The Pacific tourist:

261
These trains are half-hourly, most of the day,
and there are nearly five miles of railroad,. and
eight stations within the city limits. The convenience of thus riding freely at all hours, can
hardly be understood by those who have not experienced it. The line of the local irad is
directly through the city, and only local trains
run upon it, all other passenger trains, and all
freight trains taking the main road close to the
water's edge. Of all the suburbs of San Francisco, Oakland is the most popular. Its growth
exceeds that of San Francisco. The time required to reach it from California Street, is less
than is required to get up-town from Wall
Street in New York, and once reached, the
merchant, weary with the cares of the busy day,
may find a home with a more tropical luxuriance
of fruit and flowers, almost the same in summer
and winter, and scenery scarcely less-picturesque
than the banks of the Hudson afford.
Oaklai&d Point-is the last station before
reaching the ferry. The stop is made to pass over
the long trestle work with a light engine. Here
the railroad company own about 125 acres of
land, and have extensive buildings and repair
shops. On their dock they remodel, or build
their ferry-boats, the boats of the California
Steam Navigation Company, and here the
Western Development Company build all the
bridges and frame all hotels, warehouses, and
other buildings for the Central, California, and
Southern Pacific Railroads. About 300 men are
constantly employed. There is a roundhouse
for 21 engines, and tracks for the extra passenger cars needed at this important terminus.
A channel has been dredged out from this yard,
to the bay, which shows plainly from the cars
on the left hand. The train now runs out on
the trestle work, which is built out into sea water
farther than any other in the world, and is
the largest in waters of this depth, and also the
best built wooden pier in the world. It was
built five years ago, and when examined a year
since, a few teredo were found in piles without
bark; but the strength of the pier was not appreciably impaired. It is 2.8 miles long.
To protect it from fire, all the engines employed on it are fitted with force pumps, and
can be used as steam fire engines at a moment's
notice. There are three slips and four piers, and
the aggregate width of the latter is 396 feet, and
over these an immense freight and passenger
business is done.
Eight sea-going ships can be loaded with grain
simultaneously. Nearly all the lumber for the
whole treeless region in Southern California, now
reached by the railroad, is loaded from vessels
at this wharf. Wagons and carriages crossing
between Oakland and San Francisco come over
one of these piers to the ferry-boat at present;
but it involves risk to horses, vehicles, and their
passengers, and the company are building ferry
boats to run by San Antonio Cre ek di rectly to
Oakland, by which all teams will be ferried between the two cities, and the increasing passenger traffic have the additional tracks now needed.
Freight cars cross from this wharf to the immense freight depot at the foot of Fourth Street
in San Francisco, and a boat is bui l di ng to carry
at once 20 loaded freight cars and 20 car loads
of cattle.
There is fine angling, chiefly for smelt, from
these wharves. Four or five of these fish may be
caught at a single cast. Within two years, eastern salmon have been placed in these waters, and
occasionally these are caught. California salmon
do not take the hook, because people and fish are
sharp on this side of the Continent.
At Oakland wharf, passengers and baggage
are transferred to the spacious and elegant ferryboats, on which hackmen and hotel-runners will
be sure to speak for themselves.
The distance from the end of the wharf across
the water to the ferry-house in San Francisco is 3.4
miles, and is ordinarily made in fifteen minutes.
When the wind is blowing, none but the most
rugged persons should venture to stand outside
the cabin; but if it is practicable to gain the
view, there are many points of great interest.
At night, the city itself with long rows of lights
extending over hills, more than " seven," or its
wide extent by day, produces at once an impression of its greatness.
Baiy of San Fr,ancisco.-The bay is large
enough to float the navies of the world, and
beautified by a rare combination of island,
mountain, city and plain. On the right, passing to San Francisco, and near the wharf, is
Goat Island, a military reservation, and the subject of considerable agitation in Congress. The
quarters of the officers and men are seen on the
east side, and on the south end is a fog-bell and
whistle that are often called into requisition.
The Golden Gate proper is north, or to the right
of the city-five miles long and about a mile
wide.
It is strongly fortified at various points. Alcatraz, a naval station, is an island at the end of
the gate and entrance to the bay, and commands
the whole passage from the ocean.
Angel Island, north of Alcatraz, is another
military reservation, well fortified. North-west
of this may be seen the towering peak of Mount
Tamalpais, the highest near the city. On the
right, one may look north to the San Pablo Bay,
and behind him see classic Berkley, Oakland,
and Alameda, with the Coast Hills in the background. South, the view extends over the bay
toward San Jose, and. everywhere, except where
the city stands and through the Golden Gate,
it is shut in by mountains. —
The trade-winds and fogs are shut out from
California byr the Coast Ranlge, the fogs not rising above 1,000 feet, and When they sweep down
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