Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 12, 1977, Winnipeg, Manitoba Travel Drivers Don t say Mush but Aspen do sledding fun by Albert j. Forbes Christian science Monitor Beautiful Filbert Steps Pride of san Francisco Christian science Monitor san Francisco in a City As handsome As san Francisco a spot must be extraordinary if it is one or the must Beautiful places in the City. But the Filbert Steps Are just that and their Beauty is no Accident. The Filbert Steps which take the place of a Street on the Eastern slope or Tele graph Hill Are a world away from the rest of the neigh boyhood which occupies the much larger Southern and Western sides of the Hill. This other part of Tele graph Hill is just a ill minute walk from the Montgomery Street financial District. But it is not particularly Charm ing by san Franciscu Stan Dards. The fire which Folio wed the earthquake completely destroyed this area and. In i he hurried construction Boom that followed hundreds of similar looking three and four Storey Frame buildings Rose throughout the Nighbor hindi. The buildings have a pleasing human scale but extend right out to the Side walk without any front Yards or plantings to soften the harsh . The streets change How Ever once you reach the top Fly Telegraph kill and begin to walk Down the sleep East Ern slope which Harbor the Filbert Steps. The 19k fire did not go beyond the Crest of Telegraph Hill and there fore this Eastern Side contains some of the oldest houses in san Francisco. The buildings have pleas ant variety of size and appearance and planted front Yards and occasional Gar Dens give the streets an open and visually stimulating mood that is so different from i he other Side of the Hill. A few houses Dale from the 1850s when a semaphore or Telegraph signalled Mer chants on Montgomery Street that a ship was Mak ing its Way through the Golden Gate and soon would be Docking Down on the water front. These houses or cot tages As they were called originally have five or six rooms on two possibly three floors. Architectural embellish ment is limited to a few bits of gothic or italian ale inspired ornament at the front door or roof inc. The collages were nothing Spe Cial 100 years ago but even then journalist Charles War Ren Stoddard called them a Catlike. So Small so compact so cozy so overrun with vines and flowering foliage. As delicate and Dainty As part of their Appeal came from the area s isolation even 100 years ago from the rest of the City. The Eastern Side of Telegraph Hill was steeper than the other sides and several blocks below the Crest it ended abruptly at a sheared off Rocky Cliff rather sloping off to the waterfront. These Cliffs Dale from the 1850s and 1860s when part of Telegraph Hill was removed by blasting to provide fill for extending the City sever Al blocks into the Harbor. Another lure of the was the absence of streets Finland s currency the Merit currency in Finland is the Markka divided into Penni. There Are about 3.77 Markka ;