The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-30

this he was given charge of the city land
business of the company and all its inter
ests were carefully looked out for by him.
This business brought him into intimate
relations with the Supervisors. No streets
could be graded, paved or severed but Mr..
Haley had something to say about it, if
the railroad was in any way connected
with it. He was present at all meetings of
the board, and at the meeting of street
committee he was never absent. So fire.
quent was his attendance at the proceed
lngs of the Supervisors that he was desig-
mated as the thirteenth member.
During the last ten years John j. Haley
has managed the business of the railroad
company in securing the various street
franchises which now stand in the name of
the great corporation. He made all the
railroad fights in the board, in committee,
and in the districts affected by the lines
asked for. Old as he was, he was always a
vigorous fighter up to the last.
The last great fight he had in the board
was during the last board, when he strenu-
ously opposed the granting of the Sutro
franchise to the beach. This contest
brought him into close contact with Mayor
Sutro, and in his opposition to Sutro he
exhibited so much personal feeling and
luminosity that he lost favor somewhat at
fight his appearances at the board have
been occasional and spasmodic.
On account of Mr.. Haley's large land
transactions and his long service with the
Southern Pacific Company it was gener-
ally supposed that he was very wealthy
man. According to his petition in insol-
vency he is reduced to exist without a
dollar.
In the statement of his Indebtedness the
principal creditors are as follows: e. G.
HUMPHREYS, $35 ,000 a promissory note ex-
ecuted to A. H. Butter to secure payment
of mining debt in 1892, assigned to Hum
phries; S. U. Mooney, $500, three prom
issory notes $500 each; B. c., $115, pre-
MUM on insurance policy; Sigmund
W.olberg, $2364 10, promissory note on
mining stock; Jane i. Stanford, executrix
of the estate of Leland Stanford, SAL, 500,
money borrowed; total, $S5, 004 "a.
In his statement of his assets, Mr.. Haley
gives the following: An equitable inter-
est in certain real property, the legal title
being in Alfred Borel, to secure certain
moneys by him advanced, bounded by
Stanyan street and the easterly line of the
Bayfield, Tract and the southerly line of
500. Also an equitable interest in thirteen
town sites in Kern County, title in the
Southern Pacific Company, $4,000; total,
$43 200. Conveyed to Jane L. Stanford to
secure Indebtedness mentioned. Also
eighty lots in Delano, Kern County, title
in name of petitioner, valued at $4,000.
Among the personal property assets are
given one horse and buggy, valued at $500;
also the sum of $56S1 81 for money adj
vanced for payment of purchase price of
lands to be sold by the Southern Pacific
Company to D. c. Allen, who held contract
for himself and petitioner. This is in
litigation.
There is no other personal property men,
according to his sworn statement, Haley
has not a dollar left outside of what is
given in the assets.
The cause of Mr.. Haley's failure is said
to be speculation in stocks, and the state
ment in his petition of money due broker
on mining property would seem to justify
this reason. He is said to have been
heavy dealer at times. 1t is also known
that though he always managed the bust
ness OF the railroad company as far as land
dealings is concerned jim profitable way
to his employers, yet in his individual
transactions he lost heavily.
An instance of this is given in his ma
nipulation of the Haley Tract, south of the
park, where he spent thousands of dollars
In grading and sewering, and yet unit
mately he came out at the short end.
Still, with his many opportunities, his
shrewd business methods his indefatigable
attention to business and his great railroad
influence, 1t was supposed that he had
amassed considerable fortune. His fail
ure will be surprise to all who were not
intimately acquainted with his real fnan-
clal condition. Mr.. Haley is now about "a
years, old, though still in apparent good