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Rebuilding San Francisco. A Son of Lancaster Writes Interestingly of the Great Work of Reconstruction in Progress in the Earthquake City?Street Railways now in Operation?Merchants Doing Prosperous Business in Temporary Houses? Many Thousands still Living in Tents in Public Parks. Mr. Editor: The reliability tion of San Francisco and restoration to its former state previous to the greit calamity of April L last is a problem that now con-1 ? fronts her citizens. The work of j i half a century which wa? torn to! ] pieces in three days must now be j , taken up anew af,d the rebuild ! | ing of her many beautitul edifices < and structures pushed forward ] with all possible speed. It is the , duty of both labor and capital to be generous and considerate in this time of the city's great need and work together for the upbuilding and restoration ot her institutions which are now pros trate in the dust. There is no doubt but that San Francisco will be rebuilt and the only question is as to the time it will take. If labor and capital will put aside their petty disputes and spites and pu'. their shoulders to the wheel, it will be only a tew years when our city will again take the position it formerly held. It however we have labor strikes and lock-outs, the growth and upbuilding will be seriously retarded and it will take much longer to rebuild. I as soon as tlie Humes were t brought under control on April ( 21st last, the matter of rebuild ? ing the burnt distiict was taken * up and plans made for clearing | awav the debris and cleaning tl e f destroyed portions of the city? i A Herculean ta*k confronts our j city and nothing but dauntless ( courage and determitia'i >n could g surmount these great difliculties. f But the citizenship endowed with l those indomitable qualities that 'J established this great city at the gateway of the Pacific set to work at once to overcome these obsta cles and restore order out of chaos and rebuild our city, as did the patriarchs of old. The first and most important step to be taken was the repairing and putting the street cars into service again. This work was begun by the United Rail I roads very soon alter the fire was brought under control and in on*week thereatter the electric cars were running down Market stree' Work on the other street lines has been steadily going on ever since j until now a majority of the lines have been put into service, and in the course of the next three months every line will he again running on schedule time. The United Railroads have rendered excellent service and have aided the city most efficiently in its i - ~e ,1 i a 1 111# if i wi umvi vgg 'iiili UC9Ui(|tn/il. 1 For about six weeks after the cars began to run on Market I street the receipts therefrom were : turned over to the Iielief Com-j< mittee to be U9ed for the bpnefit of the destitute refugees. In addition this corporation is performing invaluable service in the clearing of the debris from the burnt district by assisting the other railroads in hauling out the refuse material to the suburbs of the city to be dumped in the lowlands. It might be of interest to add that the President of the United Railroads is Mr. Patiick Calhoun and the Assistant to the PvueiiloTif ie \lr Tliiiril wpll Mill laly, both ot whom are natives of 1 the old Palmetto State. 1 With the cars running again ( the business men turned their I attention to business and tempo- I iary buildings began to spring ? up as it by magic all over the 1 burnt section to shelter the s wholesale houses which had been f *omph tely wiped out by the con t flagration. Lumber and carpen- t ters were now in great demand, 1 building material was delivered p is fast as teams could be secured for the purpose and soon the t o und ot the hammer and the c juzz ot the saw could be heard r ill over the burnt city. Mer- t .-bants, as soon as telegraphic fi 'ommunication was opened with i he eastern markets, duplicated t heir stocks which had been de- p itrrtvo/1 on/1 lit? flirt (inui fhnir / emporary buildings were ready a o receive their good?, they came a 'oiling in from the East and the s vheels of business started up s igain under temporary roofs.? n File retail merchants receded fur- w her westward beyond the burnt i listrict along Van Ness Avenue v md Fillmore street, where they t mprovised storerooms for tern- b >orary quarters and opened out n heir new stocks to the retail g rade. These streets betore the f larthquake were principally res- r dence thoroughfares but now r )ecame the principal arteries ol t he retail business of the city.? n Jn every vacant lot along these <J streets were erected storerooms i: ind now every available space 11 ias been occupied Since the b ire business in every line has leen booming and the receipts of ? id firms since that memorable n iccurrence, both retail and whole- 8 lale, have been much larger than e or the corresponding months ol g ast year anil the year before.? 