The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-05-19
BUYS A WAY OUT.
New Railroad Route by
the Bay Shore.
Extensive Real Estate Transactions
Manipulated by Alfred e. Davis
for the Southern Pacific.

For nearly two years past the Southern
Pacific Company, through its secretly ap-
pointed agents, has been acquiring titles
to land in South San Francisco for a way
for its proposed bay shore line. So skill
fully have these operations been carrie ed
on that nobody suspected the railway
company until few days ago. when the
following transfers attracted attention to
the frequency on the records of Alfred +.
Davis name as purchaser in South San
Francisco: Hannah c. Staniels TO Alfred
E. Davis, lot on south corner Of Railroad
and Thirty-oighth avenues. southeast 100
by southwest so, block g. Paul Tract
grant. Hannah &. Staniels TO Alfred
Z. Davis. Tot on southwest corner of
street, southeast rs by southwest 200, block
511, Paul Tract; grant.
This land is within stones throw of
the San Mateo County line, only the San
Mateo Mountains, a narrow range of high
hills, intruding between. For purely specu-
iative purposes real estate agent would
not dream Of buying 1t, and then the place
is not accessible for dwellings or factories.
An examination revealed the fact that
Davis had been buying land almost in a
straight line from Islais Greek and
Pennsylvania avenue, north of Butcher
town, to Thirty-eIghth and Railroad ave-
nues, which meet near the county
boundary. The land thus purchased lies
along the completed survey line of the
Southern Pacific Company's new road out
of San Francisco.
The railroad company has right of way
running nearly due north and south as a
continuation of Kentucky street, along
which thoroughfare the Potrero is now
reached by hoTsecars. This right of way
extends TO San Mateo County, but most of
the distance it is in the bay or on marsh
land and impTactlcable. So Ii was aban-
doned for a more feasible and better road
bed, short distance westward. Railroad
| engineers selected a route which leaves
| SOnoma street and goes IN a south westerly
direction along the present bay shore upon
natural ground until the intersection of
| Pennsylvania avenue and the Islais Greek
channel is met. There the route begins on
! another angle, going southwest by south.
| diagonaly across several blocks to where
| Thlrty-eighth avenue meets Railroad ave.
nue.. There II Is surveyed through a tun-
mel and will emerge near Coryelrs house.
on the San Bruno road short distance
beyond which it meets the Baden track.
! The new way passes along a valley be-
tween ranges of hills. and only in one spot
about the Catholic Orphan Asylum.
| South San Francisco-is 1t necessary to cut
| a tunnel
after block between Kentucky and Illinois
streets. as far south as block 406, lying be-
! tween these streets and Army and Marin
streets. which is close to Islais Creek.
| Instead of cOntin uing to purchase this
| line further south over the first right of
way the company switched off at block
1920 SOnoma and Kentucky streets for a
new course. Then the purchases began,
nor has there been any delay Ia securip Q
property between points already named.
! And now little more remains to be bought
TO give the Southern Pacific one more entry
! TO San Francisco. About the only land
remaining belongs to j. d. CoryeIl. who
will sell at prospective prices, but has no
desire to place an exOrbiIant value on his
property near the San Mateo County line.
Alfred Z. Davis, who has been buying
up the land. is president of the Pacific H.
vestment Company, whose Offices are i'm
! the Fair building at 230 Montgomery
| street. He used to be James 6. Fairs adj.
wiser and manager. and it was he who built
the narrow-gauge line to Santa Cruz BE
! is credited with knowing a good deal about
| the method of acquiring lands for cor.
| porations or other buyers when the rea]
purchasers name is kept secret, and thai
is why he was chosen to buy railroad
] ont IF this