The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1906-05-03
BRIGHTEST OF CITIES.
Tribute to San Francisco as
Davenport Knew It.
WIDEST AWAKE OF ALL IN UNION
First City the Cartoon1st Saw AS a
BOY Made an Indelible Impression
ON His Mind-Its Citizens Happy In
Rain OF sunshfne-says No New City
Can Equal the Old. -

San Francisco as Homer Davenport
knew it Is thus graphically described
by the cartoOnist IN the New York
Mail:
The first city boy sees, though he
may be grown and awkward, still the
impression that city leaves on your
mind always remains the sweetest, es-
pecially if the city that you first saw
was the brightest, the most inspiring,
the widest awake of all the cities in
the Union. To me no other city in the
world could ever take the place Of San
Francisco. .-5.>...
{ l went there in 1889. Held spell
bound by the awe of that beautiful
busy thrOng, rode up and down Mar
ket street, even far out on Valencia,
trying to find place to alight. The
town was too big for me, and after
wandering around few weeks, though
fascinated by its beauties, perhaps
more still by Its historic points and
buildings, l was compelled to go back
to the farm for shelter.
But the memories of what had seen
gave me no rest, no peace Of mind. So
in 1892 l returned again. On this Sec
Ond visit l got really acquainted with
the San Francisco people. They are
unlike any other people in the world.
In few months felt that | was as
much part of San Francisco as all
other San Franciscans We're. Every
body Oh Market street and kearney
had speaking acquaintance with one
each other If one Of us was absent
from the nightly parades that took
place on those two historic thorough
fares.
Those thoroughfares were crowded
all the time with distinguished law
yers, great actors and actresses and
famous athletes. The brightest news
paper men In the world walked arm in
arm with the few remaining pioneers,
many of whom wore the picturesque
attire of the days Of 1S49. People Of
California and more especially In San
Francisco If they had offices and stu
dos and places of business seldom re-
manned in them. They were too fond
of outdoors. The very air of the city
seemed to be full Of inspiration and
success.
In later years, when skyscrapers
arose, tall building would stand ma
jestically by little old wooden build
ing that had perhaps been famous
when gold dust was weighed out on
the main streets in exchange for mer-
chandise Both buildings seemed to
look as though they were proud of
each other.
At the old Lick House, when Sena-
tor Fair was alive, in the main lobby
of that hotel were many Of his asso-
ciates in mining days. After his death
one could generally see several charac-
tiers walking down Montgomery street
of the same type as the sheriff now
playing In "The Girl of the Golden
West"
Those We're notexaggeratio lions. Around
Cape Horn and up through the Golden
Gate pioneers were brought that were
men Of higher stamp than to be sway
ed by the fashion plates that changed
from year to year. They were char
acters and proud Of the fact without
being offensive. Croker, Hearst,
Flood, Fair, Mackay and Stanford were
men who left great influence on the
community in which they lived.
And San Francisco in a way looked
like those men. San Francisco, above
all cities in the United States, was the
artistic place. 1t had many little hooks
celebrated little cafes, historic clubs,
quaint little shops and was naturally
made up of people capable of main
tanning and approaching them. If you
know any one well you either like him
very we'll or else not at ALL
1t was on that basis that l knew San
and as result of that &C.
quaintance fairly loved every build
Ing in the place, even to the little open
corners Of almost every block. The
bowers around Lottie's fountain smell
cd sweeter than any other flower, and
the English lavender sold by an old
peddler on Kearney street perfumed
that whole part of the town till you
came to Chinatown, which made up in
it's picturesque way for what it lacked
In other respects.
Whether 1t rained or whether it shone
San Francisco was happy. The only
time that its people ever seemed
alarmed was now and then when some
slight culver was felt from beneath 4
the earth's surface that caused the
evening papers to sell like hot cakes.
But the laughing, beautiful women for
which the city was justly famed soon
smiled the seriousness away, and San
Francisco resumed gala life again.
At clubs the wittiest speakers jOked
Off any serious attempt to get fright
ened over the rumbling sounds and the
unsteady buildings. In few years the
slight terror caused by the feeble
earthquakes had been forgotten, peo-
pie were charmed and captiyated by
the picturesque trees and most exqui-
site color of green that covered the
landscape just out of San Francisco,
and thousands upon thousands were
content to call existence in San Fran
cisco supreme success and existence in
another city IN the world a failure in
life.
To lover Of San Francisco it's an
awful task to read of what seems to
be its total destruction. After the loss
Of life the financial loss in property
dessn't appeal to one as mach as the