USA > California > San Diego County > San Diego county, California; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 37
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The following, from report made by F. M. Lockwood, assistant superin- tendent, gives an idea of the present operations of the sewer system :
"Of the 25.942 miles of sewers installed during that period, January I to De- cember I, 1912, 19.09 miles were under bond issue of 1910, the balance being installed under sewer and drainage, a portion of which was paid for by parties having the work done.
"The department gave employment to about two hundred and fifty men while the main part of the work was being installed, and at the present time we have about fifty men employed in making house connections and extensions.
"The territory covered by the new sewers is portions of that section lying between the city park and Thirty-first street, and from Juniper street to Uni- versity avenue; north of Park to Panorama street, from Indiana street on the west to Kansas street on the east; also portions of Mission Hills and the dis- trict lying between Stockton street and the bay, from Albatross street west."
Bonds have been voted and work will commence shortly on a system which will serve the Chollas valley, Brooklyn Heights and adjacent territory, also the territory north of the park and west of Indiana street and a portion of Middle- town and Inspiration Heights. The line north of the park will have a trunk through Pound canyon which will serve the exposition grounds.
Something like twenty miles of the last bond work was laid of machine made concrete pipe. With the exception of C street, this is the first time it was tried in the San Diego system. It has proven very satisfactory, as it is more regular in formation, and the joints make a more complete union than those of vitrified pipe. It also gives employment to home labor and uses home products.
The sewer department is under the control of A. E. Dodson, superintendent ; F. M. Lockwood, assistant superintendent ; William B. Harper, general inspector ; J. F. Jones and J. M. Smith, construction foremen; James Symonds, emergency man, besides flushers, repair men and laborers.
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GAS WORKS
Very early in the Horton period, the citizens of San Diego began to realize the future importance of various public utilities and to plan ways and means for meeting the need. Water, sewerage, light, facilities for transportation-these things much be provided if a city of consequence were destined to rise upon the shores of the bay. Although the boom of 1886-88 gave the greatest impetus to the growth of public utilities, the beginnings of several of them went farther back.
In the spring of 1870, William H. Perry and others undertook to provide San Diego with gas. Machinery was brought by steamer and installed in June. The venture was not a success, however.
In March, 1881, the matter was again taken up by a number of citizens. The San Diego Gas Company was organized in that month, and in April articles of incorporation filed. The incorporators were: O. S. Witherby, George A. Cowles, Dr. R. M. Powers, E. W. Morse, Gordon & Hazzard, Bryant Howard and M. G. Elmore. The capital stock was $100,000, and works costing $30,000 were erected immediately, on the present site of the gas works -- Tenth and M streets. The fires were lighted for the first time on June 2, 1881. The fuel used was petroleum. Elmore, who held one-fourth of the stock, was a representative of the Petro- leum Gas Company. The plant was thought to be sufficient for a city of 20,000. The number of subscribers at the start was eighty-nine.
The use of petroleum gas proved unsatisfactory, however, and after an expe- rience of two years, the company made the necessary alterations in its plant and began to use coal instead. The first use of coal was on April 19, 1883. From this time on, the gas works has grown with the city, the company enlarging its plant and extending its pipes as business required.
ELECTRIC LIGHTING AND POWER
The subject of electric lighting came up in March, 1885, when the city trus- tees appointed a committee of three to prepare a contract for electric lighting. The Horton House was the first building in the city to be lighted by electricity. The first lights were furnished by the Jenney Electric Lighting Company, of Indianapolis, which entered into a five-year contract for lighting the city by the mast system. Their machinery was set in motion March 16, 1886, and that evening the city was illuminated by electric light for the first time. In May the trustees discussed a proposition for the city to purchase the plant, but decided adversely. After the system had been in operation about six months it was pur- chased by E. S. Babcock, Jr., and L. M. Vance for $30,000. Mr. Vance had been the manager for the eastern concern and remained in charge. In March, 1887, the San Diego Gas, Fuel & Electric Light Company was organized and bought the franchises of the San Diego Gas Company and of the San Diego & Coronado Gas & Electric Light Company. The new company had a capital stock of $500,000 and it undertook to furnish gas and electric light for San Diego and Coronado.
