The San Francisco call. [volume], February 24, 1907, Page 4, Image 4

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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THE ROMANTIC STORY
OF SOUTH PARK
IT- 1^ NOWcfeGWßlW^^^^Kl
Wntf'lf HE- BUPE> frUILPINGST:
THAT SHEI/Tf'Jt IPO/l^MU&E^^
Horatio F. Stoll
THOSE who remember South Park
In the heyday of its glory cannot
visit this once exclusive residence
district Just off Third street, be
trreea Bryant and Brannan, without ex
pertcadng a pang of sadness and re-
CTtL The houses are In ruins, the park
la covered with crude buildings that
\u2666belter nearly TOO refugee?. Absolutely
not & single landmark is left to remind
the oM-timer of the many well-known
people "Wlio resided there nor the many
splendid functions that made South
Park the social center of San Francisco
-daring the fifties and early sixties.
• George Gordon, to whom Is due the
credit o£ laying out the first residence
park In California, took great pride in
hi* hobby, South Park. It consisted of
three-quarters of an acre and was
modeled on the many crescents which
are found in. London and -in various*
continental cities. The ornamental
crounfis were locked and a key thereto
"was part of the attachments of each. of '
the houses looking on the park.
Naturally one of the most pretentious
houses was occupied by Gordon. ; It was
a two-story brick residence, In/ the
"midst of a pretty garden, for the
founder of_South Park was very fond of
nature; and took a pr£2j*-^~i'i='i*i- \u25a0if"
Tic~ if*f ~h>ii~ * " "*i. ~Tr"-' t \ personally
"TTuperlntended the planting of every
flower and bush and tree that was set
\u25a0out In the little park.
It was not lonj? before Gordon In-*
terested his friends in South Park, and
\u25a0vrlthin a short time he had sold a.ll the
Jots to persons of wealth and position.
The north side of the park, which today
Is a. stretch of ruins, boarding-houses
and Japanese stores, was regarded In
the early days as the most exclusive*
The family of Alexander Forbes, the
steamship agent, occupied the first
house In the crescent as you turned into
it from Third street. Mrs. Martha
Ritchie's residence -was at the other end
of the row. Between the two were the
hpmes of George Gordon. George C.
\u2666Tohnson, the Swedish Consul; Howard
P. Janes; Russian Consul Kostrometi
fcoff, Cbirles de Ro, Lloyd Tevis, John
& Bedlngton, James Otis, James Bell.
*v*Ulia.ia 1L Lent and Captain Whiting.
On the south side of the park were the
homes of Commodore James T. Watklns,
Dr. XL P. Ashe. 'Judge E. W. McKlnstry >
fend Dr. Thomas Page.
The residents of South Park were a
little colony in themselves and seldom
needed to go outside their own circle
except occasionally for beaux, which
they had no 'difficulty In finding. Miss
Charlotte <le Ho was decidedly the love
liest, being a blonde of the purest type,
'.and was best known by lier pet name
of ""Pussy." She afterward married
"lieutenant Thomas P. Wilson of the
tJnited States navy. The oldest of the
belles of the colony, and perhaps the
best known, were Miss Patsie Ritchie,
Miss lx>ttle Hall and Miss Rosa Gore.
Miss Gore lived with her sister, the
\u25a0first wife of John H. Redington; Miss
Hall -with her elster. Mrs. Janes. These
{three young \u25a0 ladles were famllia'rly
(known emong their intimates as the'
[XTorld, the Flesh and the J>eviL
Many little pleasantries occurred be
\u25a0tpeen them. An amusing story is still
told of Miss Ritchie and Miss Hall.
Patsie Ritchie was the possessor of a
very>eharp tongue, and she generally
came off the better in an encounter of
•wits with her friends. However, on
one occasion Lottie Hall. was thought
to have iron the victory. Miss Hall
\u25a0was blessed with a rather large nose,
and Miss Ritchie with a pair of cross
eyes. Provoked with Miss Hall for
some trifle.^ Patsle. said to her: "If I
haul a nose like yours, I would do
something to reduce its size." To which
Miss Lottie retorted. "Oh, well, even
If It Is large, I am glad I am not al- .
ways forced to look at it as you are
yours." Miss Ritchie married General
M. D. L. Simpson of the United States
army.
