The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-08-07
II WAS A RANK FRAUD.
50 Say the Moons of the Car
pentier Deal.
aAkLANE'S LOST WATER FRONT.
The City Should Collect Ali Available
Evidence.
That KcIlerSberger Map Should Be Secured
at Once and Put in a Safe
Place.
sAKLANB'S LOST WATER FRONT.

Just because the people of Oakland are
not shouting their views on the water front
from the housctops. the crocodiles OF the
rreek profess to believe that the agitation
has died down. The railroad people are
counting on recovering all the ground lost
thus far and of getting hold of even more of
the bay margin, in order TO keep out ambi-
tous rivals who may desire TO give the peo-
p!e the benefit of competing railroad.
Can they do ii?
The people are not making much OF
Splnrge just now, it is true, but If they do
not elect Councilmen at the next election
Who shall be free from railroad influence it
viii be matter of surprise.
As for the position OF the Mayor ii is diff
cult to foretell who Will be the copies
choice. DR.. Pardee can have it if he wants
(, but he is so devoted to his large and
lucrative practice that he hesitates about
accepting the honor. and would possibly
have to be dragged into the Mayors chair,
as he was into the position OF Councilman.
Another very popular man who is now
mentioned for the position is r. w. Snow,
he present City Auditor. whose telling
blows against the Doodle ring in the City
Council have won him the respect OF the
people.
But the real fight will be to get the water
front title question into the courts.
Everybody knows that the Carpenter title
is invalid
The Oakland Waterfront Company knows
it as well as does anybody.
1t will net go into court over the matter if
It can possibly keep out
This has been shown repeatedly.
Il. -.
the people must first get City Council who
will put 1t there.
The present Councilmen will not do IL.
The railroad has a majority of them neatly
aud securely collared.
Shameful as this sort Of thing is it must
De recognized.
There is no getting around it.
Ii Huntington had the naming of his most
particular friends for seats in the Council
he present body would. be no more ineffec-
live for good than ii is under the ruling
conditions.
1t is utterly opposed 10 the wishes of the
people. and viii do nothing for them.
IT the Mayor or Councilinen had the least
interest in seeing the water front under the
control Of the city they would set 10 work
10 gather such evidence as is obtaina-
bic TO make out good case for the people.
The finding Of the minute books Of the first
meetings Oh the bQHIu o. I0MU trustees
has proved disappointment 10 the people,
AID their value as evidence IS impaired by
Tie declaration of A. w. Darrell that they
are not the original books but fOrgeres.
But there is plenty OF other material that
could be gathered aud kept for future use
I'D case litigation should arise, aud the city
ought 70 have some one at work making a
collection Of such documents as might aid il
10 win its case
There is the Kellers berger map.
my mas not the Mayor gaiued possession
OF that valuable piece of evidence?
Il is drifting about San Francisco, FIRST in
one place aud then ia another.
Before long il Will drop out of sight
altogether, Tor 1t will pay some of the inter-
esteG parties Oh the railroad side to sea
that it is not on hand or that it will be be-
y0nd the reach OF an order of court.
Mrs. Andrew j. Moon. widow OF Major
Moon, WHO was one Of the first Town Trus-
tees OF oakland, Into whose possession the
helersbeTgeT map came after her husbands
death, says she Is perfectly willing that the
people OF Oakland should have the man.
Mrs. Moon lives in a cottage at 239 Fell
street.
She was visited last evening by CALI.
reporter, to whom she related many mat
ters IN connection with her husbands life
IN Oakland that were full of interest. Her
son, Milton w. Moon, was with her
Mrs. Moon Is an aged woman, but she Is
bright OF eye and firm of step, and in her
Scrlpuon that mas been given OF her as an
incompetent person. In fact, she resents
the inNlnuatlou that she is not able TO trans
act business for herself. She is certainly a
"ell-preserved and very bright woman.
She greatly regrets that her husband ever
bad anything 10 do with Carpenter or
Adams
Moon placed Carpenter on bis feet when
ne was poor man, and bought him the
eiothes IN which be entered the hamlet of
oakland In 1872 be also befrieuded Edison
ADAMS. IL any one should have made
money from the transactions of the firm of
Moon, Adams 81 Carpenter, it certainly
would appear that it should have been
Moon.
But what was the case in actualityP
Adams died leaving property worth
100000.
Carpenter has possession of property
worth at least S15,00O,OoO.
Moon died poor man.
IL was because he was not tricky and
sharp" said Mrs. Moon. He hadn't the
head for business that his partners had,
he was mechanical engineer, and a very
good one, too.
My husband went to Oakland TO cut hay.
AT the time lie went there hay was worth
800 10 500 ton In San Francisco. He pre-
empted land there to the extent OF 100 arTas
ana Adams and a man we used to cali
DEAR Smith did the same. They were i'm
partnership Smith did not hold his claim.
and my husband put Carpenter in posses.
sion.
Carpenter was up to all kinds of tricks
as the hrm of Moon. Adams 81 Carpenter
progressed IN business For Instance
although Dir. Moon built the first school
mouse, CARPENTER claimed to have done So
ana presented 1t to the town in payment for
the water front There were two pupils at
the outset under Miss Hannah James One
of these was Mr.. Burrilfs daughter. who is
now known to the reading world as Olive
Harper.
''Mr. Moon has stated repeatedly in refer
ence to the waterfront transaction. by
whlch Carpenter obtained possession, that
IL was fraud, and that the water front
really belonged to Oakland"
Milton w. Moon made a statement to the
reporter similar In effect to that of his
mother. He said that parts of the inTorma.
tlon recently furnished by w. T. Hall were
incorrect, particularly that in reference To
nj, MOON stating that he had papers that
nnoulu oend ADAMS and Carpenter 10 San
quentin. He said that his father never had
any such papers and never professed tn
lave them. W
"A w. Burrill or Darrell has made some
sTanee declarations in reference to my
family" said Mr.. Moon, land he seems 10
be anxious to place us in a bad light before
the public. though for what reason am at
a loss to say.
Bnrrill came to our house on Third
street once about 20 years ago and said he
wanted my fatber to stand in and produce
certain papers In order to brighten Carpen.
TER and make him yield up some money
Carpenter beat your father out Of some
property over In Oakland said Burrill TO
me- and now is the chance for him to get
back at him.
My father was not az home when Burrill
called. When told what Burrll had pro-
posed he was angry, and spurned the propo-
sition: My father was an honest man and
would not stoop to trickery of any sort.
lie said many times in my hearing that
Carpenter had duped the people of Oak
iand and that the ter-front transaction
was rank fraud"