The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-02-06


utes wholesale, and making two min
utes grow where one minute grew be
fore? oh, yes, and planting few
trees, too-say several million o.
them. You remember the quarry 4
made believe l was looking at? Well
I'm going to buy 1t. I'm going to buy
these hills, too, clear from here
around to Berkeley and down the
other way to San Leandro. own a
lot of them already, for that matter
But mum is the word. I'll be buying
a long time to come before anything
much is guessed about II, and don't
want the market 10 jump up ont 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" n .za
He paused 3triumphantly. va
"The ferry system between Oakland
and San Francisco is the worst one
horse concern in the United States,
( You cross on It every day, six days
In the week. That's say, twenty-five
days, ia month, or. three hundred a
year. HOW long does It take you one
way? Forty minutes, II you're lucky.
I'm going to put you across in TWEEN.
ty minutes. II that amt making two
minutes grow where one grew before,
knock or my head with little apples.
I'll save you twenty minutes each
way. That's forty minues a day, times
three hundred, equal to twelve thou.
sand minutes q year, Just for you, Just
for one person. Let's see: that's Two
hundred whole hours. Suppose save
two hundred hours year for thou.
sands OF other folks-that's farming
some, amt is? Come on. Lets ride
up that hill, and wAsn get you out
on top where you can see something,
I'll talk sense."
A small footpath 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 lnnged.
Showers of twigs and leaves fell upon
them, and predicament followed pre-
dlcament, 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
whichs they were, outdutted 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 feCry-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 sweeping gesture.
"a hundred thousand people there,
and no reason there, shouldn't be half
a million. There's the chance to make
i've 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
disco, and, besides, Oakland Is asleep.
It's whole lot better place to live in
than San francisco. Now, suppose
buy in all Che street railways Of Oak.
land, Berkeley, Alameda, San Leandro,
and the rest-bring them under one
head with a competent management?
Suppose l cut the time to San Fran.
cisco one.half by building a big pier
,u. there almost to Goat Island and