Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-14
STREET IA LRoADS.
TIE UPS AND DOWNS OF THk
EARLY CORPORATIONS.
Hov w. II. Pritchard Stole a March
on the O-street People-New
Proposed Roads.

q street railway is no town at all-~lt is be- |
hind the age. Many years age gen.
tlenan by the name of Garland
cane here from the East, and incor-
porated the Sacramento CITY Railway
Company. He met with much oppo
ation, and it was with the greatest effort
that he succeeded in getting capital enough
invested to secure the building of the road.
y. D. Thayer, ct that time successful
hotel-keeper in this city, took hold of the
matter, and between the two they succeeded
in having q road built from the old railroad
depot at the foot of street, along Front to
X, up K to Tenth, along Tenth to II, along
II as far out as East Park. They equipped
the road with ten two-horse double cars,
charged ten cents a ride, or sold tickets four
rides for quarter. When the road was
finished the Directors and stockholders
celebrated the event with a grand cham
payne
BLOWOUT AT EAST PARK.
The Park was fitted up in fine style, planted
to trees, shrubs and Towering plants, was
equipped with shooting galleries, picnic
grounds, swings and flying horses for chill
dren. fish ponds, etc. The Directors hoped
in time 10 make of East Park a second
Woodward's Gardens. They had cages con-
tanning bears, monkeys and other animals,
others filed with eagles. pelicans and rare
birds from different portions of the world,
deer parks, and museum OF natural curl
osities. Concerts were given each Sunday,
and for time it was well patronzed, and
bid fair to become a popular and profitable
public park This however, did not last
The Park soon fell into disfavor and was
patronized only by class who are not
profitable in any community. The Park
ceasing to pay, was
ABANDONED BY THE COMPANY,
Except on Sundays and picnic occasions,
on all other days the cars not running
farther than Twentieth street, stopping at
the front entrance of Agricultural Park.
The cost of operating the road was greater
than the income from the travel. The
stockholders did not like the frequency of
the Irish dividends" and gradually all
the stock, except few shares, fell into the
hands of Mr.. Thayer. Thinking that ad-
ditional service would increase the revenue
of the road, Mr.. Thayer built, with the
assistance of the residents along the route,
what was known as the 0-street branch.
The line left the K-street road at Third, |
went down Third to o, up o to Twentieth.
This route proved failure, and instead of
increasing the revenue was a bill of ex-
pense. The road became heavily mort
gagged to the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance
Company, and in 1876 Mr.. Thayer. unwill-
ing to farther bear the heavy burden, sold
out his interest to w. L. Pritchard for Sly
500 Mr.. Pritchard Immediately took up
the mortgage-some $30000-and thereby
syirfrrollxy hppar,a rNOccnScal Of tl,ao
property. Mr. Pritchard, being a shrewd
business man saw the necessity of making
a number of important changes. and soon
put the road
on PAYING BASIS,
And since which time it has paid hand
some revenue on the investment. His first
move was to remove the car stables from
Twelfth and X, to Twentieth and K, and
connecting II and o streets, on Twentieth,
by single Trail track. His next move
was to take up the o and Third-street line,
from Third and X to Tenth and o, and Law
down track along Tenth street in front of
the State Capitol from X to O. This
caused q considerable dissension, especially
among the property-holders along Third
street, and those on o below Tenth, who
had subscribed literally toward the con-
struction of that route. In order to escape
being served with an injunction, Mr.. PIitch-
ard, by advice of his attorneys, took q
large force of men
AT TWELVE O'CLOCK SATURDAY NIGHT,
And tore up the track while the o and
Third-street people slept. When they
awoke in the morning a torn-up street
greeted their view, the rails had been
hauled to another portion of the city, and
the citizens were highly enraged Mr.
Pritchard and the Secretary of the road
were arrested and threatened with the
direst punishment if they did not put
back those rails" Street Commissioner
Knox was very indignant, and stopped the
running of the cars on X street, but, when
threatened with q suit for damages, he re-
considered his act, and the road was al
lowed to be operated again after a few
hours delay. The road on Tenth street-a
charter having been previously granted
was built within week. and the road has
been operated smoothly ever since over the
routes, which have remained unchanged.
There were many and good reasons why
this change should be made in order to
make the property pay. People living
on the upper part of o street who desired
10 come down town to do shopping or at
tend Court found they could
SAVE TINE BY WALKING,
For if they took the O-street line it
landed them at Third and K-several
blocks beyond where they desired to 90.
Another thing, and the prime object, was
to have all the cars run through the bust
ness portion of the town, say from the de-
pot to Tenth and X streets. This gave
twice the number of cars and diminished
the time between cars one half The old
double cars were pulled off, and eight bob
tails" operated by one horse, put in their
places, which did away with the position
of conductor, and thus diminished their
stock of horses and employees by one-half.
Thus, by giving increased facilities for
travel reducing the expenses one-half, and
reducing the fare TO five cents. the road be-
came paying Investment Some three or
four years ago Mr.. Pritchard sold the road
to K. 5. Carey d Sons, the present owners,
who have kept il well stocked with horses.
rub sixteen cars, and have operated the
road in way to better please its patrons
than any of their predecessors.
East Park was disposed of by Mr. Pritch-
ard to Clunie and Gallatin several years ago.
who incorporated it into what is known as
the East Park Association.
The Careys intend continuing the K
street route, as soon as the winter months
are over, from Tenth to Twenty-sixth
street, and will at that time perhaps change
their motive power from horses to electric
or cable. They have recently had all their
cars thoroughly overhauled and repainted,
and their stock is of the very best. They
own several charters extending into the
suburbs. which they say will be used dur
ing the coming season, all of which will
tend to the building up of the city on the
outskirts.
HIGHLAND PARK RAILWAY.
This railway, which has been lately COM
pleted and placed in operation, has already
been the means of increasing the valuation
Of property adjacent to its line of travel. 1t
connects at Twenty-fourth and o streets
with Careys road, and extends south On
Twenty fourth street to Highland Park,
inst across the southern limits of the city.
The fare from Highland Park to the rail
road depot, over both routes is only five
cents. At Twentieth and transfers are
given to and from the Carey line. The
schedule time between the Highland Park
ana the depot is thirty minutes. The cars
run from A. NJ. until T:30 p. NJ. and as
soon as the travel will warrant, the cars
VIII be run later, and the service increased
oy Two more cars, making four in all. The
cars are short double-enders, and ride very
smoothly. The track runs into the Park
and as soon as the work of grading The
streets, which is TO be commenced nert
week, Is completed, the line will be ex.