Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1906-04-26
SIN FRANCISCO
IN HISTORY
Stricken City Long Permeated
With an Air Of
Romance.
IN THE DAYS OF VIGILANTES
How the Metropolis of California Was
purged of Disorder-Lynching of
Casey-The Days of the Forty.
ninerS-Town Depopulat.
ed by the Rush OF
Gold Seekers.

~AN FRANCISCO, the earthquake
- stricken city, has long been per
o. meated with an air of romance
and adventure Nowhere may
one turn without being reminded of
the legenGs that have been woven
around the fCrty-niners and their i'm
mediate followers. The names of the
streets and of the business blocks, such
as Ifearney, Sutter, Montgomery, Du-
pont, Flood, Crocker and Sharon, bring
to the mind of the visitor long forgot
ten stories of riot or adventure and of
fortunes whose vastness once excited
his wonder or made him incredulous.
The site of the city was first visited
by Europeans In 1863, and In 1775 Bu-
careli ordered a fort, presidio and mis-
sion founded on the bay. One year
later, the year of the Declaration of
Independence, the Spanish settlers be-
gan the work. and when Vancouver,
the explorer. visited the place in 1892
the preside represented the military
authority. while The pueblo and mis-
sion stood for the civil and religious
factors respectively. The mission was
seculariZed IN 1884 and town laid
out the year following
In 1916 an American man-of-war, up
der command OF Commodore John B.
Montgomery. entered the hIrbor and
hoisted the st.irs aad stripes over the
town. Mexico. witch succeeded Spain
as the owner OF Caiifornia. was then
at war with the United .stltes. ana the
act of Commodore Montgomery ended
her dominion over Sal Francisco.
Montgomery appointed Lieutenant
Washington \. Bartlett to be Frisco's
first alcalde, or mayor unGe. the new
regime. Under Spanish and Mexican
rule the town was a sleepy. Uaprogress
i've place, but with the coming Of Amer
leans and the discovery OF gold in 1915
there came an era of growth and hus-
he. This did not eventuate at once,
'or the first news Of the discovery OF
gold practically depopulated San Fran
.lsco
The town was smitten rs by plague
nd one historian thus describes what
happened: Its houses were left unoc-
CupiGd dGi utpEOlGttet1t ITS lDTulST
trade ceased, It's lots fell to small
par. of their value, its two weekly
newspapers were suspended, and the
town, deserted by the bulk of its In
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 its lost
ground, and ere long the influx Of gold
seekers gave quite an impetus to its
growth. The town was Incorporated |
In April, 1850, and the first common
council elected proceeded with diligence |
to plunder the city treasury. The |
same year the state was admitted to |
the Union, and when the steamer Ore |
gon brought the news-there was no |
telegraphic communication in those |
days-business was entirely suspended |
and the entire population rushed to the |
wharfs to welcome the harbinger. The |
town had about 10000 inhabitants at |
that time, and when the people were
Informed that the signal flags of the |
Oregon indicated that California was
sovereign state Of the United States OF !
America "a universal shout aro2e from