The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 26, 1896, Page 10

10 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1896. VAN NESS AVE [From the plans of the Van Ness-avenue Improvement Association.] VA NESS MVENLE 1S A BOULEVARD, The Action of the Street Committee Highly Favorable. WILL COST VERY LITTLE President Law of the Improve- ment Club Hopeful of Its Consummation. PARK FUND NOT AVAILABLE. Expense to Property-Owners Will Nof Exceed Seventeen Dollars Per Hundred Feet. The first actual step in the matter of converting Van Ness avenue into a boule- wvard has been effected by the Street Com- mittee reporting favorably on the propo- sition. Their action at this time means a great saving, since that portion of the avenue which is biturninized is at present in very excellent conditiorn and will so remain for many years, provided no heavy haul- ing is induiged in. Should general traffic be permitted, however, it would not be long before the avenue would be full of ruts. It is a common custom for heavy teams coming down hills to drop a brick or a login front of the wheel to check the speed, and thus rip up a foot or more of the pavement. The hauling of heavy cannon has been especially destructive. Fortunately the Supervisors have taken this matter m hand in time, and the road- bed of Van Ness avenue will be protected before lasting damage is done. . A petition was filed Monday, signed by the property-owners in the six blocks lying north of Upion street, having for its purpose the completion of the plans pro- posed by the Van Ness Avenue Improve- ment Club, cntting a strip twenty-oae feet wide from the center, decorating 1t with | trees and shrubbery and making shaded walks and convenient seats. In a word, what is wanted is a parkway where one may find recreaticn without taking a Jonf journey to the park for that urpose, and after all, while Golden Gate gark is undeniably beautiful and servesa great purpose, the parks in the center of our City, where the people may have breathing space, are patronized far more thomugkfiy and are of greater -practical benefit to the masses than a recreation ground at long range, accessible only under expense and requiring a long trip. As now outlined it 1s intended that six feet hall be taken from tue sidewalks. There will be planted grass and palms. The termination of the present improve- ment will be Fort Mason, which 1s to be Jaid out very much along the lines pur- sued in the Presidio reservation, and will, upon its completion, be thrown open to the public, affording a delightful rark of sixty acres, within easy access of all. Its value asa park will be greatly en- hanced by the removing of the hill on Polk street, lying between Greenwich and Lombard streets, which will then permit the Sutter-street cars to continue to within a few blocks of Fort Mason. Fort Mason overlooks the bay almost in its entirety—from the Golden Gate along to the revenue station and across to Sausa- lito and Belvedere, with Alcatraz to the right and the mountains in the distance— with the picturesque inlets indenting the shores, the whole forming s beautitul view, and one not apparent in a character- istic way from any other point in the City. Water always has an attraction, and to be able to wander along the shore of Fort Mason, directly overlooking the water, will be an opportunity nov neglected. Already there is scarcely a Sunday passes that there are not from 100 to 200 people tramping through the sand in this section, and when 1t is once thoroughly tinished, with beautiful roadways and ac- cessible service, it is safe to say that it will become one of the most sought-after sec- tions in the entire City, both by the sight- seer and those who love nature. Returming from Fort Mason the first prominent street is Lombard street. This is now in the process of being widened six feet, in order to make it a fitting connect- ing boulevard with Van Ness avenue. Along Lombard street is a direct course into the beautiful Presidio, with no hills intervening. It is practically one long, level drive until one reaches the hills and its eplendid driveways, which are everywhere being extended and widened. “While the feeling is one of gratitude,’” said Herbert E. Law. president of the Van Ness Improvement Club, yesterday, “‘that the Supervisors have taken such activeand intelligent effort in this direction, yet it is immediately succeeded by the wonder how a city so naturally beautiful, with so much wealth and so cosmopolitan in its char- acter, inbabited so largely by people who have traveled and visited the most beauti- ful sections of the earth, should have been allowed so long to assume the character of a busy workshop, as it were, with merely a few avenues for residence. “It would seem as though the first con- sideration had been given to trade and the beautiying of the residence section of the City wasadjusted as merely a convenience that one might have a stopping place while laboring. We have often urged against our wealthy people investing elsewhere— against the