The San Francisco call., 1898-04-02
NEW CEMETERY
 FOR BERKELEY Peralta Park to Be Trans formed Into a Bury
 ing Ground.
Seventy Two Acres, Com manding a Beautiful View
 of the Bay, Secured.
The Work of Preparing the Grounds and Building a Crennatory to
 Begin at Once.

Berkeley and it's environs are to have one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the State. Several months ago articles of incorporation of the new company were filed in Oakland, and since then the work of securing suitable site has been in progress. The company is composed of well-known capitalists, who guaran teed all the funds necessary for the pur- chase of land.
 After mature deliberation Peralta Park and adjoining properties were decided up- on as the most suitable location, and the company has already purchased the whole of Peralta Park, consisting of twenty-six acres, and an adjoining tract of forty six acres, formerly owned by the Bella View Homestead Association, making seventy-two acres secured already. There is still another tract of twenty-two acres. held by the Sacramento Bank, which the company is negotiating for with every prospect of success. When that is Se- cured 1t will give total of ninety-four acres in one of the most beautiful local ities in California.
 Lying on the western slope of the Con- tra Costa hills it is directly opposite the Golden Gate, and commands panoramic view of the bay, islands and San Francis co and the Marin shores. A gentle slope toward the bay gives 1t ample drainage, and it is the intention of the company to proceed at once with the laying out of the grounds.
 For that purpose the landscape gardener who had charge of Cypress Lawn Ceme- tery has been engaged, and will be given carte blanche to arrange the drives, walks, plats and floral banks as he sees fit.
 The company has money enough on hand to build handsome gate at the en- trance to the grounds and to complete the walks and drives, and bonds will be issued shortly for the purpose of erecting crematory second to none in the United States.
 Several societies, including tho Masons and Knights of Honor, besides a large number of private individuals, have al ready subscribed for plats in the new cemetery, and 1t is the aim of the com pany to dispose of lots and plats at price that will not be a tax upon the average citizen. At present all the cem- eteries in the vicinity of the bay charge the most exorbitant rates for plats, the prevailing prices per square foot being almost equal to those for the choicest To- cations on Market street in the neighbor- hood of the Claus Spreckels building. Besides, the new company will make sweeping cuts in the rates for incinera- ton. The fixed price at all the crema- tories now is $50, while at the East such service is performed for s10 to $15. The Peralta Park Association, as soon as its crematory is constructed, will fix the price somewhere near the Eastern rates.
 The need of another cemetery has long been manifest on the east side of the bay. At present the only repository of the dead anywhere near Oakland is Mountain View Cemetery, which must also answer for a large part of Contra Costa County, as well as Berkeley, Alameda and Oakland. Mountain View is entirely inadequate to meet the demands, even though the rates for plats and single lots have been ad- vanced to the highest figures. The Berke- ley cemetery will be more convenient for corteges from Contra Costa, as we'll as a thickly settled portion of Alameda Coun- ty. It is expected that the grounds will be laid out and ready for the reception of bodies within a few months.