above low tide, and the San Miguel Hills, near the southerly line of
the county, reach the height of about four hundred feet. The Pacific
Heights, near Alta Plaza, a mile and a half west of the City Hall, are
three hundred and seventy-five feet high.
These are all the natural elevations of note within the city and
county. The best artificial outlooks may be had from the roof of the
houses standing on or near the summits of those hills which rise
within the settled portion. The roof of Bancroft's building, the
cupola of the Grand Hotel, the U. S. Military Observatory, on the
southwest corner of Third and Market streets, and the Shot Tower, if
you can persuade Mayor Selby to let you up, all afford extensive and
beautiful prospects.
Having thus told the tourist all we know about the most feasible and
temperate methods of "getting high," we leave him to his own
direction, only adding that if he isn't satisfied with our efforts in
his behalf, he'd better go "up in a balloon," and view our city as
the Germans did Paris.
How to get about.
The universal, inexpensive, always-ready and democratic way is by the
ever-present Horse Cars. Seven different companies have laid about
fifty miles of rail in and about the city, and carry one either
directly to or within a very short distance of any desired point.
LINES, ROUTES AND COLORS.--The Omnibus and North Beach and Mission R.
R. Companies run yellow cars through Third and Fourth, Sansome,
Montgomery and Kearney, the central blocks of Stockton, and the
northern ends of Powell and Mason. They also run red cars from the
centre of the city to the southwestern limits, through Howard and
Folsom streets.
The Central R. R. Co. runs red cars from the steamboat landings along
the city front, through Jackson, Sansome, Bush, and other leading
streets to Lone Mountain. Their cars are commonly called the Lone
Mountain cars.
The Front Street and Ocean R. R. Co. runs green cars from the
steamboat landings at the foot of Broadway, up that street, along
Battery, Market, Sutter and Polk streets, by Spring Valley to the
Presidio, whence busses connect for Fort Point. A branch of this road
runs through Larkin street across Market through Ninth to Mission;
thus connecting the western with the southwestern suburbs. Within the
year this company has also constructed and put into operation another
branch, carrying one to Laurel Hill Cemetery and Lone Mountain.
The Market Street R. R., the pioneer, runs blue cars from the junction
of Montgomery and Market street, opposite the Grand Hotel, through
Market by the San Jose Depot, and out Valencia to Twenty-sixth. From
the junction of Ninth and Larkin street with Market, it sends a branch
out through Hayes Valley to Hayes Valley Pavilion.
The City R. R.--Lately built, and newly stocked, runs from the west
front of Grand Hotel, at the junction of Market and New Montgomery,
along the latter to Mission, thence out Mission to Twenty-Sixth,
passing directly by the entrance to Woodward's Gardens, and within one
block of the San Jose depot.
The Potrero and Bay View R. R.--Connecting with the North Beach and
Mission R. R., at the south end of Fourth street, runs thence across
the Long Bridge over Mission Bay--through the Potrero Deep Cut, over
the Islais Creek bridge, through South San Francisco to the Bay View
Race Track terminus, within half a mile of Hunter's Point and the Dry
Dock.
TIMES, FARES, ETC.--Commencing at about 6 P.M., in summer earlier, the
cars run at various intervals of from three to seven minutes until 11
and 12 o'clock P.M., and on the City R. R., till 1.30 the next
morning. Nearly all the roads sell tickets, having four coupons
attached, for twenty-five cents each. Every coupon is good for one
fare from one end of the city to the other, and the coupon tickets of
one company are received by every other. For single fares, paid
without coupons, they usually charge ten cents. Nearly a year ago the
City R. R. started the half-dime fare, asking but five cents for a
single ride, and the Market street R. R. has also adopted it.
"Children occupying seats, full fare."
Several of the companies issue transfer checks entitling the passenger
to continue his ride upon any intersecting line without extra charge.
HACKS AND COACHES.--For the benefit of those who have occasion to
engage any of the above, for the transient service of any excursion
lying outside of the regular routes, or beyond the legal limits within
which the fixed fare obtains, we subjoin the following legal
regulations also contained in the order and section already quoted on
a previous page:
"For a hackney carriage, drawn by more than one horse, for four or
less persons, when engaged by the hour, to be computed for the time
occupied in going and returning, including detention, $3 for the first
hour, and $2 for each subsequent hour.
