W. B. Wallace to Mrs. Wallace M. Bartlett re: 1906 earthquake, 1906-06-07

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Letterhead: Superior Court Chambers Tule County, Cal. W.B. Wallace, Judge

Visalia Cal. [dated] June 7, 1906

Dear Mrs. Bartlett,

You must pardom me for the long delay in answering your letter reminding me of my promise to visit my Kentucky kinsmen this year. Since April 18th, a day of disaster in this state, all plans for the present year had to be re-formed and in many cases abandoned. We have all been living in a state of uncertainty.

Every day since April 18th up to last Monday has been a legal holiday. It became necessary for the Governor to declare successive holidays in order that the banks throughout the state could arrange to safely ??? business and that the Legislature might be convened in extra session and enact some new laws necessary to protect property rights suddenly imperiled by the great calamity that befell San Francisco and other near by places on that date. A cessation of judicial business for forty five days has left the trial courts with congested dockets rendering it necessary for most of the judges to continue holding court during the usual summer period for vacation. Unhappily I find myself in this situation and I will be unable to leave the state during this year.

It would be an exceptional pleasure to me to see and know Mrs. McBoayer??? and I shall make a special effort to arrange to visit her sometime next year when I shall also have the pleasure of meeting you also.

Fortunately none of us were injured [continued on following page]

Last edit over 6 years ago by Owlivia
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[repeat of letterhead] notation at top of page "2"

by the great earthquake. The shock here was slight and no property was injured.

My daughter Ethel was at Sanford University when it occurred. The university is about sixty miles from San Francisco. It suffered a loss of about $4.000000 in the destruction and injury of many fine buildings. Two lives were lost, one being that of a student and six other students were quite badly injured. Communication with the outside world was immediately interrupted and it was several days before we could get direct news from Ethel. She was not injured though when the shock occurred near 5 o'clock in the morning she and her companions thought the world was coming to an end when the furniture was being tossed about the room and she could see the fine structures of the university falling into shapeless masses of stone.

It will take some time for our state to fully recovery from the effects of so great a calamity, but San Francisco will be rebuilt because of its almost matchless harbor and because it was proven that modern steel structures can stand uninjured after such an earthquake. To many of us who have known that city almost all of our lives it will not probably [be] the San Francisco of which we were so proud.

The loss resulting from the earthquake there has been estimated as not more than $10000000 but the great fire with no water to slay its progress, increased the loss to thirty times that.

Give my kindest regards to Mrs. Brayer??? and assure her that I greatly regret my inability to visit her now and that I will make a strenuous effort to see her next year. All of [us] join in sending kindest regards to you both.

Sincerely yours, W.B. Wallace

Last edit over 6 years ago by Owlivia
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