Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-03-10
M~lLLI0NAIRES' HOMES.
EXTERIOR VIEW OF FAMOUS NOS
HILL, IN SAN FRANCISCO.

Entering San Francisco through Colder
Gate, the stranger sees IA succession OF
hills, rising one behind the other west
ward from the water front. Passing Fort
Point, the green shores Of Marin county
stretch out to the southwark on the lef,
until they are merged into the glisteninl
church spires and house tops of Berkeley
and Oakland. To the right lies San Fran.
cisco, and as the eye chances over the well
kept walks, gardens and barrack houses
of the military reservation they rest upon
a group of handsome residences perched
on the top Of the highest hills. In the
distance they look lot unlike palaces seen
on the banks Of continental waters. The
structures are half n dozen or more ir
number, and three Of them are the homes
Of the California railroad m~illionaires-
Stanford, Croker and Hopkins. The most
snowy Of the trio is the Hopkins house. II
is built after the style Of an English castle,
with turrets rising skyward from all cor.
ners, and a center tower from which q
magnificent view Of the surrounding coun,
try is obtained.
AS one rides up California street the
first house passed is hat of United States
Senator Leland Stanford, president of the
great Southern Pacific railroad system.
EXteriorly il is an u~npretentious build
ing, ut the same time having an air OF
solid refinement about it. In other words,
it looks the home of n gentleman.
Adjoining it on the west and perched
on the top of the hill is the Hopkins
structure, mention Of which has been
made. Unlike the Stanford residence,
however, the Hopkins house is pretentious
To n fault, and in the gingerbread and
flagrec work the term ''shoddy" is plainly
marked. An immense colored granite
wall surrounds it.
a block distant brings one to the
Croker mansion, n the corner Of Cali
fornia and Taylor streets. The first thing
that attracts attention in looking at the
Crocker house is IL high board fence that
rears itself TO the air on the Sacramento
street side. 1t is not altogether an UNI
slightly object, as the skillful hands Of a
gardner have trained vine and climbing
flowers about il; but even these do not
climb high enough to hide the painted
boards. The main interest in an exterior
view OF the Croker mansion rests in that
fence. 1t Is a famous fence and, in con-
sequence, has a history. Any bright sun
shiny day you climb the hill you will find
from three 10 n dozen persons standing
around gazing at the fence and listening
TO its history. 1t is the biggest part Of /,
San Francisco guides stock in trade and
he never tires of telling it. THAT fence YOU
see" narrates the guide, twas put up
there COZ the man as owns the lot wouldn't
sell out so as Crocker could have the hull
lott
Relieved Of its verbiage the story Of the
fence is that something like ten years ago,
when Crocker built his home on the hill,
he owned all but a lot 2jXl00 feet in size,
with a frontage on Sacramento street.
This little strip Of ground was the prop
erty Of one Gung, an undertaken, who
owned and occupied q small dwelling
which was located on It,. Prior to build
ing All agent of the millionaire negotiated
for the property III n quiet manner and
got a price of So, 900 on it. He did not
close the bargain, preferring first to see
his principal. Pending this, Yung in
some manner became aware that the
property was 10 be bought for CrOckcr,
and when the agent returned to close the
bargain he advanced its price to SO, 900.
This necessitated the agents making q
second trip 10 his principal, and after
some discussion Crocker, who wanted the
whole block. decided to pay the price
rather than spoil the appearance of his
property, and told his agent to purchase
at $1,000. With a check for that amount
the agent sought Yuug, only 10 find that
property on Sacramento street had again
advanced, and that Gung's 25Xl00 foot
lot and u worthless building were quoted
at $4,000, or just about 81, 900 more than
they were worth. Again was Croker con-
suited, and again did he tell his agent to
accede TO the undertaker's demands. The
latter, however, had not reached the top
price yet, and when a check for 50, 600
was offered him for the property he coolly
informed the millionaire's representative
that he must nave ST., 900 for the prop
erty or he would not sell.
This was too much ever for Croker.
II was not so much the money he cared
for as it was the outrageous demands Of
the undertaken. The millionaire lost all
desire to wv the lot and went on build
ing his palace and devising means to
teach Iung n lesson. At last he hit upon
n plan. He would fence his place in so
high and tight that nc ray of sunshine
could reach the house. The undertaken
and his family watched the building Of
the palace from their back windows and
argued that the millionaire would have
to come TO time. They decided that the
next time the agent came around the
price would be $4,000. The agent never
came, and one fine morning q group of
carpenters put in an appearance. Post
holes Of great depth and large caliber
were sunk in the ground. Soon great
poles that would put to blush the tallest
telephone sticks were planted, and then it
dawncd upon the Iungs that they were to
be fenced in. They protested and pleaded in
vain. They offered the property at 50, 600,
hen $6, 900, and then finally offered to
give it to Croker for the old original
SO, 900. But the millionaire would have
none Of it. He wanted to fence in his
yard, and rs the structure grew under
the hammer his attachment for it grew,
and today the millionaire is said to adj
mire it more than any portion Of his
handsome place.
The disgruntled body embalmer, after
finding he had overreached himself, de-
vised I'll sorts Of means to annoy his mil
liouaire neighbor. He and his family
stuck it out in the house as long as they
possibly could, but they became sick
finally for the want OF sunshine and were
compelled to move away. They then hit
upon, as they thought, Il happy plan Of
getting even. They gave the house rent
free to a Chinese laundryman, stipulating
only that the pagan should rig n scaflold-
ing and stretch his lines SO that the wash
ing Of MANY families would be visible