USA > California > San Diego County > San Diego county, California; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 33
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In 1896, when the agitation in favor of the creation of an artificial harbor at San Pedro began, the Chamber adopted an attitude of aggressive opposition. It was believed that an expenditure of many millions for such a purpose within one hundred miles of a great natural harbor was wholly without justification, while involving a keen injustice to San Diego. Many leading newspapers, including the New York Times, supported the Chamber in its contention, but the San Pedro movement prevailed over all opposition.
The efforts of the Chamber in behalf of a great naval dry dock, of a coaling
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station and of a naval training school have been intelligent and persistent. More than once representatives were sent to Washington in the interest of these meas- ures, while the congressional delegation has been constantly urged to action. Much preliminary work has been done and it seems to be only a question of a little time when final results will be achieved. The latest work undertaken by the Chamber in connection with the harbor is the dredging of the bar to an average depth of thirty feet for a width of one thousand feet.
The annual reports submitted by the presidents of the Chamber of Commerce embody very good accounts of the city's commercial progress, but nearly every- thing of historical moment is mentioned elsewhere. It is interesting to note that the feverish prosperity of boom days brought nothing but depression to the Cham- ber of Commerce. It was reorganized after the boom and gradually acquired a stronger position than ever before. In 1890, under the able management of John Kastle, the Chamber was taken out of debt and placed upon a sound financial basis. In January, 1905, A. E. Horton, D. Choate and E. W. Morse were elected honor- ary life members. Since then Mr. Choate and Mr. Morse have passed away.
After its reorganization in 1889 the Chamber was domiciled in a ground floor store room in the Tremont House on Third street, between C and D. In 1891 it removed to the Grand Hotel, now the Worth, on F street, between Third and Fourth. Afterwards (in 1895) the headquarters were moved to the Marshall- Higgins block, corner of Fourth and C streets, where they remained until March 1, 1898, when they removed to quarters on the ground floor of the Grant building, corner of Sixth and D streets. They have recently been removed to the second floor of the same building, where they are now located, occupying the rooms left vacant by the removal of the Y. M. C. A. to its new building.
One of the most agreeable and useful functions of the Chamber is the enter- tainment of distinguished visitors, especially the representatives of foreign navies who frequently come to the port. In this way the Chamber has doubtless done a great deal to secure the good will of influential men and interests for San Diego. Indeed, if the Chamber stood for nothing except the organized hospitality of the community-a hospitality extended alike to the most distinguished citizens of the world and to the humblest stranger who finds his way to San Diego-it would still rank among the most useful institutions. But it is much more than this. It has had a part in all good work which has been done for the city and county over a period of more than a generation, and has itself initiated very much of this good work.
During a large portion of its history, the Chamber has been exceedingly fortu- nate in the kind of men enlisted in its service. It has been able to command not only the support but the earnest devotion, of many of the strongest citizens, who have regarded it as the most important instrumentality in promoting local develop- ment. In later years, the office of Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce has risen to great importance. The efficiency of the organization depends in large measure upon the energy, ability and character of the man who fills this place. The Chamber has been fortunate in this respect during the period which had made the heaviest demands upon its resources. H. P. Wood, who served as secretary from 1899 to 1905, was a true builder of the organization and a successful pro- moter of its work. He was succeeded by James A. Jasper, whose intimate ac- quaintance with the people and the country and long experience as a journalist
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and county official, peculiarly fitted him for the place. He signalized his entrance to the office by arranging to pay off the debts of the organization. He was suc- ceeded in January, 1907, by John Scott Mills.
At the beginning of 1912 there were 850 names of leading citizens, business men and concerns of the city and county on the Chamber's membership roster. This enrollment was known to be far in excess of the average membership of commer- cial bodies in communities of the population of San Diego county, and with it to back them the public-spirited men who were giving generously of their time and money to forward the interests of the city and county, had no hesitancy in believing that every desired good work could be accomplished. At the close of the year, however, the enrollment has shown the remarkable increase during the twelve months of fifty-three per cent. and the roster now contains the names of slightly more than thirteen thousand active, energetic boosters for the develop- ment and continued prosperity of the city and county.
Under the guidance of President F. C. Spalding, Secretary Rufus Choate and a board of directors comprising representative men from every line of business and professional activity, the work accomplished during the year 1912 will bear the closest scrutiny of the most exacting members.
