New-York tribune., 1908-04-20
A HUMAN MIRACLE
THE RESURRECTION
SAN FRANCISCO
THE

years renewed your invitation You - l'A
cuse such apparent reluctance 10 ac.--St -St z
though it does seem dTOH that whils Z, 1a1t-
possible for me 10 get around IlIfo1 : : L.
morning, II should prove equally impossE q /
get here in the evening" 0s
OF course. your invitations have bAs,
the fact that L have the honor to REM els
great country. with which you hava $ssat
relations and in the development os 5,--s.sssas
venture to think that you take soma - 7
you have a right 70. But perhaps I M
some share OF the persistency with ,vb;5..~ - |.
have invited me, and Of the great co-5sI % p
you have shown tonight. as due n 80 20
that you know me not merely as the sv.- - 4
neighbOr. That thought adds a Welcome -. II !
touch to your reception In fact il ~.
gratifying 70 see from the first how ready -
was 10 adopt me into the Ueighhorr--s ---- l.
munity 1 begin to feel as IF I knew - - I
quite well, and all its mUitif9rnl ac1iv+.-S ~
know intimately, from one point % vis-
least, It's football clubs, its cricket clubs ~
lice cricket club, its reading rooms ia 80
shows. it's seashOTe trips for the little for,
hospital. it's church repairs and its edncs,3.- I
schemes. Then there is another featg~a =
most interesting Of all / snow thers +,
deadly race suicide in progress ha-af =
he climbs the long, steep, crooked haaT-s.'
dreadful street that lets him out Cf Iuto- -
ard London Children grow out Of tha =
macadam there; YOU arc I'm deadly ta--
every turn lest one should suddenly sD-9r-
under your wheels; YOU groan over their iov,-
irrepressibIe fiendish ambition 20 be -t5a -
over" of which there Is stiLl little survival i
spite of many police adW'Tltion and in ~.
also. as one sometimes hopes. n an ocrssi-
and affectiOnate parental spanking Hon -
them 70 the scashOre2 Bless their dear ia,-+
yes-twice as many as were sefr there Iagt -
mer,
Well. gentlemen. though thus sriabIv s4,,.s
into the circle Of YOUR ueiEhoCrhood i1-s-sv-
and amusements and anXieties 7 must co-sss
TO a disgracefuI ignorance of the straw s-, +
industry Not Of its importance. mind var "a,
man who looks az this busting. enra---.--
prosperous town of nearly or quite fortv -5r-,
sand inha abitants can have any doubt q "a.
So convinced am ] Of the importance q s,rar
goods that I'm almost ready % doubt he nj
verSaI applicability Of the Scripture msvi-
about its being better TO lay YOUR flun5sr~.
on rock For this particular locality s-s
peCt il was better 20 lay them on straw f--
tending 10 sustain the lTr3F7re0r remark OF M
distinguished predecessor and friend r.
Lowell. in the Biglow papers. that they 55s.
know everything down Iu Ju'7e-'
But still. though an absolute believer. ss vv
see. in the soHdity Of straw. [ can't tel v.
ANYTHING about the straw business. In ss-ss
you don't send as much straw % the Uuirsl
states as YOU are ready and willing % sci us
The fact is. ! suppose. that We raise straw on
selves But one thing / kUoTy-your good bus
ness in straw is useful 10 us. just as cur g1oi
business in anything is Use-u- 10 you TIE
more we prosper the better 11r YOU Tie uIs
States.