"For a hackney carriage, drawn by one horse, for two persons, when
engaged by the hour, to be occupied in going and returning, including
detentions, $1 50 for the first hour, and $1 for each subsequent
hour."
It is hardly necessary to remark, yet it may prevent misunderstanding
to add, that the above rates pay for the service of the _whole_
carriage, and may be equitably divided among the occupants as they
agree.
LIVERY SERVICE.--The livery stables of the city are numerous, and
well-stocked with animals of blood and speed, and every form of two or
four-wheeled vehicles from the substantial, three-seated
thorough-braced wagon to the elegant or fancy single buggy or sulky.
The usual rates, at all first class stables, are five dollars a day,
or a drive, for a single team, and ten dollars for a double one. For a
very short trip, and a very short time, they frequently abate
something, and when a team is engaged for several days or weeks at
once, commonly make the rate lower. For saddle horses the price is
usually one half that of a single team, that is $2 50 for a day or
drive--subject to similar reductions as above.
ON FOOT.--If you have the nerve and muscle of a man, and are not sadly
out of training, by all means walk through or about the city and
around its suburbs. In several places, as, in climbing Telegraph or
any other hill, you will have to walk, and then you can. Even our lady
visitors might profitably emulate the pedestrian performances of their
English sisters. Provide good easy, wide-bottomed, low-heeled
walking-shoes, boots or gaiters, and take the beautiful, windless and
dustless morning hours for it and, unless your taste is fashionably
perverted or your physical energy hopelessly exhausted, you will find
it most delightful. Among the Scottish Highlands, or in the Swiss
Alps, you would certainly do it, endure it, enjoy it, and subsequently
boast of it; why not try it here?
Suburbs and Vicinity.
We suppose the visitor to have fairly rested--to have walked about a
little through the more central portion; to have somewhat studied the
general plan of the city, in view of the larger or shorter time which
he has to spend in the city, to have made up his mind how much he will
see, and what it shall be. By way of helping his planning and
sight-seeing, we now catalogue and briefly remark upon the more
notable points, taken in regular order from the most central starting
point. We offer the following pages as helpful suggestions to those
who cannot avail themselves of the personal guidance of some resident
friend, who can constantly accompany them to direct their route, and
verbally explain the details which these printed pages attempt. If
one has not time, or does not wish to see anything here set down, he
can easily omit it, and from the remainder select whatever he may
chose, transposing, combining, modifying and adapting according to his
own good pleasure.
GENERAL CIRCUIT OF THE CITY.
Commencing at the foot of Market street, thence southward, along or
over the water front, continuing around the entire city and returning
to the point of starting. Also mentioning more distant points visible
to the spectator looking beyond the suburbs:
The Lumber Yards, Wharves and Merchant Fleet, first attract our
notice. Millions of feet of boards, plank and timber from the northern
coast of this State and from Oregon, ranged in immense piles on broad
and deep piers--alongside of which the schooners, brigs and barks of
the lumber fleet are constantly discharging.
Thence along Stewart or East street, the latter being nearer the
water, by large lumber-yards, boat-shops, blacksmithing and
ship-chandling establishments, we reach the California and Oregon S.
S. Co's wharves and slips. The Folsom street cars run within five
short blocks; nearer than any others.
Black Diamond Coal Company's Pier.--Barges, sheds and piles of coal,
straight from the bowels of Mount Diablo, corner Spear and Harrison
streets, P. B. Cornwall, agent.
Rincon Point, foot of Harrison street. The wharves and filling have
quite obliterated the old shore line, which originally turning a short
corner here, received the name "Rincon," which, in Spanish, means
simply a corner.
U. S. Marine Hospital, northwest corner of Harrison and Spear.
P. M. S. S. Co.'s Piers, Docks, Sheds and Slips. Waterfront, foot of
Brannan and Townsend streets. Piers having a total front of 1200 feet,
shed 600 feet long by 250 wide. Steamships over five thousand tons
register and docks built especially for them. Capt. W. B. Cox,
Superintendent.
Gas Works, corner of King and Second. The other works of the same
company, the San Francisco Gas Co., are on Howard street, from First
to Beale.
C. P. R. R. Co.'s Freight Pier, Depot and Boat. Foot of Second street.
Mission Bay. Foot of Second and Third streets. The broad cove lying
between South street and Potrero; now fast filling in, especially
beyond, that is, south of the Long Bridge.
