The San Francisco call., 1910-09-17

Perhaps the readers Of The Can re-
member the time, seven years ago, when
? little car on the Fulton street line
~occa sionaIly made . trip over the hill"
from the Chutes to Twenty-fourth
avenue The motorman on this loneliest
setion OF q great system was also the
cbnductor. and. for all practical pur-
poses. the superintendent and general
manager. Sometimes business picked
up and the car would actually carry a
passenger.
4. Al Twenty-fourth avenue the dilapi-
dated tracks came 10 an abrupt end. A
= high board wall was built across the
street and painted thereon in huge size
and IN rudy colors was the rotund
moon face Of the then proprietor of the
nearby roadhouse-the only building In
sight.
:. Except on the maps, that was the end
of Fulton street. On the other side OF
the adorned board wall was sand
drifting hills Of sandal along the
line OF Fulton street for a quarter Of
"a hundred blocks.
AT various points these hills rose to
substantial heights. reaching at For
70 feet above the street grade-a for
:Tnidable barrier against the develop
.naent OF one of the most lightly sections
OF the city, for ii was plain TO all who
.studied the situation that the develop
~lIrent Of the slope 10 the north of the
park. frorl Twenty avenue to
-the beach, must come. if al ali, through
the building of a highway wheFe the
sand hills held their shifting sway
.-1lOnr- the line nf EulfOn street
:" in the year 1904 d few property
.oEners Of the sand dune section north
:Qf: the park held a conference. Sub
seQUently a general meeting was called
.'r6sulting in the organization of the
..Sutro Heights Improvement club'-so
5sslbed because that famous resort over
D-Tks the westerly portion of the sec
.rfoh involved The first president OF
.8le club was the late William H Al
lord. the secretary was Charles King.
To open Fulton street through to
he beach was the clubs first slogan.
The supervisors listened TO the earnest
appeals made on behalf Of the project.
an appropriation was made to pay for
s-le citvs portion of the work, and in
due course OF time contract was let
TO grade the street as far west as
Z thirty fifth aVenue-within - blocks
-.0f the beach.
- The contractor delayed. as contrac-
+fCrs usually delay. but in the spring of
1895 the work undertaken was COM
piete and the roadway was finished to
the avenue named. directly opposite
Spreckels lake which heretofore could
-only be reached through the park.
PLAN FOR CUT
Plans were next laid to finish the cut
in. Flaton street through 10 the beach.
Then came the great confagration of
1905, and with il the demora Iization of
SlI projects OF this nature. For many
.mlonths the members of the Sutro
leights club held no meetings. They
were too busy otherwise.
IN the spring Of 1907 the desire for
progress and achievement again as
serted itself A meeting Of the club
was called and reorganization effected
Edmond GodchauX was chosen presi-
dent and Charles NJ. Stoltz secretary
These men are still the clubs officers
= Again the Fulton street project was
taken up Earnest efforts were fol-
slowed by substantial results. and todsy
one may stand on the highest Fulton
street ground at Twentieth avenue and
.fgleinE straight to the west. gaze or
- blue waters Of the Pacific at the
end Of the road. 30 blocks away. No
stretch Of roadway on the peninsula
equals this unbroken slope of almost
two miles; and when the skies are clear
and ocean steamers glide across the
.vision directed TO the west, the sight
IS one for q painters brush or a poets
dream.
!: The next great object of the club was