Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-04-27
SAN FRANCISCO
IN HISTORY
Stricken City Long Permeated
With an Air Of
Romance.
nlYyO or yTFrTF A hTEC
IN THE DAYS OF VIGILANTES
How the Metropolis Of California Was
Purged Of Disorder-Lyncfing OF
Casey-The Days of the Forty.
niners-TOwn DepOpalat.
ed by tie Rush Of
Gold Seekers.
.AN FRANCISCO. the earthnuake

~AN FRANCISCO, the earthquake
u stricken city. has long been per-
n meated with an air Of romance
w. and adventure. Nowhere may
one turn without being reminded Of
the legends that have been woven
around tse forty-nIners and their IL
mediate followers. The names OF the
streets and of the business blocks. such
as Kearney. Sutter. Montgomery. Du-
pont. Flood, Croclcr and Sharon, bring
TO the mind of the visitor long forgot
ten stories OF riot or adventure ana or
fortunes whose yaStneSs once excited
his wonder or made him incredulOus.
The site OF the city was first visited
by Europeans I'm 1863. and In no Bu-
carell ordered fort, preside and mis-
sion founded OH the bay. One year
later. the year OF the Declaration OF
Indapendence. the Spanish settlers De
Gan the work. ana when vancouver
the explorer, visited the place III l'0-
the presldio represented the military
authority. while the pueblo ana mis-
sion stood for the civil and religious
factors respectively. The mission was
secularized in 1854 and a town iald
out the year following.
In 1916 IN American mIn-of-war' un'
der command of Commodore JOhn ID.
MONTGOMERY. entered the harbor ana
boisted the stars and stripes over the
towl. Mexico. which succeeded Spain
os the owner OF California, was then
at war with the United States. ana the
act OF Commodore Montgomery ended
her dominion over san Francisco.
Montgomery appointed Lieutenant
Washington 4. Bartlett TO be Friscos )
first alcalde. or mayor, under the new
regime. Under Spanish and Mexican
rule the town was sleepy, unprogress-
I've place, but with the coming OF Amer
leans and the discovery Of gold In 1913
there came an era of growth and nus
tie This did not eventuate ut once
for the first news of the discovery or
gold practically depopulated San Fran
cisco.
The town was smitten as by plague,
end one historian thus describes what
bappened: "Its houses were left unoc-
cuped and unprotected, its former
trade ceased. its lots fell to small
mart of their value, its two weekly
newspapers were suspended, and the
town. deserted by the bulk OF Its III
habitants, was at one time Without
single officer clothed with civil author
ity."
After the first rush to the gold dig
gings the town began to regain It's los,
ground. and ere long the influx OF golc
seekers gave quite an impetus 10 IL
growth. The town was incorporates
in April. 1850, and the first common
council elected proceeded with diligence
TO plunder the city treasury. Ih'
same wear the state was admitted L
the Union. and when the steamer ore
pon brought the news-there was III
felegraphic communication in thoS
days-buslness was entirely suspende'
and the entire population rushed TO IN
wharfs TO welcome the barbinger. III
town had about 10000 inhabitants
that time. and when the people wer
informed that the signaf fiags OF I'd
Oregon indicated that California was
sovereign state OF the United States O
America "a universal shout arose frol
10000 voices on the wharfs, In 10
streets, upon the hills. housetops IN
the world of shipping in the bay"
In It's early history the city sunere
from several disastrous fires. Betwee
December, 1910, and June, 1871, 81
conflagrations played havoc with III
growing young town. Better building
were planned and several fire comps
nies we're organized. These were steI
In the right direction. 1t was aiSo III
covered that the fires were started y
criminals who profited by the conf'
sion.
This fact and the ineficiency I'll
corruption of the city government II
LARGE number Of citizens to orga
syo tho fari.ors yi-iiance commlft'