The morning call., 1892-07-16
In Earthquake in Prepara-
tiOn for Them.
THE COMPETING FERRY PROJECT.
Its Life Is Threatened by the City
Council.
1t WOuld Deprive San Francisco and Cak.
land Of a Valuable Line of
Bay Steamers.

viii Oakland's City Council stand up like
free men next Monday and vote for the
franchise giving San Francisco and Oakland
an opposition ferry system, or will they
support the gang that thriyes on the trick
cry of Chaplain Carpenter and his sue
cessors In iniquity?
This is hot question in Oakland.
They are even talking about tar and feath-
eTs over there.
OF course tar and feathers are what might
be called extreme measures, but mad
dened community does not stop to think Of
that.
The crocodiles OF the creek are trying first
TO knock the Dayie party down. after which
they will proceed to swallow them.
1t is not at all likely that Davie will set
well on the crOcOdilian stomach.
He may be relied on to give a good many
lusty kicks. even after he Is down.
These are the same cTocOdiles that built
the wall around Oakland, and they will
maintain it there at the expense of any
quantity of that saccharine and granular
substance known as sugar.
Chaplain Carpenters history, thanks to
William Z. Hall, is now known to the Oak
landcrS, and the Moons say they win DO
anything they can in reason to help the peO-
pies side of the fight.
A good many other volunteers are bob
bing up. and before long the peoples side
will show strength enough TO make itself
felt
1t seems to be largely question OF Doodle,
however. and for that reason decent citi-
Zens are somewhat afraid of going into the
battle.
Nobody blames them for that.
The nastinesS, the indeeeney that has
IN, hftrf, ! in, la1v
land Is enough 10 make man turn crimson
as he passes the threshold of the City Hall.
He looks at the faces of the Mayor and
the Councllmen and reflects that If they
we're Huntingtons, StanfoTds aud Crockers
they could not be more faithful to the ln-
terests of monopoly and less faithful 10 the
interests of Oakland than they have shown
themselves in the past.
And here is a clear chance for the Council
men TO show what manhood there may be
in them-thiS matter of the new ferry line.
They know and they feel that there is
sufficient capital behind Davie to push the
enterprise TO a successful termination.
They know that all they have to do will
be TO grant him a franchise for an electric
line down Harrison street to his wharf and
there will be a division of the ferry business
within two years.
They know all that well enough.
And they know, too. on the other hand,
that should they give the franchise to those
ey would be giving 1t into the hands of
the Southern Pacific and the other crocO-
dies OF the creek.
The chances are 10 TO l that no line would
be built on Harrison street.
Even should Steinmanu and Alsip build a
line, it would simply be another feeder for
the Southern Pacific, and the wheels Of the
monopoly would grind merrily on.
The waterfront wall, which is the per-
petuatiOn Of the infamY Of Chaplain Car
RENTER. would stand as s0lillV as pVPr
More solidly. in fact.
And it would not require a thousand
thTee-sheet posters TO appTise the people Of
Oakland OF the fact.
Davies company promises Oakland and
San Francisco ferry system. using the
words In the modern sense, and not as they
were used in 1870, which is about as near 10
date as the Southern Pacifc's ferry is.
Dayie would give our people a ferry that
Is stamped with the 1892 brand.
People would flock to ii just as they flock
TO any other public conveyance that is or
the latest pattern and affords the latest i'm
proyements for speed. comfort and safety
in travel.
The Councilmen know that, and yet they
have the audacity to say that they will kill
Davies franchise and keep out the new
ferry.
Such set of little tin gods was never
seen before. either on or off wheels.
See what few men of conscience could
do If they were only in the right place-in
the eOuncil-room Of the City Hall Of Oak
land.
How much they could do for the whole
State of California By few strokes of the
pen and an outspoken AYE"
How much even these little tin gods could
do-fOr tin god is better than no god at all
If only he will consent to do no miSchief-f
there were somebody else to pull the string
brsldes Steve Gage and the rest of the rail-
road gang.
Davie says be could get his franchise
through IL he had money enough, but that
even then he would not stoop so low as to
buy one OF those tin things that Sit in the
City Counci.
But he must not forget that there are
some men in the Council as well as things.
If Pardee, Nelson and johnson had their
own way they could win over all the rest.
And Brosnahan and Heitman are said to be
ready to listen to reason.
But still if these five are not Joined by a
sixth San Francisco and Oakland will lose a
valuable ferry system.
San Francisco, it will be seen, has more
TO lose than Oakland.
For this reason the people Of our city are
taking great interest in the affair and are
watching all the moves made as if they
thought something of Davies project
Ii is certainly healthy sign that this in
teTeSt should be taken.
Preparations will soon be made for a
grand mass-meetlng In Oakland at which
there will be full expression of the feeling
that now reigns there.
1t is all working up to that point where
the people shall begin 10 have some control
of affairs. A good deal of work will vet he
required but the people are equal to il. and
will not shirk from it.
and when the earthquake comes the tin
g0ds VIII tumble with a resounding crash.
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