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hall, post-office,  the  more  gorgeous  saloons,  with  cigar shops, fancy  stores,  ancllivery  stables,  were  on  Kearny street, the  street  of  loafers,  litigants,  lawyers,  officials, politicians, the  idle  and  the  employed,  and  also  the street of  fast  riding,  which  in  those  days  was  more common than  now. Montgomery street  from  the  be- ginning was the  Wall  street  of  San  Francisco,  the street of  bankers,  brokers,  gold-dust  buyers,  jewellers, book-stores, and  newspaper  offices,  with  a  free  sprink- linof of  restaurants  and  drinkhig-  saloons. Below Mont- gomery street,  on  land  reclaimed  from  the  bay,  were the large  warehouses,  wholesale  stores,  and  auction houses. On San  some  street  was  the  American  thea- tre and several  hotels. On Battery  and  Front  streets were many  brick  buildings  well  stocked  with  goods. Davis street,  built  wholly  on  piles  and  the  last  opened, was the  resort  of  seafaring  men,  and  the  shops  mostly contained ships'  supplies. To these  and  the  intersect- ing streets from  Jackson  to  California,  with  the  ex- ceptions of the  Clark  point  and  iron  manufactories  of Happy  valley,  the  business  of  San  Francisco  was chiefly confined— a  small  area,  truly,  when  we  consider the astonishing  amount  of  traffic  carried  on  within these limits.

Wo is  me  for  I  am  in  trouble  1  was  the  one  long continuous wail  of  San  Francisco  from  birth  till  past babyhood. Born of  disorder,  corruption  rankled  in  its blood. Colic and  physic  were  its  alternate  compan- ions during infancy,  and  of  times  the  remedy  was  ten- fold worse than  the  disease. Wealth untold  was  its heritage, but  all  of  it  was  given,  before  she  numbered six years  as  a  city,  for  an  enormous  debt. This was  her first trouble,  vast  property  in  her  pueblo  lands,  and ravenous wolves  to  lap  it  up. Water in  front  and drifting sand-hills  behind,  the  equalizing  or  grading of which  was  a  trouble. Fires were  a  trouble,  and streets, and  debt ;  the  hounds  of '51  and  the  ballot-box stuflPers of  '56  were  troubles. Yet withal  the  child grew and  waxed  fat.