The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-31
FOR THE SUTRO TRACT,
DR.. Beverley Cole Resents Ger
tain Statements Made by
DR.. MCNutt.
Engineer Newberry Also Talks In
terestingly of the Potrero
Property.

DIR, r. Beverley Cole, chairman of the
committee appointed to select a site for
the Affiliated Colleges, is not the least dis
turbed over the attack of DR.. McNutt on
the Sutro site, as published in the
Examiner yesterday. In fact, DR.. Cole is
rather inclined to laugh at the entire
affair because in his opinion some of the
statements are not in strict accordance
with the facts in the case.
~ am rather surprised that DIR. McNutt
has allowed himself to grow so angry over
q subject that should be discussed with
calmness and without prejudice" said DR..
Cole yesterday. az am interested in the
Sutro site because think 1t the most de-
sirable, not only for the present but for all
time to come.
"Dr. McNutt is quoted as saying that the
Sutro site is further from the hospitals
than they are from the colleges. As a
matter of fact it is a mile nearer and a
glance at the map will prove this conclu-
sively. He also states that the building
of the Affiliated Colleges on this property
will necessitate an expenditure OF 20 cents
d day in car fare, and adds that had he
been forced to pay such sum in his stu
dent days he could not have been med
ical student. OF course DR.. McNutt knows
better than any one else the loss this
would have been to the world. AS
matter of fact the majority OF the students
will select homes near the colleges,
whether they be built in the Potrero or on
the Sutro tract.
The doctor alludes, in a casual way, to
the fact that we are now obliged to rent
building on New Montgomery street as
clinic because we could not draw a clinic
at North Beach. That is absolutely true,
but he forgets to add that the dispensary
was first established for two years within
four or five blocks of the Potrero site, and
that we were finally forced TO move to the
present location because we could not draw
a clinic. 1t takes time to do anything
and in favoring the Sutro site l am not
merely looking out for to-day but to the
future. Improvements in the way of new
residences and places of business must, of
necessity, go IN that direction, though 1t
does not follow, by any means, that it will
all center around the Affiliated Colleges. 1t
will be only question of a short time
when the clinic will be full to overf1owing.
$50 far as the available ground for build
ing purposes is concerned the Sutro site
possesses more suitable ground by actual
measurement than the Potrero, and there
will still be left the hills, which can easily
be terraced should the occasion demand.
There are many things l might say about
DR.. McNutt's variant statements, but |
rather imagine that the people understand
the situation and are tired of so much talk.
| can join with DR.. McNutt in one thing,
however, and that is his quotation,
'Methinks the lady doth protest too
much "
Engineer Newberry, against whom DR..
McNutt has turned the walls of his wrath
on account of that gentleman estimate of
the cost of grading the Potrero property.
has this to say in answer 10 the doctors
charge of available territory:
The available ground on the Center tract is
not larger than the Sutro site, as Dr.. McNutt
says. The area of the three blocks is 24O, 900
square feet, supposing the whole of the site
TO be occupied irrespective Of the streets which
belong to the general public. But it viii not
be convenient, or even probable, that the
whole of the site will be used to the building
line. The same quantity OF building area can
be obtained on the Sutro tract at one-third the
expense, and then have plenty of room left for
one of the lOvelieSt parks in the City.
The Potrero site is not elevated, and in the
course of five years, if any enterprise be shown,
this extremely eligible site, so near the heart
OF the City, will be occupied with soap and
candle factories, tanneries, foundries and in
dustries OF corresponding nature, shutting
out merclleSSly the beautiful view and filling
the air with noXiouS etiuvia of all descriptions,
But the tract cannot be got. Mr.. Confer is
able and willing to deliver his portion, but
what is be to say of the other seven proprie-
ors? 1t seems almost idle TO discuss the sub
ject further.
DR.. McNutt says the Potrero site has railroad
lines on three sides. This is not so. There is
line on Bryant avenue now being constructed,
the rails are not laid, the street is not graded.
PotrerO avenue has one-horse line very SINH
lar in livelineSs and general dinginess to the
original Turk-street line, with which we are
tolerably familiar. Sixteenth street is without
q railroad line, and will be for years, as where
this street crosses Harrison street the grade is
three feet above the track of the steamcars.
There appears to be no immediate prospect of
the Southern Pacific spending any money to
gine-houses, etc, as would be necessary to
come to the grade of the crossings. Until they
do so there will be no connection with the
Mission.
There are two streets, Hampshire and York,
which intersect these three blocks, and the
worthy doctor takes it for granted that they
viii be closed if the site should be considered
worthy of acceptance. 1t is very likely that
the matter OF closing up these streets, eighty
feet in width, will be attended with little
more trouble than the doctor is aware Of