Vivacious Nellie Gordon
Thero were many other charming
Clrle. Miss Rosa Gore first became the
•wife of Charley Bonner, an English
mining man, and after his death mar
ried Frank Locan. Miss Helen Ritchie
married George H. Elliott. U. S. A. And
there was Miss Hei*-n Marr Gordon, fa
miliarly known to all her friends as
Nellie. Her life was probably , more
startling' and romantic than that of any
of her chums. In fact. Gertrude Ather-"
ton, the novelist, used her as the hero
ine of her much discussed story, "A
Daughter of . the Vine," which, in the
main. Is based upon actual facts.
Nellie's father, George Gordon, was
a leader in nearly all Improvements
and foremost in every enterprise cal
culated to redound to the advancement
or beautifying of Ban Francisco. He
v+t only had a town house in the fash
ionable residence -park he established,
but being a former British" subject and
of English tastes, lie had, his country
place as well. He boughtthe tract of
land now occupied by Stanford Univer
sity and he built there a beautiful
home. That it was admirably/ sltilated
for any country gentleman's occupancy
was shown by the fact that. it was sub
sequently purchased" by Senator Stan
ford and occupied as his country..resi
dence > Mrs»Stanford dwelt there up to
her departure' for the Hawaiian Islands,
where she died so suddenly. •
X. Gordon succeeded 'in establishing a,
colony of well-to-do '" people In - that
neighborhood. John ' T. --Doyle- and
Kmmctt Doyle, two friends, were also
\u25a0located at Jlenlo Park. Faxon Atherton,
another intimate friend, had a fine
place at Fair Oaks, also close at hand.
Around this nucleus there speedily
gathered a cluster of villas and 'Beau
tiful country places which anticipated
the Burlingame of today. The Leland
Stanford University occupies what was
once George Gordon's vineyard. ' —
llr. Gordon was r small, well-built
man, and at thi3 time had. iron-gray
hair, close-cropped beard and. mustach«
and bright, restless eyes. He was a
man of education, . of agreeable man
ners, had traveled, was extremely, well
read and was a man of great- business
ability, lie accumulated about half a
million; a great fortune In those days,
and retired, selling his sugar reOSery,
the first In the State.^to Claus Spreck
els. . . v - ;, . .:.--. •- - .
\The wife of George Gordon was. a
tall, slender woman, with dark eyes arid
a Madonna- face. She '* had } exquisitely
email hands and feet and was a charm
ing hostess. ".There were some" gossips
who declared that she had been a bar
maid in England. : but she' showed .no
trace of vulgar origin. However, she
was unfortunate in having a love; for
liquor and she transmitted this fatal
appetite to. her daughter Nellie, an
only child.
Nellie was petite,: daintily formed
and exquisitely neat and attractive. She
had Inherited' her mother's beauty and
her" father's -brains. ; She'' Vjls. 'intelli
gent, well read, and a sparkling con
versationist. Her: father/without
making her waitifor his death, - had
given her stocks [.and bonds 'bringing
her. in an Income'of more than; $4000 a
3'ear— a large'sum in those early days.
The Gordon-family were-Intheihabit
of making trips abroad. It was riot 1 so
easy In.those. days as;lt;is, now, where
we are onl>'. four,; days .from : New ,Tork
and ten days from jLondonl* At b - that
time the only practical way. of reaching
New York was via Panama* and It" took
six or eeven;weeks. 'On. one'of 'their
European trips Nellie Gordon/ to while
away the'tedluiri of » a" tropical' vovage,
began 7 a iiirtatlon with"' the"! steamer's
surgeon, one Dr. C. C. Gordon.^ But fit
turned' out more .than 'an ocean;flirta
tion.; \u25a0 ; .
