Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-06-14

bath. Although the noted Palace hotel
is a mere hole in the ground, the Fair
mont hotel is in operation, other hotels
have started up in the best accommo-
dations to be obtained, and the ST
Francis. formerly given much to
Wanting over the luXuries of its lofty
structure, is housed in a one story
frame building which rambles over
Union square and creeps up to the
base of the monument concentrating
Deweys victory The walls of the no
tel are of board. Wherefore one learns
many things about his neighbors.
There is no late sleep on II week day
morning in the hotels of San Francis
CO. The din is of one vast boiler shop
miles square. AS the visitor dresses
and goes about he sees the steel frames
of skyscrapers rising on every side.
From each comes the chorus of ham
mers. 1t IS hammer. hammer, hammer.
on the steel until one is almost inclin-
ed TO stop his ears. 1t is said not
fewer than 10000 men are hammering
, during each working day.
Despite the rising towers of steel
about the business section the streets
at first blush look almost the same as
, they did year ago. Here are the
/ blaCkencd and half crumpled walls of
/ brick, the foundation holes filed with
debris, wide spaces Of ruins, sidewalks
j blocked with heaps of stone and brick
and streets SO full of holes and dusty
I that money spent in getting shoes shin
ell is absolutely wasted.
GOnGs of trolley cars and cable cars,
manned by strike breakers. are heard
| along Market street, but there is a
/ steady procession of wagons equipped
! with temporary seats and loaded down
| with men and women. Trailing on q
/ rope in the car is Il soap box or an i'm
| proviSed ladder by which the paSscn-
| gers climb into the iolting vehicle. Al
| though banner on the side of each in
| forms the OnlOoker that the vehicle IS
''by order of Garments union; fare 10
| cents" and reminds him that it is a
| result of the street car strike that
| these things are, the whole scene IS
strangely reminiscent of the long pro-
| cessiOn of wagons loaded with refugees
| that poured along in the midst of heaV-
| lily laden, trudging pedestrians seeking
escape to the ferry a little more than
| one year ago.
1T looks like almost the same San
Francisco l left shortly after the fire."
| | remarked to resident the first morn
ing after arrival.
Come with me and see if it is" he
| said. and he led the way to the top
floor of the Merchants Exchange build
| ing, in California street, between Mont
| gomery and Sansome streets, where
worllmen were busy ON the various
floors.
"One year ago this building seemed
to be damaged comparatively slightly"
| was suggested. "Peopie were saying
it would be ready for occupancy again
| In two or three months. Why the de-
lny:"
/ Strikes and delay in getting ma
terial," was the reply of the resident
| And this applies generally. Looking
- down on the city the change is more
u apparent than it is from any one place
I in the streets. Rising out OF the vast
beds of debris like mushrooms are
i hundreds Of low buildings of brick
frame or cement. with here and there
a lofty structure of Z lass A.
Seemingly almost underneath is the
new Chinatown. The picturesque and
mysterious old frame shacks, long st
I alluring to tourists, were licked up by
the flames of April Is, 1906, which left
behind deep foundation holes and un
dergrOund passages chOked with de
briS. Now conventional two and three
story brick or cement buildings arr
rising on the old sites, and the sons oi
the orient are preparing to move bach
into structures which suggest som,
staid country village more than they
do pagodas, pigtails, girl slaves ant
opium dens.
, The clock on the ferry building
which so long by its motionless hands
, bore mute evidence that q calamity
had struck a great city at sixteen min
, utes after > O'Clock. again keeps tract
of the hour in a tower which has beer
, rehabilitated from a sorrOwful state Of
semi-ruin, and the pole of the time ball
once bent, IS again erect.
Along Market street and elsewhere
, in the heart of the city as Viewed from
the lofty pinnacle can be seen the low
fat topped protuberances of the make
shift business blocks. Some are OF
brick, and some are of cement. Owe
in the wholesale district, in the Mis-
sion and elsewhere in the circle within
the range of vision these same pro
tuberances dot the landscape of desc
latiOn. From above they look thickl!
sown. There are q few tall building:
nearly ready for occupancy and som'
towers of steel In various stages o
construction, but they are far from
, numerous amid the fiat topped mush
! rooms.
= A ride about the city In an automo
bile gives ample evidence that despite
her sore tribulatiOns San Francisco i
still pOpulous and busy. Throngs pou
along all streets, wandering about pile
!. of lumber, brick and stone, circlinl
{ dangerous holes. plunging through dus