The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-21

3d. 1S47, changed the name of the village,
1erba Buena, to San Francisco, despite
the opposition of the old California Star.
NancouveT's narrative furnished Pro-
lessor Davidson with reason for comment,
particularly the navigators opinion OF the
region and inhabitants of San Francisco
during his visit of 1892 The speaker
thought Vancouver did not take great
many things into consideration that he
ought to have.
"A general survey was then given OF the
history of California and San Francisco,
ieadlng up to American supremacy, with
touches upon the promised secularlzatlon
OF the missions and the establishment OF
the pueblos. Jose Joaquin Estudillo was
Novemb Der q, 1885, and was the first ex-
ecutive officer chosen by the settlers them
selves. The first title issued for land under
the pueblo system was for the Rancho
Laguna de la MERGED to Jose Antonio
Gallndo, and the date was 1885. In l840
the foreign population of Yerba Buena
was: Americans 4, Englishmen 4. other
Europeans 6.
Commodore Sloat, commanding the
frigate Savannah, took possession Of the
Preside July 2, 1916, and hoisted the
American flag and issued proclamation
claiming California for the United States.
On July Captain Montgomery read the
Declaration of Independence and four
days later raised the flag on the pole OF the
ofS Mexican adobe custom-house at Ports
mouth plaza. Captain Montgomery at
once appointed Washington A.Bartlett AL
calde OF Yerba Buena to succeed the Mexl-
can American Alcalde, Jose de Jesus Noe,
and Mr.. Bartlett, said the speaker, "un-
dertook to execute Mexican law from the
American point of view"
The Mormon leader. Samuel Brannan,
issued the first mum Der of the Yerba Buena
California Star on January 8, 1647.
Through Brannan's enterprise the first
private school was opened April 10 OF that
year, j. d. Marston-said to have been a
Mormon, although his name was not on
the list of the Brooklyn's passengers
being the teacher. 1t was also through
Brannan's efforts that the first public
school was established. That was next
year, on April g. and Thomas Douglas,
ale graduate, was the teacher. The hrst
free public school was opened in April,
1850, with John G. Pelton as teacher.
Professor Davidson continued his hlstor-
lcal resume so as to cover the argonaut
period, the admission into the Union of
the State of California and subsequent
events, and at last concluded that feature
with the words:
The foundations of great State, the founda-
lions OF a city that is yet in its infancy, were
triotism. Their memories will be higher and
fresher with the coming generations.
The typographical feature of Professor
Davidson's paper was very instructive.
The existence of the sand-dunes he
ascribed as an effect, to the action of the
ocean currents and the winds. Said he:
The main drift of the ocean waters of this
coast is from the northwestward, being IN part
the flow OF the great Japanese warm stream,
after striking the coast in the region of
Queen Charlotte Island.
Immediately under the shores of our coast
there is continuous, although generally
slight, current moving northward, and known
as the Davidson inshore eddy current.
This latter current carries from the south
ward all movable material The sand washed
from the cliffs north of Point San Pedro is
ceaselessly moving toward the Golden Gate.
These sands in part endeavor to cross the en-.
trance to the bay, but by the larger effect of
the ebb currents they are carried off shore
until the current effect is nullifed by the
waves, and they trend in the form of great
horseshoe, as q sub-Surface ridge, which forms
the bar OF San Francisco.
Another part of these sands is thrown upon
the beach south of the Cliff House, and in the
waters they become dry and are driven by the
west winds inward beyond the reach of the next
high water and then continue to be rolled
across the peninsula.
In his allusion to local meteorology he
said the foggy conditions prevailing dur
the uniformity of temperature of the
water along the coast and the incidental
evaporation from the sea.
He gave the heights OF various topo-
graphical objects within the City's bound
aries, as follows:
Telegraph Hill 294 feet, highest point of Pre-
sidio Reservation 400, Point Lobos head $50,
Strawberry Hill 426, Sutro Heights 200, Prayer
Book Cross 316, Lone Mountain Cross 462,
Davidson Observatory, Lafayette place, 379,
Twin Peaks 925. Blue Mountain 900, Bernal
Heights 4S0, Potrero Nuevo 326, Hunters
Point Ridge 260, highest point in the City and
County 938, lighthouse Southeast Farallon
$50, North Farallones 157.
The following objects, he said, can be
seen from the City:
Western summit, San Bruno Mountain, 1915
feet; Iona Prieta, $3.50; Mount Hamilton and
eley Hills), 1890; Mount Diablo, from which
the Farallones are visible, 3S49: Sonoma
Mountain, 2192; Mount Helena, 1887: western
summit of Mount Tamalpas, $500; Point
Reyes head, 597; Point Bonita lighthouse, 1874:
Fort Point lighthouse, S3; Angel Island, III;
Alcatraz Island lighthouse, 1855; Yerba Buena
Island, 344.
Just as he was finishing Professor David
son observed:
1t has been labor of love to follow the mar
ratives of the old discoveries and pioneers of
civilization in their trials and in their success.
They builded better than they knew
1t is worth having lived among the later
argonauts and shared some of their intensity
of purpose and enthusiasm, and to have won
the confidence and shared the hospitality of
the old grandees of Spain, whose hearts were
large and generous.
This Pacific seaboard, overlooking the broad
est ocean, has future that will discount our
widest predictions; this coast of California
confines State that will ever be a safe bull
wark to the empire behind it; this magic
City, with its unparalleled gateway and mag
nifcent harbor, may sway scepter over the
commerce OF the future, before which the
achievements of the past will pale into veriest
insignifcance.