Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-11
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.


There are still many vacant blocks and
many piles of ruins. and workmen are
just beginning to clear away the debris
Of the city hall. There are plenty of
things to remind people that 1.-The glory
of this world passeth away" but at least
60 per cent Of the burned district has
been rebuilt.
More than 10000 building permits. rep
resenting $142,243.645. have been issued
since the fire. Only small portion OF
this represents borrowed money. The
total value of mortgages recorded during
the three years since the fire Is $l15,24l,-
1876. During the same time 61,2D.OOO
of mortgages have been Cancelled, leav-
ing a net increase Of $4S,OOO.OOO to repre-
sent the loans that have been made for
rebuilding the city. This is little more
than one-third of the value of the build
ing permits issued.
has been borrowed outside the state for
the rebuilding Of San Francisco. This
seems incredible, although everybody
knows that San Francisco is very
wealthy city.
Recover Losses Quickly.
Notwithstanding the fire and the BUSH
ness depression. the savings bank de-
posits for the year 1908 were SAG. 131. $50.
The bank clearings for 1908 were ST.
757. Isl, 1885,
The real estate transfers since the fire
have amounted to 500. 1852 .977. For the
pSst year they have been $34. 1892.
The assessed valuation of real estate
and improvements has increased nearly
a hundred millions during the three years
since the fire.
There has been comparatively little
speculation in real estate since the fire.
Owners Of property who saw their i'm
provements destroyed. and as conse-
quence their incomes cut of, did not lose
heart and sell their holdings, but made
arrangements to build as rapidly as pos
stble, and the banks. which were practi-
cally iundisturbed. were generous and
liberal in their dealings with their old
for real estate, especially in the business
district but there were few sellers, and
almost every sale was at price in adj
vance of the value Of the property be-
fore the fire.
The cool-headed investors at once rec
ognized that the fire would be of ultimate
benefit to the city, just as the fires In
Chicago, Boston and Baltimore had been.
Hence values have gone up since the dis
aster. It is a very significant fact that
many lots in the business section covered
with scorched bricks, crumbling stone
and twisted iron were rated at higher
figure than when they were covered with
buildings. One man who had purchased
the side business streets before the fire
was offered an advance of rs per cent
over what he paid for them within three
months after they were destroyed. A
lot on Market street near the Palace Hotel
covered with ruins. was sold shortly.
after the fire for nearly double what it
cost three years previous with substar-
tial building.
The board of education decided to lease
the former site of the Lincoln Public
o-L Mo~yr@ hn-
cause it was located in the business dis
trict and was considered too valuable for
school purposes. The Advertisement stip-
ulated that the lessee must put up a
building costing not less than $25O,OOO
which should revert to the city at the
end Of thirty years. A young bank clerk
obtained the lease for total rental o.
$013, 600 for the thirty years and sold 1t
for $50. 600 advance within a few months.
Indeed. real estate men will tell you
many similar stories Illustrating the ad-
vance in values since the fire.
Extension Of Retail Section.
Many people predicted that the retail
shopping center would be moved farther
up town. because the merchants who had
been burned out down town we're COM
PEELED to secure temporary quarters in
the residence section. but the change has
been the other way. The retail stores
have not only gone back to their old To-
cations. but they have invaded the lower
part of Market street, which was for
merly devoted to wholesale stores and
small factories. This, however, is perfect
ly natural. At the risk Of making an
Irish bull 1t may be said that nearly one.
third of the population If San Francisco
live outside the town and cross the bay
every morning and evening aboard the
ferryboats that land at the foot of Mar
ket street Shoppers from the suburbs
So lee 49, T. $1,> IL
mile or SO to reah the retail shops. but
since the fire many of the retailers have
gone down to the ferry SO as to catch the
trade.
The department stores. fancy goods es-
Establishments. the milinars. music dealers
and jewelers. retain their old locations; the
banking and insurance offices, the COM
mission houses. the stock brokers', the
real estate dealers and other business men
have gone back to their old places. Chi
natown has been moved. and has been
immensely improved in appearance It
now has some of the most attractive
buildings in the city. genuine oriental
pagodas. and the architectural effect is
fine.
Barbary coast. which has always been
the tough part of town. still holds its own
and has not improved its character. The
theaters have been scattered. and several
places. but they are as brilliant, as crowd
ed and as popular as ever. because SO
many apartment houses that have risen
on the ruins of snrivate residences have
furnished living apartments for larger
portion of the population within conven-
lent distance OF the fashionable cafes
and restaurants. A larger proportion of
people take their meals outside their
lodgings in San Francisco than in any
other city in the United States. 1t is
distinctively a restaurant city. like Paris,
and epicures have always proclaimed the
San Francisco restaurants to be the best
In the United States.
Over Ruins to Theater Entrances.
1t is characteristic of the city that the
theaters should be the first buildings to
be erected, and it is said that the people
climbed over piles Of ruins all winter to
attend the performances. One writer has
said:
Those strangest first nights ever known
showed a multitude laughing in the
pauses OF the most sober thought and
planning in which any multitude ever en-
gagged. San Francisco has always begun
serious undertakings with smile upon
it's face. San Francisco was showing its
faithfulness 10 a cheerful tradition which
could not be shaken down or burned up
The Italian opera singers played to big
houses that Mintep-though when the