The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-13
ANGRY CITIZENS.
Removal of the Chinese
Public School.
Objections to Extending the Limits
of Chinatown-Further Ac-
tion Contemplated.

day that the Board of School Directors
proposed to remove the Chinese public
school from 916 Clay street 10 the old Com
merclal School building, on Powell street,
near Clay, caused perfect storm of in
dlgnatlon on ''the hill'' where the old
Commercial hall is located.
The property-owners in that section of
the city had been amazed when they heard
of the proposed change and they at once
filed protest with the Board of Educa-
ton again st lnoculating a new district in
the city with the Chinese.
Regardless of protests the Board of
School Directors passed a resolution re-
moving the Chinese school from GIG Clay
street right into the heart of the respect
able white element living on the hill
above. and gave as their reason for their
| action that it would save to the tax
PAYERS S155 per month if the change was
made, the saving being in rent and the
dispensing with the services of one
| teacher.
But the citizens again rebelled, and this
time in such way that brought COM
mittee of School Directors, headed by
President Hyde of the board, to the scene.
With the president came School Directors
| Symmes, Murdoch, Ames and Burke.
| They met with lot of the citiZens of the
locality around Clay and Powell streets,
in the yard of the old Commercial-sch
building yesterday afternoon, and Pres-
dent Hyde stated to the taxpayers on over
| 81, 900 worth Of property what the
School Directors proposed to DO. The
| scene which followed was not without
bitterness, and some very plain talk was
INDUCED in by the citizens.
There were present Edward Owens, re-
presenting James G. Fair; G. +. Volk-
mann. a member of the firm of Schiling
| 81 Co, representing himself and other
owners; 3. P. Oliver, representing the
$4,000 estate in that vicinity of William
Daegner; d. D. Shattuck, j.; 1; n. K ely.
| Mrs. Green, w. Nevin, j. T.. Nutting. I.
Nunan and some twenty other owners of
real estate.
President Hyde's statement was to the
effect that they proposed 10 close the front
entrance of the old Commercial School
building on Powell street, build stair
way up over the fOrty-fve foot hill from
Clay street to the rear entrance of the
building and then c0nflne the Chinese pu-
pills to two rooms, only allowing them to
enter and depart from the building by the
| Clay-street way.
The citizens attacked the plan first on
the ground that the School Directors
would be violating the fire ordinances by
building the stairway as proposed from
: CLAY street and tried TO show the Directors
that the old Commercial School building
being situated in the midst of lot of
,, frame buildings if ever a fire broke out
the little Chinese boys and girls would
pro badly never reach the street down the
Secondly. they denied that it would be
a saving of S155 per month to the city to
make the change because the city is only
paying $50 per month for the building al 916
Clay street and the owner of that building
is willing 10 make such changes as will en-
able the directors to do away with S95
month teacher as we'll there as on Powell
street.
Thirdly, that in bringing Chinese up to
that portion of the city the value of prop
or fv In re md To- man af,,i.t
an extent that would impoverish property
owners and cut down the taxes paid the
city far below the savings, and in support
of this representatives of the estate OF
Daegner, Mrs. Green owning $4,000 worth
of property nearly all krented, L. Nunan
and others stated that they had been notO-
fed by their tenants that as soon as a
Chinese school was established in the old
Commercial school building they, the ten
ants, would move out.
As q fourth and last proposition the
property-Owners declared that If Chinese
were brought into their midst the diseases
incident to the mode and manner of living
in Chinatown would be spread broadcast
among the white children in case of an
epidemic, and they further urged that
even the Chinese were against the removal
and did not want their children sent up
the proposed stairway and into the ram
shackle old building" known as CONNER
cial Hail.
President Hyde stood 'she fourtEly"
all right until some one suggested that il
he wanted TO be Mayor of San Francisco
he had better not lend his aid in extend
ing the boundaries OF Chinatown. and then
Hyde got mad.
Il wouldn't have the Mayors Office
said he, IF my commission for it was
written out and signed. Here. gentle-
men," he called to the other Directors,
come here. don't want To bear all this
fight. Come here and talk"
Then the School Directors left, and
after their departure the citizens held a
small indignation meeting. It was an
nounced that the proposed stairway was
against the fire ordinance and that if the
neighoorhood had TO have Chinese thew
wanted the little Mongolians given show
To get out by front entrance in case of
fire. Noonan and Others cited the
drop in values of property which
even the suggestion of changing the Chi
neSe school from CLAY TO Powell street mad
occasioned. and it was openly stated that
II the School Directors persisted in their
attempt 10 foist Chinese school on the
neighborhood the citizens owning prop
erty and living ia the neighbOrhood would
carry the matter into the courts And
while we are at it," said one indignant
property-owner. "it may be just as we'll to
! subscribe enough 90 hunt up the records
of some of these School Directors who
propose to ruin u.s.. lew thousand
dollars rightly expended will do whole
lot. and am against king IN Amerlca.
whether he be on the School Board or
not" Everybody said "Oh. now, hush,
hush. Don't talk that way, etc." and the
| angry man sueSlded.
As to the violation of the fire ordinances
I'M the proposed stairway from Clay street
to the rear of the building Fire Marshal
Towe said the District Engineer of the
Fire Department would have to be seen.
Chief Sullivan of the Fire Department
said he could say nothing until he had seen
the plans OF the proposed stairway, etc,
but added significantly that Chinatown
was dangerous enough as 1t was now with
out adding to the liabilities of fire and loss
of life.
Tomorrow night the citizens of the
neighborhood owning houses on Powell,
Clay. Sacramento and adjoining streets
will send committee before the Board of
Education, and if the latter persist in
moving the school the matter will undeub-
eddy be taken into the courts.
Colonel A. L. Mclflacbliu and & NJ Thomas