The doctor kept up an" lntimate cor
respondence with -the beautiful heiress
and on her return ;to California .suc
ceeded in 'inducing- her: to consent:to'a
secret - marriage., George " Gordon ' had
taken: a violent^dislikeito'hlsxname
sake,- Dr. Gordon,>who* was not related
,to; his family. So Nellie Gordon, In *or-'
der to - evade X the v paternal \u2666vigilance;
made frequent "i- rendezvous ; with'?: Dr.
Gordon at the rioine of one" of'lfer dear
. est friends in San Francisco.' 'r At length
one, day, the -34th of . November,^: 1869,"
the young heiress, accompanied: by .her
mother," who t sided < with "'fethet daughter,
against the stern parent, came up from-
MenloPark and- drove to ' !the~* rooms r'of.'
Joseph Gordon, a - lawyer, *? and ' brother
of,; the .intending, ; bridegroom. VlThere'
they., were met ; by; Dr.- Gordon . arid '. the
Rev. Dr.^Wyatt, who at once made them
husband and .wife. : .. . ;^ £.';?£•:
When' George Gordon learned- of . this
marriage -his • rage V was : incontrollable.
He repulsed' his ' daughter in fallf her ; at-;
tempts "i at ; reconciliation, T; cursed :' her
violently and * refused .; ever) to^ sea* her
again. -He"; left 1 - his v beautiful^ home =at
MenlQ: Park- and came'itoiSanvFrancisco;
and )\u25a0 here,"? at r hotel,*". on^May* 22,'j 1869;^
he /died./ kOn i his ! deathbed •* he*;sent? for
Nellie? was .reconciled '\u25a0\u2666 to; herjibut "not :
tosher-husbflLnd.' ':-'.':.\u25a0
; After death
and ; her '-husband* went* to :iMenlo. ! ' Park
and -lived jlwith'. Mrs. : jGoVdon: ln! the j'old'
; family; home.^whlchiwas^called 5 May field'
; Grange, f After a> few. mpnths'.' however,"
\u25a0 Dr.* "arid s Mrs/.* Gordon l lef t jfor J ti'r long
; tripi East,** and ; Mrs. " Gordon,' 1 : the^.widow,*
! being ; left <alone,"*; sent ito i* Kngland'j for;
her i' brother ?. to come T out J and J reside
1 with ;her, j which he did.; ' ': '. "\u25a0-. *"';\u25a0'.\u25a0 -j
• Said End of the Gordons
'.\Dark 7 et6ries I were;told'of i the terrible
; drinking '\u25a0', bouts / % whJchTwentTbn Jir , the
I old; ! Gordon* home. '?-• Not Jlpnjg;'after,' this,'
ICellieV- .Gordon^ . returned '(: to j visit; -'her.
\u25a0 mother.-,-" LThts iaddedC; another to ':", the
group: of ,tlpplers.^ : lt*was]n^yer, known
f exactly '.what' tookiplace^biit' one irilght
poprj; Nellie f was i found *, at^thef foot of
theVstalrcase.' ? '"sturinedy r and;^bleeding^
f'She '^ may-' have . fallen -^ down %of£ teen
' thrownT down. ; *_No f one >, ever } knew; ) She
f never;"*" recovered and'
passed intb;! the 1 unknown ~ bearing'*; her
* secret vWithther. 11 , Her; bodyj.was'vbrought
': up^ to 5 the) cityiand rsheiwaß?;laid|be3ide
Uier3 father tinr- Laurel i*H.lll*Cemetery*§i : ?jjj
\u25a0- *.The'' final "chapters v ;iri*" tlie^terripLo'
etory .were ev»n darker." ; The^.Vldowj
George ; Gordon finally j died' a dfunk-s
ard's r deatlir The property, wen tno; the
brother, p also ;a heavy" drinker. : ,}Ha
married .'.his cook -• and they," -'top.'-llyetl;
; for ! a few years in a f state : of -continual:
intoxication. His - death - followed ' and
the^property. •went^tb' the^ cook. " : . Eut"
she ' soon '. passed ., away and f the;) large :
estate of George Gordon, » once, one; of:
San" Francisco's most public Bpirited- :
citizens,;; went ,to;a gfoupl'of ,-peasanta
ih|Uie:wcst part of Ireland^:/
In the; earlj'^seventles,'jthat< period^ of
.startling upheavals' -and'- ydownfalls>;
wheii^.rainers . had* /suddenly-'? become
mllHofelres. and richimeh'.found ithem-
K selves ; ?paupers;.tli'6re'-was s , ! a" gradual
isecassion t from : Sou UiTFark'.f for ; by J this
.tlmeVthe'>north^sldQ- ; ofsthe'M.city..:oncl
.Nob> Hill \u25a0nnd^the:S .Western^' Addition
were dotted. with new niafißionsTand" it
j.was- no 'longer* considered 'fashionable
.to. live [south, of. Market:- v*>V^>; : \u25a0?--\u25a0'\u25a0. \u25a0''.'\u25a0'
f - T .ho;once; stylish /homes passedrflnto
the ihands^ofvpeQpie^bf .^less* ime^'ns,
•thrifty, -.business : men /.who> had i no-,de-.
