The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-05


You may go over this list as carefully as
you please and compare the figures with all
the data prOcurable, but you cannot cut
down the total.
Perhaps upon actual count you would find
that there were not quite $50 stenographers
and typewrlters, for instance. who have TO
stay downtown every night. though often
the number is really greater, but what you
might lose there you would more than gain
by recount OF the bakers or fishermen or
walters and COOKS, for their numbers have
been estimated very conservatively.
The same is true of the newspaper print
ers. Counting the three or four small spe-
cial daily papers. like the Law Journal, the
Cricket, ETC., there are probably nearer 500
of them. all told. who would, If they could,
patronize the night cars.
Then there are the foreign papers-the
Italian, Spanish and French dailies-ali of
which set their type and do most Of their
work at night.
But, for the sake Of argument and 10 be
very sure that the figures are not too great,
knock off all the extras and the odd num-
bers and call ii 2000
Remember now that sill of these 1000 peo-
pie have 10 ride at least twice day, to work
and from work. and remember. too. that
only small percentage of them ride at all
now.
Say 500 of them now reside in the suburbs,
ride down to work and walk home. Yes /;
that number is pretty large, but let's be lib
eral
That leaves 2oG0 nickels one way and 1900
nickes the other way - $500 niekels, all
told, tn at would surely, without fail. wheth-
er 1t rained or shined, be collected every
night by the conductors OF the owl cars.
That makes S175 night sure, TO be divid-
ed between say two night lines.
Il is not likely that more than about two
owl lines would be run at first, or would
be needed for the present population.
pt,f ct,aa lat txrn In 90 ts,v
and the suburbs would build up so fast
that San Francisco would become so much
more desirable for people of limited means
to live in that 1t would be no time at all be-
fore there would be half a dozen owl lines
running al good round profit.
Men who know what ii costs TO run cable
cars say that SIS would be more than
enough TO pay the expenses of running four
owl lines.
At all events it would surely be sufficient
TO pay the running expenses Of two owl
lines
There is not any doubt about that.
But the companies are not in the business
for their health, they say.
In the language Of Phil CrimmiDs,
"sure"
But the source of profit has not yet been
We have only been figuring on the
amount that could be depended upon TO pay
expenses.
Now for the profit.
Well, to begin with evening receptions In
private houses would become more fash
ionable.
Family reunions in the Mission and 10
the Western Addition would be possible,
and being possible would soon become pop
ular.
Is it unreasonable 10 estimate that not
less than 800 people who d o not now attend
these private receptions and family re-
unions because they would have TO come
away before supper time would, II there
were night cars. spend one or two evenings
In social intercourse
Balls and hops at the various halls would
become more numerous and be better at
tended If it should come about that the
sum of 81 80 for cab hire could be knock ed
off.
Pit IL very low and say the streetcars
Miss 500 niekels on this account every night
Then there's the young man who goes
ACQUIRING, say one. two. three, four, posi-
bly, six nights week He never goes away
till long after the last car has passed.
He walks home now.
It's good for him. you say?
Well, there's difference Of opinion
there.
1t may be if he does not have to be at the
store early in the morning.
But at all events he would ride If he could.
And he is numerous in San Francisco.
The climate is favorable to his growth
and culture.
Say he numbers 500 and that's a very
% Oldest estimate.
That makes 1900 people who would ride
on the owl cars, who 90 not now ride on the
late evening cars. OF course the young
man rides one way to see his best girl and
some of the patrons of the balls and hops
at the halls ride one way.
The others would ride two WAYS. so that
after alPs said here's at least 1000 nickels
that might safely be counted on for profit.
That would be $50 a night for each of the
two owl lines.
Remember that's clear profit. 1t is not
AL of the profit that could easonably be
expected, but us enough, is it not?
What would you think Of business man
'7ho let SOFA day clear profit slip through
sis fingers because he did not make an
afOrt to catch it?
You would think he was failure as
Business man, would you not?
1t does not necessarily follow that the
ssreetcar companies are failures but they
ere missing good profit by not running
owl cars. There is no denying that.
San Francisco has to-day better streetcar
facilities than almost any other city in the
world of its size and requirements, better
by far than many larger cities.
But il lacks one thing badly
1t lacks owl cars.
In that respect San Francisco is proyin-
cai.