The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-08-14


The fact that Louis gille, KY, has utjl-
lied an electric railroad line for the pur
pose of watering the streets, reservoir car
being filled with water and broad sprinkler
attached in switch divisions sufficient for
the width of the street. or one half of il.
shows what might have been done for San
Francisco had our Supervisors been vigil
liant when they granted franchises to the
street railway companies. 1t would have
been an easy matter to have arranged for
the sprinkling of the principal streets of
the city several times a day by this plan
and the companies would have been glad TO
assume the responsibility gratis for the
sake OF the franchise. But as they now
have the franchise without the responsj-
bllty they will not assume it without COM
pensatlon on the usual scale of '.all the
trafile VIII bear" Our Supervisors fol-
lowed their usual rule of parting with the
city's birthright for mess of pottage.
The Southern Pacific, although in abiect
fear of the loss of thousands of tons of
freight, has adopted the plan OF syash-
huckler staggering 1t gives out that the
laundering of all clipper ships is at hand.
even before they reach the Horn or leave
the Heads; that the Atehison, Topeka and
Sente Fe. as the only company which has
dared TO give q reasonable freight rate
from the East. is to be ruined and abso-
lutely inhibited from bringing goods from
San Diego to San francisco by sea: and
that sea transportation from Portland to
Oregon is similarly to be annihilated. All
tins stiff programme Is unquestionably
not for the benefit OF San Francisco or
California, but has been exclusively drawn
up IN the interest of the Southern Pacific
Company, which lays claim to being
lord Of the sea and land in this part Of
tie earth. However. these thunders from
Fourth and Townsend in the name of Mr..
huntington, Mr.. Stubbs and others do not
brighten our merchants worth a cent"
1ney see their way TO side-track the South
eTu Pacific by means OF clipper ships under
a guarantee of support and thew will he
very dul-headed traders indeed il ever thew
allow the Southern Pacific again to obtain the
mastery. There is an enormous reduction
of freight by taking the sea route and on
large quantity OF commodities the loss in
tine IS positively immateTial. Nor will this
clipper trade East or West cease If we had
i've times the number OF railroads we now
possess insnring vigorous local and over
land competition. The one route would
feed the others. From present calculations
II Is plain that from New York reached by
sea, our merchants may do a large volume
OF business with the principal cities of the
West anu may even 10 better business with
Salt Lake City than by direct overland
route.
San Francisco man tells frightful
L
bought a quantity Of gypsum at Sll ton
aud sent IL down to his ranch in the south
ern part Of the State. The transportation
charges were SIS toni Little wonder that
there are thousands of business men in this
city who rankle under the grievances of ex-
toTtlOn experienced from the Southern Pa
ellie. Another San Francisco man tells his
experience In shipping some cases of goods
from New York. The lowest rate Quoted
R .rf haFa haK-
$40 per ton, or 81 per 100 pounds, but the
AlchiSOn and Topeka took the consign-
ment for half the rate. Yet the freight
IN this instance was nOn-perishable. and
might Just as well have come round the
Horn at S. or $40 ton. Happily. the
Southern Pacific Is beginning TO discover
that the merchants Of California are help
ing themselves. Their eyes are opened
when they know they can ship from New
ork to Chicago for from II TO % cents per.
leo pounds, while from San Francisco to
Fresno the cost Is 10 cents.
Fruit merchants may be encouraged by
the news that the second consignment of
green fruit dispatched to Liverpool aud
London has fetched better prices. The
fruit they are sending is. however, too high
in Price TO reach the masses, and 1t is not
possible to cheaper IL 10 the required point
| for such consumers. Even the Eaglishman
| ot wealth Will not pay much more than II
| cents pound for any description of pear
| he IL Bartlett or Duchesse. But he will
| give 30 cents a pound, at least by retail, for
| fair quality OF grapes. and for plums from
| 8 10 II cents pound. Peaches are hardly
| Ia consumption at all, except among the
| wealthy. and in London there may be reck-
| oned hundred thousand families IN middle
ments should be persevered with, There
Will come time when the cost per carload
will not DE more than 500, Instead of $1,000
An immense fall in rates must take place
when tile Nicaragua canal is built for then
there can be perfect refrigeration the whole
way aud no change of shipments Ell route.
Let us hope the news announced in the
Paris Figaro is true. although il may add
new torture TO life. A Frenehman is said 10
have discovered system Of telephone ap2li-
cable 10 speech for any distance. A person
IN New \ 0Tk may shout "Hellop' into the
ear Of another person in London. Hong Kong
or Melbourne. and thus will come about
with startling reality tie marvel of having
one speech on earth. The details of the in
vertioD are close secret thus far, and the
new telephone is not expected TO be in
operation before September. The cautious
viii walt for the details with legitimate
incredibly, especially as the Paris Figaro
has natural penchant for Imaginative TO-
nance.