In April, 1905, the San Diego Consolidated Gas & Electric Company became the owner of the works and franchises of the old gas and electric companies of San Diego and has since supplied the city with all its gas and electric light and power. During 1906 this company rebuilt the entire gas and electric plants
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at an expense of about $750,000. New machinery and apparatus were installed, including steam turbines for generating electricity, a new 500,000-foot gas holder, and an additional 800,000-foot gas generating set. The company owns and operates about fifty miles of poles and eighty miles of gas mains. Both the gas and electricity used in National City are supplied from the plant in San Diego.
THE TELEPHONE
The first public exhibition of the telephone in San Diego was made by Lieu- tenant Reade, United States weather officer, on December 5, 1877. It was not until March 23, 1881, that the newspapers state: "It is currently reported that ere many weeks we will have a telephone exchange in San Diego." The San Diego Telephone Company was organized and began work in May, 1882. The officers were: President and treasurer, J. W. Thompson; secretary, Douglas Gunn; directors, A. Wentscher, J. A. Fairchild and Simon Levi. The first use of the lines was on June IIth and there were thirteen subscribers to the first exchange.
In 1887 the number of subscribers was 284. The San Diego Telephone Com- pany was not incorporated but was operated as a mutual affair, as the telephone business was thought to be in an experimental stage. The lines were extended to several outside points, however; to Julian in September, 1885; to Oceanside in May, 1886; and in 1887 to Escondido, Poway, Campo, Tia Juana, Oneonta, Coro- nada, La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, and soon after to El Cajon, Lake- side, Alpine, Cuyamaca, Sweetwater Dam, Chula Vista, Otay and Del Mar. In December, 1890, the Sunset Telephone & Telegraph Company purchased the plant and took control. Mr. Thompson continued as manager until March 8, 1895, when he was succeeded by R. L. Lewis. At the time the latter took charge there were 360 telephones in use in San Diego and the number of employes was nine. In November, 1897, the company completed the construction of a long distance line from Santa Ana, which connected San Diego with over 700 cities and towns in California. The number of telephones increases daily and the long distance system has been greatly extended and improved.
The Home Telephone Company secured its city franchise in November, 1903, and a county franchise on June 5, 1905. Service was commenced in February, 1905. It was organized and built largely by local subscriptions. The automatic system is used. The number of city subscribers is about 2,500 and long dis- tance wires have been extended to nineteen interior exchanges in San Diego county. The first manager was Roscoe Howard, who served until July 1, 1905. The company has a substantial building of its own.
STREET GRADING AND PAVING
In the matter of street improvements, the people of San Diego seem to have taken little interest until the time of the great boom. Indeed, the conditions of soil and climate are such that nowhere are the streets so easily kept in good con- dition and nowhere are apathy and indifference so prone to prevail.
In November, 1869, a proposition was made to license saloons and teamsters for the purpose of raising funds for the improvement of the streets. This propo-
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sition was voted down, however. The first official action for the establishment of street grades was in October, 1872, when the city engineer was instructed to make surveys for that purpose, from A street south and Thirteenth street west, to the bay.
Fifth street was the first street extended out upon the mesa, and long re- mained the only avenue to what is now one of the most attractive residence dis- tricts in the city. This work was done early in 1880.
The first important street grading work began in January, 1886. There was considerable agitation for this and other classes of improvements in 1886-7, culminating in a public meeting at the Louis Opera House in August, 1887, when Mr. Holabird, Judges Works, Puterbaugh and others spoke. It was thought the trustees were not showing proper zeal and the needs of the city far outran their accomplishment.
The city now has many miles of smoothly paved streets, which are sightly and the delight of the citizen and tourist. They are kept clean and in good repair and are a blessing from a sanitary standpoint if no other.
