Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-11-30
CONDITIONS IN SAN FRANCISCO.
Interesting Letter From Mr.. Thomas r
Moore
Of the Yorkrille Enquirer.

moore,
Correspondence Of the Yorkrille Enquirer.
OAKLAND, Cal, Nov. l9.-I have beer
intending for some time to write The
Enquirer for the benefit Of those who
may be interested in conditions in the
golden state; but have put it off 81
could have time to take 1t In more
intelligently:
I reached here thirty-four days ago
and there is not much in or around Sar
Francisco that have not seen. lef
Yorkville on the 10th of October. ant
was six days and nights on the way
Including South Carolina and Califor'
mia, travelled through thirteen states
and was not sorry when my journey
was ended.
Arriving at Oakland, was astonish.
ed to find 1t city Of two hundred ant
sixty-five thousand people, and l an
told that the earthquake shook 1t VI
in more ways than one. 1t has always
been a quiet residence city, but now
about half Of San Francisco is crowd
ed into it, and 1 am told that there
are more than a thousand new houses
in course of construction all the time
and property has doubled in value IL
the past six months.
They spoiled the prettiest farm in the
state of California when they bull
Oakland. II lies between the noun
tains and San Francisco bay, and / an
told that Piedmont avenue Is twenty.
three miles long, and Is the longes
street In America without a crook ol
hill 1t is also the prettiest city that
I have ever seen, and there are more
than five hundred trains a day in ant
out of the city.
II it were not for its deep water
front, do not believe that San Fran.
cisco would ever be rebuilt They art
mighty slow about ii, and really very
little has been done except in the way
Of cleaning up rubbish, and in build
ing a few wood shacks for stores, anc
the price asked Is about 1915 per month
rent. A great many cf them are un-
occupied, and will doubtless remain so
While am on this subject, will give
YOU list Of prices, that are asked fol
things in the retail stores both in Oak
land and San Francisco. Eastern ba.
con 25 cents per pound, lard 1S cents
eggs 55 to 65 cents per dozen, new po.
tatoes cents per pound; grapes z!
cents per pound, apples are cheap
about 1 cent each for the best and su-
gar and -four sell for about the same
as in South Carolina. Coal sells fol
SIS ton and wood about $6 a cord.
use gas for cooking. and have not seer
a fire since l came to California.
The climate is mild and the flowers
bloom in the yard all winter. Gerani-
ums grow in hedges. seven feet high
and are a mass Of blooms all the time
I have seen them cut down, and thrown
into a trash pile in the garden, and
they would continue to grow and bloom
Today the magnolias are in full bloom
and tomatoes are still blooming and
bearing.
None Of the wonderful things thai
have been said about California, have
been exaggerated in the least, and an
much pleased with the country. Tc
people who are interested in coming
money to be made in eggs and poul-
try, also in grapes, sweet potatoes and
hogs.
At Petaluma, thirty-six miles from
Frisco. there are more chickens raised
than in any other place In the world
From this place forty-six million eggs
were shipped in 1905. If eggs get toe
plentiful they put them In cold storage
and only ship out enough to supply the
demand, and in this way keep up the
high prices which make business pro.
fitable.
The canneries, the creameries
wineries. etc. make a market, "and al
good prices" for every thing that car
be produced. Nothing Is wasted. But
ter sells for 35 cents per pound, and
and told that dairying pays handsome
ly.
The labor unions here seem to have
things all their own way, and l will
endeavor to explain what one may ex-
pect to run up against should he come
here. with the idea Of taking advantage
Of the high prices which are paid fol
labor. For instance they pay 81 pei
day for lathers. Out here all expert
lathers can put on two thousand laths
and they are paid $3.50 per thousand
II a man comes here from the east OF
any where else. and goes to work on
q job. 1t won't be long until some fel-
low calls on him and asks him II he has
a card. If he says no., then he tells
him that he must make application al
once to join the union. If he fails ia
do 1t, then he will call off every man on
the job, leaving only this. non- union
men at work. Now, II he makes appli-
cation, they will put him to work fol
one day, and II he fails to nail on four
teen hundred laths in eight hours, they
will not admit him into the union, and
in this way they keep them out OF
work, keep labor scarce, and the prices
high. You will find the same trouble
in all the trades-plumbers, shinglers
carpenters, plasterers, masons and sc
on. Common laborers receive $3.50 pei
day. and teamsters get SO to $3.50 pei
day.
In the burned district in San Fran
cisco teams are paid 81 per day with
driver the driver getting half Of this
amount Graft is the order Of the day
here, and they are making 1t warm
for the offenders in the city. Schmitz
the mayor of Frisco, left for trip to
Europe about a month ago, and 1t is
predicted here that he will never re-
turn.
The schools here are fine. The uni
versitv Of California is located here
and there are over four thousand stu
dents in attendance.
The markets here are wonderful, and
there Is nothing in the way Of fruits or
vegetables Of the very finest that can
not he had here. The more wonderful
product Of California is it's grape crop
have seen three thousand acres In
one vineyard. and it Is said that 1t pro-
duces more wine than the whole OF
France.
The average farm in this state Is
from ten to forty acres, and many OF
them net 500 per acre. Real estate Is
in wonderful demand and there Is said
to be three buyers for every seller In
the city of Oakland.
There Is one more thing that l want
to mention that will interest the sports
men, and that Is the quail In Arizona.
They are there in great abundance, and
come in the towns, and about the rail-
way stations. and walk about like pig
cons. can see some Of the sports that
hang around Bee Moore's office smile
when they read this; but II they doubt
it, let them take a trip to Arizona, and
they will never shoot quail In South
Carolina any more.
When I have had time to see more OF
the country 1 will let you hear from me
again.
have just seen the following in the
morning papers. 1.-TWO men were sit
ting by a second story window play.
ing poker An Irishman fell from 6
fourth story window, and as he passed
the card players. he called out, Faith
and am all right yet"
THos. P. MOORE.
The British parliament has before