Year: 1872

The Bulletin and Union insist that
Coghlan should be defeated because he
voted to lease portion of Goat Island for
railroad terminus in the Bay of San Fran
cisco! The Bulletin, of May 4th 1868, had
an editorial on the subject from which We
quote the following.


"Goat Island is close to the landing in
San Francisco. 1t is in the middle Of the
harbor and will accommodate any amount
of business. It is the natural termin US of
the overland road which passes by Sacra-
mento That road must eventually follow
the direct and nearest route and come to
Goat Island simply because Goat Island is
virtually San Francisco" "Goat
Island is part of the San Francisco water
front, not of Oakland, and its uses for rail.
road shipping and warehouse purposes,
only mile and half distant will be a
convenient addition to present facilities and
much nearer than portions of the main land
frontage"


On April 9Th 1868, it had the following
editorial:


"On several occasions lately we have al
luded to Goat Island as an important feature
in the future railway system of this harbor.
The more we examine the subject the more
evident it seems that this point is likely to
be the grand terminus of railway Communi-
cation with the northern and Eastern in
terror. San Francisco Bay is the CONNER
cial forces of the coast, and railroads must
for their own profit seek that point in the
bay which can be most conveniently reach,
ed, and which at the same time affords the
the greatest commercial facilities. Goat
island is the nearest point of contact with
the city without making a horseshoe
track around the lower bay, or attempting
the we'll nigh impracticable scheme of bridg.
ing. x Congress may yet in Difference
to the argument of commercial necessity,
allow the use of the main island for rail.
road purposes


The Sacramento Union, of March 18th;
1868, in noticing a Bill introduced by
Judge Hager, to give $50 acres of land on
the flats around Goat Island to the Term
inal Pacific Rail- DAD said


"The proposition looks like fair one
and as if made IN good faith. The encour-
agement asked from the State is moderate.
The read would give an impulse to indus
try in that vast valley north of Sacramento
now almost an uncultivated waste, and in
year or two more than double the grain
product of the State"


A few days later it had the following ::


"Goat Island is high rocky knob in
San Fransico Bay, about quarter section
in area, two miles from the city front five or
six miles from Oakland and surrounded bv
a narrow strip of State Tide Lands which,
when all reclaimed will increase the area of
the island to perhaps $40 acres. 1t will
then have four miles of the best water
front attainable in the whole bay, and be,
foot for foot, more valuable than any equal
number of acres on the main land. 1t will
also be cheaply reclaimed. On the whole,
this land when once it shall become 8
general point of terminus for all railways
centering in San Francisco Bay Will be the
most valuable OF this side the continent"


There we find both Tthe Bulletin and
Union recognizing Goat Island and the
flats surrounding it as the natural railroad
terminus on the Bay of San Francisco, and
recommending that it be utilized for the
purpose. What more has Coghlan done? ?