Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/272



CHAPTER  XL

SAK FRANCISCO. Superanda omnis  fortuna  ferendo  est.

— Virgil.

To the  Greeks,  Delphi  was  the  centre  of  the  earth  ; to Jews  and  Christians,  Jerusalem;  to  Californians, San Francisco.

Pastoral San  Francisco  was  but  a  hamlet. Though a seaport,  it  had  little  to  do  with  the  sea,  and  was more like  a  cluster  of  houses  in  the  country  than  a commercial  town. The presidio  maintained  the  dig- nity of government  and  war,  and  the  mission  the  dig- nity of religion,  so  that  for  the  traffickers  at  the  cove little dignity  remained  or  was  required. Even when the galvanic  shock  of  gold-discovery  struck  the  place, it did  not  immediately  assume  large  proportions,  but rather stood  stupified  for  a  moment  before  setting  out on its  broad  pathway  of  progress.

Hence it  was  that  during  the  winter  of  1848-9  the place did  not  grow  much,  nor  was  it  very  large  by the  end  of  1849. The principal  buildings  were  clus- tered around the  plaza,  or  Portsmouth  square ;  brick structures were  few,  and  there  was  not  one  really substantial building  in  the  place. The greater  part  of the  town  consisted  of  tents  and  small  shanties  made out of  packing-boxes,  with  some  not  very  good  houses of more  pretentious  construction. The few  travelled streets were  little  better  than  mire  during  the  rains, while the  sidewalks  were  made  of  barrel  staves  and narrow pieces  of  board.