The San Francisco call., 1909-04-18

slopes:l at my feet ggefsn slopes torn
with reid quarries and winding roads.
where cottages stood, Arees grew and
cattle fed. A murmur-sof life. worship
and joy rose into the, air of this Sab
bath day of spring Mount. Diablo. a
misty brue pyramid. lowered on ths
horizon, AND the bay south of Hunters
point faded into-immsensiti'ss OF unde-
fined distances. Spires of churches
scared above the Mission homes. those
dwellings. of the sons OF toll. artisans
who have built city as others would
ing its boundaries. pucshin g and crawl
ing south down the peninsula, an
enormous inundatiOn of houses and
shops. The Potrero sw armed with
buildings South San Francisco,
Baden, Slalnyside. with It's truck gar
dens almost merging intcs one. the lat
ter besieglng rural Ingle side, with It's
background OF the San Pedro range
an indigo mass beyond. Sunset and
Parkside w ere blossOmin & on the sand
dunes. Tho young. hmpt srial city was
stretching itself like a giantess. en-
bracing I'll he peaks wi IN a ring OF
streets and structures; the hands OF
her encirclaug arms were clasping each
other on he shores of the Pacific.
Hidden in pretty VALLEY between
the ocean and the eaks the new
buildings OF the almsh ouse were Wis
fblc In 70 rmer years san Francisco
found a sms II. old fashi Dned a1mshouse
ample for h3 ar poor but now as a mod
ern world metropolis her needs have
significantly grown. It is here In this
charming s pot that she houses the
living wree'Ss and re al ruins Of her
disaster hilGng them. carefully from
the world be hind thes calm and smil-
ing summius. Benin Il another ridge
Parkside ruIls it's lev eled streets close
TO the white breaker IS on the beach.
Somewhere in that egiOn, close TO a.
wood lives a friend of mine a man
of culture, Gne of the hight hearted and
valiant race of Macy fars. Some years
ago he bous ht himsthf several lots IN
that waste of sand and shrub. Last
year he ma r5ried ST shOOlmistress from
Kentucky. a splendid woman. true type
of the helpnaae of, pioneers. They
reared themselves "A tent, later sim
pie bungalow. and, as they develop
their land hope to build an ampler
home. Ii is possible that a baby's
voice may soon be heard. The cabin
of this couple. trhe home. precious
unit of the state, fmpresses me mora
than the most ppmpOuS skyscraper
money could pile lIp. 1t is TO me i'm
mcasurabIy more significant and ex-
pressive of the true spirit OF cOsmO-
politau san FraIrciscO-the spirit OF
early days which still dwelIs among
us. 1t is in such. places and in such
persons that You viii find the essen
tial soul of the city
As 1 turn TO descend the peak
come across the wreckage OF a tiny
cottage in which famous architect
dreamed out and desi gned a new and
beautiful San Francisco We all know
what came OF it Well we have at
least new San Francisco. The ar
chitect's dream Is. now one with his
nature. J recall, too. though no longer
with resentment that in far off Lon
don I was forced TO retract the brave
description and promises / had made
in pript by virtue of the Burnham
plans. The phoenix was too intent on
Matching eggs after the fire to have
an eye for permanent beauty, and so
the magnificent opportunity was lost.
Perhaps. after all. our city must grow
as the wind bIOws-where il listeth-
imperfectly. blindly, yet steadily a
creature of human hand and human
hearts-nke and yet unlike to the
flowers growing and nodding on these
slopes.