USA > California > Alameda County > Past and present of Alameda County, California, Volume I > Part 14
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On January 1, 1884, the county infirmary had 133 inmates, there were admitted during the year of 1884, 463, births 2, total 598; discharged 398, died 58, present January 1, 1885, 142. The total expenses of the institution were $24,007.74. The board allowed 25 cents a day per prisoner for feeding them during 1885. County finances were in excellent condition. There was a large surplus on hand and a great reduction in the tax levy was promised. There was paid off in 1883 $13,000 in county bonds. The county board in February ordered purchased a safe for the treasurer's office to cost $1,500 and a vault built to cost $750.
In 1884 the roads of the San Lorenzo district were the best in the county. All the county roads were good enough in summer, but when the rains com- menced the upper crust was soon cut in pieces and the whole surface was con- verted into deep mud. In the San Lorenzo district the roads were treated to a top coat of creek gravel which withstood the rain and served to keep firm the clay beneath.
In June, 1885, county bonds bearing 412 and 5 per cent interest were selling at a premium. There were yet outstanding $180,000 of the county buildings bonds issued in 1874 and bearing 8 per cent interest, but they were being reduced at the rate of $20,000 per year. The law of March 14, 1883, which established a uniform system of county and township governments, pro- vided that debts similar to the above could be refunded. It was therefore pro- posed in 1885 to refund the above bonds with those bearing a much smaller rate of interest. In June the supreme court decided that the township assessors were the proper officers to assess the county.
Formerly the county owned the jail in Livermore and then the town was charged $5 per month for its use. In the 'Sos when the town owned it the trustees asked the county board to pay the same rate for its use. It was used by the county constables for the detention of county prisoners. W. F. Mitchell, town clerk of Livermore, asked this appropriation of the county board. Intel- ligence was received by the board that the Contra Costa board refused to take any action toward a resurvey of the county line on the ground that the line had already been located in 1877. The district attorney rendered the opinion in August, that the board could issue new bonds at a lower rate of interest and use the proceeds to pay off the old 8 per cent bonds of 1874.
On August 14, 1885, the salt makers of Alameda county met at Mt. Eden to consider the proposition of the Union Pacific Salt Company of San Fran- cisco to lease the various salt work properties along the bay; the lease was agreed to by a vote of eighteen to four. John Barton presided at this meeting. The whole county was obstructed by large landowners who would not sell nor would not die and make room for progress. In December the grand jury lashed the management of the county infirmary which was located near the foothills 21/2
107
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
miles east of San Leandro. There were then 148 inmates and the cost it was claimed was far too great-about $48,000 per year.
The total amount of salt manufactured yearly along the bay below Mt. Eden and Alvarado in 1885 was as follows: Union Pacific Company, 20,000 tons ; John Quingley, Alvarado, 2,000 tons ; B. F. Barton, Alvarado, 1,500; L. Whisley, Mt. Eden, 1,500; Mr. Oliver, 1,500; F. Lund, 200; S. Liquari, 400; Olson & Co., 800; R. Barron, 600; Peter Mickelson, 5,000; John Mickelson, 300; P. Macannia, Mt. Eden, 5,000; C. & D. Pestdorf, Mt. Eden, 4,000; Mr. Tuckson, Mt. Eden, 800; Peter Christensen, Mt. Eden, 800; Plummer Bros., Newark, 4,000.
The Anti-Chinese League of Alameda county met in Germania hall on Decem- ber 27, 1885, and the room was filled to the doors. F. W. Hunt presided. Addresses were made by F. W. Hunt, T. D. Hanniford, Mrs. Anderson, D. S. Hirshberg, ex-Mayor Andrus, Judge Church and B. G. Haskill of San Fran- cisco. The following preambles and resolutions were adopted :
Whereas, The policy of the National Government which induces Chinese immigration to this country has filled the State of California with Chinese greatly to the detriment of her citizens; and Whereas, If the policy of evading and nullifying the law passed by Congress for excluding the Chinese from this coun- try by the executive and judicial branches of the Government is continued, it will rapidly fill the Pacific Coast states and territories and eventully the whole United States with the class of laborers belonging to a race who are directly opposed and antagonistic to our race and nation, politically, morally and socially, and whose presence is a constant menace to its welfare and prosperity; and, Whereas, From our experience with the Chinese we know that unless they are excluded from our country they will ultimately bring upon it a greater calamity than was entailed upon us by the introduction and establishment of African slavery; and, Whereas, The question of coolie servile labor and the evil resulting from the presence of that alien race among us has been so long and well dis- cussed; and, Whereas, The further discussion of the subject without action will not only be useless but a waste of time; therefore
Resolved, That we have within our power the constitution and laws which are the means to rid our country of this curse; Resolved, In mass meeting assembled, that we will not patronize any Chinese. Resolved, That we will not patronize anyone who does. Resolved, That the Chinese must go.