sire . to shine socially,- but-welcomed»the
opportunity ,to ''live «";bpposite"i the -) pic-.
- tv , re «? ue i"ttle v parkswherelthelr;,wlv"es
'"'^nvnavG^cheerfurJsurroundingsVand
their .'children': coulri -play V on?,? green
t lawns-or; breathed the fresh^alr^n per
fumed^ with the keen lacrid^ odor sofCthe
.eucalyptus.- as' they "sat on'the'.benche's
and \u25a0, basked \u25a0; In ; the ; sunshine. ; ; ;';. :
.^About 'a week'befo'fe'the'snfe' of \u25a0 lasY
• ,} - J - vlßi ted I South - Park :: v fluite'i by .
C Ai^ t: U >as late; in vthefaftef noon':
/ vi, j c park was ; filled .-.with' romping;
children .just; home from "schoolN^.They
> w . ere .l w atching: w i tn - ere 'at*interesti.the 1
cmaneuvers of tlie^horse3r'of-ithe T iP'lre
.Department
- 2,A.w ia: P . a < ce ' In * the' park-'. were i seated;
>^w eadin S^ fandsVsewrng/:f andsVsewrng/: and
,nurses.w,th youngsters ,and>infarits*put'
J for ; an , airing. ) It 'seerned ttb' melll had;
s^ n^o;many,llttle = ones (oUrtide
a school or, T the- playgrounds ". attGoiaco
Gate'iPark:* iWhethVrUhlt^was a^raere'
coincidence; or* the • usual : thlnjr>l /did
notiknow.'.i '\u25a0;. \u2666*,-".\u25a0!. '„'%'',-;\u25a0\u25a0 v ;~.~r '-,?: : Z ."- \u25a0 \u25a0
":i The a{o ther " , morning, «. h b weyex.H when.
I.;made';my^epeciaK-trlpv:over i to > the'
park^ canipS l^u-as \; surprised Vtb V find
only , threes tlny;Tglrls: play tng-:?'onv:the
street.; v^-This.. seemecl.? strange '^Indeed,
and in^striking 4 'contrastttb' A that;other'
day^ in vAprll*.when> the grounds • were
swarming v every.
age.^i.UpanVlhquiry/I'ifoundrthatithere*
are: about 100Jchildren;inithe7camp,'ibut
durln'g^t'hejrday'theyi'areinearly^allfat
Klncon School; and;* St.: Patrick's, UK©
.two nearest educational / Institutions, :£s;'
Nowtrie>H6me b^Refugees'i '
But.'ifvl.-missed the. .children;' I 'also"
ihissedtthe r 'airy;\invitlrigr.liftle' park.'
