Bancroft's Tourist's Guide Yosemite Part 15

HOWARD STREET M. E. CHURCH.--South side of Howard, between Second and Third. This is the most substantial and valuable building owned by the denomination. Value, including lot and parsonage, $100,000. Its style is medieval gothic. Pastor, Rev. L. Walker.

PRESBYTERIAN.--This recently united denomination, no longer old and new school, has also eleven church buildings; of these the two most noted are the Calvary Presbyterian Church, corner of Geary and Powell streets. This church is as capacious and comfortable, even luxurious within, as the most fastidious could desire. Its organ is the largest and finest on the coast. Rev. J. Hemphill, Pastor.

Howard Presbyterian Church, Mission street, near Third; lately, Rev.

Dr. Scudder's. This building, with a plain and unpretentious exterior, has greater seating capacity than any other Protestant church in the city. It is of recent construction and very convenient internal arrangements. Temporary pastor, Rev. J. K. Kendall.

First Presbyterian Church--On the west side of Stockton, between Washington and Clay. This gothic building is one of the largest and finest--but its chief claim to notice here, rests upon the fact that the church which built it, organized May 20th, 1849, under the direction of the Rev. Albert Williams, was the first Protestant church organized in San Francisco.

ROMAN CATHOLIC.--St. Patrick's Church, on the north side of Mission, between Third and Fourth streets. Although so new that it is not yet finished, this church is set first, because it is the largest in the State, being one hundred and sixty feet long by eighty feet wide. Its spire is the loftiest and most beautifully proportioned in the city, height 240 feet. Rev. Peter J. Grey, Pastor.

St. Mary's Cathedral, California street, at the northeast corner of Dupont. In age, cost and rank this building is ent.i.tled to the first place. It is a n.o.ble structure of Gothic architecture, which has been carried out in every detail. The front extends seventy-five feet on California street, from which the cathedral runs back one hundred and thirty-one feet on Dupont. The tower is at present one hundred and thirty-five feet high, and is to be surmounted by a spire rising sixty-five feet further. The Most Rev. Joseph S. Alemany is the Archbishop.

Old Mission Church, on the southwest corner of Sixteenth and Dolores streets. This was dedicated Oct. 9, 1776, by Father Junipero Serra, the father of the California missions. Aside from its age and a.s.sociations, the building is of little note. It is built of the old adobes, which were simply unburnt bricks dried in the sun, and formed a favorite building material with the early Spanish and Mexican inhabitants. The old custom-house, on Portsmouth square, was built of this material. The roof was covered with semi-cylindrical tiles of burnt clay, laid in alternate rows, the first one having the concave side up, and the next its convex side up. The outside, generally, is very plain, though the front shows some old-fashioned round columns, and a few small bells suspended in square apertures under the projecting roof. The interior is dark, cold and comfortless. Rev.

Thos. Cushing, Pastor.

Besides the three churches already named, the Catholics have nine others in the city, in addition to five or six chapels and asylums.

SWEDENBORGIAN.--First New Jerusalem Church. This is a very neat Gothic building, on the north side of O'Farrell, between Mason and Taylor streets. Rev. John Doughty, Pastor.

A second New Jerusalem Church, of which Rev. Joseph Worcester is pastor, having yet erected no building, meets in the Druids' Hall, No.

413 Sutter street.

UNITARIAN.--First Unitarian Church. This most beautiful church edifice stands upon the south side of Geary street, just below Stockton. Its front presents, unquestionably, the finest specimen of church architecture in the State, and can hardly be surpa.s.sed in America. The interior is tastefully decorated with a colored fresco of extreme beauty, and most artistic harmony of tint. The organ, baptismal font, and the pulpit, perpetuate the unique taste of the lamented pastor, whose loved name the public mind cannot dissociate from the beautiful building, which, always known as "Starr King's" church, has become his fitting monument.

This is the only church building of this denomination in the city or the State.

CHINESE MISSION HOUSE.--This is a combination church and school-house, new, neat and commodious, fifty-six feet by seventy feet, and three stories high. Adjoining school-rooms, readily thrown into one, rooms for the Superintendent, Rev. Mr. Gibson and family, and for his a.s.sistant, Rev. Hu Sing Me, the native preacher, and his family, occupy the various floors. School "keeps" every evening in the week, except Sat.u.r.day and Sunday. Bible cla.s.s at half-past ten every Sunday morning, and Sunday school at seven P.M.

The entire property belongs to the Methodist Church, who maintain it as a most efficient home mission.

The Mariner's Church, northeast corner of Sacramento and Drumm streets. It is a neat and commodious wooden building, erected in 1867, by contributions from merchants and other citizens of San Francisco.

Rev. J. Rowell, Pastor.