The Anti-Chinese state convention met at San Jose early in February, 1886, and passed drastic resolutions to terminate the evil. The convention adopted the name-California Non-Partisan Anti-Chinese Association. Two of the reso- lutions were as follows: That we regard the Chinese among us as a mental, physical, moral and financial evil; That the Chinese must go.
In the 'Sos San Francisco experienced a season of growth, unparalleled in its history since the gold rush and the improvement extended to Oakland, Ala- meda and Berkeley first and then to Haywards and San Leandro and finally to Niles, Sunol, Pleasanton and Livermore. It was a summer-resort fever, thou- sands in the city seeking rural homes and retreats among the sunny valleys of Alameda county. Before this time, Livermore was the only interior town for ten years to recive a considerable increase in population. Pleasanton, Sunol and Niles were made charming by the foothills and Livermore by the vineyards and orchards, and all by the marvelous climate.
108
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
In March, 1886, a society of California pioneers resident of Alameda and Contra Costa counties was formed in Oakland under the charge of a provisional committee with power to secure other members until a permanent organization should be effected. The Oakland members of the committee were John M. Buf- fington (chairman), Newton Sewell, William Winnie, William Atherton and Edwin A. Sherman (secretary). The members were limited to persons who arrived in California on or before September 9, 1850; also their children and grandchildren.
Central avenue, Brooklyn township, was declared a county road in March, 1886. In order to settle the irrigation riparian question, Governor Stoneman in response to public demand and the request for such a session signed by two- thirds of the members, called a special session of the Legislature. The riparian decision of the supreme court denied the popular right to appropriate water for agricultural or general purposes. In September the county board appropriated $3,000 for the repair of roads in the Temescal district. On October Ist, the county funded debt was $160,000 at 8 per cent and $86,000 at 6 per cent, floating debt $650 at 5 per cent. There was in the treasury at this time cash, $211,157. The whole county grew very rapidly in property and population in the '80s. In 1886 the total assessment was $55,926,632. In 1889 it was $69,866,381, an advance of $13,939,749 in three years without increase in rates or inflation of values.
A dead whale seventy-two feet long was stranded in San Leandro bay in October, 1886. Lying on its side it was twelve feet high. From backbone to stomach it measured thirty-five feet. The carcass was scarred and torn by sharks and sea lions. Five or six young men tried out the oil and secured about six barrels for which they received $12 per barrel. The stench in that part of the county was almost overpowering and was said to have rivaled the famous thou- sand stinks of the city of Cologne.
Previous to 1883 it was the practice of the county board to levy a tax sufficient to pay the claims against the county up to about the month of October of the fol- lowing year. The warrants were registered and drew 7 per cent interest until the next year's taxes came in. Under this plan the county went farther and farther in debt until in some years the taxes collected paid the claims no farther than March of the following year and the county paid interest on warrants which had been registered almost a year. By 1883 more than $100,000 in warrants on the county were registered, all drawing 7 per cent interest. At the same time no provision was made for the payment of either principal or interest. The war- rants usually passed among brokers at from 3 to 10 per cent discount and the loss mainly fell on the laborers. The plan was faulty, because it compelled this rich county to pay unnecessarily large sums for interest. This practice affected all branches of county finance. Contractors raised their bids to cover this dis- count. In 1883 the board issued in county bonds $119,000 and paid off all the floating indebtedness and at the same time levied enough tax to put the county on a cash basis. These acts solved the difficulty and the county from that time presented the most meritorious, creditable and enviable financial condition of any in the state. By 1889 there had been paid of the bonds $104,000 and the county had still been kept on a cash basis, as the current floating debt was inconsiderable. In 1880 the county building bonds outstanding amounted to $200,000 of which
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
$80,000 was paid off by installments by 1889 without increasing the tax or run- ning in debt. During this period the tax was as follows :
Year
Outside Cities $1.15
Inside Cities
1880
$1.40
1881
1.15
1.40
1882
1.05
1.30
1883
1.00
1.25
1884
.90
I.IO
1885
1.15
1.45
1886
1.00
1.25
1887
1.00
1.30
1888
.95
1.25
On October 1, 1888, the bonds outstanding were $155,000 and enough floating obligations to raise the total indebtedness to $159,507. The cash in the treasury was $63.875 and the county buildings were the courthouse, jail, hall of records, receiving hospital and county hospital. Among the old members of the county board who served with great credit were Henry Dusterberry, J. J. Hanifin, Thomas Malloy, McClane, Clement, Myers, Fallon and Bailey.
