The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-11

too narrow for any such treatment, that
the curves would be insignificant and m
satisfactory, and that great opportunity
for making a grand straight drive or pair
of drives flanked by noble rows of trees
would be lost. The result speaks for itself.
There is not, after twenty-five years of eff
fort, a tree grown within the entire park
that would impart satisfying character to
wide straight avenue. Moreover, any one
who will drive up either Fell or Oak street
on either side of oCr avenue on windy
day and then go inside and follow up its
drive can Immediately appreciate what a
grand mistake it would have been to have
adopted the straight-row tree-line form of
development for this parkway, no matter
how much the passage space might have
been divided up in the effort to reduce
width of openings and check the sweep of
winds.
What is true of our Golden Gate park
way, or avenue as it is officially desig-
mated, would be true of our intra-county
boulevard, even though the alignment OF
one is into the prevailing wind, while that
of the other will, for the windiest part OF
| the county, be more nearly across its gen.
eral direction. All the long, straight
parts of the proposed new boulevard will
be comparatively bleak and uninviting, in
our climate. 1t should as general thing,
! where practicable, be curved or divided
| into short reaches of a few hundred yards
| each. It's reservation should not be of
! even width. Better to have it mere
wide-street width for half the way, so it is
not straight in one direction for too great
| length, and then widen out the right of
way sufficiently to admit of curved road
way within its limits, and the grouping in
masses mot in rows) of trees and shrub
berry about it.
In other words, could we have series of
parkways, say 200 or 300 feet wide, includ-
ing drive, ride, cycle-track and walks, each
from one to two miles long, spaced at
intervals of two to four miles apart and
connected with each other by simple, we'll
kept roads of standard widths, the whole
extending as an unbroken boulevard way
from terminal to terminal, we would have
the most agreeable and attractive form of
boulevard that could be had within rea-
sona5le cost in our climate.
Each local. wide parkway would have its
distinctive character, according to Its plac-
ing and surroundings, and each should
have its name in keeping with that char
acter and with the spirit OF tasteful design
pervading the whole.
There should be no Blow avenues, either
in fact or in name, notwithstanding that
some notable Mr.. Blow had rendered her
culean service as a Commissioner to spend
the funds for the improvement; nor should
there be any hammond Common, even
though some honorable Mr.. hammond
might yield himself up in the public cause
on the same altar of self-sacrifice.
1t is possible to make most unique, and
in time, world famous boulevard, between
here and San Jose, and give it a character
In its original design that will render 1T ac-
ceptabe and pleasurable for all time, even
when it shall have passed under the control
OF the average or below the average polit-
zeal Commissioner; but it will be necessary
TO Keep this gentleman out at the start, and
TO let broad views, thoughtful study and
good professional taste in landscape art
| govern in the choosing of route, location,
oeslgn and original construction.
Could this be done, and the property
! owners, as rule, along the line be in
ouced TO comport their grounds-planting,
under some general professional guidance,
10 the local idea of treatment in the boule-
! vard itself, we might look forward TO a
result that has not been and cannot be
attained elsewhere. For, while our eli
mate torblds palmetto or pauIownia shaded
avenues as in the Carolinas. or those en-
powered In elms or naples as in Connecti-
cnt, or those walled-in stately planes as in
France, or ennobled by grand old oaks as
in England, we can have landscapes here
| which are almost impossible of accomplish
ment outside of our bay region, and which
are not only unique in themselves Int
pleasing and acceptable to all who expe-
rience their influence.
WILLIAM HAM HALL.