The San Francisco call., 1906-05-20
HAT A SYMPATHIZINC NATION
DID FOR HUNGRY SAN FRANCISCO

How the food was brought to San Fran
cisco is one of the remarkable chapters
In the work accomplished by national.
State and municipal officials in the relief
Of the stricken city by the Golden Gate.
When San Francisco was merciIessly
in the grasp OF the names. when her
people were fleeing westward and even
further westward TO escape the clement
when the city. helpless from the lack
Of water. lay in the clutch of the awful
conhagration it required quick action to
meet the immediate emergency. the cry
for FOOD which must surely go UP from
stricken people. The narrati tive forms
an interesting story. II presents the
chief executive of the State. Governor
George c. Pardee. in a strong role While
all San Francisco was at war with the
, great fire il devolved upon the Governor
TO take up the work OF procuring food
and shelter for 500. 600 homeless people
From Oakland. for several days the
westward end OF telegraphic communi-
cation with the world, the nearest point
70 San Francisco from which messages
could be sent forth. The Governor was
installed in Mayor Frank X Motifs Office
Telegraph instruments and opera ators
we're installed there and the 1900 mes
ssges sent and received in the early hours
OF the move for help were given the right
Of way.
The entire United States was divided
into zones, the first dispatches sent out
being to nearby places which had not
suffered by reason Of the earthquake: and
briefly the news was sent out that San
Francisco was doomed and thousands
upon thousands were without food; that
the stock Of food held by the whole
salers both in their places of business
and in warehouses had been destroyed.
The stocks OF the grocery stores in the
outlsying districts of San Francisco were,
OF course, soon exhausted. Oakland mer-
chants, who were almost exclusively re-
tAilers and depended upon San Francisco
and Eastern houses in ordinary times TO
replenish their stocks. found themselves
sorely taxed TO meet the demands OF their
own customers and the thousands of San
Francisco refugees who lost no time in
crossing The bay when il became apparent
that no human agency could save al least
the business section Of the city. 1t was
evident that the food supplies in Oakland
would last but few days. and it was evil
dent that other towns and other States
would have to come TO the rescue.
The people Of oakland, however. rose to
the occasion in caring for the homeless
san Francisco people. The city has IN
ordinary times popula ton of about I0O,-
!, 800, but the population of Oakland doubled
n a day. Almost every home in the city
WIS thrown open TO refugees, vacant
houses were thrown open, and when they
were filed refugee camps were estab-
lished. and none went hungry in Oakland.
notwithstanding the increased population
and the further fact that. through the
agency Of the Governor and Mayor Mott.
many wagonloads Of supplies were sent
from Oakland TO San Francisco.
Mayors OF California towns were the
first asked 10 rush in supplies. The fol-
lowing messages are typical Of hundreds
sent to California cities:
The Mayor, Fresno, Cal: Many thou
sands OF people In San Francisco suffer
ing for food. Can you rush supplies? The
need IS great.
GEORGE c. PARDEE, Governor
THE Mayor. Stockton, Cal: Many
thousands OF people in San Francisco