Mission Rock.--Off the foot of Third street. Has a shanty on it. Used
for fishing.
U. S. Ship Anchorage.--Between foot of Third and the Mission Rock, and
within a quarter-mile radius of the latter. U. S. Revenue Cutters and
Coast Survey vessels, chiefly occupy it.
Steamboat Reserves.--In the docks between Third and Fourth and the
adjacent ones along the south side of the bridge.
Long Bridge.--From the foot of Fourth street, across Mission Bay to
Potrero--one mile. Will become Kentucky street, when the filling-in
makes a street of what is now a bridge.
Yacht Club Building.--East side of Long Bridge, one third across.
Yachts at moorings near.
Potrero.--The point at the south end of Long Bridge. Spanish for
pasture ground. Originally a rocky ridge. Fast disappearing under
houses.
Glass Works.--Pacific Glass Works, corner Iowa and Mariposa streets,
four blocks west of bridge.
Pacific Rolling Mill.--Potrero Point, water front, east of bridge.
Deep Cut, is really Kentucky street, brought down somewhere near the
future grade, by cutting through the solid rock, to an average depth
of 75 feet for nearly a fifth of a mile.
Rope Walk runs under Kentucky street, near the north end of the Islais
Creek Bridge, which is the same street continued across Islais Creek,
now a solidly planked bridge, seven eighths of a mile long.
Italian Fishing Fleet and Flakes, on the right of the bridge, along
the cove-beach just beyond the rope-walk. Their Mongolian competitors
have their boats and beach a little further south.
South San Francisco is the rising land or ridge south of Islais Creek.
It is a pleasant suburb, rapidly growing.
Catholic Orphan Asylum, that large, new wooden building fronting on
Connecticut street, nine blocks west of the bridge.
Hunter's Point is the east end of South San Francisco, a rocky point
in which the Dry Dock, dug out of the solid rock, four hundred and
twenty-one feet long, one hundred and twenty feet wide at the top, and
sixty feet wide at the bottom, which is twenty-two feet below mean
high water. With the Floating Dock, near by, it cost two millions of
dollars.
Bay View Race Track, near Railroad Avenue, a mile southwest of Islais
Bridge. One mile around; broad, smooth and hard. Bay View House at
north margin, near west end.
Visitacion Point and Valley, three quarters of a mile beyond the race
course; worth driving out to see, if you have plenty of time.
San Bruno Road unites with this railroad avenue about half a mile
beyond the race course; brings one back near
New Butchertown, corner of Islais Creek Canal and Kentucky street.
Drive back this old San Bruno Road, until you come to Twenty-sixth
street; along that to Mission; down Mission to Seventeenth, out which
you may drive until you find your way winding and climbing up and
over the east slopes of the peninsular hills along the Ocean House
Road, a broad, hard track, leading over the hills to the house which
names it. Opposite Twenty-fourth street is the toll gate, where you
pay twelve and a half, or twenty-five cents, according to your team. A
mile beyond, a side gate, free, admits you to a carriage-way through
the fields, leading down, three quarters of a mile, to Lake Honda, the
huge double-reservoir of sloping-sided masonry, covered with cement,
and holding thirty-five million gallons. This well merits a visit. The
City Almshouse stands on the hill, half a mile south of the lake.
The Small-pox Hospital is the small building standing alone on the
hill, a third of a mile north of the Almshouse.
Returning to, and resuming the main road, a mile southwesterly and
then westerly, brings us to the Ocean Race Course, securely enclosed,
and having the usual circuit and surface.
Opposite this, and half a mile south lies Lake Merced, three quarters
of a mile long by a fifth of a mile wide. That part of it nearer to,
and parallel with the road, is a smaller, nearly separate lake called
simply "the Lagoon."
Ocean House, on a slight sandy knoll, half a mile northwest of Lake
Merced.
Pacific Beach.--This is the sandy shore of the "ultimate sea,"
stretching almost exactly north two miles to the base of the cliff, up
which a well-built road carries us a score of rods northwesterly to
the
Cliff House, the grand terminus, or at least way-station of all ocean
drives. Its broad, covered piazza, well-furnished with easy chairs and
good marine glasses, has been for years the popular observatory whence
fashion languidly patronizes the Pacific, or gazes with momentary
interest upon the
Seal Rocks--three hundred feet from the shore, and dotted with
lubberly seals, clumsily climbing upon the lower rocks, or lazily
sunning themselves above.
