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The new charter question was submitted to Alameda voters in August, 1900, with the following result: For charter, 593; against charter, 681. In March, 1902, the Alameda trustees sold $100,000 school bonds to eastern buyers at a lump sum of $500 over the par value. In May, 1903, the new high school building of Alameda was dedicated. President Wheeler of the university was present and addressed the audience. In 1901 Alameda received its offer for a public library building from Andrew Carnegie and duly entered into an agreement. to maintain it by an annual tax.

A new charter for Alameda was urged in 1904 by the West End Improvement Association and the Alameda Advancement Association. All agreed that the city had outgrown its old charter and that its progress was retarded thereby. In the fall of 1905 Alameda took up in earnest the project of opening the streets through to the estuary. Early in 1906 Alameda seriously considered a new charter, a large tourist hotel, a progressive system of improvement, an extension of the corporate limits and a separate supervisorial district. The new charter for Alameda was approved by the Legislature late in January, 1907; it contained a referendum clause.

In 1910 Alameda possessed the following advantages and attractions: municipal electric lighting plant; parks and play grounds which cost $150,000; pure food inspection; the new library building with nearly 37,000 volumes and a child's story department; an excellent sewer system; fifty miles of paved streets; a new charter; public property worth $2,500,000; bonded debt $595,000; low taxation.

On November 24, 1913, Alameda county generally observed Junipero Serra day—the anniversary of the establishment of missions by the Franciscan Fathers. Late in November the club women of Alameda considered seriously and profoundly the following three questions: (1) character of the immigrants of the present; (2) establishment of a municipal opera house across the bay; (3) the Hetch-Hetchy proposition. In 1900 the population of Alameda was 16,464 and in 1910 it was 23,383.

The corporation of Alameda has existed under three different municipal bodies; first, as a town with the management of affairs in the hands of a board of trustees; second, as a city under the general state law; third, as a city under a special charter passed by the Legislature in 1907 and duly ratified at an election held by the voters. E. K. Taylor was first mayor under the last form. He has been succeeded by W. H. Noy and Mr. Otis.

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These figures do not include the bond election held April 30, 1912, for $158,000.

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CHAPTER XIX

BERKELEY

When the university was located at Berkeley in 1868 there then was near the bay a small village known as Ocean View, but which later was called West Berkeley. The village in the neighborhood of the college received the name of Berkeley, but later was generally termed East Berkeley. It was many years before Berkeley took any great strides in improvement. Fine homes first began to go up near the university-erected and occupied by wealthy and prominent people.

By 1874 the few residents of Berkeley lived south of the university site; then the public schools were managed by district trustees or directors and were a part of the Peralta district. At that time West Berkeley known as Ocean View had a few business houses and the school district was known by the same name. The California Watch Company erected buildings near Berkeley ferry early in 1876 and soon began operations. They had previously been in business in San Francisco; but needing more room had crossed to the growing town of Berkeley and bought $150,000 worth of property. The sale of the Blake tract near the university in October, 1876, was an important event in real estate circles; the sales aggregating $31,705. At a large sale of real estate located within a few hundred feet of the University of California in 1877 the lots sold at prices varying from $280 to $575 each. The sale was at auction by Woodward & Taggart. In March, 1877, the Cornell Watch Factory was in a prosperous condition at "the little village of West Berkeley."

The Land and Town Improvement Association erected a large windmill with a tank capacity of 12,000 gallons at Fifty and University in 1877; their pipes were laid to the ferry wharf. In all they had laid 2,600 feet of pipe and offered fresh and pure water to householders at reasonable rates. Berkeley at this date began to grow faster than ever; many fine residences were going up. The ferry boat was refitted and the time between Berkeley and San Francisco was greatly reduced. The old "Clinton" retired. The Berkeley Water Works secured an addition to their supply by adding the stream back of the university.

In 1877 a movement to raise $5,000 by taxation to buy a lot and erect a schoolhouse was defeated by a large majority. In 1878 after the town was incorporated the schools were given half of the tax of 50 cents. In 1879 the Kellogg grammar school was established in West Berkeley and the following year it was conducted as a high school as well as a grammar school. Later the building was used by the Berkeley commercial school. The first school at Ocean View was called San Pablo. Still later came the Whittier, Le Conte and Columbus schools. In 1893 the Lorin district was annexed.

In 1882 many lots were sold in the Antisell tract. Harmon Seminary had just been built and Durant Hall was projected. The North Berkeley Neighbor

hood Improvement Association was organized early in 1882 and was planned to build up that village north of Virginia street and east of Grant street. The annual fee was $1 for men and 50 cents for women.

Frederick hall at West Berkeley was used for public entertainments of all kinds. Amateur performers gave a minstrel entertainment there for the benefit of the Catholic church. Among the performers being Heywood, Wheelan, Spaulding, Burns, McClain and others. The Judson Manufacturing Works were built at Emery in 1883. Many houses went up there in July. The new glass works in West Berkeley by Wheelan Canning Company of San Francisco were starting. West Berkeley was building up fast by the work shops there. A wall paper factory was established there at this time. Late in the fall the pipes for the water supply were laid through the streets of Berkeley. The reservoirs were completed early in 1884. This gave that town one of the best water systems in the state. The Berkeley Village Improvement Association was incorporated in September; its objects were to buy and sell real estate, to lay sewers, sprinkle streets, borrow and lend money, etc. The directors were F. K. Shattuck, J. L. Barker and C. K. Clark of Berkeley, and G. H. Collins and E. B. Dean of Oakland. In November all the Chinamen at work in the Giant Powder Works struck, because several of their number had been unjustly discharged, according to their views. A force of white men was at once employed to fill the vacancies.

In February, 1884, the Hopkins reservoir at Berkeley contained about 5,000,000 gallons of pure water. Preparations to build a second reservoir to hold 15,000,000 gallons were made at this time. The Wentworth Boot & Shoe Company located here at this time; their old factory was also at Berkeley. It was planned to employ 150 persons, of whom three-fourths were to be whites. The big reservoir was completed in June. The property of the Berkeley Water Company was transferred to the recently incorporated Alameda Water Company. Moses Hopkins controlled the stock. Mr. Rhorer was superintendent.

The trustees granted to R. P. Thomas, representative of the Peoples' Railroad Company, and to the California and Nevada Railroad Company franchises to build railroads through their town. The latter was a narrow-gauge road which was commenced late in February, 1884, at Emery station, where a wharf was commenced and grading was started. The Peoples' Railway Company bought of Mr. Thomas seven acres in Berkeley and his ferry franchise between Berkeley and San Francisco. The franchise for the California and Nevada Railroad granted the right of way from north to south across the town from the terminus at Emery station. J. S. Emery represented the latter line.

War against selling liquor within one mile of the university broke out late in 1885 and involved all the best citizens against the saloon owners. The law had gone into effect April 3, 1876, but there were constant violations regardless of numerous prosecutions which seldom secured convictions-juries decided for the saloonkeepers. Finally the regents agreed to unite to pay the costs of such vigorous prosecutions as would establish the supremacy of the law and the best business men agreed to stand back of them. Under the first attack there were ten acquittals to one conviction; this condition of affairs caused the citizens committee to extend their line of attack and to arm for permanent results. In the end they succeeded.

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