SUNDAY IN SAN FRANCISCO.

Evening Star, Issue 4144, 8 June 1876, Page 3

SUNDAY IN SAN FRANCISCO.

A contributor to the Sydney ‘Herald/ who recently visited San Francisco, writing of the manner in which Sunday is observed in that city, says if—t landed in San Francisco on a Sunday morning, and with a fresh recollection of the decent manner in which that day is observed in the principal cities of Australia, I could not but; be struck with the laxity which prevails here. Tie. milkman, greengrocer, and the butcher are not. by any means the only offenders, but a large proportion of shops in all lines of business are kept open. A considerable number of the traders are Hebrews and Germans, and the proportion of restaurants is greater in San Francisco than in most other cities. Mechanics and laborers do not work, as in some Continental cities, but they spend Sunday in holiday-making. At 4Vbodward’s Gardens there were 6,000 persons looking at an exhibition of dancing by an unfortunate girl, which appeared *to me to be far from decent. The heading supplied by the newspapers published on the Sunday morning consisted wholly of sensational tales and theatrical criticism; and on the following morning they informed their readers that “L*Africans M was witnessed the night before by probably 3,000 people. “We noticed Herr Wachtel in one of the proscenium boxes surrounded by several financial notabilities.” Side by side with reports of sermons were accounts of temperance meetings, where- “ ovations” and comic songs formed tbe staple of the entertainment; and a lengthy record of the deliberations of a public meeting convened to contrive the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. The City Council of Oakland are said to have held their meeting at night, and one of the railway companies opened a branch of its line in the afternoon, the day’s business being described as good. On the other hand, there is no lack of churches with carpeted floors and velvet seats, attended by crowds of worshippers.