The San Francisco call., 1908-07-18

those who were burned out This class
represents largely renters, who, al
though they We're receiving a comfort
able wage, lived up to the last dollar
of their income. The great majority
had little furniture, on which they
carried insurance. and after the fire all
they had in the world was the little in
surance money which they got from the
companies. The disastrous confagra-
ton taught them a lesson in economy.
For months they were forced TO live
under conditions which, before the fire,
they would have thought impossible.
The desire to own home grew upon
them during the weary months they
were forced to sit in refugee camps.
Inen they received their. insurance
used 1t to pay the first installment on
piece of land
The Mission and the district south
offered particular inducements. Land
air and sunshine of the country were a
welcome change from the densely
crowded tenement districts in which
tthey had formerly lived. The result is
that these wage earners flocked into
this district by the thousands and built
themselves modest and comfortable
study of this district as it was before
and as it is now. his imagination can
not picture the mighty changes that
have occurred. In the Potrero whole
The same is true in the Excelsior, Sun
nyside, University mound, Glen park,
1Inngieside' Lakeview and Ocean View
county line everything is being sub
divided and built UP as rapidly as the
lots can be placed on the market
THE MANUFACTURING DISTRICT
One of the most striking features of
the reconstruction of San Francisco is
the large number of well known man
ufacturipg firms formerly located over
burned district that have established
themselves over in the Mission district
Most of them are so pleased with the
there indefinitely 10 their surprise, E.
these newcomers have found that this
section of the city has exceptional ad-
access to the cars and bay, and with
land at reasonable prices, fuel cheap
and an abundant supply of the best
labor. conditions are ideal from the
manufacturers standpoint.
In discussing these favorable condf-
tionS, the manager of the only cereal
mill in San Francisco, the first fac
the Mission after the fire, remarked:
while we were still burning, for
we burned for many days and, in fact,
1t took three months before the last
spark left our property, we sized up
the situation and became aware that
1t would be long and trying under
taking to start rebuilding on our old
we must seek elsewhere for a spot
where we might rise and grow, as it
were, over night We looked the city
over, but not in haste, for we had
many things to consider in our line.
We must be close to the railroads and
at the same time be in a position to
handle city business. The latter was
by far the most important considera-
tion, for our city consumes twenty
times as much of our output as twenty
towns throughout the state.
After careful study we<fnally landed
| in the Mission district ON Erie street
off Fourteenth, and unless radical
! changes take place we will remain
here for many days to come.
| Two blocks away have our
own spur track, where all our cars
are loaded with grain. We are able
to make six or eight loads a day with
our teams and yet lose no time. for
on bringing in the goods in bulk we
take back and load on the cars finished
situation could not be improved upon.
We are in the very heart of the
town, the different districts branching
out on all sides of US. To reach the
northern end of the city we go over
to Van Ness avenue, which is only a
| few blocks from US. This makes our
| haul about one-half the distance it
is near at hand and the Potrero is
at our elbow. Sixth and sixteenth h
streets cross each other just below us.
making IL as fasy to reach the one
as the other. for railroad shipping.
Another advantage is the fact that
nearly all our 40 men dwell in the
vicinity and most of them are able to
lunch. We have never been hampered
by scarcity of labor since we have
been out here, as those employed pre-
| fer to be near their homes. While we