Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-03-01
GOOD REPORT FROM SAN FRANCISCO.
The City Shows Remarkable Evidences Of
Recovery from Her Disaster.

The City Shows Remarkable Evidences oil
Recovery from Her Disaster.
The following extracts from let
ter of a former resident of this city
convey a cheering account of the
wonderful confidence and energy of
the people, and their speedy recovery
from disaster of such magnitude as
to almost battle hope. She says:
In compliance with your request,
l would very much like to describe
the conditions here as they exist, but
my power of description is so limited
that fear what | might say would
not be very interesting. However, l
might state that the old prOverb.
Distance lends enchantment to the
view" might in our case be para
phrased SO as to read, Distance
lends an added horror to the view. "
Here, on the ground, we have about
forgotten that there was an earth
quake and fire. We have become SO
accustomed to looking at the ruins
those of them that are left-that we
don't see them. In the few months
since the quake, the town has been
wonderfully rebuilt. Hotels, restau-
rants, theaters, churches, stores and
residences have arisen as if by magic,
and there are more skyscrapers in
existence and in course of erection
now, than there were before the ca
lamity. The city has grown out into
the suburbs with giant strides and
it already covers twice the area it
did before. The population has in
creased $4,000 over the pre-quake
census, and the increase is made up
of young men of brain and Drawn,
from all over the United States. One
needs but go to any one of the nu-
merous theaters, any night in the
week, to verify the claim of an enor-
nous influx of the best blood in the
country into this city. The show
houses are crowded all the time and
business was never SO good as at
present. Money is plentiful, employ
ment for all constant and at good
wages; better than ever before, and
likely to continue SO for years to
come, and the general tone of the
community is one of cheerfulness and
hope.
You would be surprised to see how
the ruins in the principal streets
have been obliterated, and in some
sections-especially North Beach and
the Mission-rehabilit has been
so complete that it would be difficult
to state positively whether the fire
has not been blessing in disguise,
as so many rookeries have been re-
placed with substantial structures.
Dupont street Chinatown has been
rebuilt in brick, replacing many tum-
ble-down wooden shanties. The wa
ter-front and adjacent streets look
better than ever, and the temporary
business streets-Fillmore and Van
Ness, with their feeders-have added
a new charm to old San Francisco,
which take on as time goes by GER
tain degree of permanency. The
town is bound to double in size and
population, l think. Property values
have not been impaired to any ex-
tent, and in many instances higher
prices are being asked and paid for
realty than before the fire.
Building operations, in spite of the
high wages and increased price of ma
terial are going on very rapidly, and
it would not surprise me if in two
years from to-day the entire town
would be rebuilt.
Market street is as alive with peo-
pie and traffic as of yore, and Mont
gomery, Kearney, Grant avenue and
Stockton streets are commencing to
look natural.
One drawback at present to fami-
lies settling in town is the high price
of flats and houses. There is no de-
nying the fact that these rents are
abnormal; but they cannot last long.
The supply will soon meet the de-
mand, and when that time comes
then we can truly say that we have
returned to normal conditions.
That threat of President Roosevelt
to use the "big STICK" was probably
made on impulse and has never been
seriously considered here. l think
the President regrets his hasty words
and is anxious to make amends. In
any event, our Mayor has completely
surrendered the point at issue, and /
suppose we will have to make the best
of it. We are promised an exclusion
law in exchange, and the temper of
the people here seems to demand such
o law. If the japanese succeed in de-
feating it, there seems no reason why
the Chinese may not do likewise, as it
is reasonable to think, in view of their
present progress, that it will not be
long before they will outstrip little
Nippon, both on land and sea, in
military or naval power. We all hope,
however, that our country will be
spared the infection.
Yours truly,
ESTHER FLEIsHER.