The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-23
"The Call" and It's New Home.

ne CalI ana IGs new
San Francisco, like all other large cities,
has seen many journals rise, flourish and
fade out of existence; but, 1t has only once
seen paper-once great and influential
lose prestige and growth day by day, for
years, until its existence seemed only
matter of weeks-suddenly as if touched
by the wand of the magician, become en-
dowed with new life, and in few months
come to the very front and fore of its
CONTEMPORARIES. asserting to itself its
right to discuss with them on an
equal intellectual plane all the great
questions of the day; fearless alike of criti-
cism and hatred from any source what
ever. striking at the hydra-headed monster
of corruption, and lending its pages to the
people. of whose welfare it is the acknowl-
edged champion. San Francisco, we re-
peat has but once seen such a transforma-
ton wrought on a dying newspaper; and
it falls and has fallen to the lot of but few
cities to witness parallel spectacle.
When in January, 1885, less than
ten months past, it was announced that
Charles NJ. Shortridge, the young journal
istic giant of San Jose, had purchased the
poor. feeble and insignificant CALL, pay
generally considered a rash act for even
so phenomenally successful a journalist
and excellent and sagaclous business man.
Men who knew him said, He has under
taken a hard task, but he may pull
through"
Those who did not know him called 1t
sheer madness. Witness the result: In
these few months THE CALL has come to
the fore with great leaps and bounds; it
has become transformed into a giant
which threatens to overtop the great
dailies, Its contemporaries. Already it
has gained recognition abroad as the rep
resentative California newspaper, en-
couraging home talent and breathing a
pure and lofty spirit, with malice
toward none and charity for all"
In the defense of our State and in uphold
ing her honor and institutions THE CALL
is as fierce and fearless as the tiger of the
jungle; in appealing to our people to right
a wrong or demanding justice for the in
nocent it is aggressive and untiring.
Within the past few months it became
very evident that the accommodations
which were more than sufficient for the
old CALL were inadequate for the new
journal, and the question arose, Where
could suitable building site be found, and
who would erect thereon a home for the
young giant? The problem was not long
left unsolved. Claus Spreckels, the man
whose millions are equal in number to
the ordinary man years of life, purchased
the property on the southeast corner of
Third and Market streets, 71x75 feet in d.
mansions. On this he will erect splen-
did fifteen-story building, the largest
building west of Chicago and the peer in
all respects OF any in the United States.
THE CALL will be housed on the thir-
teenth and fourteenth stories; the editorial
and art departments being on the thir-
tenth floor, and on the fourteenth floor
the composing-room and stereotyping de-
partment. No newspaper in the world
will possess such magnificent quarters.
There are those who will congratulate the
editor and proprietor of THE CALL on his
luck. as they term it, but we say that his
present position at the head of the greatest
newspaper on the coast IS not luck; 1t is
the legitimate result of undivided efforts
in one direction; OF overwhelming deter
minatjon to be first among his peers. His
success and career from hencefOrth are not
for US TO record; they are part OF the
unwritten history of the Golden State
and will be written by an ADLER pen than
ours. A magnificent picture of The CALL
building set in frame four feet wide and
six feet high. cen be seen at THE CALL
exhibit in the Pavilion.-State Fair Daily.