In 1888 the salt industry of Alameda county was largely controlled by the Union Pacific and American Salt Company which shipped nearly 25,000 tons and had on hand half as much more. They controlled the products of Mickelson & Brother, Whisley, Oliver, Ligouri, Plummer & Bros., Marsicano, Jessen and Pest- dorff. In addition salt was manufactured by Olsen, Lured, Quigley, Barton, Johnson, Pestdorff, Tucson, Christensen, Baron, Mathiesen and others. The fol- lowing vessels were engaged in marketing this product: Jesse Fremont, Rock Island, Lizzie T. Adams, Anna Hawley, Marsicano, Josephine, By Squeeze and Narrow Gauge.
At the close of 1888 Alameda county was in better financial condition than any county in the state. The debt ($155,000) was a trifle compared with the assess- ment-much less than I per cent and the county property was valued at $740,000.
One of the largest items of expense and one of the most harrowing subjects to consider by the county board at all seasons of the year was that of care for the indigents. They came at all times and were of both sexes and all ages. It was stated early in February, 1889, that fully one-half of the indigents were Portuguese.
In January, 1889. Mr. Hanifin retired with honor from the county board after eight years of continuous service.
In 1889 W. A. M. Van Bokelen, an expert accountant, was employed to exam- ine the county finances ; he said, "I have not found any errors excepting such as were strictly clerical and by none of which has the county lost any money. There had passed through the hands of the auditor and treasurer in about two years ending January 7, 1889, 29,000 separate and distinct items covering a disburse- ment of $1,182,802 without the loss of a cent."
Late in the eighties and early in the nineties the county infirmary at San Leandro was reported to be in deplorable condition, with ramshackle buildings, squalid surroundings and unsanitary equipment generally. Its conditions were
110
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
greatly improved late in the 'gos under the management of W. H. Church, chairman of the hospital committee of the county board, and Dr. W. A. Clark, superintendent. But the good management did not improve the rude buildings nor remove the stigma from the county name.
Late in February, 1889, Joaquin Miller, the "Poet of the Sierras," appeared before the county board and offered to give five acres of his olive land above Fruit Vale for the site of a pesthouse. He said that if here in the shadow of forty church spires respectable people can burn down a pest tent, drive out a stricken man and his nurse, what may be expected of ignorant, simple Portuguese kelp and driftwood thrown up on the Azores; "therefore I have thought over this matter without consulting anybody and I make this offer just to help you out for I know you are banged and battered on every side." The board passed a resolution thanking him for his very liberal offer. The Tribune reporter spoke of Mr. Miller as an "eccentric recluse," and later said: "We hope the super- visors will not locate the pesthouse near the property of Joaquin Miller. Mr. Miller is too good a neighbor, too valuable a friend, to have this injury put upon him by the people of Oakland and Alameda county. His little garden spot in the hills should be treated with something of that reverence which is due to the poet. It will be a lasting disgrace on Oakland if we put this indignity on Joaquin Miller." "When I settled down here I let one man have my water for his garden; then he wanted my grass for his cows and I gave him the use of my pasture also, but now he wants the land as well and will probably think himself greatly wronged if he doesn't get it. I bought land or rather water-precious-flowing mountain springs, with the land thrown in, at an average of $200 an acre. The land is within one mile of the nearest street car line in Oakland. This land (100 acres) has more than doubled in value in the two years that I have owned it."- (Joaquin Miller, April, 1889.) The French and Portuguese residents near Joaquin Miller's home declared that if pesthonses were built in that vicinity 365 times in a year they would tear them down 365 times in the year.
