The morning call., 1891-04-05

| Among the first purchasers at this point was
| j. V. Jeffress, now Of the Twenty-third
| improvement and may be called pioneer
| Of the section. j. Wyman and son, j. W.
| Wyman, together with John Aubrey Jones.
| a son-in-law, who is known as an authority
| on values in Frutvale. also saw the great
future of the spot and were the first to buy
| property with view to placing it on the
| market. This was only three or four years
| ago. They put up the first block of stoi es,
| the beginning of What is now a prosperous
| business center. Since then values have
| doubled, and in some instances increased
| tenfold. A. r. Dow, the real estate man, is
another of the pioneers.
| Since those days the railroad has extended
the run of its half-hourly local trains to
FRUTTvALE STATION,
| Which seems destined TO be coming busi-
| ness center and to have like brilliant fu-
| ture before it, as was the case with Twenty
! third avenue. At this point is the terminus,
| not only of the local train, but also of the
| Laundry Farm Railroad and the Electric
| Railroad out Fruitvale avenue, which Mr..
| Sessions is building. 1t can hardly fail of
| becoming an Important point. Across from
| the station here the reporter was the wit
ness of another signal piece of genuine
| American enterprise. 1t is tract of land
called the
FRUTTvALE STATION TRACT,
Which Jeffress & White are putting on the
market for so the sign reads. 1t adioins
the beautiful home of K. II. Lloyd of San
Francisco, while near by are the fine place s
that have made the San Leandro road
famous. This tract of 115 lots has only
been on the market for three weeks, yet il
is already one-third sold. The streets are
being macadamiZed, cement walks are being
put down, water is laid in and the little
stream That flows before the property is be-
ing brdged the whole extent The result
will be a thirty-foot sidewalk all along the
front. Five fine residences. none of them to
cost less than $3.50, are being begun. This
is beautiful spot In beautiful section.
AN ELECTRIC LINE.
Returning thence up Fruitvale avenue one
follows the line of the new electric line. the
road-bed of which +. G. Sessions has just
completed. This runs to the Hermitage,
where it joins the old Fruityae horse-car
line now in operation from Brooklyn Sta
ton. This latter road has been entirely re-
constructed in most substantial manner
with 45-pound rails, ties at is inches, at
a cost of some $4,000. The cars will be
fine new d0uble-deckers-Mr. Sessions own
deyice-which are causing quite stir. The
Fruitvale-avenue road Will run as soon as
the cars arrive from the East. They are
expected early in May. The other line Will
be delayed a little longer ON account of the
grading of the great COmmerce-street
sewer. The sewer is all laid and the grad
ing has begun, but it is great undertaking
and will take little time. MIR. Sessions is
doing this grading entirely at his own eX-
pense. The sewer is of immense import
ance to this section and marks decided i'm
provement. Upon the coming of the cars
there will be a general picnic and demo-
cratic "high jinks" to celebrate the openin
of the road. This will be gala day. There
will be five of the new cars.
SIGNS OF ENTERPRISE.
AS one proceeds along Fruityale avenue
f-,t aFnti, ryirh = lima IF nj.
steads and fine places on either side, most
beautiful spot is the Church place. b. the
signs displayed it was noticed that this is to
be placed on sale at auction on the 18TH,
and will prove an excellent chance for in
vestOrs This can hardly fail of being
largely attended, as it is beautiful piece of
property. A little further along is seen the
King Tract, which is being rapidly I'M
proved, six new houses going up Oh it.
David Rutherford, the real estate man,
stated that a lot IN 1t which was sold at
$1,000 six months ago was reSold the other
day at an advance of $500. This tract is on
the corner of Sherman street, or the old
county road
a ride out the San Leandro road was also
taken and very much of interest seen. The
temptation to speak of some of these things
is strong, but must be resisted on account
of the limitations OF space-even the strange
Old des0late OctagOn house, wrecked by an
earthquake, on Major Clay's lands, haunted
as it is by Gathering ghosts, must be left
unstoried
The population of East Oakland has at
least quadrupled in the past twelve years.
Buildings have increased in like proportion,
most of them of the better sort. AT the
present time there are at very low eSti-
male 100 new houses, just completed, or III
course of construction, third of these at
least at Twenty-third avenue. East Oak
land is a city of schools and churches. The
former are cOmmodlOuS. and have q de-
served reputation for efficiency; the latter
are prosperous ard rapidly increasing. For
healthfuness there is no part superior, ma
lara being unknown.
East Oakland has more than little inn
poftance as a manufacturing center The
California cotton mills have national rep
utatiOn. They employ 500 persons or more.
The California iute mills employ 400, and do
an enormous business. There are two pot
teries. one Of them doing the finest kind of
work, and both extensive. There are three
tanneries, all of large capacity. A little
further out is TuboS' rope walk. Further
yet is Melrose, with PIindle's fuse factory
and smelling works. These are extensive
institutions. There are dozens smaller of
all sorts of manufactures At Brooklyn
the large May stables have been pur-
chased for flour warehouse, ard other es-
adjustments are in contemplation.
East Oakland has three, and will soon
have five business centers. The three are
Clinton, Brooklyn and Twenty-third ave-
nue. stations. The other two are Fruitvae
station and the head of Fruitvale avenue.
Shrcwd investors are quietly picking up
property there. Brooklyn, which is the
central and most important Of these, is Oil
the eve of building boom No less than
five new prick business blocks will be be-
gun shortly. Within three weeks there has
been a decided appreciation of property ia
that section. The business men on Twelfth
street all seem prosperous, and are seeking
larger quarters.
A LAST WORD
AS to the water front of Oakland is not out
of place. The completion of the tidal canal,
severing Alameda from Oakland, will cause
a marked development, the connection on
Park and High streets with Fruitvale and
Twenty-third avenue forming thorough
fares Of those streets. The Glascock prop
erty, on the Oakland side, and the Liberty
and Garfield Tract, belonging to David
Hirschfeld. the President OF the Prussian
National Insurance Company, on the Ala
media side, will be in strong demand. On
the latter Mr. Hirschfeld has spent 100000
before placing 1t on the market.
AN OAKLAND DOCK.
But thi, will be shadowel in brightness
by the work now being carried on by E. c.
Sessions on the water front, nearly opposite
Clinton Station. He owns there forty-seven
acres, having frontage of 1900 feet ON the
main channel. He is digging canal 1900
feet long and 100 feet wide down the center,
in which there will be eighteen feet of water
at low tide, with strips of land down either
side 600 feet wide, approached by macadam-
lied streets, leases being given for ware
house and manufacturing purposes. Oak
land then will have new water frontage of
1000 feet, as against the GOO or 700 feet of to-
day. Then will come the DAY when Oak
land will have harb0r and will begin to
take the position she deserves as shipping
point. 1t is confidently predicted that there
will be genuine surprise for people when
this work is done. But the Oakland water
front is worthy of an article by itself. 1t
is too large subject to be tackled to the end
of an article
MODEL CARAvANsARY.
1t would, however, he highly improper to
say word about East Oakland and not