The income from all sources for the year was approximately $18,101.76. Of this sum $15,705.03 was expended for rent, office help, photographs, harbor engravings, booklets for distribution, maps, advertising San Diego city and county through the medium of different monthly magazines and weekly periodi- cals, entertaining distinguished visitors sojourning in the city, new office fixtures, land shows, industrial fair, printing, supplies and membership campaigns.
During the year the Chamber published seventy-five thousand large county booklets, one hundred thousand small pamphlets on the harbor, ten thousand San Diego weather booklets compiled by former Local Forecaster Ford A. Car- penter, and subscribed for large installments of the editions of several local and state publications containing descriptive matter and statistics concerning San Diego city and county.
Many thousand copies of these various kinds of promotion literature have been distributed to all parts of America and abroad through the medium and at the expense of the Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to the vast amount of publicity given the city and county through the mails, the Chamber has maintained a large exhibit room for the inspection and entertainment of visitors in the city. At an expense of several hundred dollars the Chamber fitted up a lecture room, where illustrated talks on the back country are given daily. These lectures have proven an enormous benefit to the different back country communities that have provided speakers and views for the stereopticon lanterns. Visitors in the city, who heretofore were restricted to an inspection of the products shown on the tables in the exhibit room and perusal of inadequate literature to gain a knowledge of the back country and its products have been brought into personal communication with men who know their subject and whose business it is to talk facts gleaned from actual experience in bringing the once semi-arid acres of San Diego county under irrigation and turning what was almost a desert waste into a veritable Garden of Eden, where lemons, oranges, raisins, olives, figs, apples and scores of other semi-tropical and.
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temperate zone products grow in abundance and quality unexcelled in any other section of the world.
The San Diego Chamber in conjunction with the county supervisors also has maintained a valuable exhibit in leased space in the Los Angeles county Chamber of Commerce rooms. Part of the year James A. Jasper, county commissioner of San Diego county, gave daily lectures in the Los Angeles Chamber's quarters, interesting thousands of visitors in the southern metropolis, who might not other- wise have been reached.
The San Diego county exhibit at the Chicago Tribune's annual land show in the Windy City is another of the big outside publicity projects to which the Cham- ber of Commerce has given its support in the last year, as in former years. On his return from the Chicago show Mr. Jasper submitted to the county supervisors a report of the work accomplished there in behalf of San Diego city and county which dwarfed the efforts of former years, and as a result thousands of home- seekers from the eastern and middle west states are certain to personally visit this section and ascertain its advantages before settling west of the Rockies.
Of the many progressive movements for which the Chamber of Commerce claims the credit for initiating during the last and former years, none perhaps stands out more prominently than the Panama-California exposition. The exposi- tion was conceived, the company organized and the working plans outlined and successfully started wholly within the directorate of the Chamber, and whatever degree of success attained by the greatest project ever attempted by a city the size of San Diego is due primarily to the energy of the men whose intelligence, time and money have been given freely in fostering and forwarding all movements for a greater and better San Diego.
Notwithstanding the limitless publicity the city and county have received as a result of the exposition work, it daily becomes more apparent that the master stroke by which the city is acquiring control of the harbor tide lands and improv- ing the port facilities in anticipation of the stupendous increase in commerce, which is certain to come to San Diego on the opening of the Panama canal, is as much a monument to the foresight and business ability of the men in charge of the Chamber of Commerce affairs. The proposition for the city of San Diego to acquire title to the harbor front originated within the Chamber of Commerce and the directors of that body have been working incessantly for the successful termination of the city's obligations in the bargain made with the state legis- lature.
Another great public project which was originated in the Chamber of Com- merce and recently has been carried to completion is the new county highway system. The Chamber took the responsibility for the campaign through which $1,250,000 was voted by the electors of San Diego county to be expended by the highway commission in surveying and building a network of good roads reaching every part of the county. These roads were completed during the last year and have been a large factor already in advertising the county throughout the country.
In connection with the county highway system activities it would be rank . injustice not to mention the exceptional service rendered the city and county by the Chamber of Commerce in promoting the projects to have the state highway system embrace the route between San Diego and Imperial county cities and the
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even greater project of making San Diego the west coast terminal of the national ocean-to-ocean highway.
The success of the first of these two great movements was announced within the last month, the state highway commission having approved the San Diego-El Centro route as a part of the new system. This fact will go a long way toward inducing the national highway authorities to recognize the claim of San Diego for the west coast terminal, if anything more than the mere comparison of routes is needed to justify the contention of San Diegans.
