The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-09

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug Sex Mayor
AAaoipih1 n, Sutro died this morning. He had
peen Ill Tor long time nervous troubles
lncapacltating him for business. While his
death had been expected for some time il
came as great shock to the community.
Adolph Sutro was called the Grand Old
Man of the Pacific Coast Tall and
straight as pine tree his white hair and
his side whiskers with but tinge of black,
he was picturesque figure. Sutro was
rich-how rich he himself hardly knew;
but he owned one-tenth Oh the area of San
Francisco county. He was born in Aix-la-
Chapelle, near the River Wurm, in Rhenish
Prussia, one of eleven children. His father
was manufacturer of cloth. In this call
ing Adolph was early initiated. After the
revolution of 1S4S the mother, by this time
widowed, brought her brood to New York,
landing in 1850, in the same year reeching
Baltimore. Adolph caught the gold fever
and was soon on the Pacific coast, where he
remained constantly until his death, ex-
cepting for trips abroad, during which he
visited all the civilized countries.
Fame and fortune came to Sutro through
the Comstock tunnel which bears his name,
an enterprise which he conceived and car
ried out in the face of opposition that would
have discouraged and crushed another man.
The tunnel was begun in 1864 and completed
in 1878, and then Sutro was a millionaire
BY judicious investments his wealth
steadily increased. He was of luxurious
tastes, and gathered about him treas
ures of art to enrich his home, Sutro
Heights, and made it beautiful with rare
vegetation. He despised capitalists who
seemed to him to combine against the peo-
pie, and this the keynote of his great
popularity. The baths adjacent to Sutro
Heights are undoubtedly the finest and
most spacious in the modern world, and a
81 900, 0C0 hotel has been added to the prop
erty. 1t his lavish expenditure on
great enterprises and his opposition to the
Southern Pacific that made Sutro the object
of the peoples admiration.
Sutro was nominated some years ago by
the PopuliStS to make the run for mayor
of San Francisco. He had five competitors
in the field-Mayor Elert, Independent and
Republican nominee for reelection; a Dem
ocrat, an irresponsible agitator of strength
among a class, a Socialist Labor candidate
and a Prohibitionist. Ellert was supposed
to be certain of election. But Sutro kept at
work, and the A. p. A. came in to indorse
him, although he was born abroad Sutro' s
great card was his opposition to the South
ern Pacific monopoly. Sutro Heights had
been formed by him into magnificent pub
lie park overlooking San Francisco bay.
But the Southern Pacific Company. con-
trolling the street-car lines to the heights,
charged double fare. Sutro tried to nave
the 1dre reduced 10 cents, and as the COM
pany stood firm he put board fence about
the heights and charged all persons coming
out by the street-car lines 25 cents admis-
sion and asked nothing from those COM
ing by other conveyances. Finally he got
a franchise to build new street-car line.
and when the Southern Pacific saw that he
really intended to build it came down to
his terms of five-cent fares. Then the fence
was torn down, and all the people shouted
over him as the first man ever TO beat the
Southern Pacific. None of the newspapers
had been supporting him for mayor, but
the tide at once began to set his way. Then
the old party bosses made new combina-
tions. But il was of no use. Sutro got
30676 votes. as against 26.200 for the other
candidates combined.
Ii was a source of much delight TO Mr..
Sutro to entertain strangers in California
When large parties of invited guests drove
out through Golden Gate Park they saw
him as they approached his house. riding
down on blooded horse. attended
by a groom, to greet the visitors:
and when they had inspected his grounds,