The San Francisco call. [volume], October 06, 1907, Page 1, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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The San Francisco Sunday Call.
Magazine Section
Part I.
BRINGING BACK
BOUNDARY FENCES
THAT SHIFTED
Anna Pratt Simpson
-^-B— -HERE is a man In SaniFrancisco
S who is insistins tbat-his;prop-
§ cr!y Is bounded by Ms fence, de-;
spite the -fact that Uio' earth--:
quako. biiifted it"scvferal feet toward the.".
Ftrcet ct:r*)ing and fu«'.ge<3'a'lap or t\fo
over on his neighbors- land/ '
"Didn't I build the 'fence meself. and -
Onn't ;i *knoirLit^Trhen>l -Jeee itT'-. d«-.
t-lared-tlie pamo>x> ro P* r t?''Owner lo City .
:nsineeiv Thoaias . x P. .Woodward, to
8 fiplicd,r«>r. advice when* the;*'
out neighbor 'made; official,
rtbquake -changed your line?.. .
,"' eaid- the city enginecrr"and
have another..- survey rnade."^. _' .
"Not I," retorted the irat« man as he
left the -makeshift bfare. .or.; thC.-SQrp _
of the citjv Itail'' property. « .'Til ifolley- :
the line of \u25a0•nr.e/ fence." And "that was
ti;r "last >l;eard of this nanwho defies :
Fiifveyorf. private and public, as -weli
"What viii you do with such a'case"* ..
••Xolhing.. He will be looking fox his-
surveyYn good time." Auii-ilr. V»«>o<!- .•\u25a0
ward vent on to tell of tome of Ills';
oilier visitors. • *, >
Not all the people! who have found <
theirway to" the engineer's office liave"
fallh !n their fences. One of the "pro
cession of uneasy property holders "wa.3 _
a woman, keen and gentle, who knew, :
that her fence had wandered. She had
no mind -to tempt clouds to ! befog "her;'
title, and welcomed the solution "to be .:',
foirTid" !n offlcial surveys. A* ihan, *.
wanting to rebuild on the foundation of/
his former home, found that' it had \u25a0
moved" bodily and that he was a' tree- :
passer; also that -his,, house would bs *
out of alignment with the -street. ,He ».
\u25a0was still further mystified when lie sar,
that his neighbor 100 feet-; away, aa- r
peared to be exactly where he was be- „
fore the epoch making day of terror. .
EarthQuake pranks are not easily 'com- I
prehended.
Buch cases as these tax the good \.
judgment "of the city engineer,- who, /
while upholding the law, does not want.'
to bar an obstructionist. His advice has *
to be tempered "by _ rememberings that .
any number of people have built on -
old foundations without »rer thinking*
of euch .thing as a "line." To -most;
of the people who have so utilized I "the ;
old sites, a foundation Is a foundation
and they hare thanked the Fate s> that :
l«rt them one. no matter where.' ". : ;-'
Tfc« "temporary Btructure" Is a kindly •
solution of this particular complication. ;
It pets off the day of reckoning which _
!s cure to come. j Tv'bile the temporary ,
structure- Is getting old, the^ city.; en-;?
glceer's office is placing and. replacing '
all the monuments so that when forced",
reaxljustmeot comes, . every, record ; will »
be in readlses3 for- the -men owning \u25a0'
"walklar /oundatloc»" to "tret their lines \
corrected,
L> All ci which mesas : that soms^ef the:
rjwt laportcct ' of \u25a0. tie . municipal rec- '
ctCm are being made ar.d restored, but
so culetly that they, are scarcely 'men
tioned- They are: all " "class :. A,''x but*
their structures are > being', duplicated.
and hidden away 'in books "at such,
widely divergent places that the city's .*
late experience can; never -_fce- repeated*-'
. ITho has . not been • curious about /the -
unbidden surreyors - .wfc*'', have •-. been <
dropping- plumb. .linY?,; running,; steel!"
tapes, digging mysterious. holea ; at ; the
street crossings . and" closing them , up Z
again, apparently . riot •; having } found'
what they, werelooklng lor, acd' finally^
raaKtqg'^copious ( nc»te3^, in, fatr" official^
•JtotJh'g'bobka?* TlTey^arcTthe meni.who™
under 'th'e^dir&ction/bXr: tlic~clty :ehgi-V;
neer, are ...doing "the .work ;that ' means ;"
confirmation : of c property; titles - for the
people -bereft "of ;p'roof-; of '.ownership;:,
.they., are the-; men* who*-are>resettlng. San/«
Krancisco'a .. "morium"ents7,-.*and^-Iridicat- -
!ns "locations,"- jheV'ijiarks 1 from: which ''.