accumulation of money in San Francisco and its investment in New York and other large cities, and yet we can hardly blame them when we for a moment glance over the apathy with which we have allowed ourselves to drift into a state of neglect and indifference. We certainly cannot keep people who admire and honor our City and invest their money here if we give them no evidence of prosperity, no as- surance of activity, no guarantee oi return from their investment. “‘Even cultured Boston, on her 3 and 4 per cent basis, finds ample money with which to improve. Several millions of dollars are to-day being spent in Boston. large tracts of land are being bought up and turned into beautiful parks and delightful driveways. Is it a wonder that people prefer to invest in such places—that they prefer to live there? Should not our City, indeed. be a city of so much attraction from an esthetic” standpoint as to make it desirable to live in, as well as desirable from a commercial standpoint? ‘It must be remembered that mle are urable so as by very largely influenced by the surroundings, almost as” mucl ) the commercial advantages. While other Presidio, with its magnificent chain of | large cities which are spending large sums of money are compelled to take up most of the plants in winter time and replant them in summer, as it were, almost compelled to "F“ the original cost of the work, Sun Francisco has no such requirement. Shrubbery will grow the year around; the climate is favorable to them. “San Francisco ought to be made typical of the State. We spend thousands and thousands of dollars advertising Califor- nia—its beautiful climate, its picturesque- ness—in a word, we aim to make it the one hoped-for place of residence for all. “The cost of making a practical adver- tisement of it—of making the City attrac- tive with drives 4hd bonlevards—is almost nominal. In the Van Ness ayenue propo- sition the loam would cost about 13 cents per foot, seed about 5 cents, trees $1 each; five per 100 feet would be 5 cents addi- tional,: Ole’ graup off shriihe, at%25 centa each, would make 12 cents more per 100 feet; seeding 5 cents per foot—a total cust of $35 per 100 feet of 21 feet wide. If paid for by each side of the street the cost to each owner would be about $17 per 100 feet. To this must be added the cost of excavating three feet. . “It is not quite certain as to whether the City funds are such that these improve- ments can be ordered by the Supervisors. Should that be the case, it will then fall upon the owners direct. It is to be hoped, however, that the City will find some means of meeting the proposition. If the present laws do not vermit of it, such changes could be effected as will give them that power. An improvement of this character improves the City asa whole. It is not an individual improvement. ““While progressive property-owners are willing, as a rule, to _bear their portion of such expenses, yet there are always just enough in a district opposed to paying out adollar to defeat a weneral movement. The City government Erovldeu for the vark. The same fund should be made to provide for everything that pertains to the vark in the way of park ways, which are of as much greater general benefit to the xeople themselves, for the number who ave need of a park way in the City will by far exceed the thousands. who can afford the time and expense to make long journeys out to the park. The daily asso- ciation and living amid beautiful sur- roundings are of more benelit to one than the occasional visiting of a beautiful spot. “The City’s future, in this_direction will depend largely upon the activity ard action of the present board. ‘Their actions thus far promise much. Itis to-be hoped the one radical effort necessary to start the ball thamughly on the way will now be effected by them.™ X A FEAST OF FLOWERS. California Floral Society Will Soon Givo Its Semi-Annual Show. A fine display is promised for the thir- teenth semi-annual flower show of the Cal- ifornia State Floral Society, to continue from the 30th of April to the 2d of May next, inclusive. Mesdames W. 8. Chand- ler, M. Grothwell, B. E. Hendricksen and L. 0. Hodgkins comprise the committee having the affair in hand, with Professor Emory E. Smith as manager, and Mrs. O. D. Baldwin as secretary. . The display will take place in the mar- ble and maple parlors of the Palace Hotel, and promises to be most beautiful. An orchestra of strings will furnish select prognmmu of classic and popular music each afternoon and unnlng during the continuance of the show. The society will send invitations to the various orphan asylums-and old people’s homes, offering their inmates free admission to the dispiay. ——————— *Ik Marvel,” the famous humorist, is none other than Donsld G. Mitchell, whose “Reveries of a Bachelor” are even now popular, PREPARING FOR ELECTION Five Hundred Chinese Getting Ready to Vote Here in the Fall. STUDYING THE CONSTITUTION. The United States Supreme Court May Intervene by Overruling Judge Morrow’s Decision. There is activity among the native