Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-06-20
celving and always ready to commit VIC.

ceiying and always ready to commit vfo-
lence.
San Francisco, at this period, was a
most unsightly place in Its exterior APP
pearance. The houses had been erected
without plan and style, all low, irregu-
lar huts and shops of all possible shapes
and forms, offensive to the eye, and Just
90 many blots upon the picturesque 10.
|cality. And the crooked, sandy, dirty
streets along the swampy shore, all torn
UP by the lively traffic, full of holes and
pools into Which man and beast sank
down knee-deep,-could anything have
aroused the patience and the gull Of the
hasty gold diggers more than such thor.
oughfares? Then came the great con-
flagrations of May 4 and June %, 1851,
and they brought relief in clearing the
city of its old shanties and unsiglftly
buildings, making room for more solid
structures and for wider, straighter and
better streets. The old City Hotel, the
oldest tavern of the place, a building
with a mighty tile roof, the whole Plaza,
the office Of the "Alta California;" the
old Custom House, the Postofflce, and
numerous historic huts were destroyed.
On the bark Eagle as early as 1915,
the first three Chinese, two men and a
woman, came to San Francisco from
Hongkong. and in February, 1850, the
Mongollans in the city numbered 1877.
And after that they began to arrive IN
swarms, In shiploads, until Uncle Sam
put stop to it.
1t was somewhat significant that
churches in the early days of San Fran
cisco were located outside of the city
proper On Sundays the Spaniards and
Mexicans and the adventurous throns
would gather at the Presidio, at the La
COON, and In the western part where the
Mission San Dolores kept its doors
open. This Mission lay about two miles
from the center of the town. 1t was
built In 1776-in the year of the Decla-
ration Of Independence-and stood be-
tween several small creeks In the midst
Of fertile fields. The old church and
landmark, after its restoration In 1850,
Is still standing today, surrounded by
an old churchyard, and is solemn,
gloomy pile Of clay, while the city has
stree spread its houses around 1t In ey-
cry direction There Catholic service
was held, and there IT was where
amusements, bull fights, horse races, du-
els. and prize fights Invited the multi
tude.,. Yet, us early as 1913 the old
school house was utilized for the first
Protestant service, and a year later reg
ular meetings We're conducted within its
walls. After the great fire, however,
churches of all denominations appeared
in the rejuvenated city.
Up to 1852 San Francisco greatly re-
sembled Spanish Mexican town. Grad
ually these characteristics wore away,
and the place developed into truly
Americas city. Eastern vehicles and
omnibuses. succeeded in driving out the
gaily dressed ranchero riding on a fiery
steed and equipped with tInkling bells
and spurs and great sombrero. The
sand hills were leveled down into the
swampy lots. The city extended Its
area continually. What was once the
little, lazy Yerba Bhena Of 1S47, now
became metropolis of factories and
workshops, stores and warehouses,
churches and schools and ali kinds Of
Institutes. People no longer paid 81 for
"a pill, or $40 for box of carpet ticks,
for the wild town Of by-gone days be-
came the grand Queen of the Pacific,
the beautiful city at the Golden Gate,
which the earthquake and fire Of april
10, 1906. destroyed.