New-York tribune., 1906-08-26
I THREE THOUSAND sHAcKs ERECTED IN SAN FRANCISCO z&

no rent and does not expect 90 until the owner
of the property which he has squatted gets
hack from trip around the world. The cask
he got in exchange for some clothes and he
paid S5 for carting q 90 where e now stands
No wonder. then. that Ky is realizing profits
In the unburned district. near the jagged line
where the fire stopped. private Dwelling houses
Hathouses and lodging houses ara being turned
into Offices that they may earn bigger rentals
IN Van Ness avenue. for example. fine homes
are being transformed into stores. many Of
which as cOumodious as the biggest shops
Of many good sized cities. One department.
store, whose big building in Market street was
completely destroyed by FIRE now occupies a
temporary abode in Van Ness avenue, consist
ing OF a two story private dwelling house
around which has been built one story shedIike
wings extending TO the sidewalk Yet this es-
tablishment employs more than SEQ men and
women, or nearly as many as before the FIRE
Just Van Ness avenue has become the I'D
street OF San Francisco Fillmore street. fur
ther back in the unburned district has come to
be the city's 18th street. Here business has
made inroads everywhere. One will find a two
story and gable house. for instance. formerly
occupied by two families with the basement
turned into millinery shop the first floor Occu-
pied by fur dealer. the second story trans
formed into hair store. and from the gable
window will hang the sign Of a chiropOdist.
That San Francisco still enjoys the drama
pretty much of old is shown by the success
Of the theatres which have been opened since
the fire. One is shack and tent combination
erected on the ruins of the old Central Theatre.
in Market street. Here stock company has been
playing, and it's performances have been well
pstronized. Its actors have had TO use their
resOurcefulness at times 10 an unwOnted degree
in order to carry through play without a hitch;
but they boast that their rnakeshifts have never
been detected by their audiences.
When the Hearts Of Tennessee for instance.
was being produced several weeks ago. all the
lights suddenly went out IN the first act. Candles
were procured. and the performance proceeded
until within few lines OF death" scene in
the second act. Then the stage manager sudden
ly faced a dilemma How was the dead man to
be disposed Of? The corpse could not get up and
walk off the stage. Neither could the lights be
dimmsd without being extinguished Accord
ingly the play was altered on the spot. and in
stead of the dead mans daughter weeping over
his body. II was placed on a stretcher and to sad
music sOIemnly carried out of sight
The present growth of San Francisco within
the burned district is. OF course regarded the
embryo stage In the development of the new
and greater city. The shacks that are being put
up mostly at the risk of the owners. They
government but In accordance with special
proclamation by the Mayor. They have been
built on the condition that at the Mayors order
they will be torn down. Only ninety davs' lee
way is given for their demolition.
How long, therefore. are the shacks to stand?
When will the Mayor order them down. The
Mayor. himself. it may be truthfuIlv said. does
not know. Plans multiplying for big steel
structures which are 20 take the place OF the
shacks but in the face OF strikes and the ever
increasing cost OF labor and building materials,
the completion OF these permanent edifces will
take much longer than ordinary And should
the traveller. after he has seen at close range
what has already been done TO rebuild the city.
climb TO Mob Hill and look again, he Will begin
to feel much he did when he caught his first
glimpse of the town from the rerrybOat Then
the shacks seem 20 shrink up and disappear
amid the vast waste which stretches away
all sides of him. Then the enormity Of the dis
aster again Overvhelms him.