Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-05-12
NUMBER A.

state 81 do not know" would an
,wer 1T may. 1t may not. NO one
,an tell. 1t. may come to our own CITY, .
iust as II did to San Francisco or
One can feel as calm as
did the younger Pliny when he looked
mon the awful eruptions Of Vesuyius
which buried Pompeii and Hercula-
neum many. many centuries ago. de
nenned this letter to Tacitus just atter
the two cities were submerged: Il
might boast that during all this scene
of horror not a sigh or an expression
of fear escaped me. My support was
founded In that miserable though
strong consolation that all mankind
were involved In the same calamity
and that | imagined / was perisning
with the world itself" So, amid the
horrors of San Francisco's earthquake,
7 did not feel like taking the train ana
going east, as so many wanted 10 90
| did not feel like going even after
Los Angeles itself was vibrated by
slight earthquake. WhyF L felt that
we were all face to face with ike dan-
gers wherever we went. We are all
walking hand in hand with deatn, no
matter in what state we live. Inc
question which faced the people Of San
Francisco is the same that faces all
neople. Our safety is not to be decided
by how fast we can run, but by now
well we can do the work COD mas
given us to do. Then when the death
summons comes, no matter now OF
where it may come, may we be able 10
calmly look up and say: Here am /,
Lord. Here am |. Come and take me
while 1 am working at my post or
duty"
The Silver Lining.
Now. amid all these scenes or de-
struction and sorrow that have come TO
our bereft sister city, l send to these
suffering people words Of congratula-
ton and good cheer. First, l say,
'erhank God, If the earthquake had to
come. that 1t came in the early hours
of the morning" You know that san
3 Francisco is situated at the Golden
Gate of the Pacific. 1t was truly the
Golden Gate then. The sun was JUST
arising over the eastern hills and
throwing its light upon the shimmerlng
waters of the bay. Had this eartn-
quake come hours later Oakland and
berkeley and San Rafael and scores or
other suburban cities and towns would
have emptied their thousands ana tens
of thousands Of business men and shop
pers into the great metropolis. linen
the huge office buildings would have
been crowded. Then, when the walls
cracked and fell, it would not have
meant the loss Of hundreds of lives,
but of thousands upon thousands.
Thank God, say, that the earthquake
came at $50 q. m. instead OF lO:oo
a. m. God be praised, we say. san
Francisco's walls have toppled, put
San Franciscos fathers and motners
J and children live. Even the blackest
, clouds may have the brightest OF SILVER
Innings. A.,
I Second. fact for congratulation: Al
j though the city of San Francisco has
fallen, yet the city Of San Francsco
{. snalf rise again. TIE future San frsr-
9 cisco which shall arise will be as mucn
d ahead of the old city as the modern
r locomotive is better than the old prai-
= rie schooner or canal boat. Like Gal
8 weston. its streets will be broader ana
lined with nobler buildings. Its pal,
e aces will be richer, its stores flieo
a with better goods. Its people will have
t better homes. 1t is all nonsense to taiS
b about this being the end Of San Fran
Q cisco. You can no more blot out ean
n Francisco than you can obliterate Ne"
?. York or London.
e A Better City.
d Then. lastly. l congratulate Sar
e Francisco because this great sorrow II
: going to result in the publication anC
2 the cleansing from sin and the conse
o Grafton of its people to the service o
d the Divine Master. The city or sai
20 Francisco has been filed with eastern
E. people. Most of these people CANE
i from Christian homes. But after man.
IS of them left the old homesteads the.
'e broke away, or, rather, drifted away
le from the old spiritual moorings. Ihe'
IN did as so many eastern people WI
st have come to Los Angeles have done
o. They put their church letters In thei
a. trunks and never took them out. Ihe
ee spent their week days in making none
III and their Sundays in sport and III
seeking. In other words, they nav
not been children of God, as their for'
o. fathers were children of God. bu
en- now. by the broken fortunes and I'd
be new made graves, these people OF I'll
Sc northern part of the state VIII su
IT. rander their hearts to Jesus Chris
nd They will renew their pledges to I'll
yn Saviour. And thus with the right nan
~ thev will reach out to the east an
nd with the left hand they will reach oil
ey to the far west, and in each Oh tho'
IN hands San Francisco will hold thi
olt sacred book In which are recorded u
eY- promises Of God, upon whom they WI
TX, throw themselves in Christian love al
ey alteration. All, the sufferlngs have bee
al great, but out Of those sunerini
we Christ shall lead his chosen ones, as
de- led the children of Israel Of old.
nd May we today pray for our bere
Oh, brothers and sisters Of this strick
nd city. May we continue to reacn out
300 them the helping hand OF brother
ne. love. And in these times Of sorrc
es- and desolation may we with the
ps. consecrate our homes, our possession
ms our loved ones and our own hearts
ius the Masters service.
the ICopyright, 1903, by Louis Klopsch.l
no?
non o4Iuas Eaw