The San Francisco call., 1909-12-26

alike have reduced the interest rate on
the money that is needed for con-
structive purposes and thus they have
facilitated the further building of the
new San Francisco. Do not forget to
take that gift out with the others and
look at it seriously and with apprecia-
tion of what it means.
The highway on the north of Golden
Gate park for its whole extent out to
the ocean has been opened UP by the
construction Of a new line of United
Railroad tracks. simultaneously the
great highway on the south of Golden
Gate park has been graded and opened
up for the travel of vehicles. There
fore north and south of the city's great
playground a new period of activity
is ushered in. Great tracts of land have
their values strengthened and in
creased. Citizens have miles of addi-
tional available park frontage thrown
open for their uses. Therein the Rich
mond and Sunset districts have gifts
from the Christmas stocking.
The result of the election on the
question of municipal street railway
will not DE settled until after Christ
mas What the straphangers will do
in their own defense will be decided
at the polls before the new year
comes in.
The gift of adaptability to conditions
and ready action in the adoption of
means required TO meet emergencies
was bestowed upon San Francisco early
in the history of the argonauts In
1909 this fact has been shown by the
ease with which a large street that
was adopted as a business thorough
fare in the time, of stress and emer-
gency has Travelled in the direction to
meet a new order of things; and in the
readiness with which business in the
downtown districts has resumed its old
haunts and in the splendor of equip
ments and the magnificence of stocks
of goods which have greeted the gaze
of all visitors during the Christmas
week Market street and adjoining
streets have become more important
than ever before in their history
Van Ness avenue, from which many
of the retail business concerns were
moved, in the erection of several costly
structures and the promise of more
bids fair to realize its new destiny
amply That was great avenue when
it was lined with residences on both
sides; great when the regulars marched
down IL on their way to Cuba; great
when il resounded to the blare of trum-
pets and the march of many feet as the
First California regiment was off for
the Philippines: when it saw the Cali
fornia boys return from active service,
gaunt as greyhounds, as they passed
between the crowds Of spectators
great as the scene of pageants Incl
dental to. the coming and going of pres
idents of the United States, when the
entire thoroughfare burgeoned as thou
sands of children waved American
flags; great on that day in 1906 when
its beneficial width stayed the flames
that otherwise would have swept
through the Western addition; spectac-
ular when it became an avenue of re-
tail trade. It's realty is elastic in its
uses-elastic as is the spirit of the
people who have made it what it has
been and what it shall be.
THE TRIBUTARY TERRITORY
The Golden gate with its commerce,
the farms and orchards of California,
the mines in the mountains and along
the river courses, the industrial enter
prises of the entire Pacific coast, each
and all have made their gifts to San
Francisco. If it should be said that
the farms have earned $500 ,000, 900 for
products in addition to what the popu-
lation will consume; If it should be said
that the mine and mineral Industries
have added more than $50 000 900 to the
wealth of the people. and that the ex-
port and import trade have been worth
miIlions-all this would be true.
Back of all this as d beneficiary is
the realty of San Francisco, which.
while suffering periods of temporary
depression, will in term of years con-
ftnually advance as whole.