Hospitals and Asylums.

CITY AND COUNTY HOSPITAL.--Stands upon the southwest corner of Stockton and Francisco streets.

FRENCH BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.--Has one of the finest hospitals of the State, a large and handsome brick building, surrounded with pleasant gardens and ornamented grounds, occupying the whole block on the south side of Bryant, between Fifth and Sixth, making a most agreeable and healthful home for the invalid. Others besides French may receive its benefits, by a.s.suming membership and paying its moderate dues.

GERMAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.--Admits only Germans. It has over eighteen hundred members. On Brannan street, near Third, this society has a very large two-story brick building with bas.e.m.e.nt--furnished with every form of bath, and looking out upon fine gardens and shrubbery.

PROTESTANT ORPHAN ASYLUM.--On the West side of Laguna street, between Haight and Waller. A large and elegant building of brick and stone--one of the ornamental landmarks of that part of the city. It accommodates two hundred and fifty little ones. Mrs. Ira P. Rankin, President; Mrs. Lucy Stewart, Matron.

ROMAN CATHOLIC ORPHAN ASYLUM.--Market street, south side, between New Montgomery and Third. A n.o.ble and capacious brick building accommodating three hundred and twenty children, and having a school of five hundred and fifty day scholars attached. The Asylum is under the sole management of Archbishop Alemany and the Sisters of Charity.

SAN FRANCISCO FEMALE HOSPITAL.--Corner of Clay street and Prospect Place. Any woman who is sick and poor, has a right to its benefits. It is a genuine charity, regarding neither nativity, religion nor social rank. Mrs. M. R. Roberts, President; Dr. C. T. Deane, Physician.

LADIES' PROTECTION AND RELIEF SOCIETY.--Franklin street, between Post and Geary. The main object of the society is to furnish a real _Home_ for friendless or dest.i.tute girls, between three and fourteen years old. Boys, under ten and over three, may be received and provided for until furnished with a permanent home in a christian family. It has over two hundred inmates, nearly all girls. Miss C. A. Harmon, Matron.

Nearly a hundred other public and private benevolent societies attempt to make up, as well as possible, the lack of friends and homes, always so severely felt by strangers or temporary residents in any large city, and especially so in one of as cosmopolitan a character as ours.

Colleges.

Besides the larger public schools, which are really the peoples'

colleges--the city has sixty-five colleges and private schools. The number of pupils attending them in 1870 was 4,582, against 21,000 in the public schools.

CITY COLLEGE.--Southeast corner of Stockton and Geary streets. This inst.i.tution has built and furnished an elegant French Gothic building at University Mound, some three miles southwest of the city, which it will occupy early in '72. Besides the usual studies, this college especially provides the best facilities for obtaining a thorough practical knowledge of Chemistry, in all its applications to a.s.saying, mining, medical manufactures and mechanics. Rev. Dr. Veeder, President.

HEALD'S BUSINESS COLLEGE.--College Building, Post street, between Montgomery and Kearny. Its design is to educate boys and young men, with a special view to practical business. It is one of the famous thirty-six Bryant and Stratton Business Colleges, located in the leading cities of the United States and Canada. Students, two hundred and fifty. E. P. Heald, President.

ST. IGNATIUS' COLLEGE.--Occupies the n.o.ble brick building on the south side of Market street, between Fourth and Fifth. It is largely attended, and is successfully conducted by the Jesuit Fathers.

ST. MARY'S COLLEGE.--On the old county road to San Jose, four and a half miles southwest of the city. Building, two hundred and eighty feet front, by fifty feet deep--of excellent proportion and fine appearance. Conducted by the Christian Brothers. B. Justin, President.

TOLAND MEDICAL COLLEGE.--East side of Stockton street, between Chestnut and Francisco. The building is of brick, capacious, commodious, finely located and admirably adapted to the purpose of its construction. H. H. Toland, M. D., President.

Public School Buildings.

LINCOLN.--Fifth street--south side, near Market. Brick structure, four stories high, 141 feet long, 63 feet wide; 20 cla.s.s-rooms 12934 feet, besides eight wardrobes and teachers' rooms--wide halls, and four broad stairways the whole height, with a large hall in the upper story. It accommodates twelve hundred grammar grade pupils, all boys.

In front stands a finely modeled statue of Abraham Lincoln for whom the building was named. Cost, $100,000, gold coin. B. Marks, Princ.i.p.al.

DENMAN.--Bush street, north side, corner of Taylor. Brick stuccoed; length, 98 feet; width, 68 feet; height, four stories, including attic rooms. Fourteen cla.s.s-rooms, each 2834, accommodating eight hundred pupils, all girls. Cost, $78,000, gold. This building was named in honor of James Denman, one of the pioneer public school teachers of the city--the founder of this school and for many years, as at present, its princ.i.p.al. Few cities in the Union can show school buildings as elegant, convenient, substantial and costly as these two n.o.ble monuments of public appreciation of, and liberality towards, the system which must underlie and sustain our free government if it is to stand at all.

