The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-25
Live People Have Proved That
They Will Not Remain in
a Metropolis.
A PROBLEM PARTLY SOLVED.
Rev. Edwards Davis Not After the
Dollar-Need of Care With
Religious Armies.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL,

OAKLAND OFFlCE DAN FRANCISCO OALL,l
90S Broadway, May "a.
The merchants of this city have been
for years trying to solve a problem, and
they partially succeeded last night. For
many years it has been conceded that not
less than $50, 900 of OakIanders' money is
spent in San Francisco for legitimate
amusement purposes only. Probably the
amount is greater; certainly it is no
smaller. This practice not only tends to
rob local merchants of what they consider
their just trade, but it also puts into the
hands of the railroad company for ferry
and car fares small fortune. To keep
this money at home has long been the de-
sire of Oakland merchants, because they
realize if they can keep people at home on
one proposition they can in all others.
So accustomed have been the merchants
to the old state of affairs that they we'll
nigh regarded it as their uncomfortable
fate. They expected the city to represent
a metropolis after dark, and their expecta-
.tions were beautifully gratifed. Nothing
has been done to change this state of
affairs, and year by year the result has be-
come more marked.
Last night the neigh borhood of the City
Hall was thronged with people till nearly
midnight. At 10 o'clock, the usual hour
on Saturday night for Oakland to die, some
of the sidewalks were impossible. There
were more people in the stores and more
business was done. Everybody was sur
prised to see everybody else on the streets
instead of having gone to San Francisco or
to bed. And all this was due to a pro-
gresslve move on the part of the Mer-
chants Exchange.
The mem bers of the exchange recently
decided TO try an experiment. They en-
. gagged regimental band to give concert
in the City Hall park. The effect was
magical, and the great danger now is that
the City Council may pass some more
broad-minded keep off the grass" ordi-
nance because some of the crowd over
stepped the edges of the sidewalk.
Now is the time for the merchants and
capitalists to do some practical thinking.
II band will attract a thousand people,
then two bands will attract two thousand
people, and the Introduction of amuse-
ments enough to crafty the varied tastes
of the masses will solve the whole diff
Guilty against which the merchants are
now contending. Oakland is, of course,
the natural center of Alameda County. 1t
contains the only frst-class theater in the
county. which is open on an average but
two nights a week; it also contains the
only cheap theater, which is in building
that ought long ago to have been sue
ceeded by handsome modern structure.
Walter Morosco wanted to have the
alter in building that is soon to be erected,
but the owner did not think proper to
consent. There is but one way to keep
people and their money at home and that
is by offering them what they can get else
where. They will not remain in Oakland
for the purpose of keeping company with
the sidewalks.
Instead of devoting nearly the whole
of it's energies to 10-cent license
quarrels the great body of mer-
chants should begin at the other end.
1t has been very clearly proven that the
attacks on San Francisco merchants are
circumvented at every turn. Now the
fight should be made from the other end,
and instead of fighting the merchants
should enter the field, at present untitled
so far as Oakland is concerned, and do a
little building up.
The Board of Trade has Just been re-
organized and is now prepared for work.
1t can do no better for the present than to
cooperate with the Merchants Exchange
and go to work and see that the City is
supplied with a hrst-class family amuse-
ment house. 1t would be filed nightly
with crowd from all over the county.
The crowd will never come till the attrac-
ton is here, and until it is merchants and
others will see their streets deserted in
favor of the larger City, for it is a we'll
known fact that legitimate business and
legitimate amusement 90 hand in hand.
Rev. Edwards Davis may Justly be re-
garded as a new minister. Since he first
occupied the pulpit at the Central Chris
tian Church in this city he has been crit
icized in variety of ways. His dramatic
sermons were an innovation and several
other of his efforts struck orthodox Oak
land as being strangely out of place. At
times many unkind things have been said
about him and the methods he used, but
he has now outlived them ana Is growing
in popularity, while his church is also in
creasing largely every month. His de-
cHnation of the offer OF San Francisco
church at greatly increased salary has
proved that he is sincere, and that the old
story of a call from a rich church being
always "a call from the Lord" is not in
variably true.
Mr.. Davis is still a very young man, but
he will certainly add to his successes. He
has proved that the almighty dollar is not
his deity. and having done that is entitled
to the best that the world theological can
offer.
During the past two weeks this city has
been visited by men who claim to be the
forerunners of new religious armies. "
Oakland has always been looked upon as
legitimate and lucrative field for ire.
sponsible religionists, and more so-called
evangelistic work is done here than in any
other city of its size. Gospel tents, gospel
halls and gospel missions are located ell
over the city and so long as they are not
run on solicited subscriptions they are not
subjects of investigation.
When, however, they are represented as
organized bodies and systematic canvass
for funds is made curiosity is excited as to
the validity of the claim. During the past