The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-10-09
STANFORD HOME SITE
WILL BRING FORTUNE

SAN JOSE, Sept. so.-7Judge Hy-
land 5 decision granting the trustees
Of stanford University permission 70
sell the site of the Stanford Mansion
in San Francisco, has aroused interest
throughout the State. There are few
Californians TO whom the historic old
mansion on the crown Of Mob Hill was
not a familiar sight, before the big
fire.
In the early COS, when Leland Stan
ford was War Governor of California,
he once climbed to the top Of Mob Hid,
and standing where he later built his
city mansion, he. remarked with Il
prophetic sweep of the hand; - can
see in the future great railroads cross
ing this continent and making this
city their objective, and I can see the
ships Of all maritime nations coming to
trade with this port
The men that heard him thought the
Governor was dreamer. But only a
few years after he himself did much
toward building and completing the
first transeontinental railroad. He
bought that very half block on Mob
Hill and built there what was in those
days magnificent mansion. The high
retaining walls on the Powell and the
Pine street sides repeatedly gaze way
till Stanford put his railroad engineers
to work to devise wall that would
hold. And the wall that was then con-
strneted stands today without a single
crack or even a stone impaired.
In that Mob Hill mansion Leland
Stanford Jr. was born, and that fact
hallowed the house for the Stanfords.
When Senator Stanford died it was his
wish, later voiced by Mrs. Stanford in
deciding the property to the University,
that the residence should never be
used as a clubhouse or for any undig-
nitied purpose.
During more than a dozen years after
the completion of the railroad the stan
ford mansion was the scene of some Of
the most important social events in
California. The mansion became a
storehouse Of art treasures from ali
over the world Only once was it ever
opened TO the students of the Univer-
sity, and that was in the spring OF 1895
when Mrs. stanford give a great re-
ception there to the first graduating
class, the class that then it was feared
might also be the last, as the Govern
ment was suing the University for
sI5,00O,ooo incident TO some old rail |
way claims.
In the great fire Of April, 1906, the |
mansion was swept complete |
" of the ridge and its spacious yelxety
lawns were turned black as bitumen-
Art treasures valued at s550.00o we're
destroyed with the building. The en-
ire property loss is said to have been
4
y, POO, 900.
1t had been the intention of the
Stanfords to have the mansion used
Is sort Of postgraduate reference
library for advanced students doing
Peeial research work, but during Mrs.
stanford s lifetime she was TO retain
he use OF it as town residence.
Financially the fire was not disas-
rous thing to Stanford University; it
vas a bit Of good fortune, measured
urely from the money aspect. The
lansion could not be used fer its /
peeifc purpose; the taxes were very ]
eavy; there was no income. Then The
ouse with its sentimental associations
isaPpeared, and a possibility was sud-5
emily presented to the trustees. They
light be able to sen the land and in
est the proceeds in paying securities
THAT the land is worth is net :
nown, probably considerably more q
IAN $500, 900. d