8 The railroad companies have s lioie freight than they can han- o lie and Ireight cars are getting c 10 scarce that the situation is besoming serious. Business in 1 jvery line is increasing each I lay. c One ot the gi eat est problems I hat the city has undertaken is i Rearing away the debris trom j he burnt district. It has been f estimated bv a prominent car- \ penter in this city, who is author- i ty in such matters, that it will f require about twelve months to t dean up the burnt district.? < While it is a very great task, the ] citizens have begun work on it 1 m l the debris is being moved 1 jut with surprising rapidity. 1 loe railroads have laid spur i tracks inio the burnt section nd < the ?Ud ris is loaded on flat cars 1 and h <u * d oir by locomotives t find electric engines and dumped i in the Ioa places in the suburbs | of the city. This work is now < progressing satisfactorily and the 1 f nindatioiiB tor permanent build i ing.s arc being cleared and clean i e l oir preparatory to beginning 1 these structures at no distant late. Quite a numebr of modern steel structures were gutted and all the wool work burned by the flames, but they can all be re paired, as the steel frames were not injured by the fire, and the tvork of rehabilitating them is low being pushed rapidly. The ol lowing steel buildings will be epaired and finished up without luy further delay, namely, Kohl Building, Merchants Exchange, Mutual Life, Wells-fargo, Union I'rust, Crocker, Monadnock, Chronical, Clans Spreckles, IIi >t rnia Bank, Mutual Savings Bank, Shreve, James Flood, 5 <int Francis Hotel, Fairmount Jotel and the Newman and Levion. The so cati, and will, be ixed up and made as good as hey were before the conflagraion, and will form quite a nice lttle nucleus for t.hp new nml [renter city. Another problem with which he city has had to deal is ihe aring for the poor homeless efugees who lost everything in he great fire. Aoont twenty ive thousand are living in ten's 11 the public parks and are being >d largely from the public fund irovided by the generosity of the American people, though they re all gradually getting work .gain and consequently will oot: be able to care for them elves. The rainy season being lear at hand, all these people .i 1! have to be housed from the nclement weather which preails during this season. Small wo and three room cottages are ieing erected by the Relief Com nittee in the parks which will ive them shelter and protection rom the cold and damp of the ainy season. All relief to the efugees is administered through he Relief Committee, the Chair nan ot which is Honorable antes I). Phelan, Ex-Mayor ol lan Francisco and one ot her nost public spirited and hotiorale citizens. It will be seen that, while lan Francisco has been given a nost stunning blow, she will oon recover and become a great r city than *he was before the Teat catastrophe. It will take ome time but she will be re tored to the proud position she nee occupied in the commerial world. San Francisco is situated on a leninsular with the Bay of San ^rancisco on her east, the Fa | ific Ocean on her west and I lie I amous Golden Gate on her lorth, which connects the Hay tnd the Ocean, and it is thereore properly termed the Gatevay of the Pacific. Her harbor s one of the finest in the world. She has naturally deep water, hat is, it requires no dredging >r artificial means to keep it so Mature has done here what man ias had to do for other great larbors of our country. The arrest ocean liners and men of war that plow the great deep an steam riidif up and land by aer docks. Most of the exports Hid shipping to the Orient from die Pacific Coast go from her port out through the Golden Ga'e. The beautiful strait which washes the northern shores of the city and connects I he Ocean find Hay has acquired a world wide fame and is one of the HORSES, MULES Our Mr. Hood has just arrived from the markets with one of the nicest lots of # Jk. MULES, MARES x HORSES that has been on the market this season. They are all well broken and among them some extra nice matched teams of mules, mares and horses. Come one,come all. They are here and must be sold. We need the money and are going to sell for the high dollar. , Lite Stuck Co BIG DROP IN COTTON. In the face of the above fact, we make below some prices that should appeal to the pocketbook of everyone. ^ 3,000 yards 10 cents Outing at 7 1-2 cents. 25 pieces Jeans at 12 1-2, 15, 18, 22 1-2, 33 1-3 cents, worth 25 per cent, more money. 25 pieces Cantton Flanel at 7 1-2, 8 1-3, 10, 12 1-2 cents yard. 3,000 yards heaviest weight Sheeting, 15 yards for $1.00. 5 pieces all wool 54 inch Ladies' Cloth, 48 cents the yard. 10 pieces 54 inch Broadcloth worth $1.25, for only 95 cts the yd. 10 1-2 pieces 36 inch wide $1.25. Silks all shades at 98 cents the yard. ARE YOU GOING To huy a Suit, Jacket or Overcoat ? If so, see ours and save from $1.00 to $5.00. Solid case Wright's Health Underwear, the $1.00 kind, at 75 cents garment. One case Ladies 25 cents Vests to go at 19 cents. Few dozen Ladies red wool Vests to close out at 48 cents garment. We are still headquarters for Shoe bargains. Big Stock Trunks, Bags and Valises, to go at CUT prices. Come to see us whether you buy or not. You are welcome. Yours to Please, l-underburk Company Send Us Your Job Printing -