The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-24

San Francisco is the key to
the Pacific. In England, people
have often asked your CORE
spondent in amazement: Are
they really building San Fran
cisco? Why haven't they moved
1t somewhere eIse?" The reply
is, There is nowhere else for it
to be situated. The geography
of the world demands a great
city at San francisco. As is
well known, all the western
coast of both North America.
and South America is peculiar
~ lacking In harbors. There is
scarcely a port worthy of. the
name within 600 miles of San
Francisco, north or south; but
the Golden gate at San Fran
cisco gives in all weather safe
entrance between its towering
cliffs to one of the finest land
locked harbors of the whole
world. Within there is anchor
age extending 80 miles or more
along either arm OF the bay.
At the head of the eastern arm
is the outlet Of two navigable
rivers, the Sacramento and the
San Joaquin, which together
drain for 700 miles CALIFORNIA;
greatest valley empire, whose
fabulous wealth is known TO all
the world.
Natural Advantages
This alone demands city at
San Francisco. But when we
consider that itJis the natural
meeting place for the trade of
the gold mines OF Alaska, the
timber and grain of the Pacific
northwest, the tropical fruits
OF Hawaii, and the cattle of the
southwest, we see still further
the necessity of a city within
the Golden gate. In addition,
the opening of the Panama
canal will make San Francisco
the distributing center for the
trsde of Europe with the west
ern states OF America in the
same way that New York is
for the eastern states. Another
fact not commonly known is
that the shortest route-that
following the great circle-be-
tween Panama and, Yokohama
or Shanghai passes within a
few hours journey Of San
Francisco The distance from
San Francisco to Yokohama is
1856 miles, and TO Panama s.2T7,
total of 1913 miles from
Panama to Yokohama via San
Francisco, while the shortest
possible route is 1850 miles,
which is but 1913 miles shorter.
San Francisco is the one port
of call in the long journey from
Panama TO the orient, and as
that trade Increases she must
reap a rich harvest. We thus
see why the people of San
Francisco are willing to risk
everything In the rebuilding of
their city. One of the great
cities of the world must be
located .on that harbor. and
there is no other spot within
reach of the harbor any less
subject to earthquake than the
present site. Engineers de-
clare. on the other hand, that
the city can be made earth
quake proof. If properly con
structed
Abundance of Capital
IT is because OF these natural
advantages Of which / have
spoken that during the last
half century so much wealth
has accumulated in the city.
By reason OF that wealth alone
could the recovery from the
recent disaster have been so
rapid The assessed valuation
of the city in 1906 was $685.
136,742; in 1908 it had increased
TO s454 ,332.S20. The bank clear
ings in 1906 were 81 1871, 175,374;
in 1907 they reached a total OF
$3.50 ,662,114. The import du-
ties, which In 1866 were
$7,424.196. increased In 1918
to s10.144,0I0. This volume of
business is very large for
city of less than 100000 in
habitants, and it has steadily
increased since the fire, as
these figures show. What is
of interest here is that this
trade has accumulated wealth
enough for San Francisco capt.
talists 10 rebuild the city with
their own money. OF the enor-
nous sum that has been spent
on building operations in the
last two and half years,
only about $4,000, 900 has come
from the outside. The reason
for this is that until recently
eastern capitalists were I'M
willing TO trust their money
here, while the people ON the
spot not only had faith in the
future OF the city, but they
had money, made here, suf-
ficient to back up their faith.
The money received from
the insurance companies was
largely spent in temporary re-
pairs. and, IL we are to believe
report, in diamonds and auto
mobiles; for a great wave of
extravagan seems to have
set in during the first year
after the catastrophe. The
greater part of the funds for
the reconstruction came from
stored up capital. which had
been lent in other western
cities. and even in New York,