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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (June 20, 1920)
'- j..." 4 Tins SUXDAT OTIEGOXIAX, PORTLAND, JUNE - 20, 1920 Old Romantic Days of San Francisco Recalled. LIFE . SKETCHES BY ARTIST -WHO SENSES SPIRIT OF THE DAY Few Bemlndera of Picturesque Characters of Last Century Will Be Seen by Uitors to Demo cratic National Convention. ? r. - V SAN FRANCISCO, Juno 19. Visitors to tho democratic national conven tion will see but few reminders of old. romantic days of San Francisco, when the red-shirted miners swept down from too gold-streaked 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 the memory of some of the old-time residents. This in dividual, who had hit a "pay streak" early in the "mother lode" of northern California, used to order one particu lar brand of champagne, che price of which he knew well. Although he was a "good fellow," he never would allow himself to be victimized by the loose, vicious financiering of the district. He would keep the cork from every bottle, no matter how convivial he might be, and when the time came to settlo up he would produce these corks to chock against his bill. If the dun did not coincide with the evidence of the corkage he would not pay it, "Barbary Coast" No More. Gone is the roaring "Coast" and Ita lrss picturesque environs. "Bottle" ICoenig and "Bottle" Meyers, who used to run noisy cock-fighting establish ments in what is now tho 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 a memory. Even the establishment of the .old German doctor who, according to some local histories, used to be the German emperor's personal physician, is gone almost from the recollection of man. It was 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 rupont street where Frank Norris, the author, weut occasionally to get a 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 Vigi lantes staged many a stirring scene and the "sand-lot ters," under the lead ership of fiery Dennis Kearney, dis cussed the town's political issues. Cafes Remain In IV a me Only. Some of the old wine shops, rivals In the new world of the coffee houses of Addison and Steele as gathering places of tho artists and the literati, Ktill elintr 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 Nich- ol's, the "Bank JCxchange" of former days where the famous Pisco punch was served over a mahoirany bar that was brought around the Horn. The old Cliff house, whero rpesidents ot the United States and other renowned Itinerants used to enjoy the sea-food breakfasts, was burned years ago. On Waverly place still may be seen the nuarters of the old Siberia ciuo, stronphold of Yee Mee, "king of Chinatown." Here, before the police "axe parties" became a. feature of 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 worked by secret springs and exotic odors of opium and Chinese dishes. Above the gambling room were the alcoves where the beaten and broken gamesters could sleep off their de bauch and could remain until they had recouped their fortunes. Shipping Greatly Changed. The black docks that lined the "front" from China basin to the Pre sidio are gone and stately berths for ocean liners have risen in their place. The dingy bars that stood back of them, where adventurers of all de crees were once dropped, drug-stupefied, through trap doors into waiting boats below as part of the great "shanghai" game, all have been swept away. The "shanghai was the sys tm for recruiting the crews of the "lime Juicers.' the great deep-sea barks that plied principally between San Francisco and S6uth American ports. They got their name through the fact that for more than a decade those under Knglish registry carried a consignment of lime juice on every voyage to combat epidemics of scurvy among the crews. With improved con ditions the scurvy disappeared and the lime juice went back into the water-front cocktails. The ball cannon that made up the defenses of the old Presidio may still be seen in mock defense of Sutro heights. Nob hill, once the home of the city's elite, shows a collection of jagged foundations, much as the great fire and earthquake left it. "South of the Slot" the ancient tenements have tciven way to smart apartments, in their midst standing the slowly dis integrating ruins of the "Mission of Sorrows," known in the Spanish as the "Mission Dolores," built in 1778 by the Franciscans. It is the best memento of fhe romantic old San Francisco that endures. MEMORIAL WAITS ON FUND Hood River Man Answers Inquiries Regarding Subscriptions. HOOD RIVER, Or., June 19. (Spe cial.) In reply to queries of citizens who subscribed last summer to a fund to be used in landscaping Ruthton hill point on the Columbia river high way as a memorial for the county's soldier dead, Dr. J. F. Watt, chair man of a committee appointed by the Commercial club to raise the money, says that funds so far subscribed are insufficient to justify a beginning of work. "At a booth at the July 4 celebra tion last year." says Dr. Watt, "we raised about $300. and later this was increased another $200. The money is held at the First National bank here In a special Commercial club fund. I hope that the inquiries will stimulate interest in our proposed monument again. SHERIDAN TO CELEBRATE Walnut City Band and. Airplane to Feature Fete on July 5. SHERIDAN, Or., June 19. (Spe cial.) The .Moose lodge of Sheridan is preparing for a celebration to be held July 5. Arrangements have been made for a two-passenger Curtiss airplane. The Walnut City band from McMlnnville will furnish- the music for the day. The Sheridan girls' band has another engagement for the day and will not be present. The landing ground for the airplane Is now under construction and will be made permanent so that the fire patrol the cominar summer can make use ot it. Collier Wins Fame as Artist. CARDIFF. Vicent Evans, a young collier living In Swaneco valley, has had one of his drawings entitled "An Underground Scene," accepted for ex hibition in the Royal academy, vtm worked at coal hewing until quite recently and spent his spare time la painting and drawing. fv , " ' , i Trl head" waiter, w"fi , - Q -- .--a?5w A Ytl on cf 1,M hia own idea about v. rt v - 'Jr . SZrZ&SM ; mUUUL PS?'' . eting stray parties. X i f f S-Jr '' jji?tV'SNw having Just put at ons X ;.. rSS?3gg&S?V ITc ' table a Baptist minister X " ft -v ' -"V Mortals H & 55'.5L."wh. !S; cf A T,-S?- T J' $ the tatter troubled witfc 7tCVVJ i XJSSiSSSi . $v. "fS. . f . something suspiciously A- rVsLj V i "? s station Lf,k 6: i r lfift MSMCVfl Restaurant SI M ' WM 2S&5k. J 4 U w ' fell r&dA mmm w$Jfm-' l -mh m$r-mr . TS jsm ' ' : . r i m "You said it, boy that little girl rings the be'l every time!" Eddie and Frank have for bit at the lunch counter, after an evening. with a couple of beautiful girl.: stopped. Kathrynne, from behind the lunch counter telling ain't any chick'n ean'wichea UfAl" the world in general that "there Mrs. Fred 'Hanley has Jost stopped for a cup of tea and cracker. It will give her a chance to sit down and rest before train time. " Mrs. Hanley is remembering all th chinga aha ought to have done In the abojs and hsat doajs v. -lJ : : -0.5 lL ' v , " -fc--