The morning call., 1893-07-19
OVER IN OAKLAND.
The Man Who Is Behind
the Borax King"
PIONEERS AND BROADWAY.
A Movement to illuminate Fruitvale
With Electric Lights-Annie
Preston OF Niles.

niiner ran cheap theater in cheap pOr-
ton of New York City. His actresses
wore abbreviated skirts and there was a
bar attachment. He made money. lie
made a great deal of money. and by and
by blossomed out with other theaters. He
made ventures into the more aristocratic
portions OF the big city and catered to the
patronage of the rich, and still succeeded.
He did not contine himself to New YORK
City. but reached out into many adjoining
States. and after while half way across
the continent into Denver, where lie no"
has a paying house, Indeed. all harry
Miners houses are paying investments
and the man who once crowded MS suo"
with Five Pointers now measures his lol- i
tune by millions. He is SAID to De worm
$4,000, 900, and is still making money
Miner is now interested In Oakiand' ana
Oaklauders are OF necessity interested I'D
Miner. He IS the mysterious po"I5 .tpo" ue-
hind the throne on which slts the boraX
King" ... A.. ;. :.
much of Mr. Miners wealth that has gone
to help MI Smith secure twenty-five
miles of Oakland electric road with an
option on ten miles more, MAKING tniTtS-
five miles in all of choice property with
future.
The following dispatch in IHE CALL OF
recent date tells the story:
NEW YORK, July 17.-Iutelligence reached
this city to-day OF the completion ot zeal oy
which ine controlling Interest IN the streetcar
system of Oakland, Cali, has been. purchased
by Frank NJ. Smith, the "boraX king" OF san
kranclsco and Henry NJ. Miner, the theatrical
manager and proprietor.
Mir. Miner was interviewed in regard to
the above and stated to a New York re-
porter:
! he streetcar system which has just been
purchased by syndicate of which l am mem
Der is credited with being The most complete III
the world. All The roads OF which Ii is COM
POSED will connect with the new Emeiyvie
ferry. The lines have acquired cover
twenIy-tnree miles. We have also the owner
other road that Will bring the mileage up to
thirty-fve miles,
Besides, Mr.. Smith is known to be i'm
mtnsely wealthy, but 1t was thought all
the time that some traDScontinental rail-
road was backing him with its eyes on the
California and Nevada as feeder. 1t Is
stated that MIR. Smiths wife is relative
OF Miner.
The syndicate now has complete con-
troll Of the Oakland Consolidated Electric
road, as stated IN THE CALL yesterday,
aud Oaklanders may look Tor some big
developments in heE ferry and car systems
in a very short time, as Mr.. Smith has Sc
cuI6u dUSUlulc CUHblUl VI tic QllcClUlJ VI
the road. And while he can make whom
he peases its president he IS not disposed
10 push" the strong minority represented
by Mr.. McNear, and that gentleman will
be allowed, in all pro liability, TO retain the
presidency.
Pioneer Burrell Talks.
Probably the maddest man in Oakland
Yesterday was A. w. Burrell, who was
one Of the first Trustees of the city, and
who is still quite vigorous. both physi-
caIlv and in expression. 1t appears that
in some way bis name got mixed up in the
I(aking of affidayitS in the Broadway
waterfront suit Mr.. BurrelVs name was
used as having made an affidavit favor
able to the railroad side Of the case. when
it was only few days previous that he
had been called and did make an affidavit
before the attorneys for the city.
Mr.. Burreil states that an attorney for
the railroad company called at his house
several times last week, and that on Satur-
day he went TO his office to see what he
wanted. He was then asked to make an
affidavit that there was fence across
broadway during Carpenters regime.
This lie refused TO do. He had already
stated that the street was open and free to
the public.
In speaking of the matter yesterday Mr..
Burrell further stated:
This fence they talk about consisted of
few detached panels about five feet high,
which were used 10 hedging in cattle,
sheep and other kinds OF stock as they
were being driven on the boats. When
the stock was aboard it was the custom TO
carry these panels aboard also, and there
use them to restrain the stock to certain
portions of the boat or TO prevent them
from jumping off. There are thousand
men in Oakland who are familiar with this
fact and who will swear to it If necessary.
II snpak Of q fappa m
used as Ct permanent character or as an
obstruction to the free access to or from
the boats lying at the Broadway wharf"
Mr.. Burrelps statement is amply cor
rohorated by those of other old-timers. II.
d. HoughtOn says:
broadway wharf in those DAYS made up
three sides OF the parallelogram. There
was a pier built out from each side of the
street, and at the outer end these piers
were united by wharf running parallel
with the course of the stream. The open
side of the parallelogram was that toward
the shore.
ITO understand how the lower end of
Broadway looked in those days, you must
remember that along the outer edges of
the two piers extending from the shore
there were buildings, erected upon the
water lots which Carpenter leased, as the
Enquirer showed the other day. Smiths
saloon was the last building ON the west
OF Broadway, standing nearly at the end
of that pier. On the opposite side-that is
beside the east side pier-was Newland's
stable.
Now when drove of sheep or cattle
came down Broadway to 90 upon one of
the steamers. a temporary fence would be
erected on, say the west pier or wharf,
and the sheep would then be driven down
the east side. The temporary fence was
put there 10 keep the sheep from going
around by the end Of the wharf and rum
ming back up Broadway, and when the
flock had got aboard the boat, the panels
would be taken away Sometimes the
temporary obstruction would be placed
between Smiths saloon and the shore, and
sometimes it would he put between the
saloon and the outer end of the wharf
This slight temporary obstruction used to
turn stock is what they are now trying to
make out to have been a fence across
Broadway, Enclosing the wharf as the
Southern Pacific inciosed it in recent
years"
Busy Supervisors.
The Board of Supervisors met yesterday
with every member in his place. Super
visor Punkett was present, having just re-
turned from his vacation.
communication was received from j.
II. Wallace, assistant engineer of the
81 Doa aff fa