Rocky Ford enterprise., 1906-05-04
DISASTER ERASES
Class DISTINCTION
1ARfHoVAXE AT BAN Y1AMcIs-
co PLACES RICH AND PooR
on ZANE LEVEL
sIpELloHTs ON THE :.
GREAT CATASTROPHE
Millionaire and Paupsr Nov yrisads
-1usinssa Being Conducted Amid
he Hains-Hsir 70 Wealth Born
on Sidewalk.


he Auins-Hsir TO Wealth Born
on Sidewalk.
San Francisco. Cai.-rhis town Is
"on the level In every sense OF the
word. writes Ri<hard Barry. You can
stand on Tar nat and sec Telegraph
hill with no obstruction but = few
skyserap-r skeletons. South OF Van
Ness avenue IL Is not even junk heap.
No more shouis are sho, because there
10 nothing 10 steal. and they will have
- pay men To carry on the smashed
tricks. Russian. Telegraph and Mob
hills. which formerly made such
y magnificent metropolitan saddle
against the Golden Gate. look ns they
do in the prints OF 'ts. when serubby
bushes rambled across their barren
faces. They have been serap-d OF foul
and inlr by mighty muck rake. The
homes OF ;hr--foarths Of tho people
Nsre annihilat-d. and ms one walks
through the dcsoiation he slowly real
iIes that the world can never know
what has happened: that 100 rompeiis
would be swallowed In these ruins and
that California in tragedy. m In NIL
else. has shaken her iauniy INST In the
face Of history and written ''nnis" To
the volume.
Social Distinctions Leveled.
Yet these smashed buildings aud d~s-
olaie streets do no, prrscn, the sig
nincant icv-iing. The material lors IL
great. but u does not ktass-r the inaI-
inaiion. A few hundred millions will
mend the hurt and there are many pco-
pie here to-day who think tn. shake
up IL worth III, lc,ciins. Society In
on the ground. face ,o face. Every
artificial barrier II swept away. The
social distinctions built up In 80 years
have been obiiicratrd with che same
swiftncSs and nnali,y shown by the
flames toward the property. The loss
OF life Ii small. the loss of social posi-
ton colossal. Down to the elements.
now nothing counn but human loss.
Money has momrntariiy lost Its pur-
chasing power. Servants. luxury. hab-
It's. prcs,iHc-ycs. amity. fcuds, hatred.
jealousy and contempt have disap-
reared. Humanity Is In the nat and
slkSery one is on tho level.
Here are n few random incidents
picked from the edge OF the ca,aclysm:
Fillmore street. n third-rate metro
poli,an artery. has become for the
moment the business center of the
town. Here, In dinky bakeries. cheap
<sandy stores. awdry photograph gal
lcries and Insignificant lodging houses.
are found all that is left OF the great
est business institutions on the Pa
cifc coast. A sawmiii that formerly
employed 1000 men has Its ofiice in n
hall bedroom that used TO rent for one
dollar n week. A bakery that en-
pioyed 900 carts before the fire is op-
Grating out of hand laundry that was
run by three women. The largest de-
partment store in the west is being
resurrectcd from soda water stand
that has been roughly partitioned. the
front IA by 16 feet space being used
for ano ofIice. Ina rear roomof similar ex-
tent the exclusive heads go for fri
jeles and coffee warmed over an al
cohol lamp.
Odd Quarters for City omcials.
You can sec the chief of police In
San Francisco rs easily as you could
see the sheriff Of the most backwoods
county IN Arizona. He sits in the
window Of q corner grocery and as
you pass on the sidewalk you glance
NJ his bright face and hear his hearty
laugh. The mayor issues his orders
from the lodge room OF a secret So
ciety. The superior court is being
held in Jewish synagogue, while the
city and county records are buried in
tomb In the Masonic cemetery.
\ The newspapers that once occupied
Nhe principal skyscrapers in the city
are being operated from four little
rooms in the same block, no one Of
which has more than 30-foot front
or 5o-foot depth. On one side of
each room you can see the sign Sub
Bcription Department" on the other
Advertising Department" while on
each rear wall is hung a rough sign,
Editorial Department"
One Newspaper Office Bedroom.
One of the most fortunate papers.
after much maneuvering, has managed
to commander second-foor bed
room, the nature of whose previous
occupants is attested by the notice
still hanging from the chandelier,
which reads, Don't Blow Out the
Gas" In this tiny room, around two
small tables. is congregated the Jour-
nalistic talent that formerly conducted
a world-famous organ from a suite of
l5 rooms in one of the most magnif1-
cent buildings in the west.