The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-22
From a photograph

first streets crossing. There are now pend
ing against the City damage suits aggre-
eating $500, all on account of the grading
running 200 feet each way on the last
named streets. So persistent has been the
warfare among the residents of that some
what remote section that it has come to be
better known as 'Battle Mountain" The
original grade of the property in dispute
was $40 feet, but by resolution of the Board
of Supervisors in 1887 was raised twenty
feet. This has in turn raised the grade be-
tween Twenty-first and Liberty streets and
between thu last-named thoroughfare and
Twentieth street.
From the best evidence obtainable at
the present time the cause Of Mrs. Hag-
erty, which is set for hearing the first
week in November, will be productive of
many facts of interest to the public at
large. The present grade on Twenty-frst
and Sanchez streets is particularly cham
pioned by Mrs. Emily Lowell, who, &C.
cording to her own statement, has sue
cessfully defeated Mayor Sutro, then
private citizen, the Market-street Railway
Company, and now holds the whip-hand
over the other protesting property
John III. Moore and Charles Lampe, who
own property between Twenty-tirst and
Liberty streets, openly affirm that Mrs.
Lowell has used money with the last three
Boards of Supervisors to retain Twenty
first street at its present grade.
This charge or assumption, however,
loses half its force and effect when the lady
in question admits that it has cost her
thousands of dollars to preserve her
property in its present shape. On the
other hand, Mrs. Lowell is keen enough to
speak only in generalities, naturally refus-
ing to specify just where these thousands
had gone.
'This fight among the property-holders
Of Battle Mountain has been going on for
years, and so far money represented in the
person of Mrs Lowell has carried the dav,"
said j. fl. Moore yesterday. 'The grade
as it now stands damages our property
irreparably, and there are now suits against
the City amounting to $500. We have
appealed to the last three Boards of Super
visors, and just as success appeared to
crown our efforts this lady stepped in with
her influence.
Ex-Supervisor Denman has made her
fight all along, and | suppose will continue
to do so until the courts decide the case
She has openly boosted that she has spent
hundred of dollars and would continue to
do SO as long as there was any fight made
against the grade as it now stands. NV
property. as we'll as that of Others is actu-
ally several feet below the street, which of
course renders sewerage and drainage al
most impossible. Two years ago the Board
of Health condemned this district on
account of this very thing. We have been
before the Street Committee at least
twenty times, and all that we ever got was
promises. The present Board of Super
visors. like those of the past, seem deter
mined TO destroy street two miles long to
benefit a property holder owning 200 feet.
Supervisors Hughes, bunker, Benjamin,
M organstern and Hirsch have all visited
Battle Mountain carefully viewed the
situation and promised faithfully to accede
to our demands. The moment they get
behind the doors of the committee-room
this influence of Mrs. Lowell becomes so
strong that they conclude to postpone
action. l, for one, would be willing to Join
a committee similar to the one OF 500
which in the middle fifties made San Fran
cisco worth living in. OF all the Supervis-
ors we have ever had this board seems to
me to be the very worst"
Charlie Lampe, head salesman of Esberg,
Bachman & Co., felt just as Mr.. Moore
about the matter, adding that be proposed
10 fight it to the bitter end. stSome
months ago." he added, "the City and
County Attorney rendered an opinion in
effect that the present grade on Sanchez
and Twenty-frst streets was Illegal.
shall certainly watch with interest the
line of defense he will follow in the suits
now pending against the city,
Mrs. Lowell, in stating her side of the
case, said:
/ bought this property some four years ago
under the belief and assurance that the grade
now standing was official. Some time after
this an effort was made to reduce the grade
twenty feet, and the fight has been going on
ever since. First Mr.. Sutro wanted to build a
cable line on Sanchez street, requiring, how
ever, that the grade be reduced to its former
level of $40 feet. On this occasion used the
Southern Pacific to pull my chestnuts from the