The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-17

LIFE HISTORY.
Remarkable Record
Of r. n. McDon-
AIDS Agent.

OAKLAND, Nov. 16.-The central fig
ure in the early history of Oakland was
| Horace w Carpenter He was its first
Mayor, but prior to his election TO that
| office he had laid the foundation for
more than a generation of legislation
and litigation by acquiring the immense
water front of this city.
In 1851 Carpenter made his appear
ance in Oakland. He came from San
Francisco, where he had been practic-
ing law-and with him came A. ]. Moon
and Edison Adams, triumvirate whose
influence on the city that has since
grown up is manifest to this day. At
that time the San Antonio redwoods
were resounding to the noise of hun
dreds of axes and tens Of sawmills and
pits. These men saw at once that an
immense fortune could easily be made
by acquiring vast tracts of land. They
started in to acquire it and were so
successful that they soon owned the
town"-not figuratively but literally.
Moon and Adams have long since gone
to their last account. Carpenter soon
went into business and on August 4,
1851, if is recorded that the Court of
Sessions of Contra Costa (now Ala
medal County granted license to H.
W. Carpenter and A. Moon to run a
ferry from Contra Costa in the
Township Of San Antonio to the city
of San Francisco" the tariff being fixed
as follows:
For one person, 81; for one horse. 50;
wagon. s.; for neat cattle, per head, So;
for each hundredweight, 80 cents; for each
sheep, 81; for each hog, 81.
This little ferry which was the first
transportation monopoly in the State
was such a success that Mr.. Carpen-
tier decided TO have another monopoly.
He sent to the court the following
proposition:
COUNTY OF ALAMEDA, June 6, 1853.
/ hereby propose to complete the bridge
across the creek known as San Antonio
slough, opposite the residence of Messrs
Patton, on the following terms: The
bridge shall be commenced forthwith and
finished with expedition. will charge
rates, to wit: Each footman, IL
cents: horses, cattle. etc, each % cents;
drawn by one or two animals, 30
cents, and other things in like proportion.
Said bridge shall be free from taxation
or assessment. / will surrender said
bridge to the county, to, be made a free
any time within twelve months n their
pa yrnent TO me of the original cost of it's
together with interest there
finished from bank to bank This PROPOSE
tioh to be binding on its. acceptance by
the Court of Sessions of Contra Costa
County. II. w. CARPENTER.
This proposition was accepted. and
the first Twelfth-street bridge was
built.
Thesp two monopolies had a twist
like effect on CARPENTER, and he longed |
to own Ahe harbor as he practically did |
the town To do this it would be neces-
sary thai the Legislature pass bill |
allowing The incorporation of the town |
of Oakland. Carpenter, as an Assem-
biyrnan, would have no difficulty in
getting such a bill passed. so he set
about having himself elected to the
Iegislature4 The election was held on
March &C. 1853, and the returns should
make a modern political manipulation
blush.
The candidates were Horace W. Car
oentier of Oakland, Robert S. Farrelly
If 'Squatterville" or San Lorenzo, and
B. r Holiday of Martinez. The cleo
lion was subsequently contested in the
Assembly. but II shows, not only an
dea of what the voting strength of
he district was then, but also throws
light upon the manner in which cleo
ions were carried on. The highest
aumber OF votes were polled by Mr..