CHAPTER XL POPULATION, PARKS AND PROPERTY OF SAN DIEGO
POPULATION OF SAN DIEGO IN 1913
The last census (1910) gave San Diego a population of about 40,000, or to be exact, 39,595. The city directory for 1912, which was issued in June, con- tained 30,725 names. Using a very conservative multiple this gives the city at that time a population of 67,704. The increase since then, to place it below the usual estimate, has been 2,000 a month, which would make the total at this time about 80,000. Within recent months by actual count, the arrival of per- manent residents has varied between 2,500 and 3,500 a month. It is estimated that for the entire thirty months which have elapsed since the completion of the United States census, the average will foot up 1,000 to 1,500 a month, which gives a total around 70,000. For the presidential election last fall the registra- tion was, in round number, 20,000. The multiple employed in this instance is three and one-fourth, owing to the fact that the suffrage has been extended to women in the state of California. This gives 65,000 but the fact must be taken into consideration that a substantial per cent of the residents of San Diego were not qualified voters at the time the registration books closed, on account of not having resided in the state and county long enough to entitle them to vote.
Gas, electric and water meters, school census, building permits and the various other methods of estimating population all tell practically the same story. The number of water meters is 13,000, gas 18,000, electric 14,500, in round numbers, and the school enrollment for the year ending June 30, 1912, according to the city superintendent's report, was 8,688. The per cent of increase last year over the preceding year was twenty-three. This year it probably will be considerably larger, but taking twenty-five as a conservative gain per cent, it gives an enroll- ment for the present school year of nearly 12,000. Conservative multiples in these several instances all show the city to have a population of between 70,000 and 80,000.
BUILDING PERMITS ESTIMATE
The most flattering results, however, to the city, from the population stand- point, are yielded from the building permits. Of course it must be considered that the number of dollars in building permits per capita is a variable quantity, depending upon the construction activity in any given city. For instance, Chi- cago uses $118 per capita for population estimating purposes, and Los Angeles $94. In view of the great number of buildings constructed in San Diego within
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the last year and the buildings under construction for which permits have been issued, it would seem that $100 per capita is a just figure, but this is evidently too low, since it gives the city a population of 100,000, figuring the building permits for the last year at $10,000,000 even. At $120 per capita the result shows a population of more than 83,000, which more nearly tallies with the other methods used. The building permits for 1910, the census year, amounted to $4,005,200, which, according to the official count of the people here, places the per capita amount at $100.
Eastern business men who visit San Diego, after they have remained here long enough to investigate the population question, invariably place the num- ber beyond that of conservative local statisticians. To give an instance, a Pitts- burg business man who recently visited the city, when he first came was told that the city had a population of 65.000. After he had been here a few days and had observed for himself, he gave it as his opinion that 65,000 is wrong and that 80,000 is nearer correct.
There is no indication on the part of the business interests of the city to boost the population beyond what it really is, since they realize that deceptive estimates hurt rather than help when the time of official enumeration arrives, and the figures will be accepted by the outside public whether correct or not. San Diego is not a boom city of mushroom texture in any sense. The growth is substantial and exceedingly healthy, yet at the same time it is very rapid.
The city of San Diego's resources in the ownership and control of land aggre- gate a figure far beyond the estimates of "old timers," to say nothing of the newcomers.
San Diego has assets in land values approximating $12,000.000. Estimates on the value of park lands make up practically half this amount. Conservative figures prepared by the appraisal committee of the San Diego Realty Board place the total valuation of park property at $5,804,900, exclusive of the value of the public library building, which cost in the neighborhood of $60,000.
Added to the park's property are the tidelands, which are conservatively esti- mated to be worth $5,000,000.
Another million dollars is added in the value of the pueblo lands. Approxi- mately 7,000 acres of pueblo lands are owned by the city. Estimates on the pres- ent value of this property range from $60 to $150 an acre. It is believed that a conservative figure is $100 an acre. This would make the value of pueblo lands about $1,000,000. This value could be greatly increased by the city, how- ever, by piping city water to the property. In this way the valuation would be greatly increased-practically doubled as the water is turned on.
