The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-11
THE BORAX KINGS SECRET
OaklanderS Have Not Been Able
to Solve 1t in Five
Years.
WATCHING THE NEXT MOVE
A Meritorious Practical Work Being
Done by the Ebell Society
Ladies.
WATCHING THE NEXT MOVE
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL J
Q0S Broadway Nov IN I

is a shrewd business man, and controls
millions of dollars, and consequently when
he says anything he says it for some pur-
pose. If he were a broken realty man.
Oaklanders would say that he was talking
for the sake of seeing his name in print.
But this is not the case, for T. NJ. Smith is
not a man who seeks notoriety. He avoids
it, except there be a purpose to serve in
permitting himself to be subjected to it.
Undoubtedly then the prominence given
i. y. Smith and his schemes during the
pas, three years have been for some pur-
pose. The purpose is Mr.. Smiths secret.
In the spring of 1898 F. NJ Smith Or
ganized the Oakland Terminal Company
with capital of several millions. Its OBJ
ject was to purchase property, build
wharves and do anything that would be
necessary TO make this city the terminus
of an overland railroad. A fine pier was
commenced at Emeryvine that was to be
a part of a competing ferry system to San
Francisco.
The pier was run out for about mile,
and then T. NJ. Smith went East Before
going, he stated tn at he would let the con-
tracts for some large ferry-boats that
would run from Emeryville pier to San
Francisco, and on this side would run in
connection with the Berkeley electric road
Mr.. Smith went East, work on the pier
ceased and has never been recommended,
and nothing has been seen of the ferry,
boats. At the same time Mr.. Smiths
company bonded large tracts of land near
Emeryville, and took an option on the
little California and Nevada narrow-gauge
road. This was to be made standard gauge
and extended, but within the past few
days the option has expired, and it has
been neither widened nor extended.
Events during the past week have made
public the fact that Mr.. Smith owns con-
trolling interest in the Twelfth street
electric road from Berkeley to West Oak
land. This is somewhat strange, as Mr..
Smith also controls a parallel road to
West Oakland and Eighteenth street and
another on Sixteenth street. He now con-
trols the whole of the west half of town,
having three electric roads paralIeled, and
Just four blocks between each.
mat +. NJ. Smith intends that Oakland
shall be his home Is proved by the fact
that he has just built a mansion on his
East Oakland property at a cost not less
than ha If a million dollars, including the
furniture, but what is his purpose regard
ing the EmeryvIlle ferry project, is what
thousands of people would like to know.
1T has been stated that the scheme to
make terminus at Emeryville was a
Southern Pacific plan for the purpose of
that time the water front has been de-
clared the property of the City, and. if the
EmeryVllle scheme was not undertaken in
good faith, there is now no need for such
a subterfuge, as landing can be obtained
anywhere. In the meantime the we'll
built and broad pier is used solely bv
fishermen, and during the week the borax
magnate's LAWYER has been called to join
his chief in Europe. Everybo would
like to know what will be the outcome of
all these enterprises-but that is Mr..
Smith secret. and Mr.. Smith never gives
away secrets except to serve some purpose.
The ladies of the Ebell Society have
undertaken one of the most laudable tasks
In which California women could interest
themselves. They have undertaken to
teach California women that California
produces nearly everything that is i'm
ported, and that if the State is to prosper
the women must be patriotic enough to
ask for homemade goods. Last Fridays
meeting was a good start, and there is no
doubt that all those who were there know
much more, even after one such gathering,
than they knew before. What was even
more noticeable than the amount of in
formation gathered on California manu-
features by the ladies was the zeal and
earnestness shown by the Ebell Society.
After seeing so many projects die in Oak
land OF lukewarmness and apathy If is
truly refreshing to note how thoroughly
the ladies entered into the practical work
OF their scheme. They not only referred
TO the specific goods that were imported,
but they had taken the trouble 10 visit the
California factories to compare prices and
qualities, and had interested the manu-
facturers to such an extent that numerous
a rrvasa d.
hlbluon and freely distributed. Many had
made practical tests of the imported and
homemade product and spoke from ex-
perience.
When the invitations to the gathering
We're sent out 1t was thought that the
ladies had stepped outside their sphere
Society women were not supposed to know
much about candles, stoves, prunes, whale
bones and hundred other domestic COM
modities, and a diversion of topics so prac-
teal it was thought would fall fat But
the croakers croaked too soon, and the
ladies merit the most sincere cougratula-
tions on their success. If this is the
species of new woman that is to be deyeI-
oped in Oakland the California manu-
facturers should pray for the day when
every other city III the State shall follow
her example.
The Board of Health is on trial this
week for the second time. Its members
have stated that if 4 more healthy City
Prison be not at once provided they viii
placard the tanks as being unfit for habi-
tation, and this will at once give all the
prisoners grounds for damage suits against
the people whose peace and dignity they
have offended. Oakland's City Prison is
pestilential hole in the ground and the
fact that Jailer Swain has survived so long
is due to his experience as a young man on
q whaler. A few months ago the prison
air was a little more noisome than usual,
and an investigation showed that sewer
pipe had burst and cesspool formed I'M
der the jail. Tt was remedied, and the
Health Board did some threatening about
p!aearding, but no improvement was
made. The present City Hall was built
many years ago and the prison Is in the
basement, half in the earth.
1t is a veritable dungeon, and there is
some curiosity to see what the Board of
Health will do. Two months ago the same
Board of Health told the Council that it
must build a garbage crematory and pro-
hibited the dumping of garbage within the
city limits. A temporary arrangement was
made and the garbage is now being taken
out on cars and dumped somewhere in