Now. since L can't really tell you anyth,,
a bout your own business, 1.e been wondering
if YOU would not be interested in hearing a51r
one particular piece OF OUrs-a disaster 20 sli-
den and appalling that il chained the strsnIz
of the whole world, and q recovery SO a1aZ-s
as to deserve even greater attention rs-u--5l
a few weeks ago from san Francisco, havzS
spent the time given ne by my govarnmsnt 2 |
rest and recreation. American fashion n q
twelve thousand mile jCu-nev 1 knew S-
Francisco We'll, but had not seen t- since ya4-
or two before the earthquake Aou VIII rs1
the condition IN which that frighrtul carasrll,s
left the fascinating city OF nearly half ml-l
souls a the entrance OF the Golden Gala NJ
titUdes of its buildings were thrown ooVl eT
successive shocks ~ rhe ssVereSr eartaguass
known on the Coast They shook all he l5T
land like a Jelly. tO~e apart rEe strongest szs
walls. twisted about the very rr3r1Ways ss--
Open the stone paVemanrs and ne earth e4s
them. destroyed the water system ara Il---
the whole population into rl= streets --4-
the houses the earthquake had spared or-a
down steadily through four awful days 81
nights. while the inhabitants looked on n e
most dumb helplessnaSS. having nothing le-t o-'
FIRE with which TO iEhr rLa Lre In7rs Va7
four and three-qUaTler square rl--es ol---
over-r0uchlv speakin 2 territory greater t11,
rha whole areas of the ETs7r 1-es n 11--9=
Boston and Baltimore combined Inc Ms-s
surance IN the burned district anoln-51
S2S5 O0O. 600. say E+-HG0. 300. while OF col-
many buildings were insured 20 only i12-
their value. ard others. including some e- OBJ
largest and CoEtlieSr not ar all
Immense numbers Of rha people rad 70 isa'
at once for lack Of shelter and 17t1-2t 1Ts'
lack even OF water Then came weary Ho1-4
of waiting 10 realize on securities. 10 collect d
suranCe. negotiate loans. and persuade ne 9--
side world that the spc- was NOT ooon2eo- u
San Francisco was NOT 20 cA n-nr4-l-tl : - =
a $ Nineveh and Tyre After that came So,
Of building material Scarcity Of labor. mles
Sible prices. questions Of public hea-Lh a-- =
the other Disadvantages yoI can r7@l--y ms 4
Well twenty-five months had elapsed =
that fatal morning when the '11ac--1---S -
reused from sIumb+r 20 ind -hsl- stronsT,
buildings tumblinE ON their heads or S"--S-s
md fro in the upper air Ike 5-S----le . 80.
'dUlumS turned upside down me MS - -.
sion, a. I passed through the ta-nl--4I - -
was that even then. i'm many quarters -
were just beginning % clear away '.T -
At every turn We're yaNnl-S Ce---l>r A-I, -
twisted iron beams ineNtrirao-y e.i,aH55- 5-,--
each other, and with masses or Ltl-1. - -,
But beside them would ba rre brlcA OF =;
structures. already boilir- with business. -
others a first glance looking ready -'- ~. ~
little but the exterior S1e-- w rs L---S0 -ssrss
everywhere doomed against l-s '--s' ,s-s
bTilliancy of the California sky the SAs-e ~
buildings. huge fTaueVorEs Of IRON lo>-..-
girders bOIted together. ten and tWelle - -
high. with marvellous and Sl-e.0-.- . Lss-s
monkeys at the top. SNinE-IE more W. L,-L -
into place. and films the upper an ~s5~I,-s
deafeninS ClanEor OF hammered rlNe.> az a-,-,s-.
The pdvementS were binCSECej N--i. ----
materials, liC SlLCClN ~ r-.+ -.t--..--- ~~4r~
Cling trucks, the very passengers 1T ~ - ,rss
ways carried the tools of their trade az -~s.
covered with mortar. Everybody was 5--.--is.r ~
The town that had been CROWNS ..f-r- r
enough through sixty years WAS oeiIs 49, -. rsi
two. Ten thousand permanent o-,--,-.Sc -,,---5.s5
either been completed or we've "e- ,--' --s ,s,.,
construction since the fire. oJ am ouI.aI - - l.
S1OOOOOOOO One-th.rj of tEe S-ru-y-t. - r.
stroyed by the earthquake and fire had ~. - ~
placed. and ON a scale so much Srsa'e- ,s
floor space i'm this third pruc-.c----Y ei~-
whole floor space destroyed. ., ~ -
scene you viii not need 20 be -old tAat W. ~. ,s.,
ter Chamber of Commerce oUt there ty, y-,C-,sir.ss
the people are dOiu- business o-l.,-- as
they do it ia shantieS while Their new - n
are being finished. sometimes they 40 Il.
desks made of boards laid across '.1 - -
cement barrels in unfinished rooms -~si~.srs
carpenters are hanging doors ana l.s NV q.
are working on the ViuicwS-lIppy % Nv O.
plaSterers have been elected But enc o
another they are dojug business ~ sss- 1s