The San Francisco call., 1906-09-22

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by Jose Mateo te..ing how the growth
Of stricken san Francisco was being
retarded, not only by the slowness with
which some of the Insurance companies
were settling up their obligations, but
also by the fact that the laborers in
the ruined city, not satisfied with re-
ceiving the highest. wages paid in any
city on the globe, were constantly MAX
ing more or less trouble by striking for
still higher wages.
If New York should suffer million-
dollar fire every day uninterruptedly
for year and half she would suffer
less than San Francisco did in the
three days beginning on April Is last.
Yet within ten weeks after the calam-
ity the bank clearings of the city were
10 per cent greater than they were for
the corresponding week in 1905, and
represented transactions of nearly s37.-
600, 900, or more than s1o,0000oo in ex-
cess of the bank clearings of Baltimore
or Kansas City, and an amount equal
ing the combined clearings of Los An
geles. Seattle, Denver, Portland and
Salt Lake City. That is the interesting
record of city whose vitais had been
burned out. but which still retains its
place as the seventh commercial city
in the United States.
Those three days consumed every
hotel, every bank, every insurance Of
fee, every theatre and every office
building. There was not newspaper
left; not streetcar in service any
where. Desolation was upon $500
acres in the heart Of what had been a
Such destruction would not have been
caused by besieging army. Yet this
calamity, which would have thrown an
Old World city into utterable despair,
did not dishearten the citizens of San
Francisco. So 1t was not so much the
visible result of a titanic earth move
ment, nor the fearful desolatfon Of the
flames, which most surprised the vis-
itor to the city of the great disaster.
1t was the universal and unconquerable
optimism of her people, what Prof.
Henry Morse Stephens, the historian.
calls the gay courage" of her men ana
women.
CITY'S REMARKABLE RISE.
For many days following the disaster
there was business paralysis. The es-
sential things were food and shelter.
succession Of legal holidays suspend
ed the maturity of all obligations.
Pastors of fashionable churches stood
a., +1,A hraad Hna. Manufacturers u-aILad
the streets without money to get ac-
cornmodstions. which, in many cases.
even money could not buy. Lawyers
were without books, doctors without
medicines. surgeons without instru
ments. Out of this extraordinary
chaos came, nevertheless. business ac-
tivity. The one thought of business
men was to get re-esteblished some-
how. somewhere. There was no longer
business center. The banks had
headquarters in the homes OF their
presidents or cashiers The insurance
men were scattered or both sides of
wide hay.
Two streets then jumped into inlme
diate prominence. and there came a
question into the minds of many If
there might not be q change in busi-
ness centers. One Of the new business
streets was Fillmore. on which there
was q car line and many small or local
stores; the other was Van Ness ave-
nue., once famous for palatial homes.
At that broad avenue the fire had been
stopped. The east side of 1t was
ruin, and clear to the water front, two
miles distant. there was scarcely shop
or a human habitation. But on the
dences, and these were quickly trans
formed into stores. One-story frame
structures took the place Of the burned
residences on the other side. On this
street, without a car line, is now done
the fashionable shopping Of the city.
On Fillmore street are the cheaper
stores and the larger crowds. On both
of them some leading banks have es-
tabIished branches for their vaults are
far away.
Can these streets be made permanent
shopping centers of real consequence:
II so, then the values OF downtown real
estate might depreciate enormously.
Land in the former shopping districts
had been selling at from $4,000 to s10.-
600 front foot. and a shifting of the
best retail part OF the city would mean
great deal to owners of the realty.
Opinions have differed and they have
changed. but the best impression is
that Fillmore and Van Ness are emer-
geney streets mainly; that there is no
natural congestion OF business on
these new avenues OF trade. The for
ner sections of the city are deemed
certain to regain their Importance, es-
pecially as they wiz have taller and
better buildings than ever.
BUILDING ON WATER FRONT.
In the burned district the first scenes
OF building we're near the water front,
where the crowds entered the city at
the ferries; then came the warehouse
and manufacturing sections The banks
restored their promises by temporary
construction. Then the old retail dis
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