The morning call., 1892-07-21

most exposed place or that most likely to
attract an invading line.
1t girdles the water front with piles and
stTinger5.
1t deties the navigation laws
1t laughs at the people.
III any one can find more striking in
stance Of the lengths to which a railroad
MONOPOLY has gone 10 maintain itself
against competition it would be- interesting
to have Ii made known.
The girdIe remains there solidly enough
and cannot be touched so far as the
power of any individual or corporation
may 60.
There is just one battering-ram that may
be effective against It.
Public Indignation.
This will accomplish much for Oakland
in the next few months.
Now, as for the distractions in the
streets.
Under some dark arrangement with the
railroad the Oakland Gaslight Company
claims the water front along the foot OF
Jefferson street and also at the foot Of
Grove and Clay streets.
Two and half blocks are the extent OF
its claim.
As matter of fact it has not the ghost of
title, nor has the Water Front Company
nor the railroad.
1t is all gross imposition on the public.
And yet the gas company has the
supreme assurance, one might say I'M
pudence, to keep those streets blocked by
fences.
front and deliver material of any kind Tor
shipment on any kind Of a vessel without the
permission of the railroad.
They are positively clos ed streets.
And 1t is the worst kind of a dOg-in-the-
mangeT proposition.
The gas company has no plant there
The railroad has no wharf nor landing
there.
The Instructions are simply there to keep
other people out
They do II, too.
II is not known on exactly what terms the
gas company has control, but as a matter of
fact, while 1t claims control. the railroad
has, in reality, ali 10 say about what shall
be done with the property and how.
If it had not II certainly could not have
driven that tier of piles around the whole
property and held them together by that II
x12 stringer, five blocks long
A little incident that showed plainly
enough what was what and all about it oc-
Cured in 1889.
In that year John l.. Dave wanted to
build wharf at the foot of Grove street.
That was before the distractions were
placed there and Mr.. Dayie thought that it
was public street
In that belief he was right, but he soon
learned that in order TO pass along Gro We
street to the water front he would have to
get the permission of the gas company.
This permission was granted, DaVie pay
ing 81 a month for the privilege of using the
street
Imagine that!l
A man having to pay for the use Of pub
lie street!
But, remember. this was In Huntington's
Oakland.
Then suddenly the street was closed by
higl-bOaTd fence.
Davie went TO the particular set OF little
tin gods that happened to be representing
the railroad at that time in the Council. and
told them what he proposed to DO. He
would build wharf 800 feet long on the
west line Of Grove street and donate it to
the city if the Coun;il would open the
street
The tin gods. not knowing exactly what
me railroad wanted, adopted a resolution
declaring Grove street open.
Then the railroad people came down on
the Council and read it very severe lee
ture.
At the next meeting of the board reso-
luton was adopted resinding the action In
opening Grove street, and declaring it
closed.
Then, in order to keep out any other
Davies that might happen to bob up and
want to build wharves, the distinctions
were placed in all the streets in the neigh
bOrhood.
So accustomed were the people to be ruled
by me railroad gang that no one lifted a
voice in protest
And so all those streets behind the rail-
road wall remained practically closed.
30 lar as they afford any decent sort Of
connection with the water they might as
well not be there at all.
Railroad arrogance will not stop at this.
unless the people of Oakland shall seat
IN Their Council men who will not bend the
knee TO Huntington and Stanford, this sort
OF thing will 20 on for all time.
Railroad rule in Oak land has injured San
FRANCISCO far more than it has Oakland.
we might nave had competing railroad
long ago had It not been for these acts of
lnlqjlty for which the Southern Pacific and
the little tin gods are responsible.
The pity of it ALL