The San Francisco call., 1909-03-14

part in the rebuilding has been eve
greater than he then promised
should be. Here is what he wrote i
The Cali of August 5. 1906:
The best sermon that a business
man of San Francisco may give to
the people Of this city at this time
must be framed, not in words but
in actions. The duty of the hour is
not speech, but deeds. Let US all.
each in his own way and in his own
field, do the best that is in him 10
rebuild san Francisco. TO place her
than she was.
We ask no credit for what we
are doing, for we need none. We
are building a city that must be
states. and If our energies follow
in truth the direction of our hopes
and of-our ambitions this city that
is to rise from the ashes of a dead
metropolis Will be one of the great
est.
OPPORTUNITIES TREMENDOUS
Our opportunities are tremen-
dous. No other people in the
world ever faced q more splendid
prospect. We have no time. there
fore. to think of what has happened
or of what might have been, but
only thought to direct our actions
Tor what must happen and must
be. We have NeVery reason for our
prosperity has been lost TO San
Francisco. Our buildings have
been destroyed, but we have mon
ey with which to erect new ones
and better ones. The current OF
our lives has been interrupted. but
the interruption is only casual and
momentary
When the shock came to us and
the fires of devastation ragged
about us / said to myself If I lost
every material thing in the world
i still have my courage, and with
that 1 will build again and build
better than before.
And it is this we must all do.
The people of San Francisco have
lost comparatively not a great
deal, and they have learned much.
What they have lost may be re-
placed, and out of what they have
may come great gain in the pos
session Of more prosperous, more
beautiful city.
Some of our eastern friends are
nursing the fear that we viii not
be on our feet again for many
years and that here the struggle
simply for existence will be our
predominant activity. This, of
course, we know is an abSurdity,
and We must make our eastern
friends know it. We have high re-
gard for their splendid generosity
fears. but we must let them know
with all the emphasis at our COM
mand that the assistance they gave
us was only first aid to the wound
ed. We were hurt and, for a time,
crippled, but we were not knocked
out
AGAIN ON FEET
We are on our feet again. and
the work we have begun we will
finish. If our brethren in the east
do not care to come and see US let
us fortifY ourselves with the re-
Election that it is their loss and not
ours.
We have port that is unrivaIed
in the world. We have a trade that
startles the imagination with its
realities and its potentialities. We
have contributory territory that
can make any city great in its
prosperity. We have city site
upon which may be made to rise
one of the most beautiful cities in
America. And with all these in
our possession, why should we not
be optimistic? For our hone is NOT
built on the faith of what NAV be.
but on what of energy and cour-
age we see around us.
We must profit by one of the
costliest lessons ever given to a
modern. civilized community. and
then we may go forward in conf
dence TO the building of city that
viii be splendid in its beauty and
proSDeritV