Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-13
HORSES, OR NOTHING.
THE FAILURE OF ELECTRIC CARS IN
SAN JOSE.
Judge N. c. Tilden Presents Some Hard
NIzts for Trustees Mclaughlin and
Wolf to Crack.

M. G. Tilden, a property-owner in thi
city, where he was at one time Polio,
Judge, writes to- the RECORD UNION the fol
lowing letter, giving his reasons for favor
ing the application of the Central Stree
Railway Company for a change in the term:
of its franchise that will enable it to oper
ate its railroad by horse power instead o.
electricity:
SAN JOSH, July 10th.
EDS. RECORD UNION: ! have been SO.
Journing in San Jose since last December
AT the latter date they were just putting in
the electric motor cars on the alameda be-
tween San Jose and Santa Clara, and also
between East San lose and the city proper,
intending to have continuous line OF
street railroad by this system from East
San Jose to Santa Clara. The road was
made in thorough, substantial manner.
and the cars were of the most modern and
improved pattern, fitted up in elaborate
style and exquisite finish Great tbiDes
were expected of this rosd. The row of
beautiful evergreen trees which were set
out by the good mission padres, and were
watered for two successive summers bv the
constant andunited forces of q hundred ma
tive California laborers nearly century ago,
and which had furnished during ali that
time grateful shade to all coming within
their radius; these nearly world noted
trees, that challenged the admiration of ali
strangers who visited this lovely VALLEY and
rode through this magnificent boudoir. the
prlae OF every lnhabitant of Santa Clara
county, were cut down and removed to
give this much-talked-of electric motor
street car railroad chance. The owners
OF the road were jubilant, and the people
were enthused.
But alas the thing would not work; the
cars would not run with any degree of reg
ularlty: The people would get in car at
one END OF the line in a great hurry to get
down town when, perhaps, the car would
run few blocks and then stop and remain
stationary halt day or until horses were
brought to haul it away, and so it contin-
ued until finally it was demonstrated be-
vond question that the electric car busi-
ness was complete failure, and the Board
OF Aldermen changed the franchise and
allowed the street-car company the right to
propel their cars by horse power. Since
that the company has done so to the salts
faction OF the public. Street cars are a very
great convenience in city, and always
enhance the value of property wherever
thev CO.
Some people argue that il is better for
the street car to pass within one block of
them than on the street in which they live.
put IN TINS they make a great mistake
Your home Is convenient and made of
greater value by the street cars being
within block of you, but it is enhanced
IN value much more by the cars going past
your door. You can see this illustrated in
every city and on every street line where
cars are used. What has strengthened
property values on X street and o street
and H street in Sacramento like the street
railroad? There was scarcely a store on X
street few years ago when the street cars
commenced running there. They have
done more to build up the business and
trade and sustain the theaters and numer-
GUS hotels OF that street than all other
things combined. Property will rent more
readily and for more money on the line of
street railroad than it viii off oft.
These facts are conceded by everybody,
believe. Then is it possible that the Board
OF Trustees of the City of Sacramento,
who have talked 50 much about silurians
In the past, are going to turn silurians
themselves, and defeat the grand scheme of
allowing the street railroad TO run out ]
street to Twenty eighth, simply because
the electric motor power for propelling cars
is failure
This is matter that every citizen in Sac
ramento, and especially every taxpayer, is
lutci SSleu III, because there Is no TAXPAYER
IN any remote corner of the city out will
pecuniarily benefited by street railroad
IN any part of the city. l felt the other day
when | saw in the newspaper that MIR.
Cary had gotten franchise to run line on
+, Il On Tenth to Twentieth, and also down
Third street, and said he would have The
cars running to the Crocker Art Gallery by
the lst of January, like saying " God
bless him he is the kind of a man I ike
to see in a town"
feel deeply interested in this movement
TO extend the street-Car line out J street to
Tweniy-eighth, not because l have stock
or am interested in any railroad-for l
have none-bu, because l know there
IS great public need for such
road, and because. I have property in
that vicinity that must and will be directly
and materially benefited by it, ! think
Messrs. Alsip e Lewis proposition is a
perfectly fair and liberal one, and | hope
and trust that the Board of Trustees viii
see II IN that Night and grant the gentlemen
the franchise they ask for, and which, as a
matter of right, they ought TO have, and
let the road De built NJ c. TILDEN.