The first of these last mentioned projects was not carried through without the expenditure of a great deal of thought, time and money by those in charge of San Diego's campaign. While another city was boasting of the sum of money its citizens expected to raise to improve the competing route, the Chamber of Com- merce roads committee quietly circulated a subscription sheet among San Diego business men in an effort to raise $50,000. In spite of the fact that not one cent of this sum was to be expended within the borders of San Diego county, the money was readily forthcoming, the road building equipment of San Diego county was removed across the line into Imperial county and the work of building a very expensive and difficult stretch of road from Mountain Springs, on the eastern county line, to Coyote Wells, twelve miles in the interior of Imperial county, was pushed.
Once again the energetic San Diego boosters were rewarded for their untiring efforts in behalf of their home city and county, for soon after the road builders crossed the county line, word was received from the state highway commission's office in Sacramento that San Diego had won in the contest for the Imperial valley connecting highway.
PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS
From its organization in 1870 to the present year, 1913, the officers have been as follows:
1870-January 20-President, Aaron Pauly; vice president, G. W. B. Mc- Donald; secretary, Joseph Nash ; treasurer, A. E. Horton.
1870-March 3-President, Aaron Pauly ; vice president, Dr. D. B. Hoffman ; secretary, Joseph Nash; treasurer, J. W. Gale.
May 5-Joseph Nash resigned as secretary and David Felsenheld was elected.
May 30-J. W. Gale resigned as treasurer and Charles Dunham was elected.
1871-President, G. W. B. McDonald; vice president, J. S. Gordon ; secretary, C. J. Craig; treasurer, C. Dunham.
1872-President, G. W. B. McDonald; vice president, W. W. Stewart ; sec- retary, S. W. Craigue ; treasurer, C. Dunham.
1873-President, J. S. Gordon ; vice president, J. M. Pierce ; secretary, W. W. Stewart ; treasurer, C. Dunham.
1874-President, J. S. Gordon ; first vice president, A. H. Gilbert ; second vice president, S. W. Craigue; secretary, W. W. Stewart; treasurer, C. Dunham.
1875-President, W. W. Stewart ; first vice president, E. W. Morse; second vice president, Joseph Tasker ; secretary, M. A. Luce ; treasurer, C. Dunhanı.
1876-President, W. W. Stewart; first vice president, E. W. Morse; second vice president, W. A. Begole ; secretary, W. R. Porter ; treasurer, C. Dunham.
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1877-President, J. M. Pierce; first vice president, A. H. Gilbert; second vice president, W. A. Begole; secretary, W. W. Bowers; treasurer, Joseph Tasker.
1878-President, J. M. Pierce; first vice president, W. A. Begole; second vice president, A. H. Julian; secretary, George W. Marston; treasurer, Joseph Tasker.
1879-President, Charles S. Hamilton; first vice president, E. W. Morse : second vice president, W. L. Williams; secretary, S. Levi; treasurer, Joseph Tasker.
1880-President, George W. Hazzard ; first vice president, A. Klauber ; second vice president, J. M. Pierce ; secretary, S. Levi; treasurer, J. S. Gordon.
1881-President, George W. Hazzard; first vice president, E. W. Morse; second vice president, George W. Marston; secretary, S. Levi; treasurer, J. S. Gordon.
1882-President, S. Levi; first vice president, J. H. Simpson; second vice president, G. G. Bradt ; secretary, D. Cave : treasurer, W. S. Jewell; librarian, J. M. Pierce.
1883-President, Arnold Wentscher ; first vice president, George W. Marston ; second vice president, M. S. Root; secretary, C. H. Silliman ; treasurer, George W. Hazzard. Mr. Wentscher resigned a few weeks after his election and G. G. Bradt was elected president.
1884-President, George W. Marston; first vice president, J. H. Simpson ; second vice president, John N. Young ; secretary, C. H. Silliman ; treasurer, George W. Hazzard.
1885-President, D. Cave; first vice president, J. H. Simpson; second vice president, E. W. Morse; third vice president, Joseph Winchester ; secretary, J. H. Simpson, Philip Morse; treasurer, George W. Hazzard.
1886-President, J. H. Simpson ; first vice president, Philip Morse; second vice president, D. C. Reed ; third vice president, J. S. Gordon ; secretary, L. S. McLure ; treasurer, John N. Young.
