came the heat of the fire from the buildings around it caused the iron
sides of it to expand, which let the roof fall in and burned every thing
to the ground, so that nothing was saved. Instead of being a place of
safety, it was the most destructive of all.

Some ships in the bay were burned. I succeeded in getting in the rear of
the fire to save my brig. I ordered the men to hoist anchor and put out
further in the bay, which saved it. These unfortunate events destroyed
and marred the fortune of many. On the day before I called on a private
banker, G., on the plaza, and presented my check for $800. He said to
me, if it made no difference, it being steamer day (once a month they
went East when the gold was shipped to the mint in Philadelphia by
them), and if I would call in the morning for it, it would be an
accommodation to him. I said I wanted to use it. He commenced weighing
it out. I then thought it would make no difference to me and it was
mean not to accommodate him, for I might want some favor of him. I said,
if I can have it in three days without fail it would answer my purpose.
He said, you can have it now, pouring the gold in the scales to weigh
it. I said never mind, I don't want it now. The fire came that night,
burnt his place up and all his property. He was a ruined man. I never
saw him afterward.

Mr. G., to whom I had bargained to sell my houses to arrive, (and he
backed out) was an Englishman from Liverpool. He had about all the
consignments of shipments from that city (evidently being very popular
there), to sell on commission at ten per cent; when the goods came and
were sold, instead of remitting the capital to the owners and being
satisfied with his commission, he used it in buying property and in
erecting buildings in San Francisco. He had constructed a fire-proof
building which he rented to the government for a post-office, at a large