Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 21.djvu/284

Rh 264 SAN FRANCISCO important points in the State, are connected with the city by means of ferries. The population of San Francisco, as shown by the census returns, was 34,000 in 1850; in 1860, 56,802; in 1870, 149,473; and in 1880, 233,959 (132,608 males, 101,351 females); in 1885 it was estimated, on the basis of the school census, at 275,000 (Chinese, 30,000). At the last presidential election (1884) the total vote cast in the city was 50,167, the total foreign vote being 25,254; of these 12,837 were British (10,206 of them Irish) and 7052 Germaas. Of the 90,468 children in the city under seventeen reported for the fiscal year 1884-85, 50,973 had foreign-born parents, and 15,460 more had one parent of foreign origin. In social customs, trade usages, amuse- ments, and religious observances, the large foreign popu- lation of San Francisco contributes materially to the formation of its liberal and cosmopolitan character. Administration, ard of twelve supervisors, with the usual officers common to municipal and county organizations. There is also a superior court having twelve departments, with one judge for each, a police court, and justices' courts. The supreme court of the State holds a number of terms each year in San Francisco. The U. S. district and circuit courts also hold regular terms in the city. There is a well-organized and efficient police force of 400 men. On 1st July 1884 the lire department had 315 men. The city is supplied with gas by two companies. Water is supplied by the Spring Valley Company, principally from San Mateo county. The water is brought in three lines of wrought-irou pipe ; the largest, which connects the Crystal Springs reservoir with the city, is 44 inches in diameter and 23 miles in length. The daily consumption of water is about 18,000,000 gallons. The company is able to supply 25,000,000 gallons daily. Finance. The assessment roll of personal property in 1885 showed a value of 56,634,860, that of real estate and improve- ments being returned at 171,433,126. The actual value is not less than $350,000,000. The debt of the municipality is 3 million dollars. There are twelve incorporated commercial or discount banks, with an aggregate paid-up capital of $21,047,965, and a surplus (1st July 1885) of $8,945,647. The total assets are set down at 50,894,972. There are also a number of private banks. There are eight savings banks, all but one of these having some paid-up capital, the aggregate of which is 1,651,200. These banks on the 1st of July 1885 held deposits to the amount of $61677,746 ; they had also a surplus beyond the paid-up capital of $2,067,209. The banks having a subscribed and paid-up capital pay regular dividends on the entire amount of nominal capital and about 4J per cent, per annum to depositors. Conunerce. The exports by water for the fiscal year 1884-85 amounted to $37,170,800, and the imports to 37,171,100; the items of import and export by rail bring the total up to 80,000,000. The duties collected on imports were 6,610,400. The treasure shipped amounted to $17,540,000 ; and the exports of quicksilver were 14,900 flasks, valued at $438,800. The receipts of treasure from all productive sources west of the Missouri, including Mexico, reached a total of $40,253,635, and the coinage at the mint in San Francisco was of the value of $23,750,000, with an addition of $1,500,000 on foreign account The sailing ships entering the port numbered 619 (604,200 tons) ; the steamers were 225. Among the imports were coffee, 19,505,800 Ib ; sugar, 152,374,870 lb ; coal, 900,000 tons ; lumber, 297,234,000 feet (92,754,000 feet red- wood, 177,305,000 feet pine, the remainder miscellaneous). The exports of wheat were 1,001,900 tons, valued at $26,791,500 ; this quantity was exported in 366 ships, the freights to Europe ranging from 25s. to 48s. 6d. per ton. British iron sailing vessels have the preference for wheat exportation, and obtain the highest rates. A much larger class of vessels is employed in this trade than formerly, the cargoes now averaging about 3000 tons. There are regular steamship lines connecting San Francisco with Mexican, Central American, Australian, Hawaiian, Japanese, and Chinese ports, and with the chief port of British Columbia. The Pacific Whaling Company owns five or six ships, principally steamers, employed in the Arctic whale fishery. The same company has also extensive works for refining the oil in San Francisco. There is one stone dry dock admitting vessels of 6000 tons, and two or more floating docks which can take on vessels from 500 to 800 tons burthen. A sea-wall is in process of construction by State authority round the deep-water front to prevent the shoaling of the water in the slips resulting in part from the gradual washing down of debris from the hills and steep slopes of the city. Manufactures. For many years manufactures made slow pro- gress. The city was remote from the great centres of population, and labour was very costly. But these disadvantages have btrn gradually overcome. In 1875 there were 18,000 persons employed in manufacturing establishments, and the value produced was 40,000,000. In 