The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-02-28

iHc iSiis SYSTEM between oakland
and San Francisco is the worst one
horse concern in the United States.
You cross on 1t every day, six DAYS
In the week. That's say, twenty-five
days month. or three hundred
year. How long does 1t take you one
way? Forty minutes, If you're lucky.
I'm going to put you across In TWEEN.
~ minutes. If that amt making two
minutes grow where one grew before,
knock off my head with little apples.
III save you twenty minutes each
wcy. That's forty minues day, times
three hundred, equal to twelve thou.
sand minutes year, just for you, just
for one person. Let's see: that's two
hundred whole hours. Suppose I save
two hundred hours year for thou.
sands Of other folks-thats farming
some, amt IS? Come on. Let's ride
UP that hill, and when l get you out
on top where you can see something,
III talk sense"
A small footrath dropped down to
the dry bed Of the canyon, which they
crossed before they began the climb.
The slope was steep and covered with
matted brush and bushes, through
which the horses slipped and lunged.
Showers of twigs and leaves fell upon
them, and predicament followed pre-.
dicament, until they emerged on the
hilltop the worse for wear but happy
and excited. Here no trees obstruct.
ed the view. The particular hill on
which they were, out-jutted from the
regular line of the range, so that the
sweep Of their vision extended over
three-quarters of the circle Below, on
the fiat land bordering the bay, lay
Oakland, and across the bay was San
Francisco. Between the two cities
they could see the white ferry boats
on the water. Around to their right
was Berkeley, and to their left the
scattered villages between Oakland
and San Leandro. Directly in the fore.
ground was Piedmont, with its desul.
tory dwellings and patches of farming
land, and from Piedmont the land
rolled down in successive waves upon
Oakland
Look at it," said Daylight extend.
ing his arm in a sweeping gesture.
"A hundred thousand people there,
and no reason there shouldn't be half
a million. There's the chance to make
five people grow where one grows
now. Here's the scheme in nutshell.
Why don't more people live in Oak.
land? No good service with San Fran.
cisco, and, besides. Oakland is asleep.
It's whole lot better place to live in
than San Francisco. Now, suppose |
buy in all the street railways Of Oak
land, Berkeley, Alameda, San Leandro,
and the rest-bring them under one
head with competent management?
suppose | cut the time to San Fran
cisco one-half by building a big pier
oJt thcge almost TO Goat Island and
establishing ferry system with mod
ern upto-date boats? Why. folks vii
want to live over on this side. Very
good. They'll need land on which to
build. So, first | buy up the land.
But the lands cheap now. Why? BE.
cause It's In the country, no electric
roads, no quick communication no.
fody guessing that the electric roads
are coming. I'll build the roads That
VIII make the land Jump up. Then
III sell the land as fast as the folks
VIII want to buy because of the i'm
proved ferry system and transporta.
tion facilities.
You see. give the value to the
land by building the roads. Then
sell the land and get that value back.
and after that, there's the roads. all
carrying folks back and forth and
earning big money. Can't lose. And
there's all sorts Of millions in It. I'm
going to get my hands on some of that
water front and the tide-lands. Take
between where I'm going to build my
pier and the old pier. It's shallow wa
ter can fill and dredge and put in
system of docks that will handle
hundreds Of ships. San Franciscos
water front Is congested. No more
room for ships. With. hundreds Of
ships loading and unloading on this
side right into the freight cars of
three big railroads. factories will
start up over here instead of crossing
TO San Francisco. That means factory
sites. That means me buying In the
Factory sites before anybody guesses
the cat Is going to jump, much less,
which way. Factories mean tens Of
thousands of workingmen and their
families. That means more houses
and more land, and that means me,
for Ill be there to sell them the land.
Then there's the water I'll come
nretty close to owning the watershed.
why not the waterworks to0Y There's
two water companies in Oakland now.
nghting like cats and dogs and both
about broke. What metropolis needs
is coed water system. They can't
give 1T. They're stick-in-the-muds. I'll