The San Francisco call., 1896-02-03
Letter From the Consulting En-.
gineer.. of the Merchants
Association.
JANUARYs BUILrING RECORD.
Hahnemann College Building-A Local
Firms Operations in Los
Angeles.

Although the real estate market is quiet,
the past week furnished number of sales
at fair prices, and negotiations are under
way for a number of deals some of which
are of considerable Importance. The
period of financial distrust has passed. and
real estate has come again to be considered
a stable commodity. This is, in measure
owing to the fact that a large percentage
OF the involved owners of realty have been
sold out, and the greatest obstacle to re-
covery in times of depression thereby re-
moved. 1t Is just such people who swell
the list of the forced auction sales in dull
times. Mortgagors who considered it O.
great loss and misfortune to have property
forced upon them fifteen months ago. ex-
press themselves differently now, since the
market has turned and values are once
more slowly on the ascent.
There is not person of middle age in
any city in the Union who has not seen
long periods of depression in which real
estate could scarcely be given away, and
have also seen as many periods in which
there did not seem to be half enough real
estate to supply the rush of buyers. who,
In the latter instance, frequently paid the
most extravagantly inflated prices for
property, allowing but small. margin of
profit possible.
At such time as this, when there is not
the least int1ation when property is valued
az what IL is actually worth, an excellent
opportunity is offered for investment, and
people who have ready money on hand
should get out of the regular rut of invest
ing on rapidly advancing market, and
put their spare means into property which
has not yet become high priced, but is GER
tain to be with the inevitable return of
good times.
SIRE EFT IMPROVEMENT.
AS street improvement is destined to
play an important part in the future of
real estate transactions in San francisco,
the following communication from Ernest
Mccullough, consulting engineer for the
Merchants Association, will be of interest:
The chief things to be desired in a good
pavement are cleanliness and durability. Clean
illness above all else. Nothing does so well as
asphalt or bituminous rock in this respect
as such psvements are perfectly sanitary
stone blocks are so noisy that brick is sun
planting them in manv cities.
AS a rule that material is used most exten-
slVely that is obtained most easily and in guam
Ilty In the near vicinity. So in the central
States we find great deal of brick used, for
large beds of clay are close at hand. In the
southern and northern central States, wood is
largely used, as timber is plentiful. In the
middle eastern States stone is largely used, as
quarrles are close at hand. Cities which have
no timber. clay or stone near by, are largely
paved extensively with bituminous rock Ex.
pediency has so largely governed in past years
1t is difficult to change peoples minds as
regards the comparative value of payements
1t is becoming customary for cities to investi-
gate the subject of paving materials, and the
consequence will be the survival of the fittest.
Asphalt and bltumlnous rock have pre-
ponderancy of good points in their favor and
brick Is a close follower.
Until all cities have testing laboratories in
charge of competent men pavements will not
be all they should. The inspector, as he is
understood to-day, is q ward of the politician
and not useful factor. Good testing of ma
terial and guarantee of all work done for
term of years will secure good work After
the work is accepted it must be maintained
and there is where San Francisco is weak. The
streets are not maintained properly.
concrete base is necessary under all pave
ments. IF Market street is paved 1 would
recommend that eight inches of concrete be
laid as a base as far Second street and six
inches the rest of the way out. Up to Battery
street granite blocks could be laid if the people
preferred them... although asphalt or BIZ
luminous rock will stand all right. The rest of
the street could be paved with asphalt or BIZ
luminous rock. 1t is needless to say the work
should be well and carefully done and under
five years guarantee
real estate man in New York CITY figured
that If Eighth avenue were paved with asphalt
from Fifty-ninth street to One Hundred and
Tenth street the 224 building lots on the ave-
nue. would be built upon at an average ex-
penditure per house on each lot of sis 900.
This would make the total productive ex-
Pe,uitufe Po,ooO,OOo, Wnlcn, assessed at
half its value and taxed af 2 per cent would
yield the city revenue of $500 The city
could borrow $3.50, 600, the money necessary
to pave that part of Eighth avenue with
asphalt, at per cent so that by accomplish
ing this work it would be gamer to the ex-
tent OF $29, 900 per year. 1t is in order for
some real estate man to do some figuring of
the same kind on the Market-street propo-
sition.
During 1894 the various pavements used in
Eastern cities were in about the following
proportion: