisco is not a great
city yet, but she is fast growing in that
direction, and no doubt wills some day be-
come Greater San Francisco as New
York has become Greater New York.
What San Francisco needs most at the
present time is better system ofgovern-
ment. She has such great variety of
people in her much mixed up population
that government is a hard problem to
solve. Change the present system, clean
out the element now existing and start
on new basis, and new life will spring
up and San Francisco will be great. A
stranger entering the city, as he emerges
from the ferry landing at the foot OF
Market street is at once impressed that
he has set foot within bounds of at least
busy placeif not agreat one. The street
cars all center here, and the overland
passengers land here from the ferry
across the bay, from Oakland, the termi-
nus of the Southern Pacific Railroad for
San Francisco. Thousands of people
are going and coming day and night, and
the track across the bay is really i'm
menee, all of which betokens business
and thrift.
Market street is the central and main
street of the city, aud extends from the
bay for two miles towards the ocean
beach. 1t contains quite number of
fine business blocks, some of which are
of solid structure, but many are built Of
wood, and many are small buildings
with false fronts and additions, and it is
this class of buildings throughout the
city that need removing and more solid
and larger structures put in their places.
1t is wonder that some great cOnfla-
grafton has not yet visited this section of
the city.
The prominent buildings on Market
street are the Examiner, The Call and
the Chronicle buildings, standing on op-
posite corners, all high and imposing
and supposed to be fire proof. The
Palace Ho:el containing eight hundred
rooms attracts some attention with its
front of bay windows, but it is con-
structed of wood, and is liable to be de-
stroyed by fire at any time. This build
ing was erected by VIM. G. Ralston,
President of the Bank of California, at
an immense cost, and involved the bank
to a large extent. Mr.. Ralston was sup
po.ed to have committed suicide by
drowning.
The city has quite number of fine
Office buildings, the Mills building and
the Heymond building on Montgomery
street. and others in different sections.
There are a number of sky-scrapers fol-
hotels going up being built by different
estates and some Of them to cost several
millions. These buildings are scattered,
but of course will add much to the gen.
eral appearance of the city. The hote
business is simply immense, especially
during the tourists season. Inc
wealthy section of the city is high up
located on the hills where there is
view of the sea and the bay, and tht
Golden Gate. The view is certainly al
that one could wish, and to look dowr
upon the city from one of these higf
points you get a splendid idea of The
bay and extent of it. You see all arounc
| you D6dutliul uOulcS, WIN hoHNoNHiN
yards and lawns filled with statuary anc
exquisite plants and flowers. and below
you view the city with its thousands o
frame buildings, its line of cable cars
moving up and down the steep inclines
and off on the bay the immense ferry
boats plying between Oakland and sar
Francisco. The view of the Colder
Gate and the Pacific Ocean is well wortf
looking at, especially at sun set 1t Il
; really grand. There are many attrac
tons 10 and around the city, but to G,
into detail would of course cover mucl
,, space, and indeed large volume nigh
be filed with exceedingly interesting
reading. Golden Gate Park extends al
the way to the sea shore and is a credi
, to the city, with its magnificent drives
and walks, and the general public ap
: preciate, judging by the thousands O
r people who as emble there, especially OF
Sundays. Thirty years ago the san,
was shifted by the wind, and covered al