The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-06-20
LITTLE or ROM A MI {.
SAN FRAN CISCO or THE
DAYS OF "49" REMAINS
TO GREET CONVENTION

san Francisco, Cal, June l9.-Nis'
itors 10 the democratic national CON
vention will see but few reminders
of the old, romantic days of san Fran
cisco when the red-shirted miners
swept down from the gold-sueakeG
reaches of the Sierras and threw
fistfuls OF pay dirt on the bars or
the store counters for whatever they
wished TO purchase
They will never run across such
characters as the little Old millionaire
who used to haunt the "Barbary
Coast" resorts in memory Of some
of the old time residents. This indi-
vidual, who had hit a pay streak
early in the mother lode" OF northern
California, used TO order one particu.
lar brand of champagne, the price OF
which he well knew. Although he
was a good fellow ne never would
allow himself to be victimized by the
loose, vicious financeerng Of the
district. He would keep the cork from
every Bottle no matter how convivin
it might be, and when the time came
to settle up he would produce these
corks TO check against his bill. If
. the dun did not coincide with the
evidence of the corkage he would not
pay it.
Gone is the roaring coast" and its
less picturesque environs. Bottle"
Koenig and Bottle" Meyers, who use1
TO run noisy cock fighting establish
ments in what is now the shadow OF
the Hall Of Justice, have long since
passed on and the Montana Dance
Hall" most blaring and blatant of all
the coast resorts, is hardly memory.
Even the establishment of the old
German doctor who, according to some
local historians, used to be the Ger,
man emperor's personal physician, is
gone almost from the recollection Of
man. 1t is here that the denizens OF
the coast were bathed and shorn and
set right physically after their jousts
with John Barleycorn.
Chinatown guides still point out the
little restaurant hanging precariously
over old Dupont street, where Frank
Norris, the author went occasionally
TO get bit of local color. Directly
ahead and facing the Hall of Justice
is Portsmouth Square, a cove for the
city's human drift where the Vigil
antes" staged many a stirring scene
and the sand lotters" under the
leadership of fiery Dennis Kearney
discussed the towns political issues.
Some of the old wine-shops, rivals
in the new world of the coffee houses
Of Addison and Steele as gathering
places OF the artists and the literati,
still cling TO the Latin quarter. But
most of the old cafes, where much OF
the city's history was plotted, remain
in name only. Gone is Duncan Nichols
the Bank Exchange" of former days
where the famous Pisco Punch was
served over a mahogany bar that was
brought around the Horn. The old
Cliff House, where president OF the
United States and other renowned
itinerants used to enjoy the seafooa
breakfasts, was burned years ago.
On Waverly Place still may be
seen the quarters of the old Siberia
club, stronghold of Yee Nee, King or
Chinatown" Here, before the police
"axe parties" became a feature o.,
Chinatown, the chance games of
''coon-can," "chuck-a-luck" and fan.
tan" were played in the midst OF a
maze of corridors, sliding panels work
ed by secret springs and exotic odors
OF opium and Chinese dishes. Above
the gambling room were the alcoves
where the beaten and broken game,
sters could sleep off their debauch
and could remain until they had re-
couped their fortunes.
The black docks that lined the front
frouI China basin to the Preside are
gone, and stately berths for ocean
liners have arisen in their places. The
dingy bars that stood back of them
where adventures Of all degrees were
once dropped drug-stupified, through
trap-doors and into waiting boats be-
low as part of the great Shanghai"
game, al have been swept away.
The Shanghai was the system for
recruiting the crews OF the lime
juicers,' the great deep sea barks, that
piled principally between San Fran