Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-29
SCENES IN FRISCO.
Descriptive Letter From an Aged
Resident

The following letter from Oakland, Cal,
dated April 49, 20 q and o. was written by
Mr.. William Booth eighty-four years of
age, California pioneer, member of the
old vigilance committee of San Francisco, a
retired merchant of that city, who now lives
with his son. Prof. Edward Booth of the
University of California, at 1914 Harrison
street, Oakland. The letter was written to
Mr.. Booths daughter Mrs. Bunker, wife of
Mr.. William NJ. Bunker, the Washington
representative of the chamber of commerce
of San Francisco:
Thursday, April 19.-Wil commence with
Ned's going over again this morning and
returning about noon with a couple of refu-
gees; looked like newly married couple.
He has joined an association to take tenn
porary charge of the crowds focking over
here from San Francisco-people who have
got bit of stage fright and want to get
out for the present. OF course, they will
get over it by and by and crowd back again
when the tide turns, as Ii is sure to do.
Why, l noticed today that the crowds of
refugees who filed our parks here were
laughing and joking as though they never
heard of a land shake. Our streets are
crowded with them just now, and they all
look the very reverse of scared citizens.
Friday, April 20.-With such delightful
weather we are having 1t seems difficult
to realize that such events as are now hap
pening should be. At theschamber of com
merce, which is quite near the corner of
Franklin and 18th streets. refugees had
officials to wait on them. The room was di-
yided into departments for registering all
who wanted to get free pass to anywhere
but San F'rancisco-there they were not al
lowed to GO / drifted to big contra ctors
place. where l noticed a crowd and found
men who wished to be registered for labor
at 50 per day. There seemed to be plenty
of billposters on the walls calling for bakers
to apply at the chamber of commerce, which
means, / suppose, bread for the hungry.
Saturday, April 21.-The weather has
been all that could be desired until today,
which opened foggy and cooler. The refu-
gees are now drifting to st. Paurs, and l
spent part of this morning in sitting by
the church door and experimenting matters
generally. At my usual time l started out
for a stroll, and found Broadway looking
very much like Broadway in New York as
to population. l came across on Franklin
street, at the chamber of commerce, what
took to be a political meeting but found
out 1t was refugee crowd receiving passes
on the railroad
Sunday, April 22.-Oakland has been a
great help to her big sister this week-feed-
Ing and lodging thousands of her outeasts
To see them marching off with bundles of
castoff clothing would suggest a remnant
sale. Most of the churches left off their
services today, as most of them were occu-
pied by the refugees, straw being thrown on
the floor to serve for beds. / started out
intending to go down to the water front to
see what damage had been DONE and on
my way passed the Lincoln School and
found that refugees had taken possession
of that building also / then continued nv
walk to the lake. and there found many
ridges and canyons had evolved themselves
on the side nearest 18th street out of what
had once been level ground. The concrete
draw were wrenched more or less out of
their original shape.