Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1874-01-17
A NEW CAUSE OF ALARM.


1t seems the good people of San Fran
cisco are doomed to perpetual alarms
from visions of rival cities which threaten
to rise at other points on the bay, more
eligibly situated to accommodate the
trade and commerce of the Pacific States
and Territories. Scarcely had the night
mare of Goat Island, which weighed
heavily upon their souls, been lifted from
them when they discover ample cause for
another fright in the movement being
madeto dredge San Antonio Creek, which
would create for Oakland fine water
front rivaling that of San Francisco.
The Chronicle pretenis to see in the
movements of certain parties who are
seeking Government aid to remove the
the distractions from the mouth Of the
channel. scheme only to plumber the
Federal Treasury and vents its wrath
upon the protector in the following man
ner:
To get money from the National Treas
ury to improve San Antonio creek is the
hope of small band of spectators now
organized for that purpose. A large do
main has been bought, plundered and in
various questionable ways brought into
the hands of some of our most audacious
and respectable national highwaymen.
and it is their hope to secure an appro-
priation of public moneys to build har-
Dor on the Oakland side OF our bay of
San Francisco.
The bay of San Francisco is the best
harbor in the world. 1t has accommo-
dations for the fleets and navies of the
world. The commerce of the Pacific
Ocean, if multiplied hundred times,
finds easy access to our shore. Here We
have, by private enterprise, built great
commercial city.
Now come these cOnspirators, land
thieves and water theieves, demanding of
the General Government the creation of
an artificial harbor, within five miles of
the best natural harbor upon the CONT
nent. 1t is an individual speculation,
conceived in malignity and hate TO pun
ish city because its people would
not submit to be plundered. To defeat
this ought to be the effortof every honest
man in Congress. A harbor at San An
tonic creek is not q commercial neces-
sity, and is no more desirable than to
dig out of the sands OF New Jersey a
harbor to rival the port of New York.
To take money from the nations treas
ury for this purpose is to steal it. An
appropriation to improve the mouth of
the Columbia river, or Crescent City, or
the navigation of the Sacramento or San
Joaquin rivers, or to help the harbor at
Monterey, or Wilmington, or San Diego,
would be desirable. An appropriation
for San Antonio creek is a theft.
We do not fear the consummatiou of
this scheme because we are confident
that the time is not favorable to frauds
Of this kind; three years ago it might
have been possible. San Francisco would
have been compelled, single-handed and
alone, to have fought the influence of
combined railroad power. Now we have
the sympathy of that newly-aroused ma
tional sentiment that has declared war
against the aggressions of corporations
There is holy alliance of honest men
throughout the nation to resist Just such
villainous schemes of public plumber a
is contemplated by the San Antonio creel
cOnspirators.
The movement to dredge San Antonio
creek, however cannot be cried down b,
incorporate and violent denunciatior
from the other side OF the bay. II i.
said the Central Pacific Railroad Com
psny has abandoned its intention o
building great commercial city at Goa
Island, and has resolved to fall back o,
the Oakland front as soon as the bar a
the mouth of San Antonio creek can b
removed, as they regard it as CONNER
cial necessity that the railroad cars AM
ocean commerce should meet at a com
mon water front, which San Francisco
from its peculiar and almost insular posi-
ton, fails to offer.
Should those who are now seekin
Government aid for that purpose fail
obtain it, the work will nevertheless pre-
coed, as private enterprise alone will b
able to accomplish the work. The pee
pie and press of San Francisco may de
feat an appropriation by Government, a
they defeated the Goat Island scheme
but this will only delay, and not defea
the work, as dredging is already undo
way by private enterprise. Whateve
danger to the commercial prosperity {
San Francisco may lurk in the propose
creation of & rival harbor at Oakland
the people of San Francisco must pr
pare to meet with becoming resignation
as it is one of the approaching even
they have no power to avert.