TEHAMA.--Tehama street, near First. Brick, undisguised; 111 feet long, 75 feet deep, three stories high, besides s.p.a.cious bas.e.m.e.nt play-rooms--has sixteen cla.s.s-rooms, each 2431, hall, 4149, with ample stairings, and convenient teacher's-rooms and ample yards. Cost, $28,300, gold. It accommodates one thousand primary pupils of both s.e.xes. Mrs. E. A. Wood, Princ.i.p.al.

Besides these, the city has several large and fine wooden school-houses of modern structure. Of these the most sightly, is the Girls' High School, south side of Bush street, near Stockton--5792, three stories, ten cla.s.s-rooms, 2734, with an a.s.sembly hall, 5455; whose length can be increased to 90 feet, by opening folding doors between it and two adjoining cla.s.s-rooms. It is the most conveniently arranged, best ventilated, sunniest, most cheerful and healthful school-house in the State. Ellis H. Holmes, Princ.i.p.al. To these the Department has recently added, and is now adding, four or five 18 cla.s.s-room buildings, of wood, each accommodating one thousand pupils, now occupying the old and small school-rooms of early days or hived in unsuitable rented rooms.

Bancroft's Book and Stationery Establishment.

It may appear like exaggeration to say that San Francisco contains the largest and most complete general Book and Stationery, mercantile and manufacturing business in the world. Yet, such is the fact. Not that the business, by any means, equals that of Harpers' and Appletons', of New York, Hachette of Paris, or the stationers of London. But, between these houses and Bancroft's, there is no comparison. The character of their trade is totally different. One publishes books, another manufactures paper, and so each is large in one thing, whereas the Bancrofts, collecting from the manufacturers of all the world, and manufacturing according to the requirements of their trade, cover under one management the ground occupied by all others combined. In older and larger cities, one house deals in law books alone; another, school books, etc., while this San Francisco house--besides a full stock of books in every department of literature, and stationery from the manufacturers of Europe and America, paper from the mills of New England, pencils from Germany, pen-holders from Paris--unite Printing, Book-binding, Lithography, Blank-Book Making, Engraving, &c., every thing, in short, comprised in all the business of all the others.

The detail is necessarily very great. They buy from a thousand sellers, and sell to many thousand buyers. Over one hundred employes, divided into nine departments, each under an experienced manager, ply their vocation like bees in a hive of six rooms, each 37 by 170 feet.

To the latest improvements of the finest machinery, driven by steam, apply the highest order of skilled labor, and San Francisco can do anything as well and as cheaply as New York, London or Paris.

The retail department, occupying the first floor, has the most magnificent salesroom on the Pacific coast. Visitors are warmly welcomed, and strangers politely shown through the premises.

Private Residences.

For the convenience of the tourist, who may want to see the homes of our city as well as her public buildings and business blocks, we mention the locality of the following, which are among the finest of our private dwellings: Erwin Davis, southwest corner of California and Powell streets; Milton S. Latham, Folsom street, opposite Hawthorne, on Rincon Hill; D. J. Tallant, corner of Bush and Jones street; Richard Tobin, corner of California and Taylor streets; John Parrott, 620 Folsom street. By making two trips--first, over California street, and returning by Sutter or Bush street; second, over Rincon Hill on Folsom street, and returning by Harrison, the visitor may see the finest of our private residences.

Points of Observation.

TELEGRAPH HILL.--This notable natural landmark stands at the head, that is, at the north end of Montgomery street. The early settlement, the pioneer hamlet from which the present city has grown, was made in the hollow near the southwest foot. Civilization has encircled it on the land side, and crept two thirds the way up, while commerce has claimed the water front along its opposite base--but the summit still stands as free as when the priestly fathers first looked thence upon the glorious inland sea, which flashes between it and the sunrise. Let us climb it--this way, straight up the Montgomery street sidewalk, Slowly, please; we have the day before us; exhausted lungs impair one's sight. Stop at the corner of each intersecting street, and glance either way, but especially eastward--that is, downward toward the Bay. Now, "Excelsior," again; up these stairs; now along this natural surface--no asphaltum walks or Stow foundation pavements up here yet, you see--on, by these houses; turn to the left here; now to the right, follow this winding way; patiently please--that's it; only two or three minutes more--ah! here it is--this is the highest point, where the old observatory stood. Sit and breathe a moment; slip on your overcoat, or put that extra shawl about you; it's easy to take cold here, far easier than to rid yourself of it in the city below.