The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-11
CHARMING ALAMEDA.
The Prettiest Little City on the
Coast.
A Municipal Government Without Any Poll
tics-How She Rid Herself Of
Sunday Pestilence.

"Tell the simple truth about us, Wen
stand or Tall by that" was the confident re-
mark of an old resident of Alameda, who
has been identified with its interests for
many years. IF you remember this place
as 1t was dozen years ago and will tell OF
the changes that have taken place since. we
will risk our position in the race Tor the
medal"
Alamo dams may, with perfect safety,
stake their reputation on the naked truth.
One who goes from end to end OF that BEAU
tiful little city will catch himself constantly
exclaiming: "What charming spot! I'd
ike to ride forever up and down these mag
nificent avenues. If Paradise is half such
an attractive place, those who get there
must feel rewarded for their tedious climb
up the straight and narrow way. But l
hope they've got their main street better
paved than Park street is"
Alameda is an oddly situated little city.
Geographically, it may be said of her she is
very exclusive; she can only he approached
in certain way, aud even then 1t must be
III strict con formity with unyielding regula-
tions. BY nature the territory on which the
city is built is peninsula. connected with
the mainland by narrow neck at the south
eastern corner. When the ship-canal, now
DtinH aug Nv lu6 uIlOoa MID
neck, to connect Oakland Creek with San
Pablo Bay. is completed, the geographical
status of the Alameda peninsula will have
been
CHANGED TO AN ISLAND,
And the only approach from any direction
will then be by boat or over bridge.
1t would be unjust to speak thus harshly
of Alamsda's social conditions. She is said
= 1, H. r ,nIF mad 10
always extending cordia! welcome TO those
who deserve it-that is. those who can bear
that sort of search-iight test. The
strongest possible evidence of this truth is
the character of her population. Alameda
is a Pacific Coast city OF 1900 inhabitants
without a Chinatown, a Barbary Coast. n
Five Points a dance-heuse or a Jail, only
one or two policemen and no gossips. True,
she has what is jocuiarly styled Il jug"
aud three daily papers, with the prospect of
another; but the inhabitants find c6nsola-
ton for these dark spots in the fact that a
perfectly sinless condition is not possible in
this world. not even in Alameda.
Her growth in the past few years has been
quite as phenomenal as any territory across
the bay, and ii has been OF perfectly
healthy character throughout In the last
half dozen years her population has nearly
doubled, and her improvements have been
correspondingly rapid and substantial 1t
will be almost safe TO say that since the
beginning Of 1883 there has been good
substantial dwelling or building of some
kind completed every tlilTty-slX hours And
yet the opportunity for just such growth
will not be exhausted
FOR YEARS TO COME.
The real underlying secret Of this corp0-
rate health ana yisor has been the almost
total absence of politics from the municipal
platforms. Years ago the determination to
build a beautiful city, even at the sacrifice
of personal ambition. was agreed upon to a
man ana the pledge has never been broken.
The strongest plank in the platforms of
every election is invariably Improvements
regardless of politics, and the fateS be merci-
tut tn the ill-Starred official who forgets his
pledge. The crack of doom will not disturb
his long slumber.
The EXQUISITE harmony of sentiment on
this subject. iron one end Of the peninsula
To the other. is rare picture to behold.
Let the good work go on and We'll all
chip i'm Is the unanimous shout as of one
voice. The result Is one of the most beau
tliul little municipalities in the nation, all
other things being fairly considered.
A few years ago il was decided TO provide
against every possible emergency of the lu-
ture by giving the city proper drainage.
Herman Schussicr. the present engineer
OF the Spring Valley Water Company,
drafted lHe system tHaL Was nuHiIy adopted
as being the most practicable and efficient
and the city now enjoys its splendid privi-
leges. Two huge receiving sewers tunnel
the peninsula from end TO end, and are so
constructed that the tides iiush them twice
every twenty-four hours. Into these the
lateral sewers empty from both sides. and the
distance is so comparatively small, even at
tie greatest width, that cleanliness and free
dom from StOppage Is assured at all times,
anu every house IN the city is accommo-
dated. the shape OF the peninsu!a-four
miles long and not more than a mile at the
widest points-aids, Of course. very mate
rally in the perfection of the system. 1t is
said there is no better drained city in the
nation than
ALAMEDA.
Time was-and the oldest inhabitant need
not be consulted for dates by any means
when Alameda had had name for ragged
streets. Many hapless pilgrim might have
lived TO tell the tale had 1t not been for dust
or mud, as the case might be. That time
has faded into history. Alameda's streets
now are the finest of their kind that are
made. They are "ali wool and a ward
wide; most OF them are much wider. In
the last four or FIVE years thirty miles of
fine ninPty-foot avenues have been paved
with maeadafn, and the work all scientific
ally done. 1t Is now nearly impossible to
drive III Of macadam in the. city. Indeed.
II can only be done by turning into Park
street, the main business thoroughfare,
where the mud is less than eighteen inches
deep.
The same splendid record has been
achieved in the matter OF sidewalks.
Within the same period % miles OF artificial
stone walks have been laid. and wooden
sidewalk Is difficult thing to find.
The system OF water supply is rather un-
usual for 50 large a place, and here is an
other instance of the little city's independ-
ence- Not a drop of water comes from a
t,.f1p hi
ample. is pumped from artesian wells at
High and Fitchburg streets and distributed
by the Holly system, the same that
SUPPLIES CHICAGO.
At present the system is a private enter
prise, bat the project of city ownership is
being discussed and will doubtless be con-
6ummated before many years. The Trus-
tees feel that some provision should be
made against possible shortage, SO are
looking into the matter of a more extensive
supply. and 1t is believed that enlargement
will terminate in public ownership.
II not the light of the world. Alameda is
at least a magniGeently brilliant scene
Ia the nighttime when fully illuminated,
and she giiStens like q jewel on the bosom
OF tho earth. Her public lighting is all by
electricity. and is as elaborate as a system
can be. Six lofty masts are stationed al
regular intervals the entire length of the
peninsula, and from the top Of each blaze
go 000-candle power. Besides these there
are many lesser lights, judieiously distrib-
uted here and there, SO that really there is
no darkness or gloom in Alameda A daring
photographer there announces that he will
take pictures at any time OF night, the only
place on earth where that remarkable feat
OF science has been achieved. An efficien,
gas supply Is, of course, among the c3nyen.
fences for private consumption.
The public schools are SO thoroughly eff.
eient as TO render other schools unnecessary
and Improbable. In fact, there are no Other
schools. and the one High and five Of lesser
grades are so crowded that new building.
have become necessary. One very large
building. the Encinal. has but recently beer
| completed
| AT A COST OF $4,000
And another equally large for the East End
| IS now in course of construction. Bonds
may be issued during the coming year fol
additional buildings if needed.
The pride of the Iity in the educationa
line is her free public library and reading.
rpam. Probably no CITY of ennsI aim Il q. 2