Mat 3, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



1705 



THE FIRE PICTURE. 



The photograph reproduced on this 

 page was taken for the Review on Fri- 

 day afternoon, April 20. It shows the 

 burning city of San Francisco as it ap- 

 peared to the refugees gathered at the 

 top of Telegraph Hill, where the corre- 

 spondent stood. The district shown was 

 completely swept by the fire, the houses 

 in this section of the city being all of 

 frame construction, as indeed were most 

 of the residences in the city. San Fran- 

 cisco had no such building regulations 

 as have most American cities, prohibit- 

 ing the erection of wood structures m 

 the closely built sections. 



THE FLORISTS' PREDICAMENT. 



Last Week's Report Complete. 



Supplementing my report published 

 last week, which gave full details of 

 the losses sustained by the florists of 

 San Francisco, it only can be said that 

 the flower stores to escape were those 

 of the Park Floral Co., Anderson & 

 Co. and Serveau Bros. These are far 

 removed from the business center, and 

 as a consequence they are still in exist- 

 ence. The combined losses of the re- 

 tailers will amount to from $750,000 to 

 $850,000. None of the nurseries in 

 town is damaged to any extent. Sievers 

 & Co. were on the edge of the burned 

 area, but escaped completely. Chas. 

 Abraham and F. Ludemann were well 

 outside of the stricken territory. 



All the seedsmen in town were com- 

 pletely wiped off the map except Vincent, 

 Levin & Co., of 621 Sansome street. 

 The losses to the other houses, the Cox 

 Seed Co., C. C. Morse & Co., Trumbull 

 & Beebe, Thos. Meherin and fhe Lilly 

 Co., will easily foot up to at least $250,- 

 000, making a loss of over $1,000,000 

 to the wholesale and retail florists and 

 seedsmen. 



Florists Have Gone. 



There is not a vestige of a green leaf 

 to be seen in San Francisco, except a 

 few palms around City Hall square, and 

 with the disappearance of green goods 

 the florists likewise have taken to flight. 

 Some of them barely escaped with 

 their lives, and a few of the more for- 

 tunate saved their books and personal 

 belongings. The town has decreased in 

 population from tlie 400,000 of a week 

 ago to about 150,000 at present. At 

 least 100,000 are quartered in Oakland 

 and vicinity, and about fifty florists and 

 assistants are over there, many of them 

 with their families. 



The Future. 



It is too soon to venture predictions 

 as to what will be done in the matter 

 of re-establishing permanent flower 

 stores in town. Already many of the 

 largest general stores have opened 

 offices in Oakland and will continue to 

 direct business from there until they 

 can be accommodated with quarters at 

 home. But this is not practicable for 



the florist, as it is plainly shown that 

 at this time the public is not buying 

 flowers to any extent, and Oakland al- 

 ready has all the stores that can be sup- 

 ported, even with an extra hundred 

 thousand refugees on hand. 



I have seen probably twenty of the 

 unfortunate retailers, and all of them 

 are completely at sea regarding their 

 intentions in the future. The sudden- 

 ness of the blow and the awful experi- 

 ence passed through has left everyone 

 in a dazed condition, and none knows 

 where he stands. 



Where the Grower Stands. 



From conversations I have had with 

 the growers I think there is probably 

 due about $50,000 altogether to them 

 from the retailers for Easter goods. 

 This represents quite an item in the 

 year's receipts and it is probable that 

 a considerable portion of it will never 

 be paid, being that both the retailers 

 and, in a majority of cases, all their 

 customers are burned out. The chances 

 are not very bright for a speedy settling 

 of accounts. 



The all-absorbing questions with the 

 wholesale growers at present are: How 

 far shall I keep up the cultivation of 

 my plant? Will it pay me to hire the 

 necessary help to keep it in operation! 

 Shall I continue to carry a big lot of 

 young stock for fall replanting? Would 

 it not be cheaper to let my carnations 

 and roses die and close up the houses f 

 Shall I cancel my fall order for bulbs t 

 I wonder how long it will be before I 

 can sell anything? 



In the meanwhile hundreds of thou- 

 sands of the finest stock ever grown is 

 daily consigned to the rubbish heap, 

 and greatly to the credit of both whole- 

 salers and retailers, they have gone long 

 distances in many instances and do- 

 nated wagon-loads of flowers of all de- 

 scriptions to the suffering in the vari- 

 ous hospitals. 



'f^:-K:-^0-n'- 



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The Burning of San Francisco, Photographed for the Review, Friday, April220. 



