The New York herald., 1922-07-23
San Francisco-a Reporters Paradi
By EDWARD w. TOWNSEND.

0y Ell DWANO W. AOWNSGND.
TT may be that many reasons have
been urged why San Francisco,
soon after the beginning of itsI
present era. say the middle of the
last century, has been as citified as
New York or Paris. 1t has always
seemed to me that the circumstance
in its birth and development which
made its lasting and most notable
impress in that respect is that it
never was a village. In the eigh-
teenth century Spanish Franciscan
monks established a mission on the
peninsula over whose hills and val
leys San Francisco now spreads; in
the first half of the nineteenth CEN
tury the harbor was port of call for
New England ships which traded
Yankee wares for hides; then, fol-
lowing the discovery of gold, it be-
came a roaring camp of eager, bold
young adventurers; the harbor was
cluttered with ships Abandoned by
fortune seeking crews and passen-
gers; the waterfront alive with the
newly arrived feverishly preparing
to rush to the foothills in search of
gold, and those who had made their
''pile" and had returned to exchange
their gold dust for good time, or.
the wiser. to go into business and
build-not a village, city.
Born City.
Those who thronged the water
front were. many of them. city bred,
ambitious and daring, for few but the
strong and bold. spirits ventured
upon the hazard of that long and
dangerous Journey to the Pacific
Coast. Such men planned no tepid
village delights to reward their Ia
from the mines laden with treasure.
They dreamed of majestic hotels, the
aters, the opera, restaurants to rival
the best in New York, of horse rae
ing, sports, noble park meeting
the tides of the ocean. of dainties,
luxuries-and made their dreams
come true.
The effect Of all this met with my
hearty approval when I reached San
Francisco, especially as in no respect
could these impresses fixed upon the
then grown up city be more comfort
ing to cub reporter than the nu-
merous good and inexpensive French
restaurants. l venture, out of order.
to tell Of one incident which proved,
by the testimony of even an ascetic.
how deep and prevalent in San Fran
cisco was this early implanted desire
for good dining.
II was after was fairly estab-
fished as a writer OF special articles.
and had written a number for the
paper I was then on. the Morning
Call. that l wrote Sunday piece
about the city's best known bon vi
wants: their favorite viands and how
they liked them cooked, with some
professional comment by we'll known
chefs. The proprietor and editor of
the Gail was a Mr.. Pickering. tall,
solemn man with long. pale face who
always walked on tip toes. lunched
on crackers and milk and dined on
baked apples and toast. He was an
uncommonly pious man. too.
had been on the Call for a year.
but neither by word. look or letter
of approval or disapproval had Mr.
Pickering shown that he knew Of my
existence The day after that gas
tronomic piece was printed the boss.
passing through the city room.
stopped, on tiptoe. at my desk.
leaned over me and whispered SOL
EMMY, "I liked your story about din.
ners and dining. Such stories are
popular:: much more popular than
the-.he other kind you have writ
ten" 1t was. the first and only time
he ever spoke to me.
Major Max and His Wife.
took the hint. 1 had become a
friend OF the city's best known bon
vivant. transplanted Bostonian,