1887-President, G. G. Bradt; first vice president, Judge George Puterbaugh ; second vice president, J. W. Burns; secretary, F. R. Wetmore; treasurer, Theodore Fintzelberg.
In 1888 a new chamber called the Chamber of Commerce of San Diego County was formed and for a time there were two. They were consolidated in October. G. G. Bradt was president of the old organization and J. A. McRae of the new one.
1888-President, G. G. Bradt, J. A. McRae ; first vice president, Douglas Gunn ; second vice president, J. W. Burns ; recording secretary, F. R. Wetmore ; financial secretary, Theodore Fintzelberg ; treasurer, John Ginty.
1889-President, Douglas Gunn (resigned and John C. Fisher succeeded) ; J. C. Amendt, later George N. Nolan.
1890-President, John Kastle; vice president, Frank A. Kimball; second vice president, F. H. Cunningham ; secretary, George N. Nolan; treasurer, C. D. Long.
1891-President, Daniel Stone; vice president, Douglas Gunn; secretary, Benjamin Lake; treasurer, Theodore Fintzelberg.
1892-President, Daniel Stone; vice president, F. A. Kimball; second vice
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president, H. P. McKoon; secretaries, Conrad Stautz, F. H. Bearne, R. H. Young.
1893-President, H. P. McKoon; vice president, John Sherman; second vice president, Charles S. Hamilton; secretary, R. H. Young; treasurer, George W. Dickinson.
1894-President, H. P. McKoon (died in office and succeeded by John Sher- man) ; vice president, John Sherman ; second vice president, George W. Marston ; secretary, R. H. Young ; treasurer, George W. Dickinson.
1895-President, R. V. Dodge-acted one month and succeeded by Philip Morse; first vice president, Philip Morse; second vice president, John N. Young ; secretary, R. H. Young; treasurer, George W. Dickinson.
1896-President, Philip Morse; first vice president, R. V. Dodge; second vice president, U. S. Grant, Jr .; secretary, V. E. McConoughey ; treasurer, J. E. O'Brien.
1897-President, Philip Morse ; first vice president, R. V. Dodge ; second vice president, R. M. Powers; secretary, V. E. McConoughey; treasurer, J. E. O'Brien.
1898-President, R. A. Thomas; first vice president, R. V. Dodge; second vice president, George W. Marston; secretary, V. E. McConoughey ; treasurer, J. E. O'Brien.
1899-President, George W. Marston; first vice president, G. H. Ballou : second vice president, W. L. Frevert; secretaries, R. V. Dodge, H. P. Wood ; treasurer, J. E. O'Brien.
1900-President, George H. Ballou; first vice president, W. L. Frevert ; second vice president, G. W. Jorres; secretary, H. P. Wood; treasurer, J. E. O'Brien.
1901-President, George H. Ballou; vice president, W. L. Frevert; second vice president, G. W. Jorres; secretary, H. P. Wood; treasurer, Nat R. Titus.
1902-President, W. L. Frevert ; first vice president, W. S. Waterman ; second vice president, M. F. Heller; secretary, H. P. Wood; treasurer, J. S. Aker- man.
1903-President, W. L. Frevert; first vice president, W. S. Waterman ; second vice president, Dr. Fred R. Burnham ; secretary, H. P. Wood ; treasurer, J. S. Akerman.
1904-President, Homer H. Peters; first vice president, J. S. Akerman ; second vice president, E. Strahlmann ; secretary, H. P. Wood; treasurer, G. W. Fishburn.
1905-President, J. S. Akerman; first vice president, Dr. Edward Grove; second vice president, Melville Klauber ; secretary, H. P. Wood, succeeded in October by James A. Jasper ; treasurer, Rufus Choate.
1906-President, Edward Grove; first vice president, Melville Klauber ; second vice president, Barker Burnell; secretary, James A. Jasper ; treasurer, Rufus Choate.
1907-President, D. Gochenauer ; first vice president, Melville Klauber ; second vice president, O. W. Cotton; secretary, John S. Mills; treasurer, Ford A. Carpenter.
1908-President, D. C. Collier : vice president, Dr. Powers; secretary, John S. Mills ; treasurer, G. A. Davidson.
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1909-President, G. A. Davidson; vice president, L. S. McLure; secretary, John S. Mills; treasurer, Philip Morse.
1910-George Burnham; vice president, L. S. McLure; secretary, Rufus Choate; treasurer, F. J. Belcher.
