The San Francisco call., 1909-03-27
MILL VALLEY
BUSY TOWN IN
RUSTIC SETTING
Lying at Base of Mount Tamal-
pals, Its Surroundings
Are Delightful
But Forty Minutes From San
Francisco, With an AtmOs=
phere All It's Own

Nineteen years ago q beautiful val
ley ar the base or Mount Tamalpais
The grazing place OF herds Of cattle
was cut up into lots and sold, and
today the board OF trustees Of Mill
VALLEY are called upon 10 face street
problems. water problems and the thou
sand other questions which come be
fore the executive men who undertake
tne management Of q fourishing sub
urban town OF nearly 5000. Light and
water systems. railway systems. land
scape gardening. architecture. horicul-
ture and q score OF kindred subjects
occupy the minds OF commuters who
hurry from their ofices in san Fran
cisco TO their homes
2st 2 suburb which has been in ex-
- ence for nearly score Of years
should suddenly-in less than three
3esrs-double its population is re-
narksble. Notwithstanding the fact
thar taree years ago hundreds of san
Francis scans were driven from the city
20 seek shelter in out OF the way
places after the first year business in
the metropolis was on a Gairly sub
stantal basis and TO-DAY is perhaps do
ing greater volume OF trading than
i ever did before san Franciscans
r. Jhered back from surrounding towns
and temporary homes died down. but
NIL Valley gradualiy. though sub
srsntislly. increased I'm population. To-
day raere IS busy little town where
three Tea~s ago was ban a coZy village.
sort ~ refuge f0r tired bCsinessmeu
VINO cared TOO much for the rest and
comfort and the beauty which they
cC-ld ENJOY Al their homes. clustered d,
Tie base ~ Mount TalnGipais. to wanI
co. snare tlem with the whole OF San
Francisco.
T0nN HAS GOOD START
Formerly Nln Valley had to be dis
covered. lts fame had not been spread
orl alcast To-Day j. has been discoN-
cred. and Is is not too much 10 say tha'
t.re= years move viii bring as many
more people 10 the rown-not as casual
visitors and week enders. but as per
I.ai-ent property owners and permanent
rfstleLfs The word ~ mouth adVer-
leul--ahour the only kind which
4i Valley has received-has done its
share ~ TIE work; redwood forests.
klln- va ters- genial sun and balmy
a-r hare done and are Going theirs
The casual visitor TO Mil Valley in
FeFlaoiE remarks upOn the tone Of the
f-aee--a certain atmosphere. which is
r"t altogether directly due 10 the az
-~iir sCrroul0 0iugs- The stranger feels
? at nteliectEal people OF dlscrimina-
go p MAKE ii.e majority OF The
pf pi'ation And this is so, although
orertE values as al present held are
t-.t iizlef- c-- indeed, in many cases as
lizl. a. In many sections bordering the
metropolis where sqUalor or mediocrity
are -le rule.
INTELLIGENT PIONEERS
Tie reason is not far 10 seek. The
pioneers of The district were men of
means. leisure and taste. for in the
eeflF days of NIl Valley there was no
mite diDculty in reaching The place
and some sacrifice OF time was neces-
sarF 10 reach the haven which was
almost heaven TO busy men Of large
AFFAIRS Many world travellers settled
down here and brought all their
know ledge OF The Intellectual and art
c-hiers INTO practical use The nucleus
anus formed gathered around II ma
lerial of similar sort Birds Of a
feather flock together
Today no sacrifice Of time is neces-
sary ior one 10 live In Mill Valley.
Iorty-> minutes in boat and train brings
Tie busy man OF affairs from the tbick
~ the city into the balmy auietude Of
lls suburban home And although
properly values are no higher and
"-llding no more expensive than in
oiner suburbs, the prevailing class Of
residents Of Mil Valley is that of in
teilectual people Of moderate means
Nor is MIL Valley 10 be considered
purely as suburb in the usual sense
~ the term. which signifies a part Of a
city yet not belonging TO IT, In point
- convenience and accessibility It can
be considered as such. but there the re-
semblance ends for Mil Valley has an
Individuality ali Its own and no mari
of any city. Metropolitan businessmen (
become Min Nalleyites as soon as thew
board the Sausalfto boat Iandscane 4
gardening - 2 topic outranks stocks 4
or coupons. the price OF merchandise. or
the wage scale. The Mil ValIevfte fs I
2 man OF leisure and pastoral pursuits 4
when he steps of the ferry slip. In 4
tits fand this Is the real essence of I
tie feeling for country life) MIL Val 4
ley IS unique. and is not to be consid- 4
cred with other towns or suburbs o< 4
san Francisco bordering on the bav.
NEAR NATIONAL PARK
Muir redwoods, the new national
TX, VIII one day be the southwestern
y aouudary OF Mil Valley. for gradually
t1e coy bungalow. the artistic rose
covered cottage and the Swiss chalet
are creeping out in that direction and 4
a magnificent tract. Monte Vista. i'm
mediately joining the wood and con
taining within IL every conceivable type
81 building site has been opened up. and /
more than 100 lots sold From the
crest of the hin overlooking this val
icy the Pacific appears close at hand
Redwood groves are all through the
valley and clusters Or madronas and
oaks are scattered everywhere
The present town OF Mill Valley is
clustering at the base OF Mount Tamal-
pals and the surrounding foothills COW
cred with artistic trees and perhaps
fae most popular sites at present are
In the grove OF redwoods rising on the
lills above the old mill which gave the
town its name. From here OLD TamaI-
pais ia his haze OF cobalt blue IS a
continual delight 10 the eve and the
bal moi the fr and spruce trees IN the
valley below carry one hundreds Of
miles from the center Of the metro
politan hustle 40 minutes away.
The Tamslpsis rsiswag. which runs
up the crOokedest road in the world.
connects with the electric railway from
Sausalito at Mill Valley. and the trim
10 the summit OF the mountain. which