;Gohe"are^the^:n ; eat*,llMlOjj^walks,>; ; the
greeny law.n, L iand\ithQ{r boirderl' 6'^ tall'
jeucalyptu^trefs.^yveryiay.allable'fobt
of ? groundijis i by /fourteen?; rec
tan'gularltwb-stbfyibuiiaihjrsfwhich^ejr-:
tend^theUfull ;»widthl of ithe Spark.. »All
are ;T; T painted alpha
betlcally^n^each^buimngilth^re/ara"
e!«fht apartments, land Jeach
ofsthese7averttges;slxfofccupan t ts,'for.?!the
total population !is i nearly^ 700. end- since
its. establishment, there- have* been, no
vacancies yin \the«carnp;-v ,\u25a0/ •^\u25a0» ? = : '• v *-..-
' :.\7hen ilr.'D.' Cherihall.-th* campo«S«
mender, ;.was; Informed-: that ;he : wias ; to .
BeL" transferred --from t the I camp atiLa
/ayette«P»»"Uit«»-a<»«ttl'T«rie"tHrr < »«ji;fuH:
ot^mlsgiylngs.YrSouth'ofiMarket 1 ; street;
meant everything that was undesirable ,
s to? hlnv-f the ".the :, surroundings.
-the Jlife/j iToday l he * laughs •\u25a0^henT he
; recalls f his fears,' for he "\ declares , that i
. the i. residents of, South^ Camp \ are % an.
: industrious, sober,' clean: class '\ of ' peo-.
pie,' better -than ; those: he 'hasj encount
ered in any. othe.r,part of .the city-Most
N of th e refugees 1 ived ,, in the ;* immediate \u25a0
vicinity before .the ; fire, '. and . are occu
pying, their, present "quarters, partly-be
cause cannot .'elsewhere; secure
'apartments ; at~a? reasonable* rent In
proximity ~to 'their . \u25a0 pla^c'e^.; of "/work,
partly, because they are Influenced
by sentiment. ** . V ; ' . •'
"Many **-". touching v «.v Incidents .took
plat'C," ; said- Mr., Cheri'hail. the
refugees . applied : for quarters. 1 Come
broke- down completely Mn telling of
their. losses.:the things they prized and
can : never replace "again. 4, Atj(aU time's
they.are respectful and^oiily. too willing
\u25a0 to "; comply with ray I slightest request.
We have /not had to ; eject } a single
.'resident: 'and : the ' police officers who
patrol ; the - district say It Is . the ,. most
onlErly ; can*ip;ln town. 7 There h^vebeen
no di"tu:b£hces of any kind and drunk
ards and rowdies are -unknown In our
\u25a0midst.".-- \ '\u25a0;- .\u25a0"•.•*':'.. -* :< \' */. '-'-. »
When t the : camp '.was ; first ; established
it^was^ decided,! jthat'v; every/ resident '
should^ pay e;rent.j"" $1.50 -^ for/; .upstairs ;
rooms 'per .month ?and~.slif or.those *be
low.:;-<TuelMayorfand',the-Board'of Su-;
pervisbrsi^however,*.^ objected to , the
refugees;belrigiforced, J to j payirent. and
passed Jan^t ordinance - prohibiting .'\u25a0 the
col^ectlonfof brents 'by* the -Relief rCorVi
poration ? and "rendering,* / any, ,; person ,
found'Kuilty.v'aubJect vtofa"*flno? of.' 1500 \u25a0
|t dr£*Blx^ .months'^ imprisonment.*; i^Af ter ;
considerable^? discussion 'a'l compromise
was •arranged/ by'iWhlch* the "refugees'
, vere « able v to ipaytf or I their: cottages- by
installmen ts, so .that .when {the { camps
fwjerej"abbllshed Cmlght Jmove the
cottages elsewhere.: South* Park.;how
ever.ldjd riot'eome, under? thls^prbvlsloß.'
hocauso • the"; buildings .whlchl'are erect- ,
ed; there,;house'; eight . famiMes. and so
could. n ot sbe i sold \to ? .one.^- Therefore"
pendlng:'further(arjrangeme:nts,' no^pay-*
mentssareib<slng^cOHected;.*;; r ; ' ' 'i' -•
\u25a0M IVespite the , Mayor's < order.- however.
itXls'itb ithej:credlt/of,th,« jSojithvPark'
colony I that ? everyiresident ; appeared at?
the'*bfßce* of ithei commander. when Hhey,
found .thatn f interference^*, was?: being
made^py ' the ') clty^authoriUes, ; and \ ten- \
dered yi« rent *so* as jvto mak« ' •":\u25a0 t]3
* The San^J'rahciscofSunday Calit
poiltlon^goot'Ot enurse It could not
be accepted." ,\u25a0 • *
-tin the carap there are no single men.
