The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1906-05-03
DISASTER grasses
Class DISTINCTION
EARTHQUAKE AT SAN FRANCIS
CO PLACES RICH AND POOR
ON SAME LEVEL.
SIDELloHTS ON THE
GREAT CATASTROPHE
Millionaire and Pauper Now Friends
Business Being Conducted Amid
the Ruins-Hsir 70 Wealth Born
on Sidewalk.

the Ruins-Hsir 70 Wealth Born
on Sidewalk.
San Francisco, Cal.-This town is
ION the level in every sense OF the
word, writes Richard Barry. You can
stand on Tar nat and see Telegraph
hill with no obstruction but a few
skyscraper skeletons. South OF Van
Ness avenue it IS not even a junk heap.
No o ghouls are shot because there
is nothing to steal. and they will have
TO pay men to carry Of the smashed
bricks. Russian, Telegraph and Mob
hills, which formerly made such
a magnificent metropolitan saddle
against the Golden Gate, look as they
do in the prints OF 40, when scrubby
bushes rambled across their barren
faces. They have been scraped OF foul
and Iair by a mighty muck rake. The
homes Of t~hreefourths of the people
are annihilated, and as n walks
through the desolation he slowly real
ICES 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 all
else. has shaken her jaunty fist in the
face Of history and written "hnis" to
the volume.
Social Distinctions Leveled.
Yet these smashed buildings mi des-
olate streets do not present the sig
nihcant leveling. The material loss is
great, but it does not stagger the mag
ination. A few hundred millions will
mend the hurt and there are many peO-
pie here to-day who think the shake
up is worth the leveling. Society is
on the ground, face TO face. Every
artificial barrier is swept AVA The
social distinctions built up in 80 years
have been obliterated with the same
swiftness and hnality shown by the
flames toward the property. The loss
Of life is small. the loss Of social posi-
ton colossal. Down TO the elements,
nov nothing counts but human loss.
Money has -mOmentarily lost its pur-
chasing power. Servants, luxury, hab-
its, prestige-yes. amity. feuds, hatred,
Jealousy and contempt have disap-
peared. Humanity Is in the fiat and
every one is on the level.
Here are a few random incidents
picked from the edge Of the eataclysm:
Fillmore street. a 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 h Pa
cihc coast. A sawmill that formerly
employed 1900 men has it's Office In a
hall bedroom that used to rent for one
dollar a week A bakery that en-
plOyed 800 carts before the fire IS Cd
Grating out Of a hand laundry that was
run by three women. The largest de-
paTtment store In the west Is being
resurrected from a soda water stand
that has been roughly partitioned. the
front IA by i6 feet space being used
foranomce. Ina rear roomof similar ex-
tent the exclusive heads 20 for fri
jeles and coffee warmed over an al
eohOl lamp.
Odd Quarters for City omcials.
You can see the chief Of police IN
San Francisco as easily as you could
see the sheriff OF the most backwoods
county ia Arizona. lie sits IN the
window OF a corner grocery and as
you pass on the sidewalk you glance
At his bright face ana hear his hearty
laugh The mayor issues his orders
from the lodge room OF a secret So
ciet. The superior court Is being
held IN a Jewish synagogue. while the
city n county records are buried IN
q tomb In the Masonic cemetery.
The newspapers that once occupied
the principal skyscrapers IN the city
are being operated from four little
rooms 10 The same block. no one OF
which has more than a 30-fU0t front
or a 50-foOt depth. On one side OF
each room you can see the sign Sub
Scrlption Department" on the other
Advertising Department" while on
each rear wall Is hung a rough sign.
Editorial Department"
One Newspaper once a Bedroom.
One Of the most fortunate papers.
after much m~aneuvering. has managed
TO commander a s~econd-hoor bed
room, the nature Of whose previous
occupants Is attested by the notice
still hanging from the chandelier.
which reads. Don't BLOW Out the
Gas" In this tiny room, around two
small tables, Is oongregated the Jour
nalistic talent that formerly conducted
a world famous organ from a suite OF
rs rooms In one OF the most magnih-
cent buildings IN the west