STREET IMPROVEMENT. [From the "Alta California," July 31.]

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 466, 2 October 1850, Page 3

STREET IMPROVEMENT. [From the " Alta California," July 31.]

One of the most objectionable features in the ground plan of San Francisco, is the narrow allotments which have been made for public streets. We never bad occasion to magnify the advantages possessed by our city as a commercial locality, but if ever ws feel it incumb,ent to say a few broad thingi, and thus be even with neighbours, we shall most assuredly cast about for a considerable time to find subject for coloring ere we conclude to invest the picture, often drawn of our farored commercial position, with heightened end attractive beautiei. The whole city cramped between sand hills, and her street* narrowed so as scarcely to allow the construction of pedestrian walks of sufficient width to promenade two abreast, will hardly afford a fit theme to profitably speculate upon. The widest street we can name, belonging to the city, will not measure more than sixty feet across. This it not the only nor the worst source of dissatisfaction and annoyance to be considered in connection with the subject of our public streets. They are u»paved or unplanked, for winter service, are heaped and strewed with offensive rubbish of every description, and from the dust wi h which the air is filled eveiy afternoon now»a-days, they are rendered perfect* ]y intoleiable. Ruins of the late fires impede the \ray, or building materials offer obstruction fiom one end of the street to the other, in some parti of the city, The inconvenience of their narrowness is seriously felt, when at every corner a blockade of wagons, carts and

bat rows may be constantly found. That they should be graded is furthermore very essential to the business interests of our city ; and there is perhaps not one of the principal thoroughfares upon which extensive improYemeiitB are not more or less required. In the north-east secton of the town important excavations are demanded, whore the streets intersect the riling ground, and much grading will be necessary to facilitate the growth of that business portion of San Francisco. The street suiveys on the south side of the city extend over a tract of low and drifts, whcie levelling, as well by removing hills as filling up depressions, is imperatively needed. Planking is moie necessary here than in any other part cf the city, because both summer and winter the deep saud is a seriuus hindrance to travel. The city is rapidly extending in that direction, and it will soon be necessary to open the street* through to the firm ground of the Mission, beyond the landy tract. This will give an impetus to trade from the country, in South San Francisco, that would be certainly desirable. To the east, and in the rear of the town at a distance of fifteen hundred yards from tlie beach, and an elevation of about one hundred Bnd twenty feet, improvements become necessary, first from the sandy character of the soil, and secondly on account of the hilly ground travened by a line extending north and south. Such is the outline of improvements most required by the streets of San Francisco. The City Engineer, in his report to the Street Commissioner, on the probable expense of grading and planking the principal streets of our city, computes the total cost at <#33 7,732, or thereabouts. At this rate the resources of the city will be altogether inadequate to the work for many months to come, and the approaching winter will find our streets in the miserable plight of last year, unless the matter be made a special subject for the consideration of private enterprise. Unless our thoroughfares are properly planked before the rains set in, the coming months of continual rain and storm will prove a drawback upon our city'sproiperity, of greater magnitude than the past season of terrible conflagration has been, and the losses sustained by individual interests be not less in the Bggre» gate titan that of the sufferers by the fires. The expense of planking the most important thoroughfares, apportioned among our business men, immediate shaiers of the good results, will not be heavily felt, but the evil of neglecting "to provide for the wheels? of buainesi to run smoothly along on, will be at once and forever after felt as a calamity to be deeply regretted. Much of the disagreeableuess arising from the present condition of the public streets might be prevented. The Street Commisiioner «hould enforce the city regu'ation3 on all occasions of remiss behavior by owners or builders, and should have the roads properly cleaned C.tizens who are suffering the inconvenience and annoyance of clouds of dust, constantly filling the air when the afternoon winds pievail, ihould provide vra tering carts to keep down the dust in the streets in which they do business, and thus effec ually abate a nuisance, complaint of which is in everybody s mouth — in all eyos a necessity of its removal.

Heavy Failure.— The stoppage of Barton Lee, for the heavy sum of <8'l,l<)0 000, in Sicramento City has produced no little excitement botli in that city and in our own, Mr. Lee had been carrying on business on a most extensive scale. He has assigned over nil his property to Messrs. E. F. Gillespie, E. J. C. Kewen and Dr. Mackenzie. Those gentlemen do not express the slightest fear but that lie will be able to meet nil hit liabilities. The Sacramento papers itate that the assets of the estate are #1,400,000. His indebtedness to Messrs. Cornwall & Priest, Ins former paitners, now absent in the States, amount to about #600,000, #400,000 of which is covered by mortgage. The special deposits amount to #50,000. and the depc. sits diawing intere»t to #280,000. The income of the estate is estimated at from #50,000 to #80,000 a month We understand that there was a considerable run made upon the Sacramento bankers generally, yesterday, but that they piomptly met all demands.— Aha California, Augusl 7. ?<? Foreigners. — The foreign population from the mines are fast pouring into our city, and through our streets, on their wty to coast portsor the lower coun« try by the «ea ; and the back country roads are literally filled with them. As yet they do not appear to have evinced any disposition to resent the movement made to expel them from the mines, probably determining that discretion is the better part, of valor, and that {< be who fights and runs away will live to fight another day." We are not prepared to believe that all of those who have been compelled to vamos are viciom, but as vice is want to go hand in hand with folly and ignorance, we are satisfied that there are many among the bands who are bad as is possible for men to bei possessing in addition to their other vices, those of deceit and tteachery, which is a characteristic of the lower order of their caste. All we fear is that the Sonoranian "delegations" will prove troublesome to the immigrants coming by the way of the Gila, who will not be so well prepared to meet and cope with them, as have been those with whom they have alreadyt or <*re said to have had, personal troubles. We trust, however, that this apprehension may prove utterly groundless, and that we shall not be called upon to record any untoward catastrophe on the roads.— Alta California, August 7. Building in San Francisco.— The rapidity with which the burnt district has been built orer, hai driven our enterpnzing citizens on the water lots. The progieis of piling out wharves, streets and building lots is truly 6urprizlng. The fact that the commencement of grading and planking the streets, particularly in those paits uf the city where have hitliei to been the great thoroughfares of buiinesa activity, has been so long delayed, and the prospect so unpromising of that work being completed before the rains of autumn, has had the effect to advance the desirableness and value of water lots. The heavy amount of commercial and mercantile business will be likely therefore to be done over tide water next winter. The occupation and improvement of water lots on the eastern shores and bay, will be likely to encliance the value of property and stimulate the progress of building upon the North Bay We are glad to see the enterprise! that are already projected in that direction. — Evening Picayune, Aug. 7. Shu.' Wharves in San Francisco. — By a notice in our advertising columns it will be seen that the steamship Senator has changed her berth, and now receives freight and passengers at the foot of Cunning, ham's wharf, which has been constructed to allow vei« •els of large class to come alongside and dischargethus saving the additional expense of lighterage. The facilities for discharging the cargoes, of our richly etored shipping are dai y on the increase, and tlw inconvenience which had been experienced during the past year, the cause of io muchjdelay and enoimous expense, j are now being rapidly overcome. Another year will produce still greater changes along the entiie length of our shore, and then what used to be the front stteets will be away back, and long line 3 of wharves run out iut<> the bosom of the bay.— Alta California. Jamestown. — The gulch at Jamestown has been worked over several times; yet it appears to be as pioductive as ever. Three Chilians in a fortnight have tuken out #15,000 j and three Fienchmen 12 lbs. of gold la»t Thuisday afternoon. Jamestown is with n hve miles ot Sonom,