Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-05-18
San Francisco's Rebuilding.
GOING ON AT AN ASTONISHING PACE
LOS ANGELES ALSO BOOMING.
California Letter in New York Sum-

California Letter In New York Sum-
The most remarkable feature OF the
past year In California, and that which
promises most for 1909 Is the rebuilding
Of San Francisco. This colossal work Is
going on at pace which astonishes all
who view it, and not the least wonderful
part of 1t is that the wooden buildings In
value equal those of brick, stone and
concrete. For 1908 the total amount In
building was s34, OLE, 27S, a material fall
ing off from the previous year. The
total amount spent in reconstruction OF
San Francisco since the fire Is Sl18, 1872
5S1, but this represents only the con.
tract price of new buildings. At least
10 per cent must be added for increased
cost of construction because of abnormal
conditions in labor and materials, bring
Ing up the total to $12S,000, 900. This
enormous sum expended for labor and
building materials has made San Fran
cisco one of the busiest places in the
country.
In year materials were very high
and labor commanded exorbitant rates;
then there was decline and to-day 1t is
asserted that building can be done
cheaper than before the fire.
Although there is less new construc.
ton in the burned district of San Fran.
cisco than a year ago, the building per-
mits issued since the beginning Of the
year show that the year will surpass
1908. One reason for this prophecy Is
that the local banks and large eastern
trust and insurance companies have re.
Gently showed readiness to loan property
for rebuilding. During the first two
years after the fire the local banks were
very conservative in loans, so that those
who were carrying large mortgages when
the fire came were unable to rebuild, as
their insurance money all went to the
banks. Now the conditions that pre-
vailed before the fire have returned.
The result is that hundreds of vacant
| lots in the burned district will be built
on before the end of the year.
The character of the new buildings Is
much superior to the old; there Is a
large percentage of class A structures,
which survived both earthquake and fire,
and the class B aud C structures are
more solidly built. What has given
great impetus to rebuilding is the
prompt rentals of most of the stores and
Office buildings erected on the main
streets.
Los Angeles holds the same relation
to southern California that San Francisco
does to the northern and central part Of
the state and its growth and develop
ment has been even more extraordinary
than that of San Francisco. Its build
ing record shows $40, 900 invested In
new structures last year. The feature of
this building is the development of
suburban home colonies aud residence
districts inside the city limits. In most
of these places lots are sold with re-
strictions on the cost of building. The
result is the most beautiful suburban
residence parks in any city in this coun-
try. Los Angeles has just begun active
work on the great Owens River aque-
duct, which is to bring pure water $40
miles across desert and mountain at a
cost of S23,000,000. This is the greatest
engineering work that will be carried on
in California this year.
The most wonderful development of
any section of California is that of the
Imperial valley, in the southeastern part
of the state. This was formerly part Of
the Colorado desert, a barren tract
Stunned by man and beast. By the in
PRODUCTION of water system from the
Colorado river it has been converted into
fertile valley that rivals the Nile delta
in productiveness. The area of the val
ley is 400, 900 acres; it has 600 miles of
canals. Though only three years under
cultivation it has 56,S16 acres of alfalfa
and 5000 acres in cantaloupes. 1t bids
fair soon to supply the whole country
with muskmelons.