Bisbee daily review., 1906-05-20
"Good Bye Old Frisco, You
 Gave Me Many a Pleasant Evening" Was the Toast Drunk at the Mint Building.
HILARIOUS SCIENCE ON
 CURB OF MINT BUILDING
Clyde H. Tavenner Tells of the
 Scenes Enacted in Wicked
 Red Light District While the
 Flames Drove Crowds Along
tBy Clyde H. Tavenner.)

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, May 19.- Good bye, old Frisco. You gave me many pleasant evening, and I'm sorry to see you go. But we've all got to go, so here's looking at you. Health to you"
 While the heavens glowed red from the burning of San Francisco on the morning of April IS, and the earth shock and cinders and smoke filled Ihe air, and brave men feared lest the end of the earth had come. two hun dred halfintoxicated men and women of the night fled from the dens of the tenderloin and gathering on the broad sweep of stone steps at the United States mint, drunk to the health of Ghe doomed city.
 With the first appearance of the flames in that section where the red light gleamed and the sound of early morning carousal broke the peace of the night the sirens who filled the numerous lodgings houses in the vicin- ity began to gather in the street. Some carried jewel boxes, some bird cages, some spring hats that had just come from the milliners. Nearly every one. with that feminine variety which probably grows greater instead of less with vice, was painted and dressed in her gaHdiest finery- They had had plenty of time to go back to their rooms after the quake and don fine raiment, and even the terror that was creeping oyer them as the flames grew nearer could not deter them from making up to win such admiration as they might
 Out in the street the terrorized women gazed up at flame and build ing, not knowing but that another l quake would send brick and stone to hurl the death the fire could not bring l them. They ran about on Mason, Powell and Eddy streets, clntching at those they knew and asking affrighted questions. They knew of no refuge Where were their friends of whom | they could ask shelter in the unburned ! district.
 l Why they did so, no one could say, but some of the women wandered down Fifth street to the Mint They halted and sat on the magnificent broad stairways that gave ample rest ing ground. Others came. Dissolute males who had gained their living from the fallen women followed dog gedly. Word got out that the tender ioin was gathering on the Mint steps From Mason and Ellis and other streets the exodus to. the government building became general The steps soon became crowded and late corners sat on the sidewalk or paced up and down in the street. It looked as if a great crowd had gathered at an am phitheatre for band concert.
 Above. in the heavens, there was the reflection of the flames The roar of | | rI.. Il most drowned the babel of voices on the mint steps.
 Some of the women screeched in hysterical excitement, some were si. lent and pale. Shouts that the world was coming to an end were raised by some of the more ignorant. Some prayed and called on God, as vice al- ways does when death looks in on it's reveling and freezes it's blood.
 Then the scene enliyened. A wagon came dashing along, bearing on the front seat with the driver a man known to everyone of the crowd at the mint. He was the proprietor of a Tenderioin cafe where they had all revelled many a night. The wagon
 was stocked with champagnes and other fine liquors. He was trying to save his stock.
 The load never got further. Men and women surged around it and snatched out bottles and soon the stimulants
 were flowing down parched throats as the bottles flew along through the crowd.
 | The messengers were sent to all saloons and cafes in the Tenderloin
 with word that the girls" had gathered on the Mint steps. Baskets and wagon loads of wet goods began to reach the
 Mint. The stuff was not drunk. It was poured down by all who got 1t. Earthquake and fire were forgotten. The red liquor shut out all the horror of the. situation. Prayers gave way to ribald song. The mute women be- gan flinging their arms about and showing signs of resurrection. Men cursed and some of them fought. Male and female danced Soon a wilder, fiercer orgie than the red light dis trict had ever known was in progress cn the spacious sters of the great Itone government building.
 So tie closing eaturnaha of the ten derloin, which went with the rest oi the city in tke great fire, was held on the steps of the most stately building in San Francisco. It grew in intensi- ty as the flames grew. The reason in the brains of the men and women of the underworld was licked up by alcohol, as completely as were the buildings by the oncoming fire.
 Soon sparks that blazed more redly than their predecessors began to drop from heaven. Some were SO virile that they burned holes in thin waists and tsccrched hat piumes. The roar of the flames changed to & distinct crackle