The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-09
OAKLAND'S GROWTH.
The City of Homes and Churches
Waking Up.
Looking Forward to the Day When She Will
Not Be Bedroom for San Francisco.
Few improvements Noted

"For picturesque location, comfortable
and attractive homes. bouDdlsss hospitality,
real estate agents and beautiful women,
commend you to Oakland" said the Rev.
Charles Wendte some time ago. when on be-
half of a committee of OaklanderS he was
delivering an address of welcome to party
of Eastern visitors.
1t was the unanimous verdict of the visit
ors. long before they departed. that while
possibly the predominant virtues or charac-
teristics of the young city had been men,
toned by their enthusiastic host. genuine
panorama of the most charming virtues
had been left to speak for themselves. SO
it is the verdict of all. There is probably
no other place on the Pacific Coast that so
tascinates and holds the stranger, and the
attachment strengthens as the acquaint-
ance grows.
"San Franciscans may jibe as much as
they please say the stout defenders of
Oakland homes, "about Oakland being the
bedroom of the great metropolis; we notice
that great many thousands of them come
over here to live whenever they can; and
curious fact is they never so back after hav-
ing tasted the delight of home life here"
a CITY OF HOMES.
Oakland has been TO many years dis
tinctly city of homes. Such is still the
case, and may ever remain so. But this is
by no means the full scope of her destiny.
Oakland is fast putting on METROPOLITAN i'm
portanLe, and the day cannot be far in the
future when the very first metropolitan
honors will have to be shared with her.
She is now a city of more than twelve
square miles. with popua ton exceeding
$4,000, c0nta lining many OF the most beauti-
full homes in the State, a greater proportion
of schools and churches than most Cities
and the quality of whose society is not ex-
celled on the face of the earth. She has IA
cilties for travel that, if not now fully de-
yeloped, promise very soon 10 be amply
sufficient for the most trying demand. Her
beautiful avenues, from one end of the city
TO the other, are a constant delight to the
eye and among her prevailing charms. Pub
lie squares are numerous and attractive;
public buildings good, what there are, but
hardly adequate 10 present demands. Com
paIative statistics show that there is no
other city in this country with 50 large a
percentage OF church-g0ing people ard
SChOol-attending children. The educational
institutions are up to the higheso standards,
and many of them have enrolled large for
eign attendance.
TOO NEAR SAN FRANCISCO.
Oakland is loo near San Francisco, per-
hans, 10 be the industrial commonwealth
that she otherwise would be. But she does
not despair; she has the natural advantages
for any and all Industries, and is patiently
waiting for time to develop them. Some are
bold enough to argue that all the natural adj
Vantases for industrial and commercial de-
velo ment are in favor of Oakland and that
side of the bay as against neiEhb0ring local
tiles. That point is, strictly speaking, the
railroad terminal, and must always remain
so, at least for all but a very limited terri
tory. Why, then, should it not be the dis
trlbuting point? If the argument is offered
that there are no facilities for shipping, the
answer is prompt that the estuary. which
affords nearly nine miles OF water front,
can DE made available for all kinds
of shipping for infinitely less than any
other frontage IN San Erancieco Bay
has cost Again, the practicabiIity of con-
structing Icing piers TO deep water has been
thoroughly established. Bridging the bay
IS out Of the question; the scheme has been
proposed several times by theorists who
rank high for flights of Imagination; but no
engineer OF judgment entertains the idea
for moment. Freight, therefore, must be
unloaded at the terminal points, or else the
cars shipped over the bay ON ferry boats.
The latter is bunglng and unwieldy sys-
TEN, and the transportation companies do
not hesitate TO say that it Will be stopped
whenever ii Is possible.
GROWTH OF OAKLAND.
0akland's growth in the last few years
mas De6n StInply phenomenal. since 1880
her assessed valuation has almost doubled.
1t was then SIS, 900, 600, and is now about
S43,OOhOJO This, however. Is not a correct
guide upon which to base The true estimate
II values in that city The assesSment-roll
has in no res pect kept pace with true yalun-
tons. Those who have resided there
through all the vicisStudes of property val
nations do not hesitate to say that $50 000,-
GOO would be moderate figure at which to
fix the city's worth. 1t will be hard to give
ac0rrect idea of the extent OF building. Five
years ago the territory south of Thirteenth
avenue was comparatively unOccupled.
Within that time more than 1000 beautiful
dwellings have sprung up in all parts of il,
even to and beyond the limits of the city.
Twenty-third avenue, then a sort of I'M
known quantity, where the local trains
stopped and the ferry system ended, is now
thriving little city by itself, thckly set
tied up, streets all beautifully graded and
macadamized. and the great majority of lots
covered with neat and comfortable dwell
ings. 80 rapidly has the wave of improve
mentpushed on past this point that the local
railroad or ferry system has been obliged to
push its terminal point another station
southwark and now ends at Fruitvale.
That another move in the near future will
be necessary there seems no doubt, as the
race for homes in that direction is Just
fairly getting under way.
IMPROVEMENTS.
This same sort of improvement has been
equally marked in other suburban parts of
the city, notably the northern part, where
the rush for small homes has been wonder
fuL Thousands have settled on tracts that
until quite recently knew no other fire.
Quenter but the COW and goat.
The most substantial evidence Of the man
ner in which the city is crowdng outward
may be found in the records of the Street
Department. There it is learned that four
teen miles of main sewers have been laid
within the last eighteen months, and eigh-
teen miles OF side or lateral sewers making
total of thirty-two miles, or nearly two
miles month for the period named. This
does not include great deal OF work done
upon sewers already in use, and keeping a
large system in a tolerably healthfu condi-
ton.
The pride the city takes in her streets Is
readily seen by going over them. They are
not all perfectly paved, but generally speak
Ing, they are in good condition. In the last
year and half the city has paved with
macadam or bitumen nearly twenty miles
OF streets. A great portion of this work. of
course. has been in the districts being newly
and so rapidly settled up. But the most
conspicuous and blessed improvement in all
the whole city-at least SO all the pedestri-
ans say-has been the change from wooden
to cement sidewalks. This has come more
in the manner of a sudden transformation
than any of the other improvements. Two
years ago the cement walk was the excep-
ton in Oakland, now the wooden walk is
the execution. Indeed the wooden walks
are rapidly fading out Of sight, the rate of
which may be imagined from the fact that
since last April thirty-One miles of cement
sidewalks have been laid within the city
limits. None Of these walks are less than
six feet in width and large percentage of
them are eight, ten ami twelve teet.
EXTENDING.
n.,tk H..