The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1906-05-11

= A4OIO CHERRY PICTORIAL
molished entirely, but it was the brick
structures Of all kinds that suffered most.
There is scarcely one in town but is
cracked. In most cases, one corner or a
front would fall out. On market street
there were a lot of merchants keeping
| "open houses" The fronts of their
places Of business we're laying out in the
street. Strange to say only two fires &C.
Cured, one of them taking half of one
of the principal business blocks.
St Patricks Cttholic church, large
brick structure, with tall spire. collapsed
completely, most of 1t falling inside. l
heard one gum-chewing girl clerk say it
was ''the most beautiful ruin in town."
The steeple and front of the first Pres
| byterian church fell into the street and
the back "came tumbling after" crushing
their pipe organ into junk They had
just remodelled the building and used it
once. Hard luck. The tower of the
magnificent stone postofi building
got scared and made dive for the
basement, it got there all right and they
can get real sunshine right through the
root now. Two brick clothing stores
collapsed so perfectly that they were
only heap of rubbish. No resemblance
to building. They got it away now,
and the clothing picked up. The suits
were all pressed and they say the pants
had creases in them all right, all
right.
Is San Jose discouraged! Not a bit!
They are up and at it again and will
soon have bigger and better town than
before, but they will be more careful in
building it now. They're not the sort of
folks to cry over spilled milk. They
just get another COW and go ahead. 1t
looked like a hollow mockery to one to
walk through the streets and see SO
much destruction in a veritable rose
garden, for the roses and other flowers
are in their beauty now, but they have
to take back seat. could spread this
letter out until we'd both get tired but
won't do it. This is enough.
A. lot Of peculiar and sometimes funny
things happened. One house would
lose all the plaster on the walls and the
ceilings not crack and maybe the next
door neighbor would just be the opposite
One chimney went through the root,
landing on the china closet but didn't
break dish. Near the boss house the
ground heaved, breaking two cement
blocks in the walk into pieces and set
the next two blocks up on them and yet
the ground shows no disturbances.
These stories of cracks opening up in
the ground and swallowing chickens and
cattle are all moonshine. 1t don't swal-
low 'em.
In Los Gatos drug stores the bottles
nearly all tumbled off the shelves onto
the floor and the smells that would greet
you at the door would lay Tom Shaw's
formaldehyde bouquet in the shade. In
one grocery, the space between the
counter and shelves was filled full of
canned goods and bottles. l was glad
l wasn't working there for there was
something doing.
In one of the hotels here, a business
man, who is very modest fellow, got
somewhat ratified and instead of putting
more buds on,tevidently thought he was
bound for warmer climate, took off
what he already had on and rushed out
into the hall. Here he tonnd bevy of
ladies who were probably as much
frightened as he was, but not so ratified.
When they saw HIM, the whole bunch
teat hasty retreat
Dol want to quit the country and go
back east? Not on your life! l came
out here for some experience and am
having it handed to me in large gobs.
Between me and you and the town
pump, believe this whole thing was
gotten up just to advertise California and
it certainly has done it. They got it
started and then couldn't stopit and poor
old San Francisco got it in the neck.
Yet they hate to let up We have had
little shocks every: day since the quake,
and since ! have been writing this there
was q jar that disturbed my bangs and
part Of my back hair, but I'm getting us
ed to it. ] believe conld get used to
hanging after while. Nervous people
still sleep out doors. They say its
healthy, saw Pembina county boy
don his ''nightie" The used to call il his
ulster il North Dakota,) take UP :
blanket and sneak of % recline on the
J soft side az some friendly boIarde IN.