The San Francisco call., 1907-02-24
By Horatio F. Stoll

1@N 4OLOA4O A<LOAA
~ HOSE who remember South Park
In the heyday OF its glory cannot
visit this once exclusive residence
district sust of Third street, be-
tween Bryant and Brannan, without ex-
per3encing q pang of sadness and re-
gret The houses are IN ruins, the park
IS covered with crude buildings that
shelter nearly zoo refugees. Absolutely
not single landmark is left to remind
the old-timer OF the many we'll known
people who resided there nor the many
splendid functions that made South
Park the social center OF San Francisco
during the hfties and early sixties.
George Gordon. TO whom is due the
credit OF laying out the first residence
park tn California. took great pride in
his hobby, South Park. 1t consisted OF
three-cuarters Of an acre and was
modelled on the many crescents which
are found in London and in various
continental cities. The ornamental
grounds were locked and q key thereto
was part of the attachments of each OF
the houses looking on the park.
Naturally one of the most pretentious
houses was occupied by Gordon. II was
a two-story brick residence, in the
founder OF South Park was very fond OF
nature. and took 'i-++zs7=s- = :
e--attfzz1sa ---z--c7--Es and personally
-Eupertntended the planting of every
flower and bush and tree that was set
cuf IN the little park.
II was not long before Gordon in
ferested his friends in South Park and
within g short time he had sold all the
lots TO persons Of wealth and position.
The north side OF the park, which today
Is q stretch OF ruins, boarding houses
and Japanese stores. was regarded in
the early days as the most exclusive
The family Of Alexander Forbes, the
steamship agent, occupied the first
house In the crescent as you turned into
81 from Third street. Mrs. Martha
Ritchies residence was at the other end
81 the row. Between the two were the
homes Of George Gordon. George c.
johnson, the Swedish Consul; Howard
?. Jsnes; Russian Consul Kostrometi-
hon, Charles de Ro, Lloyd Tevis. John
u Redington, James Otis, James Bell.
william NJ. Lent and Captain Whiting.
On the south side OF the park were the
homes OF Commodore James T. Watkins,
DR.. R p. Ashe. Judge Z. W. McKinstry
snd DR.. Thomas Page.
The residents Of South Park were g
little colony IN themselves and seldom
needed 20 90 outside their own circle
except occasionally for beaux which
they had no difficulty in finding Miss
Charlotte de Ro was decidedly the love-
Hest being 2 blonde OF the purest type,
and was best known by her pet name
OF "PUssy. She afterward married
Lieutepant Thomas P. Wilson of the
United States navy. The Oldest OF the
bellies OF the colony, and perhaps the
harf DE-
Miss Lottie Hall and Miss Rosa Gore
Mss Gore lived with her sister, the
first wife Of John II. Redington; Miss
Hall with her sister. Mrs. James. These
,fhree young ladies were Familiarity
known among their intimates as the
World. the Flesh and the Devil
Many little pleasantries occurred be-
tween them. An amusing story is still
told OF Miss Ritchie and Miss Hall.
Patsie Ritchie was the possessor Of
very, sharp tongue, and she generally
came OF the better IN an encounter OF
wits with her friends. However, on
one occasion Lottie Hall was thought
20 have won the victory. Miss Hall
was blessed with a rather large nose
and Miss Richie with a pair OF cross
eyes. Provoked with Miss Hall for
some trife. Patsie. said to her. IF I
had a nose like yours, ] would do
something TO reduce it's size" To which
Miss LottIe retorted. "Oh, well, even
IL Il IS large, am glad I am not al
ways forced TO look at Il as you are
yours" Miss Ritchie married General
M D. l. Simpson OF the United States
army.
Vivacious Nellie Gordon
There were many other charming
girls Miss Rosa Gore first became the
wife OF Charley Bonner. an English
mining man, and after his death mar
ried Frank LOGAN Miss Helen Ritchie
married George II Elliott. T. S. A. And
there was Miss Hsien Msrr Gordon. ia
miliarly known 10 all her friends as
Nellie. Her life was probably more
startling and romantic than that OF any
OF her chums. IN fact. Gertrude Ather-
ton, the novelist used her as the hero
inc OF her much discussed story, "A
Daughter Of the Vine" which, in the
main. is based upon actual facts.
Nellies father, George Gordon, was
a leader in nearly all improvements
and foremost in every enterprise cal
culated TO rebound 10 the advancement
or beautifyfng Of San Francisco. He
Pct only had town house in the fash-
fonabIe residence park he established,
but being a former British subject and
OF English tastes, he had his country
place as well He bought the tract OF
land now occupied by Stanford Univer-
sfty and he built there beautiful
home. That il was admirably situated