The morning call., 1892-11-01
A RAILROAD ULTIMkTUM.
Mr.. Huntington Asks the City
for Mission Bay.
COUPLED WITH A MENACE
A stand-snd-Deliver Demand By the Southern
Pacific - The Board of Supervisors
Promptly 10 It's Bidding

At the meeting of the Board Of Super
vlsors last evening sensation was sprung
IN the shape Of petition from Coils p.
Huntington, president of the Southern Pa
cifc Company. asking for the closing and
vacating Of about twenty-five streets lying
within the company's grant of Mission bay
lands.
The petition was read by its title and re-
ferred to the Committee on Streets.
Under the head OF new business resolu-
ton was reported by Mr.. Tabor. chairman
OF the Street Committee, conceding all that
Mr.. Huntington sought.
1t was resolution of Intention providin Q
for the vacation of all the streets indicated
on Mr.. Huntington's maps.
Mr.. Tabor moved that il be passed 10
print and referred back to his committee
Clerk Russell called attention to the law
bearing on the subject OF the proposed va
cation of streets. which required that
the resolution OF Intention should first be
adopted.
There was no debate on the subject. Mr..
Burling seconded Mr.. Tabor's motion TO
adopt the resolution Of intention.
When the roll was called a solid nine
voted IN the affirmative. Mr. Antiques voted
no and Mr. Ebert was absent.
The following is copy of Mr.. Hunting
tons letter:
SOUTHERN PACIFIC COMPANY.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 81, ! 1922
hT. President and Members Of the Board of
Supervisors; | come before you with a tracing
showing The streets thar we would like 10 have
vacated so that we can use that portion Of the
ground IN Mission Bay for tie purpose for which
u was intended that Is, Tor depot and tracks
necessary 10 do the business thar is sure 10 be
done over the Southern Pacific roads
Inc lane cannot he used for the purposes indi-
Gated unless these streets are closed The CITY
mas TWO or tlife blocks In Tia iUpIns4ra- Usr
wiai they were reserved for l do not know, Uut
the ely can hardly need any market buildings or
Iuhdihgs Tor other purposes inside OF the South
cru Pacific denOt grounds, as there would be no
fesiceDts there 10 patrOniZ- the markets or &C.
eupy other buildings. and i am quite sure that
he oily would not want any Other buildings
there; hence, II would not be good place 70
locate them, since there would be no business
inside Of these grounds other than tie handling
OF passengers and freight that were moved over
the rails Of this COMPANY
80 That, after the. streets are closed the CON-
pany would like TO tease these blocks or ex-
change oiber grounds for them. The COMPANY
would rather not buy Them, not having surplus
funds necessary for such purposes, as ali the
earnings OF our roads are used up In having The
aecouBS under the headings Of "currefit ex-
penses," liked charges" (Which include in-
re- est. taxes, etc.. and 'beifermenIs" So If
the company should buy The properly It would
have 10 buy on long time. There is some prop
ertv inside OF this Enclosure mat belongs 10 pr
vale individuals thatwe should have 10 purchase
or condemn.
] presume, Mr.. Chairman. that your board
hardly know what We nave been doing to i'm
Prove the Southern Pacific lines IN the last few
years. We have changed over 100 miles Of the
old track, moving II OF fiom the old line thereby
Improving The grades and Gu YES very largely
ana We expect We Will have The physical con
ohlon OF the road so changed and improYed 10
the next twenty-fouT months that there will be
pc grade over per celt between the eastern
Da.e Of lie San Jaclnto Mountains and New
Reiween New Orleans and New York we have
SHIPS mat give the best freight service in the
world, ana fully expect that we will be able 10
pun on Hue OF steamships q 10000 tons ca
paclty 10 ply between New Orleans ana Western
Europe. running on fixed time regularly az
We rnn at The present Tine between New York
aud New orleans. When This Is accomplished I
am quite sure shall bs able 10 give greater
facilities for the movement of The products OF
California man California could ever have ex-
peeled 10 receive; for when this line Is com.
pleied we could put Tie Gne food products of
which California produces so much. into West
err EuiOre az prices that would not only pay the
CAllOinla producer well out bring these products
within tile reach OF the great masses OF Europe.
When that l. done | am confident that the
products OF California however great ID amount
can all ind ready market.
We have just commenced work on the shore
ine between Santa Matgaiita and ElwOOd, and
Whore in something less than two years that
that liHe VIII be completed. When this is done
ano The road is buiit along the water line be-
tween Sen LOUIS. San Francisco ana san MaJeo-
which ne VIII be very expensive on account Of
We Iep'h OF water portion Of the way-and
y opeT accommodations can be furnished he gre [
mas OF This tonnage should come 10 and 90 from
TIE grounds that aie now under discussion.
or course 1t all lies with YOU gentlemen
Whe her this SHAH be done or nor. IL 70 Is not
done. OF course The company Will have To look
Tor tie next best thing. We consider this the
best, and We hardly believe you viii prevent its
Icing used. IL you do, We should, OF course
have to turn the business on TO The eastern sd
OF the bay. which would be to the Inconvenience
NOT only OF tn railroad company Dul, elieve.
much so 10 the city of 5 IN Francisco.
Perhaps II would not be well TO mention Il
here, although 1 can see no harm In stating IT,
and very likely you know IL well and that is
when l asked. number OF years ago FOR the
right 10 come 10 Goat Island. setting forth at the
time how much could ee saved TO the civ Of San
Francisco by allowing The railroad COMPANY 10
utilize that Island, We opposed very bit
IeTly, aud tha, too, by certain parties who very
likely VIII oppose this. But that opposition pre-
vented the company from getting the right 10 use
the Island ana L am quite sure that It's nom
use has caused loss o tie producers of Cali
f0Gnla OF one dollar d ten upon a maiOllty of The
tonnage Of the farming products OF The State
And this vast amount, moreover, was lost by The
classes OF producers who could III afford to
lose 10.
san Francisco, am confident will not make
another mistake like that. and l cannot believe
thai she VIII do so. even when called upon by
the same parties who, on that former occasion
called upon The city so vehemently 10 prevent
the use Of Goat Island. as these PARTIES must
know OF the great mistake that was made and
that eosi The people oil this 81 ate SO much. am
gentlemen, yours respectfully,
&. L. HUNTINGTON