in different parts of the town. D. R. Moore was librarian.

The water plans of Berkeley included the bonding of the town for the purpose of buying the San Pablo wells which were tested and pronounced satisfactory. It was at this time that the establishment of a municipal water system received great impulse. The San Pablo wells were owned by a syndicate of Berkeley business men who held 120 acres. The total cost to the town to secure this tract was estimated at $13,500.

In 1900 the town bonded itself for $100,000 for school purposes. The bonds were sold at a premium of over six per cent. The ground on Grove street near the town hall was bought for a high school; its total cost was about $70,000. The Hillside, the San Pablo and the Haste Street schools were newly provided for. The commercial department of the public schools was established in 1899 and quarters were secured in Golden Sheaf hall. Later departments of music and manual training were established. Berkeley planned to secure a paid fire department to take the place of the various volunteer companies. In July, 1901, the trustees enacted that licenses should not be granted to saloons situated within 300 feet of any school building. At first the distance of 500 feet was proposed, but it was defeated. In August the trustees considered three important subjects: (1) saloon license proposition; (2) application of the Bay Counties Power Company for a 49-year franchise; (3) raising the license of the Pacific States Telephone Company to $100 per year. About this time three acres of buildings were burned at West Berkeley. A new building for the Hospital Association was planned at this time to cost $15,000. In 1901, the trustees declared forfeited the tracks and franchise of the California and Nevada Railway Company owing to the fact that it had not paid its taxes since 1894. The trains had not been in operation for a year. The line extended from Emeryville to Orinda park through Berkeley. The Santa Fe Company was negotiating for this line. In September specifications for a fire alarm system were adopted by the board of trustees of Berkeley. The citizens at the last town election had voted $10,000 for such an improvement. The tax rate at this time was $1.10.

From 1892 to 1902 the town spent $1,500,000 for street improvement, putting sixty miles of roadway in first class condition. Many miles of concrete sidewalks were also constructed. Fine engineering work was done in the Daley Scenic tract. Over $100,000 was spent on the streets of West Berkeley. The greater portion of all this improvement was made from 1898 to 1902 under Superintendent Maloney and was imperatively demanded by the rapid growth of the town.

Early in 1902 Berkeley experienced another district revival in building and realty operations. The transfer of the Schandt block, the Vance property on Center street and the Mathews tract set the wheels of growth in motion. Even West Oakland sprang into new life. A new furniture factory there was commenced, at this time The Realty Syndicate bought large tracts there a sure sign of importance, because it meant an extension of the car lines of the Oakland Transit Company. The Realty Syndicate secured large tracts in West Berkeley along the bay shore and along the line of the California and Nevada Railroad. Berkeley celebrated its first Arbor Day in 1902. A total of 500 trees were planted throughout the town. A John Muir sequoia was planted

as a memento on the south yard of the high school by John Muir and W. H. Marston, president of the board of trustees.

At this time there were in Berkeley about 85 miles of sewers, of which 25 miles were constructed that year. There were 90 miles of cement walks, 20 miles of wooden sidewalks and 58 miles of macadamized streets. In 1896 there were only 27 miles of improved streets. The membership of the library November 30, 1902, was 3,327.

During the summer of 1902 the Town and Gown Club of Berkeley and other citizens made new efforts to set in motion plans that would beautify that city. The site itself was a beautiful one-with rolling slopes descending by gentle steps from the range to the bay. It was agreed that Nature had done her duty and that the citizens should now make the streets, drives and parks the most attractive on the coast.

The plan in 1902 to build a hospital in Berkeley was abandoned and the money subscribed was returned to the donors and the court was petitioned to sell the property acquired. Mrs. Phoebe Hearst had donated $1,000 to the project. Dr. F. H. Payne and Madame E. M. Paget had labored unremittingly to establish the institution under the name Berkeley Hospital Association. The project failed because sufficient funds could not be raised to insure success. Very little help outside of the university could be secured. The people did not want the institution bad enough to pay for it.