sons of Chinatown. About 500 of them are pre- paring to vote at the coming election, and vote they will unless the United States Supreme Court hands down aa opinioa setting aside the ruling of Judge Morrow. And this latter contingency is not at all improbable. It is ratheh expectea—hoped for, at any rate. Judge Morrow merely decided, in accordance with the precedent established by Judge Field, that a native- born Chinese was defacto a citizen. This was in the case of Quan Won—merely a test case. The briefs have gone to the Supreme Court of the United States. A decision is hoped for this spring. But in the meantime, the local Mongo- lian native sons of California—or at least members of the Native Sons’ organization in Chinatown—are preparing to register as voters. Toey have learned that they must be able to read the constitution in order to get their names on the Great Register, and now the little brown men in Chinatown are burning the midnight oil over copies of the constitution. The constitutional amendment which makes it obligatory ugon the voter just coming of age to be able to read and write was ratified at the election in 1894 and reads as follows: And no person who shall not be able to read the constitution in the English language and write his name shall ever éxercise the privi- Jege of an elector in this Siate; provided that the provision of this amendment relative to an educational qualification shall not apply to any person p_evented by a physical disability from complying with its requirements, nor to any person who now has the right to vote, nor 10 any person who shall be 60 years of age and upward at the time this amendment will take effect. These 506 would-be voters in Chinatown may or may not be native Americans. The trouble is there is no way of telling. They may have been born in this coun- try, and they may not have been. There is reason to believe s great many of them "% the past a great Chin, n the past a many young ese have been admitted to this. xy)ort as native sons. Their certificate of landing is, of course, prima facie evidence that they are entitied to places on the Great Register. There are, again, some physicians who have been known to give certiticates of birth to full-grown Chinese. There are such physicians in the City—not many of them, it is true, but one or two could do and doubtless have done a great deal of mischief in this way. , it is not eesertial that a Chinese should have been born in America in or- der to pose as a native son and a great many of the 500 who will vote at the com- ing election—unless the United States Supreme Courts decides that the son of a parent who cabnot become naturalized cannot be a citizen—are, doubtless, na- tive sons of ton. PERALTA-REAVIS SWINDLES. Andreas Sandoval and Jose R. Valencia Arraigned for Alleged Conspiracy. Andreas S8andoval and Jose R. Valencia, charged with conspiracy in connection with the Peralta-Reayis land swindles in Arizona and New Mexico, were before United States Commissioner Heacock yes- terday for preltminary examination. Mathew G. Reynolds represented the United States Government as special coun- sel, and Messre. Catton and Thorn ap- peared for the defense. The defense asked to have the examina- tion continued until July on the ground that Miguel Noe, now in New Mexico, an important witness in the case, would be here by that time. As Noe is himself under indictment for conspiracy in con- nection with this great land swindle, the court thought it improbable that he would present himself a few months hence, and ordered the case to proceed. The prosecution is very anxious to have Sandoval and Valencia remanded to New Mexico for trial. The Government is making a determined effort to convict all who were connected with the Peralta- Reavis land swindles, now before the courts for some years. e EVEN NOTICE TO LENE Health Authorities After the Warren & Malley Hog Ranch. The Porkers at the Foot of Laguna Street Will Not Be Tolerated Any Longer. THE CALL'S expose of the existence of a hog ranch ‘at the foot of Laguna street, within the limits wnich the regulations of the Board of Bupervisors say no porkers shall be kept, has caused the health authorities to investigate the mat- ter and take steps to have the evil reme- died at once. The Health Inspector in charge of the district was not aware that the firm of Warren & Malley had maintained a hog establishment within the limits of his domain, and hurried to the place yester- day to examine its condition and see what cotld be done. He found the pens as described in TuE CaLL and eighteen fat porkers waiting for their daily feed of swill. ‘Without further delay a notice was served on the firm warning them to remove their hogs at once. If this notice is complied with nothing further will be done in the matter. but in case the firm does not heed the warning within the time usnally allowed the mem- bers will be arrested and charged with violating the reguiations of the board. Market Inspector Rivers also visited the lace to ascertain whether any sisughter- ng was