They ; were all .weeded . out • months ago.
1 The camp Is provided with a laundry,
•where* there are sixty-four tubs for
- washingNclothes. men's and women's
bathrooms, which. contain hot and cold
- water. ..a^sterlllzer, for pnrlfying all the
water, a drying-room for clothes.
There fs also a dispensary, and a nurse
and physician are in attendance. Each
apartment -is provided "with sanitary
.plumbing, and chemical tire extinguish
ers are In all the halls. There is run
ning water' In- every other room, and
' gas stoves and lights are also features.
This is . the: only camp that has them.
; It would "surprise . you to see how
cozlly some] of the -apartments are fur
nished. .Air. Chenhall .invited me to
inspect \several. and i*o*_ each case I
found, the occupants willing to show
us "through their 'sunny rooms.
' "As- we ascended the . steps of ont
\u25a0 apartment I -heard a cheery voice call
' ; out,". "Be darllnt, and close the
door.br you'll catch c01d.",. ' *
; 'And' when we knocked at her kitchen.
* dinlag-room and washroom combined,.
found a sweet, bespectacled woman,
with .her, sleeves rolled up. doing th«
family; washing-. ".'
She was a bit taken back by our sud
.deri' appearance, hut she' didn't resent
onr Intrusion ;in the least, for she
. quickly asked: "And what can Ido for
you this morning?"
• "Just'let my friend here take a peep
at' your; rooms,"_ said Mr. Chenhall.
- , "tihure. . -that's all right.. Just mak»
yourself, at home," / And with that sh»
bent over her tub and started: to rub
' " away - for dear life.
Here Was Home Indeed
The.. orderliness and cleanliness ci
'the*; rooms me most. Th«
fLbor 'was 'covered \u25a0 with" linoleum. th«
cooking * utensils were \u25a0 neatly arranged
I near the stove, and the soft little whits
* curtains \u25a0 and , prints . and pictures on
the wall ; mads the. room Quits cozy and
homelike.^- \u25a0'.'-\u25a0' * **
'• 'The* living-room was even ' more In
viting-, t \u2666 The walls.i as '" well as celling,
.w.ere^covered .with claret-colored bur-
; lap and. the^ room .waa ; liberally _ sprin
kled with attractive posters.* calendars
*.and photographs. Two couches, nearly
'covered ; with' fancy" pillows, occupied
.the side- walls and with the carpet car
ried out the same claret color scheme.
Two potted ' plants ; and some huckle
berry,'* tastily, arranged." gave the room
Va . .very cheerful * appearance. Seated
- near the ; sewing machine, on the cover
of, which rested a birdcage, was a dain
ty little bit of blonde femtnlnlty sewing
'dresses for her dollie. Books and mag
azines'" added* an lat«ll*ctual touch to
sthe'room. \u0084 ,
*- Altogether., the Impression gained
i: from - a visit to South ; Park was that
* the : refugees,; were ' Vvery comfortable,
in amity with >one another, and
/«T heipful . factor; instead of a drawback.
f in the^upbullding of-thls once crowded
section of , the city. ,
.However] ; as I left 'the office of the
' camp, commander "and passed- the tiny
\u25a0;- stretch 'of 'grass on 'my -way to Third
• street; I could ;not refrain from looking
'back and picturing the scene as it was
in"- the -early .fifties. Nor could. l help '
'speculating -What would, be the feelings l\
ot -George Gordon if he could see his
-;Cherished« park covered -with 'refugee
,and the. once exqluslve/resl
7dences. elther^lri. ruins or- '.replaced with "
"cheapviodgfng-hbuses, stores,
grog shops and bustling business con
i cerns.- Waj; ever the flckleoess of fata
Vtfltartuao jgor.B strUtlnsly ltttiatraW?