Pacific Ocean, Golden Gate Park, Paradise? A Soprano’s Aria Chapter 5

1913 Thu Oct 9 I hardly know just how to describe the events of this day for I saw two beautiful sights new to me and long looked forward to, the Golden Gate Park and the Pacific Ocean. I suppose if I had not been so tired I should have been greater thrilled. But there they were both grand especially the old ocean. Frank, Albert, Lolita, and Milo with myself walked the whole length of the park which is over 4 mi, beside we made a detour to see the different attractions which added to the distance. We had stopped to admire some beautiful swans when I looked across the boulevard to see Albert gazing away to the west. I crossed over and he says can you see it? I looked and looked away into the glimmering sky and then I saw the waves appear like shimmering silk in the distance. After a quite long walk we came to the sandy beach and walked down to the edge of the water. The tide was coming in and many an incoming wave lapped over our feet before we could get out of the way. It was wonderful. We waited till the sun went down and turned homeward reluctantly.

Fri Oct 10 Spent the day cleaning house.

Sat 11 Did some washing and cleaning. Do not feel very well. Children went out marketing. Mrs Ross came down to give us the key to turn on the water with which to water the flowers. There is a little plot about 6 ft sq containing a row of calla lilies, a riot of wandering jew a lemon verbena a Scotch Heather some mums and secret ferns and geraniums. All doing fine in Oct.

Sun 12 Spent the day at home. Mr. Wm. Pellec came to see us and take dinner. He is a very fine old man – the one Albert calls Uncle and that he has missed for so long.

Mon 13 Nothing much doing. Milo and Lolita started to school in San Francisco. We all went upstairs in evening and had some music. Enjoyed a splendid time with Mr. and Mrs Ross and daughter Edith and Son Charley. Fine People.

Tue 14 Beautiful sunny day. No Winter rains yet. Spent the day at home alone mending + sewing. F.S. and Al have been unsuccessful hunting work.

Wed 15 Fair sunny weather with no rain. Visited the Golden Gate Park Museum with Mrs Ross and saw the exhibit of colonial household articles. Very interesting.

Thu 16 Explored Buena Vista park with Frank, hard climb. In afternoon took walk with Mrs Ross around the new Polyte [Polytechnic] High School. Saw a bunch of beautiful Cosmos in full bloom. Mine were killed by frost in Minn in Sep 22.

Fri 17 Did a big wash. Sick headache. Frank got work at last on a wrecking yard through the influence of a S.F. Ex Solicitor who took his order for the paper for 1 week. Good work. Albert is at an entertainment.

Sat 18 I sewed and mended all day. Frank commenced work. Albert went to Santa Cruze for 1 week.

Sun 19 Went to park to hear band play. Very fine. Ideal weather. [The Golden Gate Park Band was founded in September of 1882. Free Sunday Music concerts were originally in a wooden structure replaced in 1900. Although damaged in the 1906 earthquake, it was repaired and stands today.]

Monday 20 Regular routine. Went downtown alone first time, marketing.

Tue. 21 Washed clothes

Wed. 22 Ironed and mended. First day of Portola Festival. Vacation for the childrens school. Soldiers and Sailors Parade. [The San Francisco Portola Festival was held October 19 – 23, 1909. It honored Don Gaspar de Portola, the discoverer of San Francisco Bay. It was also a celebration of a city which, just three years earlier, lay in ruins. The festival ran each subsequent year until 1913.]

Thu 23 Dull day. Weather same. Everything ditto.

Fri 24 Lolita I and Milo went to the Portola parade. Walked down stood 3 hrs watching splendid parade. Walked back and got supper.

Sat. 25 Albert came home from Santa Cruz. Uncle made us a visit reminiscing over night. All went down to see Gorgeous parade of ships on Market Ave entitled the Evolution of the Dreadnought.

Sun. 26 Lolita and I went over to G.G.P. [Golden gate Park] and listened to some good music. It was a cool bracing day.

Mon. 27 Nothing unusual.

Tue. 28 Went downtown with Albert. Come home to supper. He took evening boat to Stockton. Paid a little bill on Haight St.

Wed. Oct. 29 Did a big washing.

Thu 30 Went down town and bought an alarm clock at the Emporium. My 1^st visit to the big store.

Fri 31 Ironed and returned 6 sheets to Mrs. Ross. First rain of the season.

Sat Nov 1 Rained hard all day. Went to the Cort theater to see Bird of Paradise [More on the Cort Theater]

Sun. Nov 2 Quiet Sunday. Pleasant after the rain. After lunch F.S. Lolita and myself went out for a walk in a new direction and happened into the Laurel Hill Cemetery. Entered the west gate and wandered clear through to the eastern entrance. Here they lie at rest the lowest of the low and loftiest of the high. The pitiful wooden markers crumbling away into dust and the splendid mausoleums some of the cracked and broken by the terrible earthquake. The foreign born of many lands hither same at last, their earth warn feet content to pause awhile they will wander no more. Thus do al once the splendid and the most forlorn city of the silent land I have ever seen. It is a strange assemblage of wealth and poverty, good taste and bad, great painstaking care and loving, and flagrant lock of any at all. Dead and decaying herbage close by the lively green on the surface, but below, they’re much the same, returning again to the dust. All of one accord to be silent and still. Closely assembled but without jostling oddly placed but none striving for a higher place. Sweet peace and content, who would not long to rest even as they. [ More on Laurel Hill Cemetery]

Kelly Wheaton Copyright 2021. All RIghts Reserved.