fioin‘ on within the prescribed limits. He found a drove of hosl. some of them weighing 300 to 400 pounds, but dis- covered nothing to indicate that any had been killed. At the same time he be- lieved that other h had been slaugh- tered to supply the big contractors’ camp with meat. A close will be kept on the place until the contractors comply wltmhc notice served by the health in- spector. ‘of the Merchants’ Association, JE AS IT WILL APPEAR WHEN CONVERTED INTO A BOULEVARD. THE PICTURE REPRESENTS AN IMAGINARY PROSPECT OF THE GREAT DRIVEWAY LOOKING NORTHWARD FROM CLAY STREET. OUT AFTER THE REGENTS, This City Must Have the Wil- merding School of Indus- trial Arts. EFFORTS OF THE MERCHANTS. A Memorial to the Governor and Uni-’ versity Board Now in Course of Preparation. A determined effort is being made to secure the establishment of the Wilmerd- ing School of Industrial Arts on this side of the bay. The Merchants’ Association in particular is making a strong fight to this end. ' Yesterday afternoon a special sub-committee met 1n J. D. Phelan’s office for the purpose of preparing a memorial on the matter to the Governor.and Upi- versity Regents. There were present be- sides Mr. Phelan, who represented the San Francisco Art Association, Hugo D. Kyle Alfred Bouvier of the State Development Com- mittee, and J. Richard Freud of the Mer- chants’ Association, who acted as secre- tary. Mr. Phelan and Mr, Kyle presented drafts of the proposed memorial, both of which seemed to express the sense of the association on the matter at issue. Mr. Phelan was requested to use both drafts in preparing the memorial, which will be forwarded to the Governor and Board of Regents as soon as ready. “Of the Board of Regents,” remarked Mr. Frend yesterday, *‘eleven live in this City, and there are only twenty-two. In all of these twenty-two sixteen are ap- inted by the Governor, and the others, ing the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor and other State officials and heads of State departments, hold their regency ex-officio. It is easy to see that any recommendation by the Governor may aid our project ma- terially. Mr. Wilmerding’s will provides for the establishment and maintenance of a school of industrial arts, wherein poor make an honest living by the exercise of certain trades; but unhappily the benevo- lent testator neglected to say where he wished the school to be placed. But we have every reason to suppose that Mr. ‘Wilmerding had the poor boys of San Fran- cisco in his mina wniie making the bequest. ““Itis urged by those who oppose the establishment of the school ip San Fran- cisco that we have already the Lick and Cogswell schools, and need no other. But these two schools, both excellent in taeir way, are not workshops, as the Wilmer- ding school will be, nor have they sutficient accommodations, since they = are con- tinually forced to deny -cfmhflon to would-be students owing to their over- crowded condition. e Wilmerding school will not conflict with either. g:oi:l., :?ls tutrongly ldesh’:d that it may ,if not corporately, at least praciically, with the Lic?o Bchgol. Horgu Dl'i{. rruldem of the Lick School, is strongly in avor of this pi amalgamation, and is of the epinion that property near his institution can be secured at Vvery reason- able rates. “‘As to the site, the committee engages boys shall be practically taught how to to procure a good location wherever the Regents may reasonably desire, in case they decide in favor of San Francisco as the seat of the school. Only when the school shall be in active operation will people realize the far-reaching benefits which it will confer upon the boys of the City. Iknow of no similar institution in this countxi;r, unless it be Williamson In- stitute at Philadelphia. This school is a grand affair, having extensive workshops with experienced teachers, and, what is of vital importance, an endowment of about $1,500,000. Its object is to turn out prac- tical, succeasfu! mechanics, and that ob- ject is certainly realized in a most ad- mirable and efficient manner. The Wil merding School aims at the same end, and I cannot see how any one having the good of San Francisco at heart can fail to do all in his power to secure the school for our City, where it would prove a great bless- ing."” NEW TO-DAY. “Just as Good” or better is what you hear now-as days for almost everything you want to buy, until you must be tired of being told that you don’t what you want when you go into a store. The big depart- ment shops help the substitution . evilbyadvafishagshndndnfi- cles at reduced just for the sake of the Jfla"verming—iut to gt“peoplz to go to the store haven't the things to sell st all; they have something “just s m” ;8 € E . a. i ¥ Emulsion you know just what yos wants you knnwfithas.nd i Z::'i riends or family, ou want, for the sake of;qunts, some re unknows prepara- tion with no record of ts back of it. The f a stan- dard must keep up the 3\:flty or;t w:n'thlphg remain standard. ! Scott’s is the shndm‘ the worfi over, and has been for more thaa