The 'gos were busy years for the county board. All county roads were vastly improved, extended and multiplied. Many new bridges took the place of old structures that seemed likely to fall ; concrete began to be used extensively for culverts, bulkheads, etc. Springs of water were bought to be used in connection with windmills for sprinkling the roads. About 1890 a carriage road was planned to extend from Berkeley along the base of the foothills to Haywards, but was abandoned for the time after a few weeks of agitation.
In June the county board called a convention of 100 citizens from all parts of the county, the object of which was to take steps to secure proper representa- tives at the Chicago World's Fair. Thirty-three citizens met and formed a permanent organization and the management was entrusted to a board of eleven directors which appointed scores of committees and set the movement in action. The board granted the association $1,000 with which to commence preliminary work.
The new county liquor license was similar to the old one in use in Oakland; it required a bond of $1,000, an affidavit of good moral character and the recom- mendation of ten prominent citizens. On August 24th, County Treasurer Huff reported that the last of the bonds of 1883 had just been paid and that there was a surplus in the treasury ; the bonds amounted to $119,000 originally. On Decem-
111
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
ber 29th the office of county physician was abolished by the county board and the office of physician and surgeon of the county receiving hospital was created; also a similar office for the county jail. The salary of each was fixed at $75 per month. M. L. Johnson, M. D., and R. T. Stratton, M. D., were appointed to these positions respectively. Mr. Anderson was the supervisor of census in 1890; he divided the county into thirty-one districts, nineteen being in Oakland.
Much fault was found during the winter of 1891-92 that, notwithstanding the promises of both leading political parties in 1888 to improve the county roads and notwithstanding the county had a wealth of $100,000,000, the highways through- out the whole county were never in worse condition since pioneer times. The board of trade asked the county board to remedy road conditions at the earliest possible moment. The road from Oakland to San Leandro was bottomless. The board pleaded lack of funds and lack of law. A big bridge was built in 1891 over the Calaveras creek on the road leading from Mission San Jose to Stockton.
The total increase in taxable property in the county in 1891-92 was a little over $6,000,000, of which Berkeley's increase was $2,116,550 and Alameda $609,925. The attractions at Berkeley were the university, the electric street railway, the public schools, the exclusion of liquor near the university, the free reading rooms, the numerous religious societies, and the excellent water system. Early in Decem- ber, 1892, the county board appropriated $2,000 more for the Alameda County World's Fair Association. For the quarter ending December 31, 1891, the county paid $305 for sixty-one coyote scalps.
COUNTY ASSESSMENTS
1888 $65,918,510 1891 $83,390,297
1889
71,896,182 1892 89,373,466
1890 76,377,178
In January, 1893, the county board increased the appropriation for the Ala- meda World's Fair Association to $5,000. The committee of 100 resolved itself into a permanent body to be known as Alameda County World's Fair Association. Delegates were elected to the State World's Fair Association. E. M. Gibson was president of the association. An assessment of $5 was levied on each member of the committee. Several special committees were appointed.
In 1893 the county board appropriated all told about $20,000 for the purpose of giving the county suitable display and prominence at the World's Fair, Chi- cago. The sum was paid in installments as needed by the committee. At the World's Fair in Chicago Alameda county was represented by two pagodas with a relief map between them in the California building. Its fruit and wine products on exhibition were excellent and attracted wide attention. June 19th was Cali- fornia day; the state building was formally opened with great ceremony and enthusiasm. In the fall Alameda county had a large building and a fine dis- play of products of all sorts at the Mid-Winter Fair in San Francisco.
In May, 1893, thirty representative women and several ministers appeared before the county board and protested against the poolrooms which had been conceded to the sporting element. They showed several petitions with hundreds of names asking that the poolrooms might be suppressed. The bookmakers Vol. 1-8
112
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
resisted this movement. In May, the county board bought of the Ladies Town Hall Association of Centerville the city hall or jail lots of that village with the design of continuing the jail or calaboose.
In May, 1893, the county infirmary underwent a severe investigation, owing to charges of mismanagement and incompetency. Doctor Shirk, superintendent, sustained the management. The charges were not substantiated.
