The San Francisco call., 1903-09-09

y !" T
memory should be waited over
A Orient seas on his magic carpet,
slip gracefully over Twin Peaks
and be gently deposited on Mar
ket street IN front OF the Call building.
How he would rub his eyes and wonder.
He would see vast city spreading away
on its sumbled hills from bay TO ocean
beach. Intermineble streets, thronged
with a people ike unto the sands Of
Arabia n number, would stretch away
on every SIDE in a tangled skein. On
every hand lofty piles OF stone would
mount high into the air, their pinnacles
oft-tines veiled IN clouds. A thousand
swiftly moving vehicles would speed be-
fore his eyes 70 ascend some impossible
hiu Ike fy on a window pane. A roar
ing as OF the voice OF the Din would I'LL
his ears.
Verify the sstounded Aladdin would say
that this was the imperial Bagdad OF his
dreams. the wizard city Of the Thousand
and One Tales. He would bow his tur-
ban 70 the street IN obeisance to the city
OF cities. the handiwork OF the Genii
Nor would the alteration OF our old-time
friend from the East be wasted one title.
he would bow to the unseen power which
had raised a metropolis upon barren sa-d
hills within the brief life span Of a man.
His alteration woul1 be for this city,
arisen IN a night. 70 be the stepping stone
OF e great nation IN its westward march
OF destiny. Thrice would his forehead
beat the sidewalk IN his wonder at our
Babel tongues OF people culled from every
corner OF the earth, yet working in uni
son for the upbunding OF a great city; at
our speeding ships hocking in our habor
with the varied devices Of the worlds ma
tions at their forepeaks: at our vast
working places and smiling, sunny play
grounds.
Truly San Francisco is the Bsgdad Of
America 1t is the city OF wonders, the
place OF surprises, the Mecca Of true liv-
ing. We have flowers when others have
snow. We have balmy winds when others
are broued by a raging sun. Our city
roars with the trade Of a continent and an
ocean. yet we have grass growing in some
Of our principal highways. Our laws are
made BY Americans for Americans, yet a
more varied people are subject TO them
right in our own city than ever paid toll
unto Caesar In San Francisco one can
throw a stone from the granite palaces Of
the princes Of finance 10 the reeking how
els Of Chinese A street which is claimed
by the rich as their exclusive residence
location is also in its lower length the
worst haunt Of crime in the city.
Thus the startling antitheses run on.
Contradictions, surprises, absolute anom-
allies there are in our San Francisco and
its life But therein lies the JOY Of living.
A Partisan once committed suicide
through the absolute ennui which arose
from having 10 be always buttoning and
unbuttoning his clothes. He lived in a
city which was burned out, where there
was nothing new under the sun. He was
bedged about with the conventionalities
~ rta.e society.
The secret of our San Francisco life is
its freshness. its spontaneous outpouring
OF good wholesome animal spirits. We
are stiu new. We are still eager to grasp
the primitive things OF life. We do hard.
healthy work and indulge ourselves with
equal vigor in hard. healthy play. A
spirit Of comradery. born Of the common
fellowship Of our fathers, the pioneers,