San Mateo County 



PAUIi PINCKNEY 

 Secretary San Sfateo Board of Trade 



SAN MATEO COUNTY is to San Francisco what Westchester is to 

 New York, the natural field for its expansion and the receiving 

 entrepot for Its overflow population. Lying at the very doors of 

 the metropolis, it is already a part of that city in all but political 

 divisions; their interests, their sympathies, their destiny are one. 

 As the Eastern metropolis marched into Westchester County, in like man- 

 ner is San Francisco spreading into San Mateo, and not a business artery 

 in either county but has a connection in the other. 



San Mateo County occupies all of the northern part of the San Fran- 

 cisco peninsula except the area covered by the city and county at the 

 most northern point. It extends from the Pacific on the west to the beauti- 

 ful San Francisco Bay on the east, and has for its southern boundary the 

 counties of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz. 



Within this area are nearly a score of flourishing towns, some Important 

 manufacturing concerns, much rich agricultural lands, valuable timber, 

 and considerable undeveloped mineral resources. The garden and dairy 

 products are heavy feeders of the San Francisco markets, and the flowers 

 of commerce are produced in greater quantity and variety here than in 

 any other section of like area. 



The population of the county is about 18,000, and the assessed valua- 

 tion over $19,000,000, or more than $1,000 per capita. The valuations 

 are extremely low, and the tax-rate correspondingly so. State and county 

 taxes are but $1.55 on the $100. But two other counties in the State 

 have as low a rate, and San Francisco alone has a lower one. This is very 

 significant, in view of the heavy losses sustained last April. Notwithstand- 

 ing this, the tax-rate was lowered by forty cents when the budget was 

 made up in September. This statement is made as showing the wise and 

 economical administration of the present Board of Supervisors. 



The public school system of San Mateo County is the equal of any in 

 the State. Not a district in the county but has its grammar school with 

 able teachers in charge, and the principal towns have high schools. In 

 addition there are several colleges, preparatory and private schools, con- 

 vents, etc. Every community has its church, and religious facilities are of 

 the best. The people on the whole are moral, law-abiding, and intelligent. 

 The percentage of illiterates is nil. The general prosperity is greater than 

 in most places in this State or elsewhere, for it is a pleasing fact that want 

 is practically unknown here, and real poverty not in evidence. The average 

 person appears to earn a "living" without extraordinary effort. 



The transportation facilities of the county will see a tremendous 

 increase during the coming year. At present the Southern Pacific is the 

 only steam railway traversing the county, but the United Railroads have 

 an electric line to San Mateo and the Peninsula Railroad Company is now 

 building a through line from San Jose to the metropolis along the bay shore. 

 The Ocean Shore Railroad, which will follow the western coast from San 

 Francisco to Santa Cruz, is being constructed as rapidly as is possible, and 

 General W. H. H. Hart states that the Western Pacific will not rest until 

 it forces a way through the county. 



The two next most important items of railway construction is the Bay- 

 Shore cut-off and the Dumbarten bridge project, both by the Southern 

 Pacific. The first will place San Mateo County points twenty minutes 

 nearer to San Francisco, and the last will enable this section to participate 

 in the advantages of being on a transcontinental line along with San Fran- 

 cisco. Each has done much to stimulate emigration and has greatly 

 increased values. 



While San Mateo County has rich timber lands, fertile soil, valuable 



