The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-05-08

But mum Is the word. I'll be buying
q long time to come before anything
much Is guessed about 1t, and ! don't
want the market to Jump up out OF
sight. You see that hill over there.
It's my hill running clear down its
slopes through Piedmont and halfway
along those rolling hills into Oakland.
And it's nothing to all the things I'm
going to buy"
He paused triumphantly.
1.-The ferry system between Oakland
and San Francisco Is the worst one
horse oncer In the United States.
You cross on 1t every day. six days
In the week. That's say. twenty-five
days a month. or three hundred a
year. How long does 1t take you n
way? Forty minutes. II you're lucky.
I'm going to put you across 10 twen-
ty minutes II that amt making two
minutes grow where n grew before.
knock off my head W: b little apples.
III save you twenty minutes each
way That's forty minues a day, times
three hundred. equal to twelve thou
sand minutes a year. just for you. Just
for one person. Let's see: that's two
hundred whole hours. Suppose ] save
two hundred hours a year for thou
sands OF other folks-that's farming
some. aint is? Come on. Let's ride
up that hill. and when | get you out
on top where you a see something
I'll talk: sense"
A srpall footpath dropped down to
the dr. bed OF the canyon. which they
crosse d before they began the climb.
The S Iope 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-
dicarnent, 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
thr ee-quarters of the circle. Below. on
the fat land bordering the bay. lay
Osikland. 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
md 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 a nutshell
Why don't more people live In Oak.
land? No good service with San Fran
cisco, and. besides. Oakland is asleep.
It's a whole lot better place to live IN
than San Francisco. Now, suppose l
buy In all the street railways OF Oak
land, Berkeley, Alameda. San Leandro.
and the rest-bring them under one
head with a competent management?
Suppose | cut the tine to San Fran
cisco one.half by building a big pier
out there almost to Goat Island and
establishing g. ferry system with mod
ern up-to-date boats? Why. folks will
want to live over on this side. Very
good. They'll need Land on which to
build. So, first | buy up the land.
E}ut the lands cheap now. Why? Be-
cause It's In the country. no electric
roads. no quick communication, no.
body guessing that the electric roads
are coming. I'll build the roads. That
will make the land jump up. Then
III sell the lard as fast as the folks
will want to buy because Of the I'M
proved ferry system and Transports
ton facilities.
ITO BE CoNTINUEDJ