Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-05-05

OI WOOu.
 They told us pathetic stories of how the people kept Sunday in ruined San Francisco. It was always such gay San Francisco, the Paris of America, with It's parks, It's French restaurants. its ocean beach. Yesterday the people knelt about the ruined churches, knelt in the debris of great earthquake and a frightful fire, while the ministers prayed for help. There were services on the beach, the only music the roar of the ocean.
 There was an ever increasing line around the bread wagons. Ministers of the gospel stood quietly in line. One of San Francisco's leading mil lionaires brought little tin pail in which to carry away his two little loaves of bread. Some girls of the smart set, who had been beautiful bellies at the opera on Tuesday evening, stood in line to get their share of bread to take home to their little brothers and sisters.
 But nobody thinks it is charity. I suppose away of in the distant future a sense of humor will come back to us, and some things will seem funny and amusing We visited man with his arm bandaged, and we said: Were you hurt by the earthquake?' Sudden ly his wife snapped up: "No, he wasn't; the matter with him is he new CT can remember. After the earth quake, I sent him for my hat. Of course he forgot the front steps were gone, SO he fell into the cellar instead" And she gave him whitening look.
 In the vestibule of church they were giving away clothes. One shiver- ing woman was being fitted out. Here. dear," said the woman in charge, "here is nice, good, warm waist" "Oh. l couldn't wear it," she answered. You know, I'm in mourn ing" ..-
 Another girl near by said: "Yes, please, l want waist. I want pink and white, you know; they're my fa- vorite colors."
 Quite suddenly the smile died on our lips. A little mother came up. T want clothes for my baby; it's cold" she said. They took the baby from her. and man near by said to another, ''The child is dead" And we turned and fled.
 We went down to Broadway to look for friends. Some people are so dazed they will make no effort to reach the homes of their friends. On the corner was dapper youth whom we have long known. Everybody Works but Father" he was humming. You'll work, too," said a soldier who was making up hollow square of 100 men. Our dapper friend began ex- cuses, but there was a little sharp prick of a bayonet. It is wonderful what powerful argument these bayo- nets have been. When next we saw him he was covered with dust and mortar.
 On our way home we met little family of five children. the eldest a bright little boy of eleven. Their little arms were full of provisions. The boy carried box of bread and other things, and all the little ones, even to the baby, carried packages.
 we were burned out" said the boy. with pride, as though in these days it was an honor to be burned out. Moth CT is sick and father is taking care of her, but we won't be hungry"
 don't know what city sent those special provisions. but I wish the peo- pie of that city could have seen the five happy little children taking them home, saying in childish glee, we won't be hungry"
 On Broadway we met one of the friends for whom we had been looking. Not long ago we had been to a recep- tion at her home, one of the most mag nifcent of the palatial San Francisco homes. We hardly knew her, with the queer little sailor hat and the quaint old cape she wore.
 "Yes." she said, seeing us look at them, they're Mary's. Mary was the only one who had any money. and Mary has brought us over to you"
 When we had taken her home and made her comfortable she cried:
 We did not think the fire would reach us till man came and told us all to get out. that they were going to dynamite the house. It was so big. you know. All the others ran out. Mary taking the children. But I ran quickly through the house for a last goodby. There were all the old fam fly pictures on the wall-our fathers and mothers. you know. There was the chlldren's nursery. In my room were the clothes I had worn to the opera. and on my dressing table my jewels. I was afraid of robbers. so didn't take them. and then I ran downstairs. and in the dining room were all my wedding presents. I put the latch on the door as I passed out. I was lock ing up for the last time the door of happy home. All out? That's good said . man. We went along the street and waited. Then the house went up in the air. and there was a great col lapse-our home was gone.
 But that was not SO dreadful as the night in the park We were packed so 1 closely there was not room for one 10 l move. Chinese. Japanese. Spanish | Italians. everybody. some sitting up. | some stretched out exhausted. and so l near we could almost touch the two ! long lines of ghastly dead bodies And i all night they slept side by side. the I ..A nE.