In February, 1903, Andrew Carnegie offered to give to the City of Berkeley the sum of $40,000 for a public library upon the usual conditions of his gifts. -that the city should sustain the institution thus established by suitable taxation. On May 14th, President Roosevelt, on a tour of the country, visited Berkeley on commencement day and paid a short trip to Oakland. He received a cordial greeting from everybody, particularly the children. The trustees finally concluded to ask the citizens to vote $100,000 for a town hall and site, $45,000 for wharves, $20,000 for parks, $40,000 for fire equipment, $20,000 for manual training and $7,000 for street equipment. At this time the city had only a small bonded indebtedness and these improvements were imperatively demanded. The plan of progressive bond issue for public improvements was believed wiser than the recent bond proposition of Oakland which was too big and called for the doing of too many things all at once.

At a second meeting in 1904 the trustees concluded to call an election on the following bond propositions: Fire department, $40,000; manual training department for the public schools, $20,000; apparatus for street department, $7,000. In October the town hall was totally destroyed by fire; the most of the records were saved. In November the North Berkeley Improvement Club favored municipal ownership of the water system.

Notwithstanding the defeat of the bond proposition in Oakland the citizens of Berkeley prepared to test a similar program in that city late in November, 1904. Voters were asked to provide $35,000 for improvements covering new fire houses, their lots and equipments; $75,000 for a new steam roller and for experimentation with oil on the streets; $150,000 for school improvements and manual training facilities and instruction; $10,000 for parks; $45,000 for a new wharf 1,500 feet long; and $200,000 for a storm sewer. Thus Berkeley began to figure on a scale even larger than anything that had appalled the tax

Vol. 1-28

payers of Oakland. However, it was finally concluded to postpone the bond election.

The Berkeley Chamber of Commerce was organized late in October, 1905, there being present at the town hall about seventy-five business men interested in the movement. It amounted to a reorganization of the board of trade which thereafter ceased to exist. It was fully organized in December by the election of officers, of whom F. W. Foss was president.

The problems before Berkeley in the spring of 1905 were (1) a police department to take the place of the marshal and eight deputies; (2) bonding for public improvement; (3) adequate funds for the street, fire and school departments.

The election for public improvement bonds was triumphantly carried, by the following vote: Fire department project-for 1,440, against 133; town hallfor 1,331, against 243; police alarm system-for 1,419, against 154; West Berkeley wharf-for 1,441, against 140. The total voted was $298,100.

Berkeley in 1907 put forth strong claims for the removal of the state capital to that city and offered to donate forty acres valued at $200,000 as a building site. The Chamber of Commerce was at the head of this movement. A body of Legislators visited the city to investigate. The bill passed the Legislature and was signed by the Governor. It provided for a submission to the people of the state whether the capital should be removed from Sacramento to Berkeley. The signing of the bill was celebrated with great enthusiasm by Berkeley early in March. The question of removal was submitted to the voters of the state at the November election, 1908. Alameda county gave a large majority in favor of the removal, as did San Francisco. The vote in this county was-for removal, 17.774; against removal, 5,983.

In August, 1906, all records were broken in Berkeley when 152 building permits were issued, the average cost of the buildings being $2,500. The highest previous record was in June, 1906, when 132 permits were issued. The northern and western sections were growing with great rapidity with modern residences and substantial business blocks. The same year West Berkeley promised to soon become a great commercial center. From the date of the earthquake until August 12, 1906, a total of thirty-seven manufacturing establishments sprang into existence in that town. Realty men there were active and jubilant and prices soared. The new wharf project was one of the great inducements for capital to locate there. The trustees sitting as a board of equalization, fixed the rate of taxation for the fiscal year 1906-07 at 85 cents on a total assessed valuation of $23,800,000-an increase of $7,400,000 over the year before. This assessment gave a total working fund of $203,300. This great advance was due to the enormous growth of the city and to the imperative need for greater expenditures for improvements.

In the fall the committee of twenty-seven on the approaching election for the issuance of $287,000 bonds appointed by the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, conducted an active and determined campaign. The funds were divided as follows: New wharf in West Berkeley, $100,000; new fire equipment, $50,000; new town hall and site, $137,000; new fire alarm system, $10,000. It was concluded to postpone until next year the question of voting $348,000 bonds for a salt water pressure system.