The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-25
THE PANHANDLE EXTENSION.

THE extension OF the panhandle TO Market
street seems to be practically assured At first
there was latent fear expressed in some quar-
ters that it would simply furnish heightened drive
way for opuent citizens at the expense OF the COM
munty. But it is clearly understood that, OF all
classes OF people they will derive the least bene-
fit from the improvement The chief arguments in
its favor, which generally comprehended that
it will beautify large and interesting section of our
territory, principally occupied by residences; that it
will be a connecting link between the mass of our
population and one OF the finest resorts in the world
and that it will so difuse the knowledge of arts
tic civilization raise San Francisco this con-
tinent to the same commanding position that Paris
occupies in Europe.
There is hardly person OF any nationality, sex or
age in this city who has not visited Golden Gate
Park, and yet there are very few who have an ade-
quate conception of its of how greatly and
symmetrically it has been developed within twenty
six twenty-seven years The site alone which en-
braces 1904 acres, stretching for four miles from the
Bakersfield entrance to the ocean beach, is worth
probably couple OF millions OF dollars The diver
sihed cultivation OF two-thirds of this area now com
pletey recovered from its natural bleakness with
such embellishments as the conservatories the
aviary the museum, the playhouse for children and
other ornamental structures too numerous to men
ton, represent much greater value. 1t may be
within our power to give closely approximated es-
innate OF the total amount OF this benefcent and
profitable investment But it is toleraby safe to as
that the sum total will not be less than from
six to eight millions. The public has had full
equivalent for every dollar that has been employed
TO create this magnificent landscape the verge OF
the continent and by the side of the almost bound
less stretch OF the Pacific.
The larger gifts that have been made for the bene-
If NV
sanitary its intellectual and its moral influence upon
the city and upon the State have been repeatedly de-
scribed in the press But it is not generally known
that in each year constant of lesser but use
fu and ornamental donations is poured into the avail
able resources OF the Commissioners. In the
Memorial Museum alone, which during its brief ex-
istence has been visited by million and half OF
people, few months ago there were Ak separate
articles, all of them attractive and many OF them
costly and magnificent In the last report of the
Park Commissioners five pages of print are filled
with the list OF presentations twelve months and
three pages with contributions of plants and
flowers to various institutions in the State In the
year that ended July 1907 the disbursements for the
park, every item OF which is accounted for aggre-
gated $4,000 S.
The extension OF the panhandle is absolutely es-
sentia 10 perfect connection between the park and
the crowded thoroughfares of this metropolis It's
cost will be a bagatelle compared with the imme-
diate benefits that it will secure not merely those
which cannot be computed in dollars, but in addi-
tons to property values. 1t roughly guessed
when The Call first advocated this plan for the gen
era welfare, that the property be condemned as
sessed at 100000 would involve public charge OF
three millions and half The prospect is that the
more detailed work now in progress will show a
considerable reduction in these figures. The imme-
date and visible profit will than balance the ex
penditure