Smyrna times., 1888-02-15

MahslOn-StOry of the High Board
Fence-HOw an Undertaken Overreached
Himself-The Chinese Laundryman.
Entering San Francisco through Golden
Gate, the stranger sees a succession of
hills, rising one behind the other vest
ward from the water front. Passing Fort
Point, the green shores of Marin county
stretch out to the southwark on the left
until they are merged into the glistenino
church spires and house tops of Berkeley
and Oakland. To the right lies San Fran
cisco, and as the eye glances over the well
Kept walks, gardens and barrack houses
OF the military reservation they rest uDon
q group OF handsome residences perched
on the top of the highest hills. In the
distance they look not unlike palaces seen
on the banks of continental waters. The
structures are half a dozen or more in
number, and three of them are the homes
OF the California railroad millionaires-
Stanford, Croker and Hopkins. The most
snowy of the trio is the Hopkins house. It
is built after the style of an English castle.
with turrets rising skyward from all cor
ners, and center tower from which a
magnificent view of the surrounding coun-
try is obtained.
AS one rides up California street the
first house passed is that of United States
Senator Leland Stanford, president of the
great Southern Pacific railroad system.
EXteriorly it is an unpretentious build
ing, at the same time having an air of
solid refinement about it. In other words.
it looks the home of a 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 fault, and in the gingerbread and
hlagree work the term ''shOddy'' is plainly
marked. An immense colored granite
wall surrounds it.
A block distant brings one to the
Croker mansion, on the corner Of Cali
fOrnia and Taylor streets. The first thing
that attracts attention in looking at the
Croker house is a high board fence that
rears itself to the air on the Sacramento
street side. 1t is not altogether an I'M
slightly object, as the skillful hands of a
gardner have trained vines and climbing
flowers about it; 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 famous fence and, in con-
sequence, has history. Any bright sun
shiny day you climb the hill you will find
| from three to dozen persons standing
| around gazing at the fence and listening
to its history. 1t is the biggest part of a
| San Francisco guides stock in trade and
he never tires of telling it. "That fence you
see," narrates the guide, ''was put up
| there coz the man as owns the lot wouldn't
sell out so as Crocker could have the hull
| lot"
Relieved of it's verbiage the story of the
| fence is that something like ten years ago,
! when Croker built his home on the hill,
he owned all but a lot 25X100 feet in size,
with frontage on Sacramento street.
This little strip of ground was the prop
erty OF one Yung, an undertaken, who
owned and occupied a small dwelling
which was located on it. Prior to build
ing an agent of the millionaire negotiated
for the property in a quiet manner and
got a price Of $4,000 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 to be bought for Croker
and when the agent returned to close the
bargain he advanced its price to $4,000
This necessitated the agents making &
second trip to his principal, and after
some discussion Croker, 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 $4,000 With a check for that amount
the agent sought Yung, only to find thai
property on Sacramento street had agaiI
advanced, and that Yung's 25x100 foo
lot and a worthless building were quoted
at $4,000, or just about $1,000 more thar
they were worth. Again was Croker con
suited, and again did he tell his agent t,
accede to the undertaker's demands. TIT
latter, however, had not reached the tOl
price yet, and when q check for So, 00
was offered him for the property he COOL,
informed the milliOnaire's Representative
that he must have $12, 600 for the prop
erty or he would not sell.
This was too much even for Croker
1t was not so much the money he caret
for as it was the outrageous demands O
the undertaken. The millionaire lost al
desire to own the lot and went on build
ing his palace and devisng means t
teach Yung a lesson. At last he hit upO
a plan. He would fence his place in S
high and tight that no ray of sunshin
could reach the house. The undertake
and his family watched the building G
the palace from their back windows an
argued that the millionaire would hav
to come to time They decided that tn
next time the agent came around tn
price would be $4,000. The agent neve
came, and one fine morning n group
carpenters put in an appearance. Pos
J holes Of great depth and large calibC
were sunk in the ground. Soon gres
poles that would put to blush the TALES
telephone sticks were planted, and then
dawned upon the Yungs that they were I
be fenced in. They protested and pleaded
vain. They offered the property at 50 O0C
\ then 5000 and then finally offered I
J give it to Croker for the old Origini
$4,000. But the millionaire would hay
none of it. He wanted to fence in h
yard, and as the structure grew undo
the hammer his attachment for it grew
and today the millionaire is said to az
mire it more than any portion of h
handsome place.
). The disgruntled body embalmer, aft,
finding he had Overreached himself, d
vised all sorts Of means to annoy his mi
lionaire neighbOr. He and his fami
stuck it out in the house as long as the
J, possibly could, but they became siC
finally for the want of sunshine and we
compelled to move away. They then b
upon, as they thought, a happy plan
BeJJlnB even. lney BtNe inc hOusc re
free to a Chinese laundryman, stipulatil
only that the pagan should rig scafTOl
ing and stretch his lines so that the was
ing of many families would be visit
, from the windows of the miiliOnaiI
Croker rebelled at this, and after vain
endeavoring to have the wash house !
moved the miilionaire's carpenters spite
the long posts and the fence was built
ge high that save from the front no liz
OF whatever entered the inclOsed wash hOul
n, This move served the purpose, the pag
IN gave up his establishment and, as no o
II would rent it, Yung sold it to n contract
rs and it was moved away.-San Francis
s, Cor San Diego Union.
~
ri