The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-21
Hone For San Francisco.

II Is staggering to tnlnK VI Wy 49,
destruction Of q great city ike san san i"''-
cisco With {, population OF more thl'''
100000 and real estate values OF sooo'
nno NO such q disaster Is appalling ai'"
enough to pnralyze the inhaoit tan -
8the city. But the worst IS past 'h'
how has fallen nnd from now on the list
viii bo a gradual recovery from IT'S e.
focts The American peoplo are enter
prIsing, but they have what IS oe'est
than enterprise. They have courage anu
determination, which arc tho forces pc
hind MI enterprise. The people OF san
Francisco VIII rebuild their city ana III
a few years 1t will DO grand!er ana moro
prosperous than ever.
Chicngo was in large part DESTROYED
by fire. yet the Chicago fire mas long
since pnssed into history and Chicago IS
monv times greater than 1t was before
that famous COW Kicked over the stao1e
lamp.
More recently the city OF Galveston
was almost wiped out by troIacal
storm vet Galveston has not only beeh
rebuilt, but her trade is now far sreater
than ever before. IN.
jacksonville has grown more since her
great flro than during any IKE perioua
hcforo and Is much finer city.
In February, 1904, the city Of Baltimore
was swept BY the flames and the greater
part of the business section Of the CITY
was completely destroyed At the tllle
there was profound sympathy with Bal-
tlmore and It was predicted that sho
would never rally, that her trade would
Of necessity for time be diverted ana
that she would never regain 1t. But to-
day there Is hardly q charrcd wall III
the burnt district to remind visl-
tors Of the great fire Of two years ago
and baltimore trade was never so flour
ishing
The history of Chicago, Galveston,
jacksonville and Baltimore will be the
history or san Francisco. Nor will the
loss to tho country be as greg as might
be supposed. It Is true that millions OF
property have been converted into th'h
mir and the insurance people VIII sui1er
great loss but a large part Of the m
surance money will come from foreign
companies and will be as SO much ne"
capital. It will be paid out for maternal
and labor and Will get Into general cir
cuiatlon The home companies Will sui
fer. but on the other hand the san
Francisco fire will create Il great deal Of
now business for the companies. Many
persons In all parts of the country VINO
are not Insured will now take out policiesl
and the insurance business will have a
rush. At least that has always been the
experience Of insurance companies after
such conflagrations.
When the building boom in San Fran
cisco Is we'll on, there will be an enor-
muir demand for steel and iron and
building material, as we'll as for supplies
in general. There will be immediate en-
ployment for thousands Of workmen and
In some respects operations In San Fran
cisco will be more active than they were
before the fire. The railroads running
into San Francisco have suffered losses.
but these will be largely more than made
No by the enormous increase In their
traffic in and out Of the city.
There Is compensation In all things.
More than that. this country is 80 rich
that It could afford to lose more than
one city like San Francisco. without any
compensation whatever, and yet not feel
the loss for long. So far lis tho business
world goes, It will soon forget that there
was d great disaster on the Pacific slope.