The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-24
NILES AND VICINITY.
A Beautiful Cluster of Small Vii.
lagos.
Wonderful Progress In Agricultural Develop
ment-An Electric Railroad Scheme on
Large Scale.


In the fertile stretches between the lower
end of San Francisco Bay and the foothills
to the east, form one of the most charmingly
picturesque scenes TO be found anywhere in
California.
They are grouped in such an odd manner,
| too. Ordinarily one does not expect to find
rural district, however rich in natures be-
nefcence, to be studded with villages more
| frequently than at intervals of eight, ten or
twelve miles; but here is constellation OF
| six attractive little hamets within an area
the utmost diameter of.which does not any
where exceed ten miles. 1t must be a very
fertile and closely cultivated country that
can support SO many trading centers, but
these little towns all seem prosperous.
He who desires to visit an ideal section OF
| rural California should take an early train
to Niles some bright morning, and from
| there, securing a team and open buggy,
| drive first to Mission San Jose, a distance
| of four miles; thence over the hills to Warm
| Springs, two and half or three miles
further south and within a stone-throw of
the Alameda County line; thence back
about three and half miles to Irvlngton,
| formerly called Washington Corners :;
thence about four miles to Newark, by the
| old Mowrys Landing road then back over
|
| Vile, and then three and a half miles
further back to Niles, the starting place.
Inc entire drive of about twenty miles is
through some of the most fertile country
ana the richest rural variety under the light
OF the sun. 1t can easily be done in day,
| giving plenty of time for rest and to visit
| the special points of interest along the way.
NILES.
>. Niles is an excellent starting point This
little Junction town lies close at the foot of
the beautiful hills that hedge in the Eden
IKE valley lands surrounding San Fran
| cisco Bay on the Alameda side. The place
| is located right at the mouth of the Ala
| media Canyon, where the railroad plunges
| darngly into the mountains ia its route
| across the continent This was originally
the only direct transcOntinental route. and
| all trattc over the Central Pacific was this
way Tor nearly ten years. Then the more
direct route was constructed from Sacra-
mentO to Beuicia, thence to Port Costa and
down the edge of San Pablo Bay to the city,
literally sidetracking Niles, Liyermore and
stockton and leaving Lathropa correspond
lngly isolated way station until all again
sprang into Importance with the opening of
the Southern Pacific. Niles is one of the
pioneer truit-growing sections of Northern
California. When in the early days wheat
and gold were still deemed CALIFORNIA;
only crops, orchards were coming into bear
Ing at Niles, and the town now possesses
the solid, scIf-sustaining Independence Of
richly developed agricultural region.
besides this the town is in measure a
railroad center, and derives much CONNER
clal Importance from that fact alone. 1t is
The point where the railroad from San Jose
and intermediates districts connects with the
main overland line. and the territory that
the branch lenetrates and drains is one of
the most fertile and productive on the Coast.
The amount of shipping therefore. must
be more or less extensive, aud it all concen-
trateS at Niles. The depot improvements
there are more extensive and substantial in
character than at any other station in the
valley. The staton-houSe is quite a pre-
tentious building. aff0rding roomy accom-
modatlons for wating-roOm, ticket, tele-
graph and express Offices, a restaurant and
baggage-room. The tracking conveniences
are correspondingly elaborate, showing the
amount OF room necessary TO do the freight
Ing OF the place. Quite number of freight
cars are always side-tracked there to receive
or deposit freight, and there is more or less
railroad activity at all times of day.
BUSY CENTER
During the fruit season the place becomes
busy shipping center, and for several
months the amount of freight handled at
that quiet little burg would surprise even the
Inhabitants if they could see il all in sim
gle bulk. The railroad company is now at
work improving the depot grounds by put
ting new platform around the station on
all sides.
Niles only boasts of between 700 and 500
in population, but these are so scattered
that the town covers about three times as
much territory as one of that size can
handle to advantage. The old portion is a
considerable distance away from the depot,
or vice versa as the case may be- and there
can be seen marked endeavor to change
Its center of population. Several new and
somewhat comedy structures have been
erected within the past year or two and all
In the immediate vicinity of the depot
Among them are two hotels. grocery, two
churches, several small business places, and
30 forth, and the industries of the place
show marked inclination to drift that
way.
One Of the late Improvements is fine
large school-house, the pride Of the village,
and ut to adorn any town. 1t is of hand
plenty OF light. There are in the town good
church societies and the place has healthy
moral tone. The social privileges are far
superior to those of the average small
towns on the Coast, the winter seasons be-
log characterized by constant round of
local gayeties, while in summer the place is
thronged with city visitors.
CARVED OUT OF THE ORCHARDS
Some portions of the town seem to have
been carved out of the orchards, and it is a
pleasant spectacle to see many dwellings
almost obscured from view bv the dense
maze of spreading fruit trees. Other por.
tlons, 1t would seem, are being carved out
of the Jutting hilsdes. 1t is here more
than anywhere else around the country
that Is seen to wonderful advantage
the heroic work of the husbandmen exact
Ing tributes of the mountains. Time was
when these rugged wastes were thought only
lit for stock ranges The idea of cultivating
them was not even thought of, much less
encouraged: Now hundreds aud hundreds
OF acres within single sweep Of the vision
from any point in Niles. some of them so
abrupt that only light-footed animals can
Chamber up their sides, can be seen in a high
state OF cultivation, and yielding good
crops. This hill land sells readily at 500
an acre, and but little is offered even at that
price. 1t is fairly awe-inspiring sight to
behold from some commanding point in the
town minute and unacceptable object
moving across the brow of mountain 1900
high, and perhaps 1000 feet away, with the
apparent speed of minute hand on a clock,
which upon closer inspection with the aid of
held-glaSs proves to be a farmer blowing
with four team The strip already
plowed may be many acres in extent, and
yet from the point of observation looks as
though 1t could easily be measured with a
few spans of the yard stick or q pair of
blankets.
WINE AND TABLE GRAPES.
What can they produce on those barren
hlllSP The very finest quality of wine and
table grapes that grow: also the best of
certain other kinds of fruit
Among the future schemes that will. it is
expected, have direct and important bear
ing on the prosperity of this town and 9TH
ers in the valley is one tremendous project
that has been long in the minds of certain
prominent business men. and which has
progressed beyond the stage of uncertainty,
and is now almost assured. If it does not
miscarry it will mark an era in the history
not only of Niles, but of all the little
towns above mentioned. Some three or
four months ago the Board of Supervisors
of Alameda County granted to Felix Chap
pellet, William &. Ames, III. B. NJ.
Miller, c. I. Ryand and Herman
de Laguna franchise for an cleo
trio railway system, extending from
Haywards 10 the county line, running d.
rect to Decoto, Niles and Mission San Jose,
thence at short angle to Irvington About
midway between Haywards and Decoto a
branch reaches out at right angles to Alva-
RADIO. thence parallel with the other section