The San Francisco call., 1896-03-26

There will be planted grass and palms.
The termination of the present improve
ment will be Fort Mason, which is to be
laid out very much along the lines pur-
sued in the Presidio reservation, and will,
upon its completion, be thrown open to
the public, affording delightful park Of
sixty acres, within easy access of all.
Its value as park will be greatly en-
HANGED by the removing of the hill on
Polk street. lying between Greenwich and
Lombard streets, which will then permit
the Sutter-street cars to continue to within
few blocks of Fort Mason.
Fort Mason overlooks the bay almost in
its entirety-from the Golden Gate along
to the revenue station and across to Sausa-
Ito and Belvedere, with Alcatraz to the
right and the mountains in the distance
with the picturesque iDlets indenting the
shores, the whole forming beautiful
view, and one not apparent in character
istic way from any other point in the City.
Water always has an attraction, and to
be able to wander along the shore of Fort
Mason, directly overlooking the water,
will be an opportunity not neglected.
Already there is scarcely a Sunday
passes that there are not from 100 to 200
people tramping through the sand in this
section, and when 1t is once thoroughly
finished, with beautiful roadways and ac-
cessibie service, it is safe to say that it will
become one of the most sOught-after Sec
tions in the entire City. both by the sight
seer and those who love nature.
Returning from Fort Mason the first
prominent street is Lom bard street. This
is now in the process of being widened six
feet, in order to make it a fitting connect
ing boulevard with Van Ness avenue.
Along Lombard street is direct course
into the beautiful Presidio. with no hills
intervening. 1t is practically one long,
level drive until one reaches the
Presidio, with its magnificent chain OF
hills and its splendid driveways, which are
everywhere being extended and widened.
"While the feeling is one of gratitude, -
said Herbert E. Law. president of the Van
Ness Improvement Club. yesterday, "that
the Supervisors have taken such active and
intelligent effort in this direction. yet it is
Immediately succeeded by the wonder how
city so naturally beautiful, with SO much
wealth and so cosmopolitan in its char
acter, inhabited so largely by people who
have travelled and visited the most beauti-
full sections of the earth, should have been
allowed so long to assume the character OF
busy workshop, as it were, with merely
few avenues for residence.
''It would seem as though the first con.
sideration had been given to trade and the
beautfying of the residence section of the
City was adjusted as merely convenience
that one might have stopping place while
laboring. We have often urged against
our wealthy people investing elsewhere
against the accumulation of money in San
Francisco and its investment in New York
and other large cities, and yet we can
hardly blame them when we for q moment
glance over the apathy with which we
have allowed ourselves to drift into state
of neglect and indifference. We certainly
cannot keep people who admire and honor
our City and invest their money here if we
give them no evidence of prosperity, no as
surance of activity, no guarantee of return
from their investment.
Even cultured boston, on her and per
cent basis, finds ample money with which
to improve. Several millions of dollars
are to-day being spent in Boston. large
tracts of land are being bought up and
turned into beautiful parks and delightful
driveways. Is it a wonder that people
prefer to invest in such places-that they
prefer to live there? Should not our City,
indeed. be a city of SO much attraction
from an esthetic standpoint as to make it
desirable to live in, as we'll as desirable
from commercial standpoint?
ut must be remember that people are
very largely influenced by the pleasurable
surroundings, almost as much so as by
the commercial advantages. While other