The San Francisco call., 1908-08-23
LOSES ALCATRAz
AND ANGEL ISLAND
Russian Hill Physician MOurns
Obstruction to View by
Prospective Abode
Artist CadenassO Refuses TO
Heed DR.. Moss Plea for
a Flat Roof

Il still shall have Tamalpais and
Berkeley" said DR.. J. Mora Moss, mus
ing Yesterday afternoon in the dining
,oor of his Russian hill residence, $50
Green street. But" he added sadly,
u shall lose Alcatraz and most or
Angel island
Or J. Mora Moss was not talking
Of vast estates that were fading from
his grasp. of baygirth principaities
which have been his and are not here
after so 10 be. He was commenting
on a triangle which is 10 be cut out OF
the view from his dining room window
by the prospective high peaked roof
which Guiseppf Cadenasso, the famous
California artist and man of good hu-
NOR. is planning to place on the top
Of the home he is building at II Lan-
coin street back to back with the }.
Mora Moss residence.
CadenassO will simply bisect, not de-
stroy, the J. Mora Moss prospect. He
viii not tamper with the vista to the
northwest. which includes the bay near
the Golden Gate and in the background
Mount Tamalpais; neither will the east
ern land and seascape, that includes
Goat island and Berkeley and the bay
between, be interfered with. But there
viii be void in the panorama Where
sullen Alcatraz should jut menacingly
above the blue Of the bay and where
the azure waters there win be heavy
timbers and shingles and an audaeious
japanese pagoda tower wrought of cor
rugated iron sticking thwart the vista.
ART SPURS OFFERS
Il is enough to cause DR.. Moss to
lean over the back fence and try TO
carry on negotiations with the artist
builder in the next lot.
But the negotiations so far have not
led Cadenasso to change his plans. He
IS prOpagandist of personal liberty.
clad in a blue smock, the artist was
the most energetic man about his en-
bryonic home yesterday afternoon.
I am building my own house" he
said Indicating the frame of the base
ment and first floor, which Is now in
place. Yes, DR.. Moss wanted me not to
build a high roof. Why--he offered me
$50 not to do SOL Fifty dollars-would
sell my soul, my liberty, for $780,
Would 1 give him right to claim my
roof2 Why, he might want to claim all
the air between me and the moon"
Cadenasso rumpledN his iron gray
hair in desperation at the prospect
but laughed withaL
When 1 refused the $50 offer he
raised it, but what could I do-could
sell my iberty2 1 am q Roman, but
not Of the kind that were conquered
going to shut out my sunlight. He
was going TO plant trees to put me il
the shadow-and then he offered m,
$50 for my liberty and my roof
ELIMINATES IN TOWER
The new home Of the famous Cali
fornia artist is being built from tn
drawings OF NJ u. Lyons, the architect
Il VIII have a 45 foot elevation, cul
ninating in a tower that viii hav
truly Nipponesque angles. From tn
tower the artist can survey San Fran
cisco bay from the Golden Gate to th'
Alameda shore.
DR. Moss said there was no con
trOversy between himself and Cade
nasso. II he would build a fat roo
Il would answer his purposes for roo
and would not interfere with my view
SO / thought that he should accede t
my request and not put up his peake,
roof without my making any payment
As il is, / shall lose my view of AIcat
raz island, and also of the foregroun,
below, but that is ugly and I won
miss it, and he pointed to the terri
tory that is between Union street an,
Meiggs wharf, which is not nearly s,
decorative as is the bay and the Maril
and Alameda hills
The Moss house is one Of the colon,
OF patrician mansions that are clus
tered on the top of Russian hill be
tween Taylor and Jones streets. Liv
ingstone jerks, Willis Polk, Mrs May
born and others have topped the emf
nence with splendid residences, an
Hiram W. Johnson is building a hom
that VIII have an unrivaled view Wit
Guisseppi Cadenasso obliteratinE a tri
angle Of vista from one Of the grou
the colony is apt to be aroused to un
usual action. And Cadenasso paint
wonderful pictures and declares for
nigh roof and personal liberty.