OLD SAN FRANCISCO.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 7 March 1912, Page 8

OLD SAN FRANCISCO.

I (To the Editor.) Sir, —IU? yours of recent date, "Ships and the Sea." I was resident in Time Castles Boardinghouse, Porefaict-street, in 1849, at the time of these ships were hauled up in tho mud for stores and dwellings. How this came about was because there was no land, as the Maxackains claimed it all, and would not. Bell a foot. The result was we had to reclaim the whole Bay from Clark Point to Missionary Point, and in doing so there was a large punt with pile-driving plant, which drove piles in one chain by two and a-half. At th e time this was great work-, as no sooner were those sections sold than ships were hauled up between the piles. A number of these had been in use as store ships, with a door cut otifc of their sides for receiving stores through. Many good old English ships were used in tfiis way ; in fact, the onehalf of the city before th e fire, was bn:lt of old ships, and this was the principal cause of the fire burning fo fiercely. These old ships with their pitch, oakum and tar, not to speak of the hundreds of thousands of rats rolling fat. These first settlers in the city of San Francisco had a little to contend with in the nigbt we were often awoke with tne rats nibbling at the toe nails, in. which they often drew the biood ; no uts e to complain, as there was no cure or "help but- grin and bear it. I am, etc., R. W. HARVEY. Alexandra Home.