The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-25
The CITY THAT IS TO BIZ.
san FRANCISCO, REBUILDING, rs
ROSPEROUS AND HAPPY.
More Than s400. 900. OOO 10 ne spent In
New Buildings Already BaItImore's
Record Has Been surpassed-NO Mar
ket for Cheap Good for Any One.

ket for Cheap Goods for Any One.
SAN Francisco, Nov. l9.-We sat upon a
heap Of bricks, the banker and l, in the
middle Of a street that leads up TO Van
Ness avenue. We had been wandering for
hours through the acres and acres OF ruins
that were once the heart Of San Francisco,
and will be again. and having climbed TO
he uppermost edge of the desolation we
sat down to rest for a moment upon the only
bench that offered itself.
The light of countless stars cleaned
family upon miles of debris. Here and
there a ruined arch doomed distinguishably
against the firmanent or the rays Of a
street lamp Jared ftfully through what had
once been a doorway. 1t could not have
heen far from morning and the chinook that
had breathed all night from the north was
turning chilly.
Of a sudden, a piano tinkled softly in a
house just above us that had ome how
escaped the flames. There was a little
ripple Of feminine laughter. and then We
heard a woman's voice:
ouNre Ia tcnetre, ma mignonnel
Nolcl le Jour!
You hear, said the banker az he scratched
p match on the bricks upon which he sat.
rOpen thy window, beloved. Behold the
la vn.' II is addressed to San Francisco,
our san Francisco, the best loved of any city
Of modern lines. And il embodies. better
than any long winded statement / could
make, the spirit Of the people of thisc city.
1t means that the people Of San Fran
cisco are looking TO the future. They have
turned their backs on the past. II is dead.-
unite hopelessly dead, and, though IL was
,ieeply mourned, We are not the people to
ALA. L--ass>- that -A
cannot help. Have you seen anything here
that makes you dissent from thst?"
No" said I. Il have seen a busy. active
people, going hastily amid incredible
heaps of ruins. a people evidently we'll fed.
we'll dressed. hopeful. optimistic, smiling,
apparently already prosperous again and,
most surprising Of all, having a good time"
Your eyes nave told you the TRUTH
said the banker. i
And vet, =" said I, with a wave of my hand
Al the vide sweep Of tottering walls, crumb-
ling towers and b~lackened junk, sin this
light IL looks so like one with Nineveh and
Tyre
1T does q" admitted the banker. But con-
slider the size OF the Job to which we have set
our hands 80 light heartedly. Four square
miles. 800 acres, absolutely devastated.
swept OF the map-not a first class hotel or
theatre or business structure left to us.
When the fire had finally spent itself fifty
six miles of our streets were choked with a
tangled mass OF bricks and steel and junk
and wreckage OF all the sorts there are.
IL YOU take everything into consideration
il seems certain hat 81 900, 600, 900 would
scarcely repay the damage. A friend OF
mine with a talent for statistics has figured
IL out that II all the bricks in these ruined
buildings were placed together end to end
they would ~encircle the earth thirty-six
times.
well. we are going to rebuild San Fran
cisco and we are going 20 do the biggest
part of it in five years. We could do IL all
in that time If It were not for the exactions
of union labor. Since the fire we have
spent $500 900 in reconstruction OF various
kinds. The value of the building permits
issued is sS1 ,OOO, 900. About two-afths OF all
permits issued, 200 in number, have been
for permanent buildings.
If people don't think We are hustling,
lust YOU tell them that in the two years
following the Baltimore fire the building
permits amounted to SIS 900, 900. It's only
seven months since April Is and we have
exceeded the Baltimore record by 100000
people ought not TO forget, too, that we
have 10 build twin cities at the same time.
All our great business enterprises must be
,enporarily housed while their permanent
homes are being replaced. The rebuilding
If the Van Ness district. where all the big
shop, are now doing business, has accom-
plished that part Of the job.
in the burned district we haven't been
idle. either. or the class A buildings there,
the steel frame, technically freproof KIND
tbirty-seven are partly occupied to-day.
Countine all classes Of construction, 700
permanent buildings have been put up in
the district that the fire swept into ruin;
ovsr 900 structures have been raised
there but of course most OF them are
makeshifts. We had TO have them as
soon az possible so that our business life
might go on.
"Seyenty-fve per cent. Of our street car
lines are running again. The United Rail
roads nave spent over So 1000, 900 since the
fire in rehabilitation and betterment. For
waterworks repairs 81 5000 has been ex-
pended, while the city has put out over
81. 900 600 in work on the streets, the sewers
and so on. The gas company has spent
an equal amount in. getting its service into
shape.
The best information shows that before
We are through we shall have spent $500,
OOO. 900 in new buildings, OF which $lsS'OOO,-
400 will have been paid for labor alone
Every single day Of the week we are using
1900 teams to help clear up the rubbish,
Debris is to be carted out at the rate OF
l75 carloads every "a hours. In the ruins
Of the city there was s2O,OOO,Ooo worth OF
Junk Of various kinds.
Let nobody run away with the idea that
San Francisco is broke" continued the
banker. we have more money than we
ever had in our lives. The banks are
blrstinc with it and the bulk Of it isn't
Insurance money either. Up to November
l the clearings had been about ssoo. 900 900
since the fire and those OF oakland were
Sc 1000 900. OF the $50, OOO. 900 insurance.
losses paid only $50, 900 900 has been cleared
through our clearing house"
There was a gray streak ialntly vlslot
over where Mount Diablo ought to be
The unmistakable chill Of dawn was in the
air The banker turned up his collar and