The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-03
Salt Lake Citizen Visits Golden
Gate and Marvels at Daunt-
less Spirit Shown.
MEMORIES OF DISASTER
REPLACED BY OPTIMISM
Joseph Lippman Gives Graphic
Account of Conditions in
Ill-Fated Metropolis.

spent several days in Sun Francisco.
He reports that the most optlmltslc
feeling imaginable prevails among tho
citizens Of the Western metropolis, and
that with their characteristic lndomlta-
BILE spirit they are clearing away the
ruins and establishing business houses
in sections Of the city which wero not
destroyed by the fierce conhagratlon
of last April,
Mr.. Lippman says that San Fran
ciscans have apparently forgotten the
disaster which well-nigh ruined their
one man in the herculean task OF re-
placing the tottering, scorched wreck
age with structures that Will far eclipse
the former Frisco, both as to beauty
and cost.
Business Very Brisk.
Already q number of the larger
wholesale concerns have resumed bust
ness in temporary structures in varl-
Gus parts Of the burned business dis
trict. The merchants report that
their trade is rapidly reaching proper
tions which existed before the earth
quake and fire. Numerous banking
houses are transacting business in inn
proyised quarters where their build
ings formerly stood. Others are estab-
lished in what was formerly the resi-
dence portion of the city, but which
is now bristling with mercantile es-
| Establishments of every description.
Van Ness avenue, formerly one OF
the artistic residence thoroughfares,
has taken the place of the ruined Mar
ket street On this and other avenues
which lead from it are located the lead
ing retail houses, whose properties for
| merly welcomed their customers In pre-
| tentious skyscrnpers, but. who are now
trading in former dwelling houses
| l.. .al - tl.a
| demands of mercantile tenants. Van
Ness avenue IS now the main com
mercial artery of Frisco II has all
| the coloring which formerly prevailed
on Market street. Handsomely gowned
women, busy men, fast-going antomo-
biles, in fact, all kinds of traffic
crowds the thoroughfare from morning
| till night
Old 40 Spirit Is Shown.
The sound of the hammer and saw
is heard everywhere. Dwellings are
being reconstructed to accommodate
mercantile concerns. Everybody who
can work is employed in bringing the
| affairs of the city around into shape
itself with as much force as ever. 1t
seems to be q composite determination
not to balk at anything.
The yards of the Southern Pacific
company are choked with $500 cars
loaded with all kinds of merchandise,
consigned to San Francisco merchants,
many of whom anticipate the prompt
payment of their insurance, and in this
way expected to take up their bills.
! Delay by insurance companies In set
| tling losses is proving a serious detri-
ment to the plucky Frisco business
man. But, on the other hand, with such
monstrous array Of freight cars on
the side tracks, it would take an army
of Philadelphia lawyers to reduce this
chaotic condition under any circum-
stances. Lumber men are fuming over
their inability to obtain cars for the
shipment Of building material into
Frisco. But if they could obtain
them, it would avail nothing, as no
place could be found to store the cars
after their arrival.
Refugees Living Easy.
Out in Golden Gate Park and at
other places where there are refugee
camps, about 1900 men, women and
children are living. They are being
supported by the relief fund, made up
of contributions sent from all parts OF
mains in this fund, and the remaining
refugees are well aware of the fact.
When asked why they do not go to
work, the men in these refugee camps
defantly declare that they don't have
to indulge in manual or other labor as
long as there IS cent in the relief
fund, and that t6eX hey a. propose to live
Mr. Lippman had the privilege of
hearing q few. after~dinner speeches de-
livered at banquet attended by mer-
chants and prominent Frisco men In
the ruins of the st. Francis hotel The
function took place in what was for
merly the White and Gold room of the
house. The floor was covered with
sawdust, the tables were mere benches
Of unpainted pine. The decorations
consisted Of debris and wreckage left
by the fire. Even the menu cards
were appropriately singed. Mayor
Schmitz and others made speeches that
were full Of hope and sanguine predic-
tions for another San Francisco that
would in time outclass Chicago and DOS
sibly New York. basing their prophesies I
: upon trade with the Orient. the sale
of millions Of barrels of oil, increas-
ing agricultural and mining industries
a large proportion of the proceeds of
which naturally flows into San Fran
cisco.
Much Money Circulates.
One speaker declared that the only
things Frisco had lost were places in
which to do business, When these are
again provided, the city would never
know that a disaster had happened.
Mr.. Lippman states that the de-
mand for all kinds Of labor in San
Francisco is enormous. Wages are
high, and the circulation Of money is
heavy,
~ really thought, Immediately af-
ter the disaster, that San Francisco was
done for" he said, "but from OBJ.
servations made during my visit at
the Golden Gate. believe that San
Francisco will be rebuilt on more mag
niticent lines than formerly existed,
and that it will take its rank along
with New York, Chicago and Phila.
| delDhia -