The San Francisco call., 1906-05-24
Dupont Street Property
Owners to Beautify
Chinatown.
Decide to Build on Old
Site in Way That
Dazzles.
Say Quarters VIII Be
One Of Worlds Great
Show Places.

If the Dupont Street Improvement
Association is able to carry out its
plans as set forth at an earnest meet
ing at the residence of Samuel Dusen-
berry, 1892 Pacific avenue, yesterday
afternoon, there will soon be a new
and greater Chipatown in the old
location.
After Chairman A. D. Keyes had ex-
plained that the purpose of the meet
ing was to make emphatic the fact
that Chinatown must rebuild where
1t was and that nobody has the power
TO prevent the Chinese from holding
their own property and acquiring
more within the bounds of the his
toric Chinatown, there was some dis
cusSion of the street plans recon-
mended by the citizens committee of
forty. These plans were approved
with the one amendment that 1t was
the sense of the meeting that if Du-
pont street be widened it be from
the west, with no jog at the east
side thereof, as proposed.
secretary r. S. Browne introduced
resolution voicing the plans of At
torney Henry Z. Monroe to the pur-
pose that the new Chinatown should
be model Oriental city, a thing of
beauty constructed along uniformly
harmonious lines. The resolution was
n. y.
Browne, w. H. Humphreys and Henry
Z. Monroe to work out the plans in
detail for consideration at subse-
ouent meeting of the association.
Mr.. Monroe said. in advocating the
new Chinatown, that the eyes of the
world would be on san Francisco, as
never before, and that 1t would be
we'll to show the public that the own
ers Of property in Chinatown are TAX
ing the initiative in the movement for
better things. Continuing, he said:
The new Chinatown must become
one OF the great and picturesque fea-
lures of the new San Francisco. We
must overlook nothing in the sanitary
and ornamental construction Of the
Oriental city under contemplation
When Commercial street is widened to
the bay and when the boulevards and
winding driveways contemplated by
the committee of forty are made
there will be marvellous drive which
strangers can take, and that drive will
embrace Chinatown.
The Chinese and the owners of
property are a unit in the idea that
the reconstructed Oriental quarter
must be distinctive and imposing. If
the Oriental cities at worlds fairs
are uniformly the most interesting
features, how much more imposing
and interesting will be the new China
town with its distinctively Oriental
facades and, odd architecture. This
will delight the Chinese. be credit
TO the, city and bring greater profits
TO the owners of property"
Charles Hirsh was for the plan of
beautiful Oriental city. He said
there was no possibility that China
town would ever again become any,
thing else than Chinatown It was
not of the character to attract Amer
leans as residence section He want
ed the public to understand fully that
the owners of property and the Chi
nese were determined to build such a
section of San Francisco as would be
not only a credit, but place of rare
and unique interest to the public at
large, to the travellers of the world.
Charles Harris favored the abolition
of Merchant street, which he said
had no excuse for existence. as it was
mere alley separating a short block
into two sections He proposed to
give the 35 feet of that street to
Washington street, which he thought
should be made wide thoroughfare.
The meeting adjourned subject to
the call of the chairman.