Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-26
kIPL,Ne ON SAN FRANCISCO.
The Authors Description OF the CITY
in "From Sea to Sea-"

| Kudvard Kipling in From Sea TO sea
describes his visit to San Franci'cj. Alter
| detailing his difficulties IN BtttiIS 10 nI7
hotel, and incidentally relating iis III H.
| nrcssiOns of various persons ne met H'
| saws: Later J began 2 vast, Dut uhSyS,
! tematic. exploration Of the streets.
| asked for no names it WITS cnouBn tna ., !
| The navcments were full of white men ana
| women. the streets changing with trafhc.
and that the rcstful roar 81 great Guy
| rang in my ears the cable cars gna,i ni.
| one BY one till / could 60 no farther.
SIN Francisco has been pinchrd do~n on
| the sand bunkers OF the Rikaneer dtsert.
| About one-fourth Of IL Is ground re-
| .I1irncd from the Sea-any Od-tim"r
will tell you all about that. The r.
| nrainder is ragged. untliriity, sandhill#,
| uerged down by houses.
| .'r'rom an EngliSls point of view ther"
has not been III" least attempt al gra'iir <
| these hills. and indeed vou might as wei!
try to grade. the hillOck$ Gf Sind The
cable cars have. for all practical puTpnS' q
made = Al Francisco q dead lcv"l. They
take no count Of rise or tan, but slid.
cquitably on their appointed courS'S from
one end 10 the other OF 4 SiX-milc street
They turn corners almost at right angles
cross other lines. ana for aught know
may rtn NJ the sides nf houS..S. There le
no viSibi" agency Of their flight; but one.
IN a while you shall pass a hvt-stnricd
building, humming with machinery that
winds: up an everlasting wire cable lnd
| the initiated will tell y"n that here is the
me chanism.
IL gave up asking questions. If IT
pleascs Providence TO make Il car run up
and down Il slit in III" ground for many
miles. and II for tWO-penC.. halfpennY |
can ride in that ear, why shall / seek The
reasons of the miracle Rather let III"
look out of the windows ill the shops
civ" place To thousands and thousands of
it'll" houses made of WoOd-cach house
lust big enough for man and his fam
n.y.
on visit to the Chinatown quarter Mr.
Il Italit Inn ttt.-As-
throughout and the only consolation is
that il was :tll my fault. A man too!.
me around the Chinese quarter Of San
J. ranciscO, which is a ward Of the city Of
Canton set down in the most elisibl',
bu.iness quarter Of the place. The China
man, with his usual skill, has possessed
hin self Of good, brick, iirnprooi buildings,
and, following instinct, has packed each
tenement with hundreds of Souls. an liv
ing in filth and sqhilor, not L. br ap-
IrociateG save by yuu in India. That cur
sorry investigation ought to have sufiiced:
but ] wanted to know how deep in the
earth the pistail had taken root. There
fore / explored the Chinese quarter n See
ond tim" and alone, which WAS foolish
ness.
NO one in the filthy streets (but for
the blessed sea breez"s San Francisco
would enjoy cholera every season. inter-
ferod with my movements. though many
asked me for 'CumShaiW.' | struck Il
house about four stories high, fun Of &C.
lestial aDominatonS, ana began to bur
mcntS Were constructed on the lines Of
icebcrGs-two-thrds below sight level.
Downstairs ] crawlod past Cinnamon in
burks, opium smokers. brothcls and gam
bling hells till | had reached III" second
cellar-was in fact, in the labyrinth Of Il
warren. Great is the wisdom Of the
Chinaman. In time of trouble that hOus"
could be raised to the ground by Il mob.
and yet hide all its inha bitants in brick
walled and Northumberland. subtrrranean
galleries. strengthened with iron-framed
doors and gates.
"On the second underground floor Il
man asked for 'cumShaw,' and took me-
downstairs to yet another cellar. .whcrr
the air was as thick as butter and the
lamps burned little holes in it not more
than an inch square. In this place 4
poker club had assembled and was in fun
swing. The Chinaman loves poke ana
plays it with great skill. swearing like 4
cat when he loses. Most Of the men
around the table were in European
dress. their "details curled M under billy
cock hats. They wore a picturesque set
Of fends. ana polite being too absorbed
in their game to look 81 the stranger. We
We're deep down under the earth and save
for the rustic of n blue-sowned sleeve and
the ghaStlv whiSper of the cards they
were shufiled and played there was no
sound. The Feat was almost un"ndura-
BILE