The state herald., 1906-05-04
DISASTER grasses
Glass DISTINCTION
EARTHQUAKE AT SAN FRANCIS
co PLACES RICH AND POOR
ON SANE LEVEL.
SIDELlGHTS ON THE
GREAT CATASTROPHE
Millionaire and Pauper Now Friends
Business Being Conducted Amid
the Ruins-Heir to Wealth Born
on Sidewalk,

San Francisco. Cal.-rhis town is
'on the level" in every sense of the
word, writes Richard Barry. You can
stand on Tar fiat and see Telegraph
hill with no obstruction but a few
skyscraper skeletons. South of Van
Ness avenue 1t is not even junk heap.
No more ghouls are shot because there
Is nothing to steal, and they will have
TO pay men to carry of the smashed
bricks. Russian, Telegraph and Mob
hills. which formerly made such
magnificent metropolitan saddle
against the Golden Gate. look as they
do in the prints of 40. when scrubby
bushes rambled across their barren
faces. They have been scraped of foul
and lair by n mighty muck rake. The
homes of threefourths of the people
are annihilated, and as one walks
through the desolation he slowly real
lies that the world can never know
what has happened. that 100 Pompeiis
would be swallowed In these ruins and
that California in tragedy. as in all
else, has shaken her jaunty fist in the
face of history and written ''finis' to
the volume.
Social Distinctions Leveled.
Yet these smashed buildings and des-
olate streets do not present the sig
nificant leveling. The material loss is
great. but it does not stagger the imag-
ina,lon. A few hundred millions Will
mend the hurt and there are many peo-
pie here to-day who think the shake
up is worth the leveling. Society is
on the ground, face to face. Every
artificial barrier is swept away. The
have been obliterated with the same
swiftness and fnality shown by the
flames toward the property. The loss
OF life is small, the loss of social posi-
tion colossal. Down to the elements,
now nothing counts but human loss.
Money has momentqrily lost its pur-
chasing power. Servants, luxury, hab-
its. prestige-yes, amity, feuds. hatred.
jealousy and contempt have disap-
peared. Humanity is In the fiat and
every one is on the level.
Here are few random incidents
picked from the edge Of the cataclysm:
Fillmore street. third-rate metr,-
politan artery, has become for the
moment the business center of the
town. Here. In dinky bakeries. cheap
candy stores. tawdry photograph gal
leries and Insignificant lodging houses.
are found all that is left of the great
est business institutions on the Pa
cifc coast. A sawmill that formerly
employed 1000 men has its Office in n
hall bedroom that used TO rent for one
dollar week. A bakery that EN-
ployed 200 carts before the fire Is OPP
Grating out OF a hand laundry that was
run by three women. The largest de-
partment store In the west is being
resnrrec,ed from soda water stand
that has been roughly parti,ioned. the
front II by 10 feet space being used
for an office. Ina rear roomof similar ex-
tent the exclusive heads go for fri
jeles and coffee warmed over an al
cohol lamp.
Odd Quarters for City officials.
You can see the chief of police In
San Francisco Ms easily as you could
see the sheriff of the most baekwoods
county in Arlzona. He sits in the
window OF corner grocery and as
Tou pass on the sidewalk you glance
Al his bright face and hear his hearty
augh. The mayor issues his orders
from the lodge room OF secret so
;iety. The superior court is being
held In n Jewish synagogue. while the
sity and county records are buried In
q tomb In the Masonic cemetery.
The newspapers that once occupied
The principal skyscrapers in the city
ire being operated from four little
rooms In the same block, no one of
which has more than u 30-foot front
or 50-foot depth. On one side Of
zach room you can see the slgn Sub.
Icription Department" ON the other
Advertising Department" while on
,aeh rear wall Is hung rough sign,
Editorial Department"
One Newspaper once Bedroom.