The San Francisco call., 1910-12-31

Oakland and Antioch railway, which
will be completed 10 Concord and Wal
nut Creek by February 1, viii open up
an interior country Of great richness.
Few persons have any idea of the
great valley of Contra Costa county
that lies just east of the Berkeley
hills. 1t reaches from Suisun bay
southwark to Mount Diablo for a dis
tance OF 80 miles and has a varying
width Of 10 10 Is miles.
Up to the present time this has been
mostly a grain country, farmed in
tracts Of several hundreds or thou
sands OF acres.
But with the building of the electric
road ii win make this rich valley as
accessible TO San Francisco and Oak
land as Marin county and the penin-
sula districts, and a marvellous trans
formation is taking place.
Here and there, around Walnut
Greek and Concord. vineyards and or
chards Of walnut trees, olives, prunes,
pears, spricots, figs and even oranges
have sprung up proving what can be
done in fruit culture under the favor
able conditions of rich soil and genial
climate.
POPULATION OF VALLEY
At the present time the total popu-
1stion Of this Wiley is 10000 to $4,000,
including Martinez and Bay point, with
the large manufacturing plants along
the bay front The population of the
richest parts Of the valley, up toward
the hills, is only 5000 or 1000.
Yet this great valley is capable of
supporting as concentrated a popula-
tion as exists in any part of the world.
The principality Of Schwartzburg, Ru-
dolstsdt, Germany, with an area of 333
.rr-c fI-- --r-r
hsbitants.
This valley country, Just over the
Berkeley hills. has an area of from
$50 TO 500 square miles, depending on
how high the cultivable line is carried
UP on the hills, yet it has thus far
but one-tenth the population of the
little German prlncipalltY.
The duchy Of SaXe-Altenburg, Ger
many, with 511 square miles, has a
popWation Of 205,0o0
This part Of Contra Costa county,
with its prospect of great manufactur-
ing and seaport cities along its water
front, and the agricultural possibilities
Of its upper valley, has far greater ca
pacity for supporting a dense pOpula-
tion than the duchy OF Saxe-Altenburg.
Hitherto The Berkeley hills, rising to
2 height OF 1,5o0 feet. have acted as an
slmost insuperable barrier to the prog
ress Of the valley beyond. The Oak
a6IQ ana -AILiOt0 electric railroad VIII
change this condition 1t viii place
Concord and Walnut Creek within As
minutes Of Oakland and about an hour
from San Francisco.
II will bring the Walnut Creek and
Lafayette districts within practically
The same zone Of travel as is san Ra-
ssel, Burlingsme and San Mateo.
An Is mile air line radius drawn
from the ferry house at the foot of
Market street passes just this side of
We slnut Creek
The electric road is destined to be
new suburban feeder to san Fran
cisco and all the bay cities, annexing
not only a large population, but bring
ing The products of the rich valley
TO feed the people Of the cities.
The tracks Of the new electric road
are now being laid southwark from
Bay Point 70 Concord BY about Febru-
ery the oh1cials Of the road say cars
will be running into Walnut Creek
The portion of the road from Walnut
creek 10 Oakland viii be the last to
pe nnisheo- owing to the mountain
grading and trestle work that will
have TO be done
The road VIII rise to an altitude of
LOO feet and pass through the county
road tunnel which was built years
over the hills
Aside from being a means of u,sclr
end cheap transportation both for nas-
Eengers and freight the new rosd
promises 70 be a popular scenic route
Tor tourists, and for the whole urban
population around the bay.
After getting an unsurpassed view 80
the cities and bay, the sightseers nil
be confronted with an equally imnree-
.<fve sight on the eastern slope. Monn+
Diablo. which forms the southern vaIi
or the valley, rises nearly 1000 feet
high. and is spectacular in the ex
.9reme.
The broad valley that spreads out to
the northward is as pretty as a park
Ridges and rolling hills, dotted with
oak trees. diversity the scene. Grain
fields and orchards here and there en-
hance the pastoral beauty Of the view,
while the pretty villages OF Walnut
Greek and Concord add the human
1ouch that makes the picture complete.
FIVE VALLEYS MERGE
This great valley bears six different
names in its various parts-the san
Ramon. the IgnaciO, the Clayton. Al
hambra, Nassau and Pacheco. But the
smaller valleys merge so fmpercept-
fbly together that they all form prac-
tically one geographical division.
The pretty towns Of Walnut Creek
and Concord have each about 1000 in
babitants New townsites have been
laid out az both places by the R. n.
burgess company, which predicts that
with the advent Of the electric road
these two centrally located towns will
lake on hew life. They will become
suburbs ef Oakland and san Francisco
as soon as The electric line is in opera
ton throughout its entire length.
The electric line viii finally be ex-
tended northw-ard and eastward to Bay
Point and Antioch and thence will