The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-07

OAKLAND, Aug. 6.-Attention of the
real estate men in Oakland has been
directed principally of late to the con-
vention of the California state realty
federation. which will open in this city
funds ever collected for convention
in Oakland has been gathered through
the efforts of William ]. Laymance.
The money raised, amounting to be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000. will be spent
in entertaining the delegates to the
convention during the three days ses-
sion here.
The entire city has shown a DISPOSE
ton to contribute lavishly to the en-
tertainment fund. but the local real
estate men preferred to contribute the
money themselves, with the result that
practically none of it came from out
side sources.
We figured that this convention be-
longed to u.s. said Laymance today,
land we are all taking personal pride
in financing it. We could have raised
thousands of dollars by going to people
in other lines of business, but we pre-
ferred TO do the entertaining with our
own money and so it all came from
the real estate men,
HEADED FOR OAKLAND
From present indications it looks
as if about half the real estate men
in California will be headed toward
Oakland next week. The committee in
charge Of the convention arrangements
is hourly receiving responses to the in
vitations sent out to the real estate
men of the state, and it is now an
assured fact that the coming conven-
ton will be larger by several hundred
delegates than any ever held before in
California. Arrangements have been
made to accommodate between 500 and
600 guests at the banquet to be held
Thursday night, the opening night of
the convention, in the Scottish Rite
cathedral
Oakland men who attend the banquet
will be required to purchase tickets,
but all OF the visiting delegates will
be the guests of the local delegation.
In addition the program of entertain
ment includes automobile rides about
the bay section, steamer ride on the
bay a luncheon at Piedmont park. and
visiting ladies. Maple hall has been
selected as the scene OF the conven
ton, and the three days session will
be held there. The initial business
session will be held Thursday morning.
PUMPING PLANT COMPLETE
Oakland's first salt water pumping
station, located in The Willows" on
the west shore of Lake Merritt, is now
practically complete and the machinery
is being installed. The building, which
| Is of the old Spanish mission type of
architecture. is constructed of rein
forced concrete, with clay tiled roof.
1t contains two of the largest and most
powerful gas engines now in use,
which Will pump the water into the
fire mains. When the new system is
in operation 1t will be possible to
throw four streams of water at one
time over the highest building on
Broadway with the ordinary pressure
from the pumping station.
A strong illustration of the phenom-
email advance made in CITY real estate
values during the last few years is
found in the sale of the Pythian block
at the southeast corner of Twelfth and
Franklin streets, last week to E. A.
Whitaker, a Salt Lake capitalist. for
1925 900. In 1859 the same property
was sold in the settlement of an es-
tate for $4,000. It will be seen that
the value has increased more than $50
per cent in 90 years.
WILL INCREASE VALUES
The work of preparing Franklin
street for the new pavement to be laid
from Seventh to Fourteenth streets is
now actually under way and basalt block
cutters, resting on concrete founda-
tions, are now being laid. The street
will be paved with a concrete founda-
ton. topped with bitumen. The street
Improvement will add largely to real
estate frontage values, not only in
Franklin street, but on the tributary
thoroughfares.
The Western Pacific's freight distrib-
uting depot. in the north side of Third
street, between Alice and Harrison, is
practically finished and will be ready
for use as soon as the spur tracks are
laid. The concrete walls of the new
passenger depot are up and a large
force of carpenters is at work on the
framework in the interior. The build
ing will be completed within two
months.
One Of the most pretentious build
| ings on which work has recently been
begun in Oakland is the three and a
half story fat building now being con-
structed at the northwest corner of
Eleventh and Madison streets by r. J.
Pavert. The building when complete
will cost 10000.
BANK CLEARINGs INCREASE
The bank clearings for the last week
were $2,03S,702: for the corresponding
week in 1908 they were 1891, Apo. This
increase is made more significant by
the following table of comparative
bank clearings for 1908 and 1909, COM