The record-union., 1892-09-24
STREET RAILWAY BOOM.
Sacramento viii be We'll Taken
Care of.
With Two Complete Electric Systems
Everybody Can Ride to
all Points.

AS announced briefly in the RECORD
UNION yesterday morning the Folsom
Water Power Company has filed with the
Board OF Trustees an application for
franchise which will enable it to put in
very extensive system of electric street
railway in this city. The proposition is
TO run as follows: Commencing at the
Southern Pacific Railroad depot and run
ming thence to the corner of Third and L
streets; thence over the tracks of the
Central Electric Railway Company, along
Third to j and out j to Seventh; thence
along Seventh to +, out + TO twentieth,
and along Twentieth to II.
Again commencing at the corner OF
Seventh and /, out [ to Tenth, along
Tenth to II, and out Fl to Thirty-frst.
Again commencing at Seventh and j;
thence along Seventh to n, out n to
Thirtieth, along Thirtieth to Il, and out
Il to the city limits at Thirty-hrst street.
The lines on Seventh, / and Tenth
streets, and on H and n, as tar east as
Twentieth street. must be commenced
within six months and finished within
year. The balance Of the road must be
commenced within one year and finished
within two.
This route would necessitate using the
tracks of the Central Company from l to
j on Third street and from Third to Sew
enth on street, and also on Seventh
street from to G, if the G-street fran
chise is granted to the Central Company.
Why the applicants ask for J street, in
stead of l, as in the Thomson acObS
franchise, does not appear.
The people want all the street railway
facilities they can get, and if the Folsom
Water Power Company wishes to put its
aTAitn RI fl,fa ,,,afix
railway system in this city it ought to be
encouraged. Whether it can make paral-
lei lines pay or not is a question for it to
decide for itself. But while the people
Will welcome new competing line they
will also be interested in seeing that the
old line is not crippled so that it cannot
give good service. 1t would, therefore,
seem TO be the part of wisdom for the
Trustees to modify the proposed fran
chlSe so as not to interfere with the safe
and economic operation of the old system,
since the new one can reach its objective
point, the depot, without going over the
J-street line of the Central Company.
1t is taken for granted that the Trustees
will on Monday grant the franchise asked
for by the Central Company on q street.
This will complete the system Of that
company and give the people an oppor-
tunlty TO reach any part OF the city for
one fare of five cents, as the franchise
=
transfers both ways on its j and k-street
lines. If this franchise should not be
granted and the people in the northern
part of the city were compelled to rely
entirely on a road to be built by a new
company, then they would be compelled
to pay two fares instead of one to reach
different sides of the city.
With the Central Company's system
completed by the construction of the
Seventh and G-street line, there is still
plenty of room for the Folsom Water
Power Company to put in its lines. That
it does not fear the competition of the old
company is shown by the tact that it
asks for franchise to run cars only one
block away from the Central Company's
lines on j and NJ streets. With few
notifications of the franchise ask ed for by
the Folsom Water Power Company, the
two systems could be operated without
any conflict
AS matter of fact, the new company
would get better line on Sixth street
than on Seventh. 1t has been shown re-
peatedly that line on Sixth street would
accommodate more people than one on
Seventh. Such line would pass the old
Pavilion, Armory Hall, the Masonic
Hall, which is also occupied by the Red
Men and various other organizations
the Congregational, Presbyterian and
Methodist Churches and the Jewish
Synagogue, and be midway between the
two theaters. 1t is by all odds the best
cross-street in the city for street rail-
way. and the Folsom Water Power Com
pany should amend its franchise so as to
take that street instead of Seventh.
The proposed franchise contains pro-
viso against abandonment and for a bond
OF S., 200. 1t seems to be carefully guarded.
but the bond ought to be placed at the
same amount required of the Central
Company in the G-street franchise,
namely, S25, 200.
With these two complete and separate
systems in operation, Sacramento would
have better street-car service than any
city in the State. There would be legiti-
mate and fair competition, and the bring
ing of electric power to the city from
the Folsom dam wOnld mean great deal
for the city. But the franchise should be
amended as pointed out, so that the city
may get the benefit of two complete sys-
TENS.