The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1906-05-04
DISASTER grasses
Class DISTINCTION
EARTHaUAKE AT SAN FRANCIS
CO PLACES RICH AND POOR
ON SAME LEVEL.
SlDELlCHTS ON THE
GREAT CATASTROPHE
Millionaire and Pauper Now Friends
Business Being Conducted Amid
the Ruins-Heir TO Wealth Born
on Sidewalk.

business Being Conducted Amid
the Ruins-Heir TO Wealth Born
on Sidewalk.
san Francisco. Cal-This town 1.
ION the level" in every sense Of tbs
word. writes Richard Barry. You car
stand on Tar fat and see Telegraph
hill with no obstruction but few
I skyscraper skeletons. South of Van
Ness avenue il 5 not even junk heap
No more ghouls are shot because there
IS nothing 70 steal. and they viii have
TO pay men 10 carry OF the smashed
bricks. Russian. Telegraph and mol
hills. which formerly made such
a magnificent metropolitan saddle
against the Golden Gate. look as they
do in the prints OF ~. when scrubby
bushes rambled across their barren
faces. They have been scraped of foul
and rair by a mighty muck rake. The
homes of threefourths OF the people
are annihilatei, and as one walks
through the desolation he slowly real
izes that the world can never know
what has happened: that 100 Pompeiis
would be swallowed in these ruins and
that California in tragedy, as in al
else. has shaken her jaunty fist In the
face OF history and written "finis" &c
the volume
Social Distinctions Leveled.
Set these smashed buildings and des-
olate streets DO lot present the sig
nihcant leveling. The material loss Is
great. but II does not stagger the mag
nation. A few hundred millions will
meSd the hurt and there are many peo-
pie here to-day who think the shake
up i worth the leveling Society Is
on the ground. face 10 face. Every
artificial barrier is swept away. The
social distinctions built up in so years
have been obliterated with the same
swiftness and fnality shown by the
flames toward the property. The loss
OF life is small, the loss of social posi-
ton colossal. Down 70 the elements
now nothing counts but human loss
Money has momentarily lost its pur.
chasing power. Servants, luxury. hab.
its, prestige-yas, amity. feuds. hatred
! jealousy and contempt have disap-
perred. Humanity is in the fat anc
every one is on the level.
Here are a few random incidents
picked from the edge Of the cataclysm:
Fillmore street. 4 third-rate metro
politan artery. has become for the
moment the business center OF the
town. Here. in dinky bakeries, cheap
candy stores. tawdry photograph gal
leries and Insignificant lodging houses
are found all that is left Of the great
est business institutions on the Pa
cific coast sawmill that formerly
I employed 1000 men has its Office in q
hall bedroom that used 70 rent for one
7 dollar 4 week. A bakery that en-
| ployed 900 carts before the fire is OPP
Grating out Of hand laundry that was
Y run by three women. The largest de.
I partment store in the west is being
! resurrected from a soda water stand
that has been roughly partitioned. the
front IL by IS feet space being used
| for an Office. Ina rear room Of similar ex.
tent the exclusive heads 20 for fri.
\ ieles and coffee warmed over an al
cohol lamp.
Odd Quarters for City officials.
You can see the chief OF police in
San Francisco as easily as you could
bee the sheriff Of the most backwoods
! county in Arizona. He sits in the
window Of a corner grocery and as
sou pass on the sidewalk you glance
~ his bright face and hear his hearty
laugh. The mayor issues his orders
from the lodge room OF a secret So
/ liet.. The superior court is being
held in Jewish synagogue, while the
ity and county records are buried Ia
tomb in the Masonic cemetery
The newspapers that once occupied
he principal skyscrapers In the city
are being operated from four little
rooms In the same block. no one OF
which has more than a 30-foot frcnt
Or a 50-fOot depth. On one side Of
each room you can see the sign Sub
scription Department" on the other
1 Advertising department, wn4Ie on
.-ch rear wall is hung q rough sign,
Editorial Department"
One Newspaper Office a Bedroom.
One Of the most fortunate papers,
after much maneuvering. has managed
70 commander a second-foor bed
room. the nature Of whose previous
occupants Is attested by the notice
stu hanging from the chandelier
which reads. Don't Blow Out the
Gas" In this tiny room. around two
small tables. IS congregated the our
nalistIc talent that formerly conducted
world-famous organ from a suite OF
Is rooms in one Of the most magniii-
sent buildings IN the west