Farallones--Twenty-five miles seaward from the Cliff House--seven
sharp-pointed islets break the monotony of the western horizon. The
highest of these rises three hundred and forty feet, and has a large
lighthouse of the first-class, with the finest Fresnel light on the
coast.
Point Lobes, a precipitous coast bluff, a third of a mile north of the
Cliff House, chiefly noted as the site of the Signal Station; provided
with a fine glass and the usual outfit of a marine observatory. Thence
along the beach, or the brow of the bluff, if you like climbing, by
the Helmet Rock, whose shape hardly appears from the land, around the
curve of the shore, whose general direction here is northeast, a full
mile, to
Fort Point, where stands a doubly-strengthened and heavily-mounted
fort, yet unnamed, whose chief interest founds upon its general
resemblance to the famous Fort Sumter.
Lighthouse.--The northwest angle of the fort supports a substantial
tower, showing a fixed white light. From the walls of the fort, or
better still, from the lighthouse balcony, we look upon and across the
Golden Gate, the connecting strait between the Pacific Ocean and San
Francisco Bay. It is between three and four miles long, from one to
two miles wide, and over four hundred feet deep.
Lime Point, the northern inside gate-post--the southeastern extremity
of Marin county.
Point Bonita.--The outer or oceanward point of the northern shore,
nearly two miles west of the fort, crowned with a lighthouse.
Mountain Lake--One mile south of the fort, and sending a little
rivulet called Lobos Creek westward into the Pacific, which it helps
to replenish.
Presidio--Spanish for garrison or barracks. This is nearly a mile
southeast of the fort, as we return toward the city. Its main features
are the extensive barracks, accommodating several hundred U. S.
soldiers, who make this their point of arrival and departure in going
to or coming from the different stations to which they may be ordered.
Forming the parallelogram front is the parade ground, a broad, open
field, gently falling toward the bay, surrounded by the officers'
quarters or the barracks, and dotted with batteries here and there.
Black Point.--The water front at the foot of Franklin and Gough
streets.
Pioneer Woolen Mills--Corner of Polk and Reade streets. Office, 115
Battery street.
North Beach--From the foot of Powell street west to Black Point.
Angel Island, three and a half miles north of Black Point, across the
bay.
Alcatraces Island--A mile and a half north of North Beach, off in the
bay, heavily fortified, commanding the Golden Gate.
North Point--Water front, foot of Kearny street, corner of Bay street.
Sea Wall--Water front from the foot of Union street, southward; a
sloping bulkhead of rubble, faced with heavier rock, costing $240 a
linear foot, and a mile and a half long.
FERRIES.--Alameda--Corner of Davis and Pacific street. City Front
Cars.
Oakland--Same dock, next slip south. City Front Cars.
Saucelito--Meiggs' Wharf, foot of Powell street. North Beach cars.
San Quentin--Davis street, near Vallejo. City Front or Sutter street
cars.
Vallejo--Corner of Front and Vallejo. City Front or Sutter street
cars.
HOW TO SEE SAN FRANCISCO AND ITS SURROUNDINGS.
Brief trips, or short excursions, requiring but a few hours each.
Short skeleton tours in and about the suburbs, suggesting the most
interesting points, with the walks, rides, drives or sails by which
one may reach them--the time required and the best hours of the day,
the amount of walking necessary, with the conveniences and cost.
IN AND ABOUT THE CITY.
I. Walk up Montgomery street to Telegraph Hill. If you don't feel like
climbing clear to the top, follow the foot-path which winds around
about two thirds up its east and northeast slopes. If you go to the
top you can go down into--or if you take the lower path you will come
round into, Lombard street. Walk down that to Powell; turn to your
right and follow Powell north to the water and Meiggs' wharf, down the
wharf if you want the bay breeze, and the bay sights from a lower
level; come back--take the South Park cars; ride up Powell by
Washington Square, up Stockton, down Washington--get out at the upper
corner of the Plaza, walk diagonally across, notice the old City Hall
on your left, stroll up Kearny to California or Bush, down which you
descend one block to Montgomery.
