The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-25
THAT WASTE POND.
Mr. Sutro Says Hard Things
About Spring Valley.
Daeds Of Gift for the Extension Of Market
s,rest-yau Bruno Road Improvement.
Seventh Avenue Depression.

A long and stormy scene characterized
the meeting Of the Street Committee of the
Board of Supervisors yesterday, and nearly
the entire day was consumed in accom-
plishing only small part Of the work on
hand.
The event of the meeting and what
caused all the confusion was the appear
ance of AdOlph SutrO and several property
owners to protest against permitting the
Spring Valley Water Company to build
sewer from its waste pond, below Lake
Honda, through the hill at Seventh avenue,
between K and L streets. Mr. Sutro also
declared that he would fight the PROPOSE
ton of the Spring Valley Water Company
10 have the grade Of Seventh avenue
raised thirty-nine feet at or near the inter-
section of L street
The situation Of the case is briefly this:
What would otherwise and naturally be
the roadway OF Seventh avenue for TWO or
three blocks east of l. street is now Occu-
pied by the Spring Valley Water Com
pany's pond. At present the grade OF Sew
enth avenue, Just west of this waste pond,
Pc is 334 feet, and the eompany's plan is to
have it raised thirty-nine feet. For what
reason this grade is wanted did not clearly
where else, until Mr.. Sutro came in and
made his stormy disclosures.
IAN INFAMOUS JOB"
This is an infamous job" he shouted.
"The water company is trying to gobble up
two or three blocks of Seventh avenue, and
then has the impudence to ask the city to
help them in forming natural reservoir
there"
The little depression of Seventh avenue.
now occupied by the waste pond, has no
other outlet except the grade OF Seventh
avenue near the intersection OF L street.
IT, then, that grade were raised the thirty
nine feet asked for a large and splendid
reservoir would be formed, and THIS IS the
scheme Mr.. SutrO imagined he discovered
in the water company's petition to have that
grade raised.
YES Sir" reiterated Mr.. Sutro, with all
the vehemence he could muster, 'the alter
company is trying to steal Seventh avenue
and wants the city to help them do 1t.
Their outrageous scheme was rushed
through the Board of Supervisors, and the
press OF the city was paid 10 suppress IT..
Mr. Bingham here interrupted the irate
protestant by stating that since he had
been Chairman of the Street Committee all
Its proceedings had Deen caIeIuIly anu
fully published.
AT any rate" continued Mr. Sutro,
''that is what this whole thing amounts to.
That street runs right through the water
c0mpany's waste pond. IT. an open pubic
street 1t was surveyed by the city and Is
plainly defined on the city's official map.
Now, this monster gobDler, the water COM
pauy, wants to gubble it up
- What makes you think that? asked
Mr.. Barry.
They told me So" replied Mr.. Sutro.
Mr Bingham stated that the committee
had been guided in its course by the City
and County Surveyor.
CARES NOT FOR THE SURVEYOR.
81 don't care snap for the City and
County Surveyor said Mr.. Sutro. Some
Of his surveys have convinced me that he Is
a fool or something worse-that is, if he is
truthiully quoted. Now, Seventh avenue
i a great highway, connecting the northern
and southern peninsula. The Spring Val
ley Water Com rany-that grasplng mon
Ster-wantS to steal If, and TO that end has
.}ut up tins outrageous job on the city.
They think once they get that grade there
they viii have an obstruction that cannot
be removed; but hear NE, gentlemen, If
that j. done the city Will be sued for mill
Ions 81 dollars. | intend to tight that mon
strous steal ard see that it is not accom-
pills ed
At this juncture Herman SchussIer, chief
engineer Of the Spring Valley Water Com
pauy, pat IN his appearance and at the re-
quest of the committee undertook to explain
tie past condition Of Seventh avenue and
the position of the water company IN rela-
ton TO it. He said that many years ago the
disputes
street were settled by the water company
ceding to the city Serpentine avenue from
l. street and Seventh avenue east, around
Lake Honda. The grade Of Seventh avenue
at the waste pond, he said, IS too low ever
to be used as q public highway. The Off
cial records would show, insisted Mr..
ScuuSSleT, that Serpentlne avenue had been
created Tor the express purpose of presery-
ing that low spot for waste pond. M
engineer" added he, knowing the i'm
of Ia ia
site will ever recommend its destruction.
The raising of the grade between h and L.
streets on Seventh avenue was designed to
make the waste pond more secure" Mr..
SchusSer diSclaimed entirely the accusa-
ton that the water company wanted to
gObble anything.
MIR. sUTRO Is PACIFIED.
Finally, after little pleasant talk had
been thrown in here and there, Mr.. Sutro
became quite pacltied. and proposition of
Mr.. SchuSsler to postpone for the present
all Further consideration OF the matter
was readily assented to by Mr.. Sutro and
Others who we're protesting. 1t was agreed
however, that there would be no further
objections to the sewer, provided it be laid
below the present grade OF the waste
pond.
The next matter taken under considera-
ton was the extension OF Market street.
from its present terminus TO Mr.. Sutro's
San Miguel ranch, and the water cOmpany's
Lake MERGED ranch to Lake MERGED. By
this time Mr.. Sutro had become so good
natured that he was ready to assent to al
most ANYTHING.
On the part of the water company MIR.
Schussler objected TO the extension through
the Lake MERGED ranch as proposed, be-
cause he said it is not practicable, not
feasible.
To this Mr. Sutro agreed, and the reasons
were deliberately discussed. being in brief
that the lOwlands of Lake MERGED are right
in the way, and it would be a gigantic as
well as unsatisfactory undertaking TO make
a straight avenue through that section.
Alr. Sutro argued that such is the fact.
MIR sCHUssLER's PROPOSITIONS.
But Mr.. Schussler said he was author
lied by the company to propose to the city
that if Market street, as extended, was al
lowed to defect at OF near its Intersection
with the east line OF Lake MERGED ranch,
and then extend directly west to the ocean,
1t would give the right of way 100 feet wide,
making a splendid avenue over very easy
grade; CT, If the city would not accept that
proposition, he was authorized to offer the
same klna OF right OF way directly south to
, -Colma.
MIR. Sutro was then asked by the COM
n1ittee if he would give the right of way to
the city through his property 100 feet wide.
At first he hesitated. g / will willingly
give that right of way" he finally said,
provided l am not assessed for its main
tenance and improvement"
He was assured that the city would not
be hard on him, anu he consented freely to
give the right asked, and was anxious to
retire at once with Mr.. Sehussler to make
out the deeds.
The deeds, which will be executed at
once, will give to the city a right of way
from the Spring Valley Water Company OF
strip 40 feet wide from the point where
Market street extended will cross the east
erB boundary Of Lake MERGED Ranch, thence
directly west to the ocean.
THREE STRIPS DECIDED.
From Mr.. Sutro a strip 100 feet wide,
through the San Miguel Ranch, on the line
of Market street. extended to the eastern
boundary of the Lake MERGED Ranch; also
another strip of equal width running from
the Market-street extension due south to
the City Homestead Association lands,
parallel with and about 500 feet distant
from the western line of Lake MERGED;
also a third strip, seventy feet wide which
should be virtually the extension Of Twelfth
avenue TO the proposed extension OF Mar