tlie'.iiew'city 'and 'ItV people' will '.make '
their 'future', 'maps' aml;[ records. 1 In fact,"
they'- are "Etraisbtcnins L ur>":the; survey*;'
for - eyery>- pipe ' and l cond ui t ; that • has*
lodgment « on property; -they '•
are^peninff^thV^'a'yJfor'allVorts'of/bis-;
constructioTri^that "T?lll.."boijic ".with '^th'o^
new. sewer, system 'and^btlier. -important^
improvements.'-.''--"-" V*. * ' '\u25a0" [ ' ?' \u25a0 " '\u25a0 ' .'} :i
r .The' earthquake • aiid'fire sent^ the' city 3
engineer's oSco baclc'tbtlie first'ehap- •
ter^of ". municipal 'hletory.'; iVohC/eveiy '
liand^hcre 1 is"macli-.tdil£''of Uiie-rcstbra-.
tion'of titles under tlic- McEnerneyJ act,
. but^, almost" nothing" has a been -i said .-'of 'i
the work ; that : is •;bcin&v;done ;
witlioiit -herald 'or'^hubbub'" Inj'the'jcity,'
engineers office^ and withoutVwhlchjthe"'
,Vpblnts.o£,beginning*i,lwbuld;airbe'sad- *
:ly,ml3:ed.r \u25a0- ' .. ' . ::y" -'\u25a0. ' /\u25a0 \u25a0-' ' _•'\u25a0 '\u25a0\u25a0*}]-\u25a0:.
'\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0': This j resurveying r besan ' ; Immediately. ;
after the ' flames . had '. burned \ out '.? thcir^ •
fury,iandiis.<beihgKCondactedas fast;as J
loyalty and; limited ! moneyj v.ill ;permitl .
'Aj majoritj', of .'the -haVe
been" relocated, throughout (.the-. city ;r in*
: fact," ~ the •" work . "that • ori griiially. • 'took ,
three i years "to •accomplish' >has r .bee'a ",
\u25a0 donVinTabout -IS months.'* It; \s of /first
importance, in;; the ; great- scheme 'of re-.
an d ' , regeneratfon, ' .and
* there^io nothing .in . it more 'stupendous. .
1 The-- detail As .-bewilderingr.^at-vwo^l'd"
'have •- been ".' di ffic ult 'A enoush' - "lfj- the ?Cre *
had " onl3' _;dcEtroycd; .location^ and? Hs'»
'immeasurable .;ncat^. bad . ;reduc*ed r> th*e*
• monumehts • to powdsr :' arid -splinters,)
1 butfth«^ear(hqu
the'.lihes," Imaginary" \u25a0 and r otheVw1fije,' : un -
"til-r" •\u25a0'\u25a0\u25a0 \u25a0-: ,r^'-:y- ; '::\u25a0<\u25a0 >>•—-<" .y-f^ii
' Soaje'l!»w>»gt'«jid'»oiai«.afwtV'«>*8ti ' '\u25a0'.".
\u25a0. Aad ; souse ; flew> otct * the "cuckoo* • -'nest. <\u25a0'
': ; t lndeed/;thejnty engineer anajhis^fieldv
force .are , having'a/busy/time.readJuVt- : ]
ing; those ."lines'.' ;'that\.Tvent: hither^ ind',
yon. , Fr e«u e n tl y^ they." h a v e , t b ' bo (7: to \u25a0
\u25a0 t he^ inexorabU^ seismic* aaw^ and : . r e'eon
cile^ phy«lcal^dlsarep"ancies"- s wlth ' f brme'r
:faots.;* ( In^ihort,^th^J^clty^*^gi^
nowjuntirthermiliennium of 'perfect ;tl- :
"ties » when*; the ilastisuH-ey^BhaH^haye:
made.N will 'havV-'to * be '.a ; Solomon ;
as well, as "an 'oracle.. . ,"."., .' _' '. : i -'.'"!\u25a0\u25a0
:^^:M^swfe)}l&cw: ; .';
-.. .The.responsible'men of theenginsar's
-ofQcc i" Vere i not/ f oundr.v. ; eatIns'i.wUca :
i Sanr Erariclsco, and, its t records .vTrere. jro^-
flame's.; ;*rCity','VEnffineerV
VThomas fP.^Wbody/ard'Va^yed'ali'tiiejJn- '--,
/ strurnents,- makin s: : it' possible ',to"*com- ~\
h menco ; thcV-important' ; - \vorV" fi J of* recon? :y
; struction.' immediately.
.- it: was liotknowntthatVa single ;*dtrect- <
; ; ingr- record 'had ! beenf saved,' ;Xbut?Tr6j--<
'-._. tiinately for *• the v city': and*" JtSppeopJe, 1 ;,
\u25a0 ;thiere ' were * two j men "• in" the ; officer whose jt
• lieads »held''so "; rnuch-'valuablo "khowl- ;•
;' edscTabout San; Francisco's 'Surveys and;
\ maps ..that "th'ey vvrereT ablettbf guide*' the -\
- "vvork - ; of . '. relocationp-bcf orol : : the'e- lew.?