In July the grand jury charged several members of the county board with illegally and wrongfully passing certain bills but after a thorough investigation in court the charges remained unproved.
In November, 1893, the county board awarded the contract for building an annex to the hall of records to the Fortin Brick Company at $29,149. The Golden Gate Agricultural Fair was a splendid success. It lasted four days and had a large attendance. The racing was especially fast and attractive.
In February, 1894, the county board appropriated $2,500 for the purpose of aiding and carrying on the work of inducing immigration to this county, the same to be paid in installments named. The county had a splendid exhibit at the Mid- Winter exposition in January, 1894. The wine exhibit was one of the best, the vineyards represented being those of McIvers, Stanford, Beard, Ferndale, Crellin, Wetmore, Chauche & Bon, J. P. Smith, Concannon, Lilenthal, Waggoner and Beck. The public schools and the parochial schools made elaborate and excel- lent exhibits. Fruits, beet sugar, blind asylum products, flowers, hops of Liver- more valley, Niles nursery products-were all a credit to the county.
Early in July the county board paid for the transportation of fifty inen to the Suisan landing on their way to work in the Vacaville orchards. In 1894 many tough road-houses were refused licenses by the county board. In September the county board went en masse to Claremont to inspect the Kennedy grade with the view of opening up a public road to the summit of the range on the way to the heart of Contra Costa county.
In 1894 Alameda county had $109,714,598 worth of taxable property-the third in the state. It was generally admitted that the county board had earned the gratitude of the people by their progressive policy of public betterments- better roads, improved public buildings, economy, wise management of public institutions, and close attention to county affairs generally.
At 6 o'clock A. M. on March 2, 1896, snow fell heavily for a short time and the hills east of town were white. From Berkeley to Livermore the grass on the hills was completely covered. This was the first considerable snowfall in Oak- land since January, 1888. Hail as large as peas fell here on March 2, 1896. All disappeared in a few hours. On March 3d, it snowed again and was piled in lit- tle banks on the sidewalks, lawns and roof tops. Everybody snowballed. Many people took the street cars to the hills to enjoy fully the novelty. The hills were white. The storm ended with hail and sleet and all soon disappeared. It was nearly two inches deep on the level. On December 31, 1882, snow fell here to the depth of about three inches and the mercury fell to 18° above zero. A few sleds were seen on the streets, more for novelty and frolic than utility.
During the legislative session of 1896-97 the county government committee planned to reduce the salaries of nearly all the officers in Alameda county by an aggregate of $15,000. The reductions proposed were as follows:
113
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
REDUCTION OF SALARIES
Present System
New Schedule
Another New
Office
County clerk
$16,000
$15,400
Schedule $17,000
Sheriff
15,000
13,900 (est.) 15,100
Recorder
16,000
14,000
9,100
Auditor
6,000
5,450
4,950
Treasurer
6,000
4,200
4,200
Tax collector
9,500
8,400
8,400
Assessor
18,100
16,600
17,100
District attorney
10,100
9,300
9,300
Superintendent of schools.
4,500
3,600
3,900
Total reduction, $10,350.
Early in 1895 the county board ordered a jail built at Centerville, the cost not to exceed $350. In August the county board granted $25 per month each to the Free Clinic of West Oakland and the Oakland Free Clinic.
In 1897 the income of Alameda county was $1,989,538 and its outlay $14,000 more than that sum. There remained in the treasury about half a million dol- lars. People of Alameda county were greatly interested in the prominence attained in the East by Henry George, the single tax champion. In February, the county board appropriated $1,500 with which to buy a work called "Facts and Figures of Alameda County" for distribution in the eastern states.
In the spring of 1898 one of the county supervisors was tried for malfeasance in office, but after a trial that was drawn out three months, he was acquitted. The assessment roll of the county was cut down from $91,299,125 in 1897-8 to $81,403,400 in 1898-9. The following was the assessment in 1898-9, the figures showing the comparative size and importance of the places :
Oakland
$42,067,675
Alameda
10,599,075
Berkeley
7,042,850
Brooklyn township
5,218,350
Washington township
4,640,950
Eden township
3,646,450
Murray township
3,354,425
Oakland township
1,613,275
San Leandro
929,025
Haywards
751,375
Emeryville
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