Estimates of the value of the city park lands were furnished by the ap- praisal committee of the Realty Board at the request of city officials. The values on the various park lands are estimated as follows: Balboa park, 1,400 acres, average value an acre $3,500; total value $4,900,000; new town park, comprising a block of land 200x300 feet, bounded by F, G, Columbia and India streets, $102,- 000; D street plaza, described as lots A, B, K and L, block 42, Horton's Addi- tion, estimated at $2,000 a front foot on D street, $400,000; Public library park. comprising the south half of block 47. Horton's Addition, having a frontage of 150 feet on Eighth street, 200 feet on E and 150 feet on Ninth street. The Eighth street frontage is estimated to be worth $85,000 and that of Ninth street
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$70,000, making a total valuation of $155,000; Collier park, Point Loma, de- scribed as pueblo lot 206, containing 60 acres at $500 an acre, $30,000; La Jolla park, block 58, $50,000; playgrounds, block 107, Horton's Addition, 200x300 feet, bounded by I, J. Eleventh and Twelfth streets, $48,000; Old Town park, described as block 510, Old San Diego, $6,000; Mission Hills park, five acres in pueblo lot A, averaging $2,000 an acre, $10,000; Torrey Pines park, comprising 369 acres overlooking the ocean north of La Jolla, at $100 an acre, $36,900; University Heights park, villa lots 3 to 7, having 1,200 feet frontage, at $10 a foot, $12,000.
San Diego has five parks-Balboa, New Town, Golden Hill, Mission Cliff Gardens and the Plaza. These places furnish ample grounds for amusement and recreation for the people of the city and they are not playgrounds for a few months in the year, but for the entire twelve. Only in rare instances does the mercury approach the freezing point, and for practically every day in the three hundred and sixty-five one may enjoy himself in the parks of the city. Flowers bloom along the walks and promenades and the air is fragrant with their odors.
The largest park in the city is Balboa, which contains 1,400 acres. It is situ- ated on the crest of a hill practically in the heart of the city. In it will be held the Panama-California exposition, the buildings and improvements for which are now well under way. This park is yet in its infancy, although it is beautiful and worth a long journey to see. Plans, however, are being perfected to make it one of the most beautiful parks in the world. Work is constantly being done toward this end. Rare specimens of trees, plants and flowers have been obtained from all over the world, and are being nurtured to beautify the grounds in the days to come. Already there is a profusion of flowers, many rare birds and aquatic fowls, animal cages and pounds and other points of interest. From the crest of the hill the view is most inspiring. The business section of the city, with its tall buildings, and the harbor with its shipping, spread as a map before the observer, while around lay many of the finest residence sections of the city. To the south far in the distance across the Mexican border may be seen the mountains of Lower California. This is the city's largest park, and while it is already worthy of extended note, its loveliness will increase as the work which is now planned reaches completion.
Mission Cliff Gardens, at the end of one of the city car lines, while a small pleasure place, is one of the most beautiful little parks to be found on the Pacific coast. There is a profusion of flowers in artistic arrangement at all seasons of the year, beautiful walks fringed with luxuriant vegetation, delightful fountains and other features to arrest attention and inspire admiration. The park over- looks the historic Mission valley, where Junipero Serra, the Franciscan father, established San Diego de Alcala, the first Catholic mission ever founded in California. The entire park is improved with walks, landscape gardening and places of recreation. Thousands visit this park every month of the year and feast upon its beauties. A visit to San Diego would not be complete without having seen Mission Cliff Gardens.
In the center of the city is the Plaza with its artistic and picturesque electric fountain, flashing all the colors of the rainbow through its cascades of rippling waters. The Plaza is in the heart of San Diego's business district and is just across the street from one of the city's leading hotels. It is surrounded by large palm
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trees and with its beautiful lawns and flowers is always a place of interest not only to the tourist, but to the citizen who sees it every day.
New Town Park, occupying about two blocks on F and Columbia streets, is only a short distance from the bay. It is filled with large palms, fountains, beautiful flowers and vegetation. This is one of the first points of interest which attracts the attention of the tourist when he reaches the city.
Golden Hill Park, at Twenty-fifth and B streets, is really a part of Balboa Park, and the name is used merely as a local designation.
All in all it must be conceded for a city of its size, San Diego is well pro- vided with parks. Besides these, however, there are numerous pleasure grounds within short distances of the city reached by boat or trolley, which really should be included in a mention of this nature. For instance, there is Coronado, with its magnificent hotel and Tent City, just across the bay, La Jolla, Point Loma near the city and various other pleasure grounds and beaches within easy strik- ing distance.
