The morning call., 1892-07-02
THE TALE TOLD TERSELY

IT Includes Some Very Shady and Peculiar
Transactions.
A terse telling Of the tale of corporate
greed in Oakland lops off all the ramifea
tions into which the reader Is carried by
the reports of the court trials and side
issues.
The Oakland Water Front Company.
controlled by the Southern Pacific Com
pany, holds its seven miles of water front
by virtue Of grant made to II. w. Carpen-
tier In 1852
Carpenter was q member Of the Oakland
Board of Trustees, which was, as it turns
out, fitting predecessor to the present City
Council.
board, and Edson Adams, 81. w. Carpenter,
A. w. Burrell and A. j. Moon were the
other members.
The Trustees met In small frame build
ing near the bay shore.
They conducted the affairs Of the town
in very loose manner, the Carpenter
grant being one proof of this fact, though
Others are not wanting.
II Is question as to whether the grant
was made to Carpenter for term of 81
years or forever.
This question cannot easily be cleared up,
for the reason that two important books of
town records, covering the period from 1852
to 1885, are missing.
VINO mas tDOSe D00kST
Report says that they are somewhere In
this city, probably not thousand miles
from Fourth and Townsend streets
The Oakland City Council does not seem
TO care where they are.
Mayor Chapman is not bit worried about
them.
But the citizens want them produced.
The railroad has control of the water
front from Emeryville clear around to
Brooklyn. without break. as It's legal ad-
visers would have the people understand
But the people believe that Ii now belongs
to the city.
They believe that the city could hold 1T If
the City Council cared to take the matter
into the courts.
Two attempts have been made to have
this done.
In each case the attorneys for the indi-
vidual company proposing to begin the llti-
cation have been called up by the City
Council and made to relinquish the suit.
A nice set of City Fathers. is 1t not2
How could they possibly stand In the
way Of the accomplishment of the peoples
best interests more strikingly than in these
Instances.
And not only in Oaklanq's interests, but
those OF San Francisco and the whole State
of California.
Yes, the whole State has right to look
upon the Oakland City Council as a clog to
its progress.
No railroad company can reach San Fran
CISCO tDI0uRn Oakl6nQ except lt Do Dy the
grace of the City Council.
Ii the Counclmen had been awake to the
peoples interests and stood ready to do
their duty they would have adopted reso-
luton long ago authorizing citizens to select
portion of the water front for the city,
and bring test suit to decide whether title
could be obtained to it.
In the case of Taylor VS.. Fortin. which is
virtually suit brought on behalf OF the
railroad company to eject claimants to 300
feet of water front at the foot of Market
street, Mayor Melvin Z. Chapman, Oak
lands municipal chief and head Of affairs,
sits IN court as associate counsel for the
plaintiff, who is a mere fgurehead for the
railroad.
Think of that.
1t is spectacle TO arouse the Ire of every
Californian who sees the great iced of rail-
road competition in this State.
But this suit will not decide the title to
the property.
There is another and more important suit