New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-17
SAN FRANCISCO.

REtI. ESTATE, RAILROADS, AND SOCIETY.
INN AZ OCC AsIONAL CORRESPONDENT or THE TRBuSEI
SAN FRANCIsCO. Dec 9-Ihe city was never
l,.er r,r il Is noyy at the usherng IN Of the mol
idav season. Allowing for the large number Of
couutrv visitors who come down to tie Bay
es they call it, to buy presents aud ENJOY the pleas
rr,s of the town. there is sill great increase IN
tle p,pull tlon. The streets are much more
4b,ono,I than they were in the FIJI and all the
dicatious point TO a new year OF great prosperity
The cit Is growing marvellously-not that II is eA-
tending over new areas and reaching OutJoWara tAc
oc.sp bui the vacant spaces are being I'LL with
fine residences. san Francisco was TOO precoclous.
In the BONANZA excitement II triod t. reach metro
noli an dimensions al a bound The result was
fb,t the reaction when il came, lett the city Ia very
r,s,ed condition vita rows of 'uses IN the III Isl
nj and hi l. and broad stretches Of wlnd-swept
,l.it covered with lve-0ak and iuDln. laEing a
birdseye view from Lone Observation-Disclosures great
white cross is a landmark forthe entire peninsula
one may ger a good idea of this vice OF the cltyN
oroyth Itmakes the entire western addition, ne
finest residences quar,er look cheap and tawdU,
be,ause the buildings are too much scattered for
scanI, cf %:
Tho bnil.ilng of the cable road on California-st.
H. done more than anything else TO develop this
porron of the city. Bindings are going ~ ng
dances .,r,,e ia IL lrem during the days of weed.
Rut m this case they are not the work of sp-cuia-
frs They arc int .nied for the homes OF people Of
,n,dor3te means, and the improved taste IN aIcin-
;ertire is ma ilcst in many graceful var atIous
from the iadt onal cardl'-boX sty e, with dubious
loy-uiuGops and ugl, mausart roof So uuAief-
on have b en- tIe orders OF contractors t5dt the
wag-soi carucutors have advanced rs well IS the
cost Of materials | WAS allNng day or two 0-J
with house painter, who does large business.
and be .aid his firm ha0 orders for painting 700
II W houses in the spring. This represents BIZ
rat O of building when it is remembered that san
Francisco is credited now with only 10000 n-
haM ants.
Foulllv remarkable is the advance in the price Of
rel es At, FIVE years ago choice building lots on
Va, Ness-,ve. and Eranknn-St. were 80 d at from
a. 600 TO ST. 900 These lots are usually Go@l by
137Io feet Recently corner lot OF this siz' on
the avenue was sold for $4,000 The lnen who
bol,ht ~ these lots early days have made for
tues a. The taxes on outside zeal estate have Teen
merely nominal. ] remember III 1862 when
III se same lois on Van Ne,s-ave.. covered wlth
scrub oak nd chapparal aud infested with Mexican
squatters sold for $3.50 eIcn. North Beach was
then tho fashionable quarter; now II Is gwen over
TO the French and Italian colonies, and one may
walk many block, without hearing the sound OF ~
Ehglish word
Old Michael Reese owned many choice lots in the
ses ion which has witnessed the 81 Attest advance m
pyices His policy not TO sell and DOT TO build;
nence what he bought changed not with the chang
ingselsons HIS death was "a benefit to the ci ~ for
IL compelled the sale Of many valuable 10 of un-
ioproved pro pery Michael was 4 typical money
cct.r He fastened on coin with the clutch of
Jcvl-Gsh and his tentacles opened il every direc
fiop. Finally he was induced to 20 back to Ger
many on a brief ca ion AID there ne came 10 a
characteristic end He wished 70 visit the grave Of
y rrlatiy, in a cemetery. bat found IN an admis-
SION fee Of a few cents was dem inded at ;h5 gate
He refused 10 pay the fee and attempted to climb
aver the fence he was old aud unwiel ", ana SUI
tered a bad fal which resulted III his death
An event which excltes much interest here is the
annyoacbing junction # the Southern Pacific and
ne Galveston. Houston and san Antonio Railroads,
near the grand canon Of the RIO Grande Early TINS
week Colonel Fred" Crocker, president of the
Southern Pacific Railroad of ArIzona and New
Mexico left this city 10 meet hesSrs , ani0rd,
Croker Huntington and others,who are to come on
from New York to wi ness the opening Of the great
transcontInei al cham of the Southern Pacific. The
managers of the road propose TO run through sleep
ing coaches between tAis city and Orleans, and
tie trip from here 10 NewYoTk IT is estimated will
consume 10 moro time than the journey by way of
Omaha The scenery along the Rio GraDde
IS said to be superb. in many places
the train winding along the shelf of precipice
o 600 feet ,,..vt the great The chief Objec-
tion 10 the Southern Pacific has been roughness of
the road and the bad character OF the eating sta