SWEET WATER DAM, NEAR SAN DIEGO
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CHAPTER XLI
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HOTELS, THEATERS AND INDUSTRIAL FAIR
HOTELS OF SAN DIEGO
The first hostelry of San Diego was the "New San Diego Hotel," a frame building put up in 1850 on the northeast corner of State and F streets. It was kept by Captain S. S. Dunnells. At the time of their arrival in San Diego, Mrs. Dunnells had the following to say of the aspect :
"The only water in the place was in a well near where the courthouse now stands. The soldiers' burying ground was back of where the Horton House was afterward built. The bodies were later removed to the military cemetery. Some Indians had their huts on what is now the site of the Florence House. Mrs. Matthew Sherman was our only neighbor ; she lived near her present resi- dence (in 1909). There was also a German in charge of Mannasse & Schiller's lumberyard. One day Mrs. Horton took me out to show me the great improve- ments that were being made. There was a party of two men cutting brush near where the Horton House stood in later days."
The next hotel to be erected was the Bay View Hotel. This was put up by, Mr. Case in 1868 on the corner of Fifth and F streets.
The Horton House, built by A. E. Horton, was a brick structure, erected on the northwest corner of Fourth and D streets, and opened to the public, October 10, 1870, at a cost of $125,000. It was an imposing edifice for the time, and its furnishings were considered modern and elegant. At the close of the year 1872 there were seven hotels in the fast growing community and since then the city is dotted over with them.
In 1905, U. S. Grant, Jr. conceived the idea of constructing a great hotel on the site of the old Horton House. He felt that the city was in need of a hotel which should rank with other splendid hostelries in southern California. There- upon, preliminary arrangements were completed, and in July, 1905, the demoli- tion of the Horton House began. In 1907, the U. S. Grant Hotel was opened and was named in honor of Mr. Grant's father, General U. S. Grant. This is one of the greatest hotels, not only in California but in the world, and entertains guests from every clime in the universe.
To enumerate and name the many hotels that have been erected since the U. S. Grant would be superfluous and inadequate, for at this writing plans are being made for new ones constantly, many of them of a pretentious character. The oncoming Panama-San Diego exposition is calling for a great number of them.
Vol. I-21
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THE SPRECKELS THEATER AND OTHERS
It is the verdict of competent critics that the Spreckels theater is the finest in the United States. It is indeed a work of art, the finished product of a most pleasing conception.
The building fronts a full block of 200 feet on D street, fronts 235 feet on First street and 235 feet on Second street. It is six stories in height, with a basement, which has an area of 56,000 square feet. This basement contains stage pit, dressing rooms, machinery and fan rooms, four store basements and a large restaurant, with kitchen, storage rooms, toilet rooms and other appurten- ances. This restaurant is reached by two wide marble and onyx stairways from the main entrance on D street.
On the first floor the theater space proper is in the center of the building, extending back the full 235 feet. The entrance lobby is 30x80 feet, flanked by two recesses containing the beautiful onyx box office and the three passenger elevators to the office floors above. Just beyond is the foyer, large and roomy, with two stairways leading to the balcony and one to the gallery. Immediately over the entrance doors to the foyer is a large art glass panel in full view from the lobby. Just inside these doors is a very large plate glass mirror set in the wall at the right side, balancing and reflecting the stairway to the gallery.
The entire lobby, including box office, elevator recess and stairways, are finished in Pedrara onyx on both walls and ceilings, making one of the largest single contracts ever executed in that beautiful stone. Some of the largest single slabs of polished onyx ever cut can be seen on the face of the pilasters in this lobby.
The box office has an entrance from the lobby and one from the foyer. Adjoining the box office is a small room containing a switchboard on which are mounted switches for all lights to be controlled from the box office. In the rear is the manager's office, with a large fireproof and burglarproof vault. A stairway from the entrance hall to these rooms leads to a mezzanine floor above, where there are private offices for the resident manager and visiting manager and a large poster room, all well lighted by skylights.
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