The morning call., 1895-02-02
CATTLE ROAMING AT LARGE.
Fences Torn Up and ALI Vegetation
Destroyed.
THREATS MADE BY TEE DAIRYMEN.
A Proposal to Include the Whole South.
western Part Of the City in
the New Order.

A large delegation of property
appeared before the Health and Police
Committee of the Board of Supervisors
yesterday morning to ask for the extern
sion of the Pound limits so as to include
the district within line drawn from San
Bruno avenue through Cortland and
Andover avenues. The extension asked
for also includes a line drawn over Am
herst, FELTON,, University, Woolsey, Berlin
and Dwight streets, San Bruno and Rail-
road avenues, Paul street, Charter Oak
and Silves avenues, Augusta street, Charter
Oak avenue, channel of Islais Greek, Water
loo street, and San Bruno avenue to the
point of beginning.
The petition for the extension is signed
by many real estate dealers and owners of
small holdings in the localities which it
is asked shall be included in the Pound
limits.
John Pfefinger first addressed the COM
mittee and said that he owned block of
land in the district. He calculated that
there were about 1900 head of cattle roam
ing at large over the fat, tearing down the
fences erected around private houses and
preventing any improvements being made.
He thought that 1t was an outrage to allow
this state of things to continue. and saw
no improvements would ever be made out
there, and no land sold for settlement be-
cause when buyers saw the cattle roaming
at large they would not purchase.
Ex-Supervisor Kennedy said that he was
familiar with the question, and was inter
ested in land in the district. He did not
desire to infringe on the rights of the dairy
men, but thought the owners of the land
should have their rights respected. Owing
to the establishment of the cattle-ranches
property out there was not worth one-fifth
of what it would bring ten years ago. The
difficulty was that the dairymen looked at
the question solely from their standpoint.
They should all be made to fence in their
cattle, so that they could not roam at large,
destroying Improvements made by the
property II the cattlemen leased
any lands for their stock they should be
compelled to inclose them in boundaries.
Herman Lankenau of South San Fran
cisco said that there was a schoolhouse on
the tract which was attended by 200 chill
dren. This did not look as if the locality
was uninhabited. 1t was not only danger
Gus to the children to allow the cattle to
range at large, but unseemly, as bulls were
allowed TO run at large.
?. Finnegan stated that he had lived in
the locality from the time when one COW
first made its appearance, until now there
were hundreds roaming at large. The
prOperty-owners could make no improve
ments because the horses and COWS broke
them down and ate up even their small
trees. Even hogs dug holes under the
fences and gobbled up and ruined all vege-
tation. The rapacity OF the bovlneS eX-
tended up to the very doorsteps. He
believed that no improvements would be
made until the cattle were all fenced In. If
the property had not been kept back by
the dairymen thousands of dollars more
would be pouring into the city treasury in
the shape of taxes.
why" exclaimed Mr.. Finnegan, $50
strongly are the dairymen arrayed against
the small-property owners, who want to
build up and improve their homes ont
there that they have threatened TO kill US
if we persisted in movement to have the
Pound limits extended"
g. W. Haight, representing the Lick Old
Peoples Home, delivered vigorous speech
against allowing the dairymen to continue
their present course. He said that every
county in the State had what are known as
fence laws, and cattle were nowhere per-
mitted to roam at large over other peoples
property. He was in favor of the whole
southwestern portion Of the city being in
Guided within the Pound Ii mits. He re-
cited some cases of the depredations on
hedges, fences and vegetation by roaming
cattle on the property of the Old Peoples
Home, and said such a nuisance should
have been abated long ago. He was of the
opinion that the property out there would
be settled up and made very valuable with
increased means OF communication with
the central portion of the city, but that
nothing would be done as long as the
dairymen controlled the section without
any regard for the rights of property-own-
ers. He was in favor of the whole south
western section of the city being put
within the Pound limits.
Supervisor Dimond believed that the |
board should take some action in extend |
ing the Pound limits in the direction indi- |
Gated, and his views were concurred in by |
Supervisors Morgenstern and bunker |
Chairman Benjamin thought it best before |
taking any action to hear the side of the |
dairymen, and on motion of Supervisor |
King the subject went over until the next
meeting. Supervisor King did not think I
the time had yet arrived for extending the /
P ound limits so far, as great portion of |
the section was very hilly. The fight be-
tween the dairymen and the property
owners promises to be very hot one. |
Next week the milkmen will be out in force |