The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-28
A NOBLE BOULEVARD.

Standing in the center of Market street
and looking westward, we observe that the
imaginary prolongation of this greatest of
San Francisco's thoroughfares sweeps up
the rolling incline and disappears beyond
the range OF low mountains through the
lowest point in the saddle of Twin Peaks.
1t is known to most of the older residents
that the original intention in laying out
Market street was to extend it over the
saddle of Twin Peaks and down the slope
of the western side to the ocean.
AS the improvement of the City is now
the order of the hour, and every citizen
possessed of a spirit of pride and patriot
ism is casting about for the best means to
that end, let US imagine what Market
street would be if extended over Twin
Peaks to the sea.
At present the street stops, little over
three miles from the ferry, at the foot of
the sleeper hills which traverse the PENN
su1a from north to south. The Market
street Railway Company has a cable line
from the ferry to this point and there it is
DETECTED southerly into Castro street, fol-
lowing that thoroughfare nearly two miles
further, to its end at the base of the hills.
If instead of this detection Market street
were opened the cable would have to make
sharp climb to the summit. On the
western side the grade would be compare
lively easy all the way down to the beach.
The point where the extension would
strike the beach is about eight and a half
miles from the ferry and about the same
distance from the Cliff House. Thus, the
ferry, the Cliff House and the western end
of Market street would be the three points
of an equilateral triangle, and therefore
would constitute the three salient points
past which to run the grandest scenic
boulevard in the world.
Pursuing Market street, the grade from
the present terminus to the summit would
be too steep for boulevard purposes, but in
nowise would lessen the charm and avail
ability OF the route for cable scenic road.
For boulevard a great deal better scheme
than straight road is available. The
neighborhood of the summit is surveyed
and plated into most picturesque laby-
rinth of crooked streets, which follow the
bewildering contours thereabout on the
easiest grades. 1t would be far better to
construct tortuous boulevard over route
which should wind in and about the nu-
merous pinnacles that serrate the sky line,
for by this means there would be secured,
not only comfortable grade, but an amaz-
ing variety of panoramas, which would
include the facing of every point of the
compass and every one of the splendid
pictures which the SUBMITS of these hills
reveal.
Once past the barren saddle of the peaks
the westward bound driver will find before
him about four miles of country totally
different from that which he LETT behind
on the eastern flank. Much of this long,
rolling stretch has been planted to pines,
with wide plantations of eucalyptus here
and there. A cable could follow the con-
tour without difficulty, but boulevard
might have to make slight diversion at
intervals. The street would pass within a
half mile of the Almshouse, would cross
the San Miguel and ocean roads near their
! iuncture, and passing over a large open
cattle range would strike and cross both
arms OF Lake MERGED. Every inch of the
route is beautiful and picturesque.
Expensive though such an improvement
would be, its grandeur would compensate
| for all. From the ocean northward to the
Cliff House we should have the ocean boule-
ward, already made part of the way, and
at the Cliff House we should find Golden
| Gate Park with its splendid drives and its
| smooth road hack to the CitV