The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-05-03
HOME FOLKS IN CALIFORNIA.
The Mails Bring Tidings Of Them.

The Mails Bring Tidings Of Them.
We are hearing from our home folks
, in California. Last Friday nights
mail brought copy of the Sacramento
Star of April Goth from B. F. Wells,
and an extra edition of the Oakland
Tribune of the same date from Mrs.
E. F. Whittier. Both papers abound
in startling headlines, large type, and
are mainly devoted to the destruction
of San Francisco by earthquake and
fire. details of which have been antici-
pated by telegraph.
Last Friday night Mrs. Charles Black
received letter from her sister, wife
of Capt. Charles Hartman formerly
Miss Eta Fletcher of Stockton
Springs, written Saturday, April 21st.
in the ruins of San Francisco. The
letter was written in pencil on a bill
head and came without postage
stamp as under postal order letters
from the devastated city are carried
free. Murray Hartman, son of Capt.
and Mrs. Hartman, had lately gone
into business on Market street, and it
will be seen that his place was
destroyed. The letter is the first to be
received from our home people who
were in the very heart of the disaster,
and brings with it realizing sense of
the sufferngs of the homeless.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 81, 1906.
Dear Belle: | suppose you have
heard of the terrible catastrophe we
have had. All can say now is, thank
God we are all alive up to this time;
don't know how long we shall be, for
every one is panic stricken. We are
without home or money for the present.
Charles is at home. Murray's bust
ness is of course fiat to the ground
The banks will not pay anything for the
present, so we may want money to get
home: if so will wire you.
We are sleeping out of doors with
very little to eat; you can imagine the
suffering Words cannot describe the
situation. 1t is terrible. | don't know
how we can live through it, Let the
folks known we are alive, for | shall
not be able to write again very soon.
This is Il special privilege to add to the
horror. Every one is afraid of an cpl
demlc, for the city is full of small pOx.
| cannot write any more, for it is only
today that they will collect mail. Will
let you hear again as soon as possible.
Eta.
Mrs. Edwin Sprague received letter,
last Thursday noon, from her daughter,
Mrs. A F. Pillsbury, San Francisco.
t was written on Thursday the day
following the earthquake, when the
fire was at its height. She and her
family and friends are all safe, and
their house had not then been burned
nor was it probably burned afterward,
as it is near Golden Gate park, where,
we understand, the fire did not come.
They all slept out of doors the night
before, however, as most people did
even if their houses were uninjured,
being afraid Of another and heavier
shock. Opinion.
Miss Annie jenkins, who was in San
Jose at the time of the terrible earth
safe and unipjured. Her mother and
relieved as much anxiety was felt for
her safety Miss jenkins will leave
California at once tor her home in
Pittsfeld -Pittsfeld Journal.
Miss Dora Newell, the Western
Union Telegraph operator here, has
received a message from Oakland, Cali
fornia, which states that Mrs. Ida M.
Staples and family are all right and
asking that other members of the fam
lily be notified. Mrs. Staples was for
merly Ida NJ Crawford of this city
and is the wife of Captain Melvin
Staples of Mill Valley, which is not far
from San Francisco. Letters have been
received from Wilson Ellis, formerly
bookkeeper at the City National Bank,
in which he states that he is we'll and
that the shock was not felt to any de-
gree at Yreka where he is located. Mr..
Ellis is employed there i'll mine and is
some two hundred miles from Berke-
ley. Miss Hattie CoombS, also of this
city, writes to friends that she is we'll.
She is now in the Southern Pacific Hos
pital at Sacramento and they are very
busy caring for the many sufferers who
are being sent there. Miss Coombs
tells an interesting story of the suffer
ing there and the troubles which beset
the many homeless people of that west
ern city. The Leary family in East
Belfast has received news OF their
brother, who has been located in that
section for number of years, and the
message states that he is all right.