II. CHINESE QUARTERS.--Sacramento street, from Kearny to Dupont, along
Dupont to Pacific, down Pacific to Stockton, to Jackson, down Jackson
to Kearny; cast your eyes down the little alleyways and courts which
cut up the blocks along these streets. Look at these signs! "Hop Yik,
Wo Ki, Tin Yuk, Hop Wo, Chung Sun, Cheung Kuong, Hang Ki, Yang Kee,
Shang Tong, Shun Wo," that last wouldn't be a bad one to go over the
door of "civilized" rum-hole. "Wing On Tsiang, Wung Wo Shang, Kwong On
Cheang," and scores of others. Most are personal names, some are
business mottoes. They are generally phonographic, that is, you
pronounce them according to their spelling. Here and there one
suggests fun. For instance, "Man Li." Well, why not a Chinaman as well
as a white man? Has the superior race the monopoly of lying? That sign
is certainly creditable to the Chinese female; it says Man Li; not
_woman_ lie. Not far thence a very appropriate successor finishes the
logical sequence, "Hung Hi." Certainly, why not? That's what ought to
be done to any merchant who will lie. Any Man Li, should be "Hung Hi."
These celestials certainly have no bad idea of the eternal fitness of
things. What would happen to our Melican merchants if that rule were
rigidly applied? It would'nt be much trouble to take the next census.
This is the out-door glance by daylight. If you want a more thorough
exploration by day or by night, call on special officer Duffield,
(George W.) at 1,107 Montgomery street, who knows their haunts and
ways, and can show you all you'll care to see. His long experience
among them has also acquainted them with him to such a degree, that
they allow him to enter and pass through their houses and rooms whence
another might be shut out. In fact, he is their special officer, paid
by the Chinese merchants to guard their property, and is emphatically
_the_ man to have for an escort. He can take you into their gambling
saloons, into their pigeon-hole lodging houses where rag-pickers,
beggars and thieves fill the air with opium smoke, then shove
themselves, feet foremost, into a square box of a pigeon-hole, more
like a coffin than a couch. He can guide you into crooked, narrow,
labyrinthine passages through which you can just squeeze, and which
you could never find nor enter without guidance; into inner courts,
around which, and in the midst of which, stand old rickety,
tumble-down, vermin-haunted hives of wooden tenements which rise
through three or four stories, all alive with the swarming lazzaroni,
packed into the smallest and dirtiest of rooms, and huddled into every
dark and filthy corner.
These are the lowest and worst of their race; the _infernal_
celestials, among whom the officer will not take a woman at all, and
where it would not be safe for any man to attempt entrance alone. The
approaches are so ingeniously constructed and so artfully disguised,
and the passages wind among each other so intricately, and intersect
each other so perplexingly, that not one in a thousand could ever find
the beginning, and hardly one in ten thousand could discover the end.
"For _ways_ that are _dark_,
And for _tricks_ that are _vain_,
The heathen Chinee _is_ peculiar;
Which the same I would rise to explain."
The stranger must not conclude, however, that such as these make up
the bulk of the Chinese who come to us. On the contrary, these are the
lowest and vilest, the dregs and settlings of their social system; no
more fit to be taken as samples of their nation than the low,
whisky-drinking, shillaly-swinging, skull-cracking, vote-repeating
Irish, who now govern New York, are to be taken as fair types of the
"finest pisantry undher the sun," or considered as a representative of
the educated Irishman, than whom a warmer-hearted, freer-handed, more
courteous-mannered gentleman one can hardly meet in a thousand miles.
So the middle classes of the Chinese are cleanly, sober, industrious
and honest, while their leading merchants, of whom we have several
fine representatives in the city, are models of business integrity and
social courtesy. Enter one of their establishments, with proper
introduction, and you shall encounter the most perfect politeness
throughout the interview, and carry away the impression that you were
never more heartily welcomed and generously entertained, according to
their custom, of course, by _any_ strangers, in your life.
And one very notable thing should also be said of their street
deportment; you may walk through their quarter every day and night for
a month, and not see a single drunken man of their own race. If you
encounter one at all, he is likely to belong to the "superior race."
Your survey of the Chinese quarter would be incomplete without a visit
to their temples or joss houses. One of these stands off Pine, just
above Kearny. They are also used as hospitals.
Should you wish any souvenir in the shape of their peculiarly
ingenious manufacture, you may find them at the Chinese or Japanese
bazaars.