.'. traces- Jef t, : of^the'. ."marka'.'. , were" eodq *i
• f orer er." ' One; of Charles ;H. '
/iriolcomb, viwho '* has \ directed
.; {orceiof • theVeng'in'ecr J 's~6fflce.; ,for^ the. : j
ilast ; 21,f years/1 tiadtths^records f bo; In-^ :
•v saved. *th*e*desp*era"t*' sltuatidn.. ? The city .:-
V: owfs r hlnij af dbbt',that\in*all" probability \u25a0
' will -never: b'o» paid." 1 ;. Virtue* in 'his 'case,';
..\will ? be its ; own : re war dr. STliom unicipa I-.
-fity% hiis ;"• «o ; provision >. : f or .nttiiiffr.ac- 3
vlrnowledsni t a t \u25a0. q£ .-" such if scrvico 1 as i >Ir. ,}
' Kolcbmb ; vrasyabla" to \u25a0*Kly'c..''.,NotwithT!i
;isia*ndlngr ;^th«5^f act that tfliis'^-Vxp'ertv
J Knowledge , anxi j experience twouia? have
>brought:th}m' ; muniflrent'.'|'co.mpensaUon i ,"
•;* j !!.'• 1 l'e"^ had ; le ft U he \u25a0{ cltyfs^a'i rvjce;| he re -^
"« mainedrc t , his : post;> havins: the - loyalty^
-Vend^flntsj' sens* :- of 'S justice i'to J.'
; "j temp tip g'^off era?; '. lie ''was] needed/ In : .tiio
tbegiVning'c'^thSjgfjftatjVe'storatlo
; - cannot i be ;.sparedC;now^f^Mn ; !H6lcomb\
. j li as" \u25a0 kept % n o * ho ur».* f rj D aya^ an d t nl gh ts |
J'and^Sundays^haveV .been Vair: the 7'ea.me
• him. -~: t It j is > t tr ue « th at>- a - man j cannot r.
*i be \u25a0 resp onsible v for'- record » <? for - m ore
; than a.' score ojf yeara^wlthoutniayiasr'a'l
V'pWp'rietajry^lnt'erest" ;ln tnem.^So^itVhap'r;
•1leu|theTtancJ» !of \ >«storWioa^tofotiier7
„ hands. . , \u25a0 . t
! V- ; Supplementing:^ Mr.'jHolcbmb'slknow'l-"
i
. city * engineer's' offlcn-slnc*'- before, the
.-: carihqiiakc^ol * l S 6 8 ( - so ' wlie^^a|(aa,yj
: ' c arii e '.'r t o '\ r e op c niV and >' r e co n s t r uc tp_ thMr.
)\u25a0 ofllce,'? ho'^waafaj sort \of j hallf of record* - J
Va'l 1 {VoThi m 3 e 1 L \u25a0}, His (s e r vie © : Viii N> f ?
fSinco; that 'time fh« < jha»^'been T , <
> lured eWorld fjwhn%(
tijMene^^)hil^eif.V,;7 - ./^ '"\u25a0: fYy>; 'J--/-1 . .'
Thinking]- back^o'ver^ the ~ot;
;; San \u25a0•Francisco, -' Mr;' 'HolcbmbVrjecallcid y
J that :>\af tier^the tdays ,^or Kth«^Spiai8hy
Tgrants;^^e'n^Uie{e^sUciyawhldeTni«ai|^
Cure's ifconfusedUlieiuties-t'opandvlnithU; 1
>Ve8tern?country,'Hhafflr8t^ofllclall8ur- ; ; ;
fvey8<had\eatabI!8hedf;l.'locationsV/alfaoit'
v cxoi^oiKo^?^tobjBi^e"ntS/.V/th«;;
i? flirs t.-tfpe r\|seVfbelnB > pertehSblB.' »^Thei'«'^
. : : as = th e ' oi d '; 5 0 ' \'arari4l8 1 r lct'{ bounded** byjl;
CL'ailcl3V"Markot'and«th9|^ba^^ia^»ectlo^
"*b n-cp tV'cleanV: by.' the It- Wast than
:;. that'- Mr. lllolcomb'si memory. >«" was*;;* »\u25a0 :»
'good-'as^ablock 1 : book. .'He hastened Into.
,'Uiis'fburnejd < v dlstrlot^
aep^Ue«Tai|h»|;eQuldf! Ketsto^i'
p1pthe^Malizinit^e]neMs^ty^^ r !d^
itit ylnKltlie ;iaai I : of pth©?"lo ca-'i
rtion's.'.r-V/A'ibit *of brick ; 1 ious«lher«f and 1
*bTf^r8lthel¥tre'nuou8 fpeopletof |The'fcity^
.obliterated pjthem. | s^veyors| had >;
"' people VhOiwaVtedVto/?b^in?th''cir' ; Uye»C
4'5s Searching^ around 5 in /tlie .'iuAes iwheai
K^hey^w^M^ann^aa ,^w^^
••but"v lnsiatehily; *; urgen t.U"' : Mushroom
#,shwfc^^^*IosppJ^^^^tWcan^
Jduclveftofth6i<ft»pllcatlon|of^lo«t|rto^|