The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-10-31
CHICAGO AND SAN FRANCISCO

October 9th is the day on which
Chicago congratulates itself because
of recovery from the big fire. The
Chicago Association of Commerce will
have something to say on the subject
before the week is over, and while
it is considering the glories of this
city it will no doubt remember that
there is a sister city which has pc
culiar claim just now on the interest
and good wishes of all Chicagoans.
Eighteen month ago the business
district of San Francisco and sur
rounding belt of residences were de-
stroyed by fire. This fire covered a
third more territory than the Chicago
fire, and caused a much greater loss of
property. The buildings destroyed in
Chicago numbered 1900, those in
San Francicso, %, 1000. A recent esti-
mate puts the insurance payments in
San Francisco at $3.50, 900, which
is about equal to the total value of
the property destroyed in Chicago.
The percentage of payment is high in
San Francisco, in which respect the
city may esteem itself fortunate, but
the losses above insurance were en-
ormous.
When a city suffert from such dis
aster it will realize as it never has be-
fore the generosity and also the sell
fishness of mankind. San Francisco
has had experience of both in greater
degree than Chicago. The world re-
sponded to it's immediate needs with a
splendid liberality Its rivals have
evinced much pessimism as to its
future and an incidental optimism
concerning the effect of its misfor-
tunes on their destiny. 1t is well to
point out, therefore, that its building
record for eighteen months far sur
passes Chicago's for the eighteen
months following the fire of 1871. II
| is said that more than 5000 buildings
have been erected and occupied, and
other thousands are in course of con
struction. The city remains the grea
| financial center of the Pacific Coast
It's custom receipts for the last fisca
year were the largest in its history
Reports on its business have beer
most encouraging.
There is evident need of the city
as there was need of Chicago, and thu
future seems perfectly secure. If tn,
many men who are proving by thei
acts that they are confident of tina
| future have their moments of depres
sion, they may look to Chicago's pas
and be of good cheer. A dozen years
after the great fire Chicago was re
built in a way to shame the city tina
had been destroyed, and its popula
ton was doubled In much less time
than that reconstruction had progress
sed so far that there were few traces
of the fire. And Chicago had hare
winters to check building operations
winters that are unknown in SaT
Francisco, and had to struggle against
financial panic and hard times thai
came upon the country in the second
year after the city was laid in ashes
On this day, then, Chicago had
only messages of good cheer for San
Francisco. 1t knows from its own
experience that the obstacles which
San Francisco has to overcome are
not insuperable: it feels that the
work that San Francisco has done al
ready gives the assurance of COM
plete recovery within short time
it has faith that the new city will be
greater in every way than the old
believes that the people of the city
have the best of reasons for hope and
courage and wishes them brimming
measure of osperity.-Chicago
Record Herald