The San Francisco call., 1910-01-08
SHOW FORESIGHT IN
REBUILDING OF CITY
Property Owners Erect High
Class Structures That Fur
nish Object Lesson
By JOHN T. HARMES
of Madison d Burke

We have been through a somewhat
novel experience during the period of
reconstruction. We had a city to re-
build, that is the most expensive part
of it, and we started on that task with
much less money derived from insur-
ance than the total cost in view. Our
streets were blocked with debris, our
ers were wrecked beyond repair. and
the status of titles to realty was un-
settled.
All those facts should be considered
and are considered by San Francisco
people, as they look around and see
what sort of city we have in those
portions that have been rebuilt The
chief lesson in that is one that relates
to the vitality of the city and the spirit
that has actuated its citizens.
BEST BUILDINGS DESIRED
Without pluck and foresight we
might have remained in poor condition
for a long while. But it was significant
that, after the period that immediat tely
followed the fire of 1906, when it was
necessary to put up temporary build
ings to enable us to carry on business
without interruption and to protect our
commercial interests against the COM
petition that was put up by the cities
a the north that seek to rival us, we
wanted the best.
A roster of the high class buildings
that have been constructed in the last
three years, together with description
of them, the statement of the cost in
volved in them and also a comparison
with their predecessors on the same
sites, would make good reading and
would convey a lot of information that
would cause the outsider to respect us
for what there is done, even more than
he does now
MORE ACTIVE THAN EVER
Now if you look around you will no
tice that the same impulse that caused
property owners to put up buildings
that cost large sums of money when
the insurance companies were furnish
ing a large part of the cost by the pay
ment of risks is still at work.
Market street is nearly reconstructed
for distance of more than a mile, and
on both sides of the street The retail
section off Market street, northerly and
extending out to Union square, is a
much finer section than any of US ex-
pected to witness in that vicinity, even
when the boom was on in 1906 and 1906.
take II IndL Wn3I we nave QOne COn-
tains the promise of what we shall do
Not only in a private capacity. but in a
public capacity we are more active than
ever before. This is proved by the
Twin peaks reservoirs which are about
to be constructed: by pumping stations
and neighborhood reservoirs; by the
higher class of school buildings that
have been erected for the grammar
grades and for one of the high schools;
by the approval that has been given TO
the plans for the Polytechnic high
school, that will cost with equipment
1000, 600; by the acquisition of the new
site for a splendid building to be
erected for the Lowell high school; by
the action of the citizens to secure a.
costly armory building at the foot of
Van Ness avenue.
PROSPECT OF BETTERMENT
1t is not necessary to make the list
any longer. but there are many other
things that are encouraging to the OBJ
server We added many buildings in
1909 both in the business and resi-
Dental sections. We have made be-
ginning in the matter of rebuilding the
old residential district west of kearny
street out to Van Ness avenue. AS We
provide better accommodations and
more accommodations that public that
ever was fond of San Francisco will re-
turn in increasing number.
The wear 1910 unquestionably Will
bring about the construction of a great
many buildings and the Improvement OF
any section will enhance the value of
all adjoining sections and practically OF
all the city. Taking all these things
in view, / look forward TO a. year of
betterments that will rebound TO the
advantage of local real estate.