The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-25
OVER IN OAKLAND.
Is the Railroad Fencing Off
Broadway?
SERVICES FOR CHRISTMAS.
The Municipal League and Peoples
Party Preparing for the City
Campaign.
SERVICES FOR CHRISTMAS

Many residents of Oakland are coniec-
turing as to the cause of the Southern Pa
cifc Company's hurried work in fencing"
the foot of Broadway.
An investigation was made by CALL
man yesterday, and it was learned that
what appear to be high fences at the APP
preach TO the wharf are intended for freight
sheds.
'We need better facilities for handling
freight from interior points," say the rail-
road Official Is, "and that is the sole cause of
the present improvements. Why should the
company desire to close traffic at the foot Of
Broadway? The company has had undis-
puted possession for forty years, and while
its boats run in one direction from the land
ing its streetears run in another. There
fore it's all nonsense to talk about Broad
way being fenced of.
Opinion on that subject appears to differ
among Oakland taxpayers. While some
think there is something hidden beneath
the railroad eompany's hurried improve
ments others believe there is no intention
whatever TO close public traffic at the foot Of
Oakland's principal thoroughfare.
Broadway was the only street originally
opened TO the water front and OaklanderS
become excited at the least Indication OF its
being closed.
w. f. Boardman. ex-City Surveyor of
Oakland. seemed to have the clearest views
on the subject.
''In early years." said he, "there were
two public drives over the Broadway wharf.
IL is probable that the sheds now being con-
structed are intended to prevent the water
front there from being used as a public
wharf. The wharf never has been In the
possession OF tho city since Carpeutier's
celebrated sale or lease to the Southern Pa
CHIC IN 49, Since then 1t has always been
| considered private property. The public
never had the use Of the wharf except by
paying tolls.
81 think the present sheds are solely for
the purpose of handling freight, and don't
| imagine they are intended to close the
| street
1.-The railroad company could not gain
anything by shutting off the wharf. If the
wharf belonged to the city it would be diff
| ferent proposition.
I'm reference to this waterfront contro-
veTsy. the decision OF the courts will prob
| ably be that the railroad company will be
allowed 10 retain control of the frontage it
| actually occupies. The unoceupied portion
| OF the water front should revert to the
| State. In view OF the recent decision of
| the United States Supreme Court concern
| ing the Chicago lake front, l don't see how
| the matter can he decided in any other way.
The only waterfront property the city
| of Oakland had absolute control of was be-
| tween franklin ana Webster streets, aud
| known as the City wharf"
Beth the Peoples party and the Munici-
| pal League have been holding meetings
very frequently of late to get things into
working order for the city campaign. Both
| Will put up Independent tickets, The Re
publicans will initiate the Municipal
League and viii have no primaries. The
| executive committee viii select delegates
| 10 the nominating convention, which will be
| the first to be held. The date will be about
| the middle of January. The Prohibition
| lists will also have a ticket in the field and
| neither they nor the Populists will hold
| primaries. The Democrats have not yet
| taken any steps toward organizing. They
are waiting for the Gthers and the leaders
| have expressed the hope that the numerous
tickets will be favorable to Democratic
| victory, something that has not occurred
for years. The mass of the people are with
the on-PartiSans. however, whose prinei-
| pies are fathered by the Municipal League.
| Speaking of the Non-Partisan movement
| yesterday. Rev. DR.. Hobart said:
81 am of the opinion that there are men
| in the city of Oakland who are possessed of
| sufficient honesty and eapabiiity, and who
have enough interest, both moral aud ma
| terial, in the city's welfare to see to it that
| those interests are guarded as they should
! be; and believe that these same men, if
| elected to Office, have got sufficient sand
IN their composition to enable them to stand
! by their convictions. These men can be
found in both the Republican and DEM
oeratie parties, and are men who never vote
| q straight party ticket, but always vote for
| the best man on both tickets. Therefore
am in favor of having non- partisan ticke
| IN our next municipal Campaign and putting
these non-partsan men in the field and
eleeting them by good round majority. Ii
| can be done"
Similar sentiments have been expressed
by many OF the prominent citizens of Oak
| land.
The Rev. NJ. Van Auken is no longer
| connected with the Gospel Temperance Mis-
sion at Seventh street and Broadway. He
started secession movement from Major
| RobIDsen's mission, but it failed miserably.
! Ii had the Endorsement, for a short time, of
the ''Non-Partisan" Temperance Union,
| also secession faction under the leadership
| OF Mrs. Blake. This body. while it did not
| believe in mixing politics with prohibition,
! left the main body Of the Women's Chris
| tian Temperance Union more than year
ago and established headquarters aud a
reading-room on Seventh street and Broad
way. Major Wood has been the leader in
| nightly services and, for time, the contest
for, supremacy was sharp between him
Wood triumphed. however. and Mr..
Van Auken went But sequel
| came few days ago, when Woods
was removed on the ground that the ex-
| pense of his services could no longer be
| borne. A prominent member OF Major
| Robinson's mission stated last evening
| that freQuenters of the reading-room had
| begun 10 growl about there being too much
| praying and not enough reading. which had
| something TO do with Major Woods retire.
ment "A few women managed the whole
| business" said he, land when you get the m
| down on you you might as well Quit"
The little windstorm has blown over, how
| ever. and everything is now quiet Mr..
| Van Auken is still in Oakland enjoying a
| merry Christmas.
Stalwart Police Officer Mackey found two
| children in doorway on Fortieth street
| yesterday shrinking from the storm and
| plaintively iDquiring of passer-by the way
sister, only four and six years old, but they
| were Intelligent enough to tell the officer
| that they lived with their grandmother
Healy on Montgomery avenue. He took
| them to the Central Prison and, after an
| investigation, learned that their father had
brought them here TO be taken care of by an
| acquaintance because their mother was i'll
| at St. Mary's Hospital. The acquaintance
practically abandoned them, allowing them
| to wander away and 10 become lost.
| Officer Mackey took them to their grand
| mothers at 1403 Montgomery avenue last
| evening.
| Unusually elaborate arrangements have
| been made for Christmas music to-day at
| all the churches. There will be special
chors and orehestras, and hymns aud an
thems by Sunday-scbool children. The
! children will lead in the services at the
| First Nj. +. Church. assisted by the choir
| and orchestra. Excellent programmes have
been arranged for the Congregational,
| Presbyterian and Baptist churches for the
| forenoon. The decorations at all the
Catholic churches will be superb. and
| special masses will be celebrated.
| The Pacific Excursion Company, with the
object OF arranging and conducting exeur-
| sions next season, has been Incorporated
| with the following subscribers: j. Nj. Davis,
| A. Nj. Benbam. j. f.. de Pue, Isaiah Bray,
| $1,000 each, and G. Burbeck, $780, The
| capital stock is SIS, 900.
| j. NJ. Hanford, paymaster of the South
| ern Pacific, was injured internally Friday
night by falling from the steps of his resi-