SAN FRANCISCO -- Although San Francisco isn't California's largest city, it has a sophisticated ambience that sets it distinctly apart, and a big part of that atmosphere is its cadre of old-money families, many with roots in the Gold Rush. A permanent overclass supports a well-attended opera, countless museums and other cultural amenities and also provides, for better or worse, civic and political continuity. It is, in effect, a well-heeled small town in which everyone knows...
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