The champion. (Arcadia, Fla.) 1895-1911, 1906-04-26
SAN FRANCISCO
IN HISTORY
Stricken City Long Permeated
viii an Air Of
Romance.
in THE DAYS OF VIGTLANTES
How the Metropolis Of California Was
Purged Of der-LynchIng Of
casey-The Days Of the FOrty-
nlners-TOwn DepOpuIat-
Cd by the Rush Of
Gold Seekers.
IN THE DAYS OF VIGILANTB

stricken city, has long been per.
~ meated with an air of romance
and adventure. Nowhere may
one turn without being reminded Of
the legends that have been woven
around the forty-nlners and their I'm
mediate followers. The names OF the
streets and Of the business blocks, such
as Kearney, Suffer, Montgomery, Du.
pont, Flood, Croker and Sharon, bring
to the mind of the visitor long forgot
ten stories of riot or adventure and of
fortunes whose vastness once excited
his wonder or made him lncredulous.
The site of the city was first visited
by Europeans in 1860, and in 1775 Blu
carell ordered a fort, preside and mis-.
sion founded on the bay One year
later, the year of the Declaration of
Independence. the Spanish settlers be
gan the work, and when Vancouver,
the explorer, visited the place In 1902
the preside represented the military
authority, while the pueblo and mis-.
sion stood for the civil and religious
factors respectively. The mission was
secularized In 1884 and a town laid
out the year following.
In 1876 an American man-of-war, I'M
der command Of Commodore John B.
Montgomery, entered the harbor and
hOisted the stars and stripes over the
town. Mexico which succeeded Spain
as the owner of California, was then
at war with the United States, and the
act Of Commodore Montgomery ended
her dominion over San Francisco.
Montgomery appointed Lieutenant
Washington A. Bartlett to be B'risco's
first alcalde, or mayor, under the new
regime. Under Spanish and Mexican
rule the town was a sleepy, unprogress-
I've place, but with the coming of Amer
leans and the discovery OF gold 10 1913
there came an era OF growth and hus-
tle. This did not eyentuate at once
for the FIRST news OF the discovery OF
gold practically depOpulated San Fran
cisco.
The town was smitten as by,a plague,
and one historian thus describes what
happened Its houses were left un0c-
cupied and unprotected, It's former
trade ceased, its lots fell to small
part Of their value It's two weekly
newspapers were suspended, and the
town. deserted by the bulk Of its In
habitants, was at one time without a
single officer clothed with civil author
fty."
After the first rush TO the gold dig
gings the town began to regain its lost
ground, and ere long the influx Of gold
seekers gave quite an impetus to itH
growth. The town was Incorporated
IN April. 1880, and the FIRST common
council elected proceeded with diligence
to plumber the city treasury. The
same year the state was admitted to
the Union, and when the steamer Ore
gon brought the newsAthere was no
telegraphic communication in those
days-business was entirely suspended
aud the entire population rushed TO the
wharfs to welcome the harbingeR. The
town had about 10000 inhabitants at
that time, and when the people were
informed that the signal flags Of the
Oregon indicated that California was a
sovereign state Of the United States OF
America "a universal shout arose from
10000 voices on the wharfs, In the
streets, upon the hills, housetops and
the world OF shipping in the bay"
In It's early history the city suffered
from several disastrous fires. Between
December. 1s49. and June, 1851, six
cOnfagrations played havoc with the
growing young town Better buildings /
were planned and several Ere compa
niles were organized. These were steps
In the right direction. It was also dis
covered that the fires were started by |
criminals who prohted by the confu-
sion.
This fact and the inefiiciency and
corruption OF the city government led
large number Of citizens to organ
he the famous vigilance committee
which ruled the place In 1851 Quite a
number Of crooks were lynched by
the committee. others were driven out,
like John Oakhurst the leading figure
Ia Bret Harte's "Outcasts Of Po,4er
Flat and the city went through 4 pu-
rincatlon process that was Of great
benefit to L