1885 38,919 persons were so employed, and the estimated value for the business year ending 1st July was 86,417,200. Subjoined are some of the leading manufactures, with the number of persons employed and the annual value of their production : bags, 300, $1,500,000; boots and shoes, 3500, $5,300,000 ; cigar-boxes, 260, 5,000,000 ; wooden boxes, 350, $1,000,000 ; brass-foundries, 350, $535,000 ; breweries, 450, $2,450,000 ; cigars, 8000, $4,850,000 ; clothing, 1900, $3,750,000 ; coffee and spices, $900,000 ; cordage and ropes, 150, 600,000 ; crackers, 150, 620,000 ; dry docks (stone), 6, 675,000 ; flour, 175, 2,230,000; foundries, 2000, $5,500,000 ; furs, 170, $500,000; furniture, 1000, $2,000,000; gas-works, 460, $12,000,000; harness, 440, $1,150,000; jewellery, 165, $600,000; linseed oil, 55, 600,000 ; pickles and fruits, 2000, 1,700,000 ; provision -packing, 250, $1,900,000; rolling-mills, 550, $1,880,000 ; sashes, doors, &c., 1550, $5,010,000 ; ship-yards, 200, 503,000 ; shirts, 2550, 1,000,000 ; soap, 190, 715,100 ; sugar-refineries, 360, 8, 700, 000 ; tanneries, 335, 1,700,000; tinwares, 180, 525,000; woollen- mills, 1500, 1,900,000. In the laundries, it may be added, 935 whites and 1300 Chinese were employed. Churches and Charities. There are 70 Protestant churches in the city, representing nearly all the denominations of the country. Besides these there are 19 Roman Catholic churches and a number of chapels connected with the various hospitals and schools. There are 7 synagogues and 1 Greek church (Russian). Including the chapels, the total number of places of worship may be set down at 100. With few exceptions, the church edifices are not imposing. In consequence of the rapid growth of the city wood has been employed in a majority of cases, but this is now being discarded for stone. The asylums and benevolent associations are numerous and well-supported. The more prominent of these institutions are the Protestant Orphan Asylum (214 children), Catholic Orphan Asylum, Pacific Hebrew Orphan Asylum, Magdalen Asylum, Old People's Home, Ladies' Protection and Relief Society, Little Sisters' Infant Shelter, Seamen's Friends Society, San Francisco Benevolent Society, Ladies' United Hebrew Benevolent Society, San Francisco Fruit and Flower Mission, Young Men's Christian Association, Pacific Homoeopathic Dispensary, Lying-in Hospital. Besides these there are a great number of associations which care for their members, and in some instances provide the best medical attend- ance in private hospitals. Nearly all classes of foreign nativity have established benevolent associations ; British, French, and German institutions have large resources, and are managed with great efficiency. Nearly all the secret orders (Masonic, Oddfellows, &c.) devoted in whole or in part to works of benevolence are strongly represented. Public Schools. The first public school was established in April 1849. There are now sixty-one free schools, with 43,265 pupils and an average daily attendance of 32,183. The number of children in the city between the ages of five and seventeen years according to the census report of 1880 was 69,000. The number of teachers, male and female, employed in the public school department was 734, the number of schoolhouses 65, and the expenditure for the fiscal year 817,168. The public schools are graded, the highest grades being two high schools for boys and girls respectively. Besides the day schools a number of evening schools are provided. There are upwards of 25,000 children who are to a large extent provided with instruction in public and private schools other than those belonging to the free-school department. There are about 100 schools in the city, of all grades, which are supported wholly by fees and voluntary contributions. Of these the Roman Catholics have the greatest number, the latter includ- ing two colleges and a number of convent schools. The Protestant denominations also have a number of classical and secondary schools of great excellence. The public-school system of the State culminates in the university of California, which has an aggregate endowment equal to about 3,000,000. The institution is situated in the beautiful suburban town of Berkeley, on the opposite side of the bay (named in honour of Bishop Berkeley). Instruction is furnished free to all pupils who comply with the terms of admis- sion. There are also a number of professional schools in the city, chief among which are the law, medical, and dental departments of the university, the Cooper Medical College, the Hahnemann Medical College, the San Francisco Theological Seminary, and an art school with an average attendance of about 75 students. The late James Lick left a bequest of 540,000 for the endowment of a School of Mechanic Arts, and among other bequests a large one for the Academy of Sciences, founded in the early period of the city. The public-school department of San Francisco is under the immediate supervision of a superintendent and twelve school directors, one for each ward of the city. There are eighteen public libraries, including the free library with 52,970 volumes. The Mercantile Library Association has 52, 000 volumes, the Mechanics'