The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-03
IDEA FOR A BOULEVARD,
An Am bilious Suggestion
Which Has Impressed the
Half-Million Club.
BY A LANDSCAPE GARDENER
Its Plan to Water the Highway
by Continuous Pipes
Good Feature.

The Haf-million Club still intends keep
ing up its struggle for broad and we'll
kept highway from San Francisco through
the beautiful foothill and mesa lands of
San Mateo County and among the fruit
and wine fields of Santa Clara into the
Garden City.
Though taking matters rather easily at
present, the active members of the club
are by no means resting. The lull in
operations is only waiting spell while
the Board of Supervisors is considering
the ACCESSIBILITY of appropriating $4,000
for preliminary work on the proposed
boulevard
Various suggestions are made from day
to day as to what should be done to make
make really serviceable roadway that
will be picturesque and ornamental. AS
some of these come from men OF experience,
these words of advice are all carefully
taken under Amusement and are found to
be quite helpful.
Henry P. Sonntag received a communi-
cation Saturday from George M. Stratton
2715 Golden Gate avenue, treating on just
such questions as have agitated the Half
Million Club, property-owners, wheelmen
and all others interested in good roads, and
particularly in the boulevard to San Jose.
The writer of the letter is an expert in
roadmaking and landscape gardening, and
rather ambitious, Mr.. Sonntag believes it
can be made feasible under slight modifi-
cations.
cit has considerable merit" said he,
'and it gives US many valuable suggestions
and ideas that we did not think of. Ishall
bring it before the club at the first favor
able opportunity and try at least to incor-
TO itS haSt foafnraS If of III roSSi h1a in
our scheme for grand boulevard. I am
particularly taken with the plan of water
ing the roadway, and Mr.. Stratton's ar
rangement of trees, lodges and bicycle
paths"
The communication is as follows:
MAY 81, 1898.
Henru p Sonntao Esq.-SIR: AS a landscape
gardener and an advocate of good roads / am
very much impressed with your noble idea of
constructing boulevard from San Francisco
to San Jose.
take it as one of the great social improve
ments of the West. Your suggestion that all
bicyclists should pay an annual tax is good
one. Why not start public subscription, so
that those who do not ride or own q wheel
could subscribe? would give small amount
myself, thousands would do the same-some to
have good road for pleasure trips, some for
humane purposes, others to increase the value
of their property along the route, the main
body as means of healthful recreation, the
advancement of the State and one of the most
beautiful Improvements.
l may suggest, the boulevard being fifty
| miles long, ought to be straight as possible
and should be 100 feet wide, as follows: The
center road, for carriages only, 40 feet wide,
macadam or bitumen; upon each side 10 feet
of green sward. Next, bicycle tracks 10 feet
wide each; then space for hedge 5 feet wide.
Next, two footpaths, each 10 feet wide. Along
the center of each grass border should be
planted large growing shade trees-Amercan
elm, white ash, walnut, oak, ETC., 40 or so feet
apart. These should be planted to form an
avenue, one mile in length apportioned to one
kind of tree, the next mile q different sort of
tree that would form a pleasing con trast, COM
posing fifty different kinds of shade trees in
fifty miles of boulevard.
The avenue could contain both evergreen
and deciduous trees. Some would then be
clothed with foliage both winter and summer.
On each side of the boulevard would be q strip
or margin five feet wide. The bicycle tracks
should be bituminized, one track to be used to
go south and the other to return. The road
and footpaths could either be macadamized or
bituminized. A system of water pipes could
be laid down each side the carriage road from
San Francisco to San Jose, just under the sod.
Hollow basins could be made around each
shade tree, the pipe could be perforated with
several small holes, the water could be turned
on at San Francisco for a certain time and the
trees could be watered when required. l am,
gentlemen, most respectfully,
GEORGE NJ. STRATToN.