The morning call., 1894-04-07
Total ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. S1,2S2.S 81
NJ ,,oo-txoco, rolao,sa, for,ba 80 -,

Totals ................$ 81 1863, .3S 81 49,, 22O
Umbsen's Real Estate Record for March
gives timely advice on the Importance of
a prompt and radical change in homestead
maps, which have made hopeless tange
of city and county maps. las the citv
extends to the west, southwest and south.
it saws, owners become more and more
impressed with the necessity of dividing
the outlying portions of the city into dis
tricts, and having the same property laid
down in block BOOKS. At present no sffi-
cial maps of outside lands exist except
in the several homestead books. These
homesteads were all mapped in different
scales froG different surveys made for
the purpose of selling the land
in that particular homestead. A good
many years ago there was boom in out
side lands and all these homesteads were
got up at that period. Then the boom
broke and for years the property passed
out of the memory of every body except
the Assessor and Tax Collector. An ct
tempt TO piece these bomesteads together
and therefr0m form a proper map would
probably drive a civil engineer crazy, and
ii is generally believed that the most in
tricate maps of these homesteads are Only
known to one living man. Should he die
before the necessary maps are made there
would have to be new survey, which
would lead to much trouble and litigation.
This gentleman has been in the Assessors
Office for years. and by his courteous ex-
plantations throws light upon the home
stead muddle.
''But surely this is not proper state of
things for such city US San Francisco?
Why should not proper block-oOoks be
prepared and official grades fixed so that
street improvements may be properly
made? The city is growing and as out
side land values improve, the present state
of things will prove serious obstacle.
abate this nuisance should be made, and
the Supervisors be called upon to make
provision for such work in the next fiscal
years tax levy. The work should be done
by degrees, piece by niece as required by
the city's growth. Little by little every
year block-bOoks should be laid out of that
part of the city now covered by the home
stead maps. Not only will this be of im-
meDse advantage TO real estate men,
searchers of records. lawyers, street con-
tractors and others. but owners would be
able to locate their property without
tedious search. AS the matter now stands
1t is disgrace and would not be tolerated
in any other civilized city in the world"
The Metropolitan electric line, which
has opened IN large territory south of
Golden Gate Park. and made the initiative
step toward running late cars, declared its
first dividend few days age. Although
the increased travel to and from the Mid
winter Fair is largely responsible for the
dividend many new houses have been con-
structed along the line in Ashbury Heights
and around there, all of which contribute
to the eompany's earnings. The way i'm
provements are showing themselves in the
district lying between the park panhandle
and Clarendon Heights is encouraging to
the company. Quite large number of
handsome homes have been built within
these limits, and many more are either in
of Or in ~
ton.
Midwinter Fair travel will assure the
Metropolitan line a good income for the
beginning of the ensuing fiscal year, and
wnen the fair will have closed there will
be many new homes along the route suffi-
cient to insure patronage that may not
only support one street railway, but tempt
another to enter into the same arena.
In March the building business was not
quite so good as builders had expected
from talk of new structures for business
and homes. Still 107 contracts were re-
corded. aggregating 100000. The past
week began well for April, an unusually
large number Of contracts. some Of them
representing large outlay, being recorded.
From the following summary clear view
OF the situation can be bad: Remodeling
a DRY dwelling on Stevenson street.
near Nineteenth. cost $1,000; frame build
ing three stories high on Broad way, near
Mason street, cost $4,000; brick building
on O'Farrell street. between Stockton and
Powell, cost S29 667; dwelling on Union
street, near Octavia, cost $1,000; home o.
Baker street, near Page, cost $4,000; a one
story building on Shntwell street. near
Twenty-first, cost $500; six houses on the
southwest corner of California and Pierce
streets, cost $4,000; frame dwelling on
Grove street. near Polk. cost $500; a
brick building on Main street, near Mis-
sion, cost So. 900; two cottages on Twenty
first street, near Treat avenue, cost $500;
a two-stoIy frame dwelling on Sacramento
street, near Central avenue. cost $4,000.
Won Rhein & Co. are encouraged by the
interest taken in their auction sale to take