1911-President, John F. Forward, Jr .; vice president, William Kettner ; secretary, Rufus Choate; treasurer, F. J. Belcher.
1912-President, F. C. Spalding ; vice president, F. J. Lea ; secretary, Rufus Choate; treasurer, F. J. Belcher.
1913-President, F. J. Lea; vice president, C. W. Fox; secretary, Rufus Choate; treasurer, F. J. Belcher. In February, Mr. Choate resigned his sec- retaryship and William Tompkins was chosen to succeed him in the responsible office.
CHAPTER XXXVI CLUBS OF SAN DIEGO
THE SAN DIEGO WOMAN'S CLUB
which is the oldest as well as the largest club in the city, was organized in 1892, with a membership of 7. Today it has 270 members on its rolls. It is a pro- gressive club and holds that it has a scope of usefulness greater than the intel- lectual advancement of its members only, and includes in its work enlightenment upon many of the problems of the day, the betterment of womankind, improve- ment in civic conditions and philanthropic work. This organization owns its own club house, which was erected in 1906, on Ninth and D streets. The pres- ent officials are : President, Mrs. Edwin M. Capps; first vice president, Mrs Frank P. Frary ; second vice president, Mrs. C. S. Alverson; third vice president, Mrs. A. E. Frost; secretary, Mrs. Alfred Haines ; corresponding secretary, Mrs. J. W. Mardock ; treasurer, Mrs. E. W. Peterson.
THE WEDNESDAY CLUB
Among the women's clubs of the city is the Wednesday Club, which occupies its own beautiful club house of Ionic architecture, designed and built by the club members, on Ivy lane. The club was organized in 1895 and has enjoyed seven- teen years of active literary work. The members are completing a four-years' course of study of the "Evolution of Literature, Art and Drama," this year con- sidering post-renaissance phases. The membership is limited, being at present about 115. The officers are: President, Mrs. Henry W. Foote; first vice presi- dent, Mrs. Uriel Sebree; second vice president, Mrs. Sam Ferry Smith ; secretary, Mrs. Frederick W. Nash ; corresponding secretary, Mrs. A. E. Horton ; treasurer, Miss Alice Klauber.
DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
The San Diego chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is com- posed of women of colonial descent, the present membership being about 60. The officers are: Regent, Mrs. John E. Jennison; vice regent, Mrs. Horace B. Day; associate vice regent, Mrs. Rae Copley Raum; secretary, Mrs. Charles J. Mehlin; corresponding secretary, Mrs. Will Crane; treasurer, Mrs. E. A. West.
WOMAN'S PRESS CLUB
This club is composed of active literary workers, magazine contributors and newspaper women and is known as the San Diego Woman's Press Club. It is
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now in its second year and is of much practical benefit to its members, while its open days, at which as a rule some literary or musical celebrity is introduced, are events for which invitations are much sought. The present number of mem- bers is 50. The officers are: President, Mrs. Rae Copley Raum; vice presi- dent, Mrs. Charlotte Carl Cutler ; secretary, Mrs. E. A. Butler ; corresponding secretary, Mrs. Ford Ingolsbe Beebe.
CHANNING CLUB
A woman's club which studies largely along ethical lines is the Channing Club, which meets weekly in its club rooms at the Unitarian church. The president is Mrs. L. L. Raver.
PIONEER SOCIETY
The Pioneer Society, a strong organization, is composed of men and women who have watched the growth of San Diego from its infancy, or at any rate, from its childhood, and are now, in the vigor of its dawning maturity into a real city, one of the most interesting of the city's organizations.
MOTHERS' CLUBS AND OTHERS
The mothers' clubs, of which there are several besides the original San Diego Mothers' Club, are philanthropic organizations formed to study the needs not only of their own children, but the child life of the city.
The Outlook Club is a Unitarian club, composed of both men and women, whose course of study is broadly philosophical.
The clubs which are dedicated to study of the works of Shakespeare are numerous and include the San Diego Shakespeare Club, the As You Like It Club, the Portia Club and the Stratford Club.
As the college men have the University Club, so the women graduates have the College Women's Club, which is now in its second year. About ninety college women belong to the club, which is studying along three distinct lines-civic, educational and philanthropic. It is also working for a social settlement and scholarship fund. The officials are: President, Mrs. C. M. Winslow; vice president, Miss Macadam, of La Jolla; secretary, Miss Harriet Marston ; treas- urer, Miss Ada Jones.
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