The San Francisco call., 1907-01-13
By Elizabeth Haight Strong

q AN FRANCISCO would not be San
Francisco without its foreign
ouarters-those strange patches
Of alien nationalities that were
applioued on the city's gray like scraps
OF colored embroidery. And lovers OF
old San Francisco, those who delighted
IN her picturesQueness and uniqueness,
ere watching eagerly to see what will
become OF these curious cOlorful pieces.
The oenizens OF famous Chinatown
are creeping back TO their haunts like
stray cats The natives OF sunny Italy
are clinging once more 10 the rugged
sides OF Telegraph Hill like frightened
children 10 a mothers skirt. The bon
vivants have located their gastrOnomic
sbodes. The Mexican restaurants, with
their colorless puloue and flaming chile,
are to be found again near the same
spots, II not actually on them. APP
parently there viii not be much change
IN locations when san Francisco fin
fshee her houseclesning.
But what has become Of the inhab-
ftants OF little Mcxico2 Where, oh
where are those dark and lowIy- people
with the chiidhke simplicity that asks
nothing beyond the days needs, and
transfers all efforts and troubles to
manans? What has become Of them?
Where have they taken refuge?
Where, indeed, but in the most nat
ural place in the world for them OF sim
pie faith. When finally you have dis
covered their shelter YOU lmderStand
how their temperament considered it
the only refuge for their troubles and
sorrows.
Yet. If You did not know Il was there
you would never see it. There is moth
ing in the surroundings TO indicate its
existence. You would have to stumble
on II accidentally, or, more literally,
be careful not to fail into il. IL lies.
like many other interesting things,
right under your eyes, and shares,
probably. much the same fate. You
pass by IL unseeing.
But the first glimpse viii surely give
you a crick in your breath. To climb
hill leisurely amid debris 5ungles,
and watch with much satisfaction the.
diminishing of the brick piles and
clearing Of wreckage by grimy team
sters and dust-caked horses; to have
the shrill screams OF donkey engines
fall almost musically upon your ear.
suggestive as they are Of order and
progress once more; to pass these
sights and sounds, stepping carefully
over pieces OF old ratings, broken
glass, ends Of blackened doors and
windows. and all that goes to make up
the almost inextricable tangle OF fire
refuse; 10 note with pleasure the tiny
houses dotting the neighboring hills
like Swiss chalets, the diamond -paned
windows ricOcheting the afternoon
sun until IL spatters over the little ter
raced gardens in golden shower; TO
be conscious Of all this typical Amer
ican hustle, industry and growth, and
then suddenly to stop yourself just in
time from making an undignified en-
trance head first into a miniature Mex
lean village. No wonder you gasp as
though Hermann the Great, prestidigi-
tstor had turned the trick for your
special entertainment
You stop with one foot in advance of
the other and look down. You have
suddenly come to standstill in front
OF the ruins OF the Church Of Our Lady
OF Guadalupe. Inadvertently your eyes
had strayed across a charred timber
lying on the stone coping. and there,
below IL, underneath the sidewalk,
dusky figures appear and disappear
through dOOrways like ants in an ant
hole. The Mexicans have found their
refuge literally in the heart OF mother
church. at the foot Of the altar The
crypt Of the church OF Guadalupe is
now their home. After the fire had
passed on its devouring way the base
ment of the building, made of stone
ana concrete, was found TO be in good
condition, so the space formerly occu-
pied by the auditorium was converted
into a court typical OF the dwellings
OF the Latin races, and around this
shacks were built, the ends Of the little
rooms being the walls of the church
itself At the lower end Of the court
are the remains OF the altar, shining as
white in the sunlight as the faith Of
the people who live at it's base.
Your astonishment somewhat abated
you look for the entrance to the small
village that seemed to have sprung out
of the ground right under your very
eyes like unto the fashion OF happen
ings in the beloved fairy books of your
childhood. The 1ngress is as simple as