Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-06-24
BUSY DAYS IN SAN FRANCISCO
"Intense. UnrestinG Movement Of Men
and Teams, working with
Fixed Purpose"


thing buster than San Francisco at this
time. Whether one goes in the vast ruined
area or along the fringe OF docks at the
city front or in the unburned district west
ond south, II is the same There is an in
tense, unresting movement Of men and
teams, and all pparently-excepting alone
the swarm OF sightseers-working with "a
fixed purpose The apparent confusion of
two or three weeks ago has given place to
a condition in which every person seems to
be doing some definite thing. While, OF
course. the general activities are abnor-
NAL, they are as orderly each in its way as
were those of a month ago.
The most striking change in the stu
alton within the last few days is the
almost magical springing UP OF hundreds
of temporary structures OF wood and cor
rugated iron within the devastated district.
The center of the temporary building is
very naturally near Market street, but II
extends throughout the burned district,
which is now fairly dotted over with the
huts Of boards, or sheetiron, or OF can
vas. very suggestive OF the hurried con-
struction OF a newly established mining
district For a year or two. at least, San
Francisco throughout its burned district Is
destined to be a city Of light and fimsy
sake of accommodating n business which
persistently declines to remain away from
it's accustomed haunts.
Many new lines Of business OF a small
kind have sprung into existence to meet
the new conditions. Market street as far
UP as Ellis is fairly we'll lined with little
booths in which everything from fire relics
to bananas are offered for sale by an in
sstent and clamorous brotherhood Of ven
doris. each OF whom does a little noisy
Spelling on his own account. In the nam
ing of these outdoor establishments a
clumsy humor freely cisports itself. A
coffee stand vainRloriously announces itself
as the palace Grill" another calls itself
the Hoffman House." still another calls
itself the Poodle Dog" another Del
monicos," and so on. seller of broken
and Are damaged articles evidently filched
from Chinatown bears the famous name OF
"Ichi Ban" The hunor of all this Is not
very impressive. but 1t goes at least to ex-
hihit q sense OF cheerfuiness and the dispol
sition to see the ridiculous side Of very
unpleasant condition. The dust and dirt
are most oppressive and the intermittent
watering of Market street scarcely tends
| to reduce the discomfort on this score
There Is such a mass OF ashes so many
|
raising trafic that nothing is effective in
the way OF keeping the streets in fairly
! livable condition. Whoever passes through
! the burned district must be prepared &c
! take what comes I'm the form OF polluted
air and general dirt and discomfort.
The work OF clearing out such structure;
as remain standing goes on with prodigiou'
vigor In the Croker building. the Minis
building the Call building. and score Of
others, there are large gangs Of men aided
by innumerable teams working in each IN
! stance to reduce c!sr9s TO something like
order and the work Is going ahead in 2
surprising way. The safe deposit depart
ment OF the Croker Woolworth bank il
ters, and the first floor is being put n
shape for the return Of the banking hous
TO its old quarters. The basement OF tn
Call building is bee hive in which q Iarg
force r. licking into shape a printing pres
which, though damaged by fire. II r. hope,
to have I'm operation within another week
Another group OF men In the same base
ment is busy setting up typesettlng ma
chimes. while on the floor above carpenter
are improvisng a newspaper publication
office. In the St Francis hotel the worl
OF cleaning up has reached the ninth aool
and in few days more the establishment
will be doing business In the three or fou
floors nearest the ground. The old Chroni
Gle building. which looked to be a compIet
wreck Immediately after the fire, is in n
lower floors being fitted up for business
and it will not be long before It will be oc