The San Francisco call., 1896-03-16
A Demand for Five to Twenty
Acre Tracts in the !.
Country.
AUCTION SALES ANNOUNCED.
The City Asked to Pay for Sprinkling
the StreetS-The Weeks
Record.


twenty acres each in the country. This is
thought to be due to the fact that
greater proportion of the strangers COM
ing to the State at present TO reside are
class seeking homes in the country rather
than in the city. 1t is an encouraging
sign, however. for all movements that tend
TO increase the population of the rural dis
tricts have an ultimate healthy and stable
effect on real estate values in the city.
A number of firms that have not paid
any special attention heretofore to the
handling of country lands are arranging
for departments for that purpose in antlci-
patton of brisk trade in this line OF realty
in the near future.
The past week has not been productive
of much that is new in the market except
q general report of increased inquiries and
more of an inclination on the part of sell
lers to meet offers of intending purchasers.
Three different auction sales were held
during the week, and the prices realized
were considered satisfactory. The aggre-
gate amount Of these sales was about
100000.
STREET sPRINKLING.
The Merchants Association is still la
boring with the Board of supervisors to
induce them to let the contract for street
sprinkling in the same manner that the
contract is let for cleaning the streets.
The chief opposition to the movement
comes from those who claim ownership to
the different "sprinkling routes, so
called, in the City. They claim that if the
City undertakes to do the sprinkling it
will be a confscation of property rights
that they hold is vested in these routes.
1t is hardly necessary TO say that there is
no legal foundation for such claim.
What sprinkling is done at present is
paid for by the various merchants, who
contribute certain stipulated sum per
month to the respective owners of these
routes. This is entirely voluntary on the
part of the merchants, but as they are not
the only ones benefited they deem it un-
Just to foot the bills alone. The occupants
of the upper floors of buildings as well as
pedestrians derive as much benefit from
well-sprinkled streets as the merchant.
1t is in fact, a matter of such universal
importance to all that the merchants say
there is no justice in forcing them to pay
individually for service that is properly
one OF the duties of the municipal govern
ment to maintain.
In the last tax levy was included 800, 900
to be devoted to street-sprirFling expen-
ses. This tax was collected but never
raised. As the fund is said to be still
intact in the treasury it is believed there
is no special reason why the Board of
Supervisors should not heed the often pre-
ferred petitions of the Merchants Associ-
alton and relieve the latter from the un-
just expenditure they are now compelled
to bear in order to keep the streets free
from dust through proper sprinkling.
REVIEW OF THE RECORDS.
There were 1o3 mortgages recorded last
week, aggregating $302,645. The principal
ones were:
By the Hibernia Savings and Loan Society
for one year at 81 per cent, $11 900 on two
pieces of property, one ON the west line of Van
Ness avenue, 57:8A feet south of Jackson.
of the west side of Dupont street, 81 IS feet
north of Sacramento, 45:10x110: by the Ger
man Savings and Loan Society for one year at
81 per cent, $50, 900 on the northwest corner
of-Post and Stockton Streets 1877 :6x137 IS; by
the HibeTnia Savings and Loan Society for one
year at 612 per cent, $4,000 on the northwest
140x247; and by the Humboldt Savings and
Loan Society until January 1, 1898, at per
cent, $4,000 on the southeast corner OF Web
ster and Chestnut streets, 137 :6x137:6.
The releases granted last week num-
bered ffty-eight. aggregating $157, ,546.
The largest ones recorded were:
BY the German Savings and Loan Society
&10,150 to Mary C. Connolly on lot 25x85
on the northwest side of Mission street, 325
feet northeast from Seventh street; by the
same TO Thomas and Mary 0'Neil $12 1000 on
a lot on the west line of Devisadero street,
fifty feet south of Washington, 50x120.
The number of deeds recorded last week
was 125.
Sixteen building contracts were filed the
past week aggregating '$42, 549.
BUILDING NOTES.
Contracts were let last week by DR..
T e.. xI,1 e
q very handsome residence for him on the
west side of Baker street, between Wash
ington and Jackson, of which the accom-
panying cut is an illustration. It is to be
quite out of the ordinary style of architec-
ture and will present a picturesque and
attractive appearance when completed.
The roof will be pitched, the entrance of
the colonial style and the entire house
will be covered with oiled shingles. There
will also be French windows with oia-
mond pattern transoms in loaded glass.
The doctor will have his offices located
in the basement, the entrance to which
will be close to the gateposts, the latter
10 the dwelling will be by front door into
a large vestibule, from which easy steps
lead to the main living-room. This apart
ment which will measure 18 feet by 19, is
to be finished in Oregon pine, with a
wainscoting six and half feet high and
parlors and drawing room. The second
floor will contain four bedrooms, bath
rooms and other convenienees, while the
attic will be devoted to billiard-room and
servants quarters. The upper floors will
be finished in cedar. The estimated cost
will be about $500.
The aschitect, D. J. Patterson, has exer-
cised much taste and ingenuity in the
arrangement of the house, as but twenty
two feet frontage was available, the bal
ance being required for passageway and
light.
The Easterbrook building, on the north
side of Geary street, just above Kearny,
has just undergone extensive repairs and
alterations and is now practically a new
structure. The improvements cost about
$4,000 and include the following: New
concrete floor in basement and new floors
in stores have been laid A new roof has
been put on and the stairway that led to
Morton street closed up. The light-wells
have been enlarged, the building painted
anew, both inside and out.
New sanitary plum 5ing and new hard
ware have been put in. and the walls and
ceilings tinted and repapered. The floors
of the halls have been covered with limo
leum and a marble entrance and vestibule
nut in A rapid running elevator piyes