The morning call., 1892-12-22
THEY WILL PAY.
What the Conductors Saw
of Owl Cars.
SURE TO PROVE PROFITABLE.
StreetCar Men Have No Doubt of the
Success of an All-Night
Schedule.

c. 7. Croker of the Market-street Rail-
way Company said in q recent Interview,
regarding The CALLS proposition to run
owl ears, that the conductors and gripmen,
especially the former, were the men best
able TO form an opinion as to the probable
proht Ia the companies of such proceeding.
CALL reporter has therefore interviewed
many Of the conductors and gripmen of the
Nalencla-street line on the subject and
found them more favorable to the enter
prise than might have been expected.
Among those who were seen, not one dis
sentingivoice was heard and all agreed that
night cars would pay.
What do you think OF the profits of the
proposed system of night cars?"
That was the question asked of the con-
dnetor wearing badge 40. Oh the Valencia
street line.
well, sir" be said, II am of the opinion
that night cars would pay in this city. and
on this road in particular, because we carry
more passengers late at night than any
other road in town.
III might not pay very much at first, but
once let the people know that they can get
nome at any hour OF the night, without the
expense OF hiring a carriage, and night
travel will not be lacking"
You think, then, that once the night
cars are started people will stay out later 2"
les, partly thar, and besides there are
many whose business keeps them down.
town unit! after the last car has gone, who.
III the cars ran all night would live further
out oil town. instead OF in more expensive
quarters in the business part of the city,"
would night cars pay? ?" was the ques-
ton addressed to Conductor 43.
Yes, | think they would without a
n haasu fIrpo 1fK.sr o
and II you had heard as many kicks from
passengers who chase the last car-and
sometimes get ieft-aS L have, you would
think as do that all-Dight ears would paw.
The last car is always well loaded, but
on Saturday and Sunday night the load is
always largest Now, this might lead to
the idea that every one who is downtown
AT that hour and wants to get home, crowds
onto the last car, but that would De q mis-
take.
''Of course we never leave a passenger If
we see him, but many one gets left for all
that, and L think II TIE night cars are put
on IL viii only be short time till the few
hours during which no cars are run viii
be just as profitable as any other time"
Conductor 63. when asked what he
thought regarding the profits In owl cars,
said
Il think IL is little doubtful whether 1t
would pay more than expenses just at FIRST.
but all-nigbt cars ought to pay here as we'll
as iuty 10 III the East, ana tnlnk they
would after short time"
Why wouldn't they pay from the start?"
Maybe they would. but think most of
the patronage for such cars would be
patronage that would be induced by run
ming them rather than any that snow wait
ing for them.
AT any rate, 1t is only question of time
till they will have to be run. and they might
as well be put on now as little later
Conductor 81 was found attending to
his duties on his car, and when asked IL he
thought cars run all night would pay be
said;
That depends on how they are run, or
rather what kind Of cars are run. Ii you
mean cable-cars l should say DON'T think
they would pay TO start with; but if you
mean horsecars, run during the time the
rope Is stopped, L think they would pay ex-
penses at first. and in little while it would
pay TO run the rome all night.
But II wouldn't pay TO keep the rope
running all night at first, because the busi-
ness would have to be built up. aud it would
be cheaper 10 run hoTsecars 10 do that than
ii would to put in the expensive machinery
necessary to run theicabe"
do many people get left by the last car ?'
There must be a good many. IL would
be strange If there were not, when so many
people stay downtown till the last minute,
in tending TO catch the last car home"
DO you think owl cars would pa y better
on the Valencia street than other lines q"
YES, certainly, because we haul more
passengers at nlght, as II is, than any other
line in town, and If all-night cars will pay
here a. all they viii pay on this road"
II think all-night cars would pay in this
city," said No. ~, land on this road they
would be more apt to pay than on any other
Lots OF people who live downtown now be-
cause they cannot ride home when their
work is finished, would live out here if they
could ride home. because il is a pleasanter
locality 20 live In ana rents are not so high"
"Ali-night ears pay in Eastern cities, and
they ought 10 pay better here than there on
account of the difference in climate There
they have cold weather during the winter
months, when IL Is much more pleasant to
stay at home than TO 60 TO the theater or
elsewhere. But here the climate is mild the
year round and seldom forces people to re-
main indoors.
Yes, think owl ears would pay here.
perhaps not much a, first, but the business
would grow, and grow fast"
Among the gripmen much the same
opinions were expressed. varying slightly
in detail, but the unanimous opinion ex-
| pressed by all was TO the effect that owl
cars would certainly pay il given a fair
trial.
"Of course said gripmaD, who was off
| duty at the Time 1--WE, on the front emu.
| don't have quite SO much to do with the
public as the conductors. and for that rea-
| son may not be so well able to Judge Of
| what is wanted. but we have good chance
| 10 look around and see things aud hear the
| passengers on the dummy talk. and Judging
| by what / hear and see should say all
| night cals would pay il given trial.
Yes, guess some of the late ones miss
| the last ear. You ought TO hear some of
| them holer when they come running as
hard as they can up cross street to catch
the last car They are in earnest about it,
/ tell YOU"
Such is the gist Of the many opinions ex-
Drocepd hv la Of ha
street line, and If the starting of the owl
ears depends on the Judgment of the con-
dnetors and gripmen they will be started
without loss OF time.