The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-08
Adolph Sutro fayors owl cars.
He thinks they Mnnld nav.

and carriers and pressmen and others.
There are a great many Of those people in a
| big city like this. Then take the fruit-deal-
| ers and marketmen and any number of peo-
| pie engaged in the different vacations which
| require their services when other folks are
| abed. Night ears would be of the greatest
| benefit to them.
81 don't think all the car lines should run
after midnight. bnt a few OF them. It
wouldn't be profitable to run them all. and.
| Indeed, they are not all needed. But a few
night lines would pay, and the demand for
them would keep growing.
"Oh, yes; Pm in favor OF night cars.
They would do so much for so many people
who need them badly. And I'm sure they
would pay, too"
| Coming from one who has for many years
been at the head OF one of the largest and
best cable systems in this city of magn If
cent cable-lines, these words mean a great
| deal.
Adolph Sutro is inclined to be philan-
tbropic and optimistic in his views, but no
| one ever accused him of lacking sound busi-
ness judgment on any subject that came
| before him.
1t is such a man who says there ought to
| be owl cars and that owl cars would be
profitable.
"And we're going to get them soon. too.
| feel sure of that" continued Mr. Sutro. This
| agitation of The CALL is arousing q rublic
sentiment on the matter that the railroad
companies cannot afford TO overlook.
Il believe tie owl-car question could be
still better solved ii the Supervisors would
give the cable companies the power to haul
| freight at night over their lines. In the
past such privileges have always been de-
| niCd.
do you remember the story OF the black
smiths who kept the street in i'll repair in
order TO increase their business? Whenever
the public asked the city authorities to have
the streets deeenty paved the blacksmi tbs
put in protests, claiming That smooth roads
would make horses shoes last longer and
thus ruin their business.
well now there's good deal OF that
kind of thing in our great city to-day.
Whenever the cable companies propose TO
utilize their power and rolling-stock at night
by hauling freight the teamsters have
put in their protests, and the Supervisor rs
have not been far-seeing enough to override
them.
'Freight-haulinG would be cheaper if the
cable companies could co it at night, and
thus the whole community would be bene-
flied. AS it is, the interests Of very small
class are permitted 10 interfere with plan
which would benefit everybody.
Laws should be passed for the good of
the whole. not for Immediate benefit of a
very few
"But, aside from this question of hauling
freight q: night. do you still favor the
running Of owl car5?' asked THE CALL
man.
81 dc. uneenivocally. They are sorely
needed and would be profitable"
1t is such things as this, added to the tire.
mendous interest the public is taking in
the question. that makes it look bright
indeed for the owl-car agitltion.
Already an all-night electric service has
been secured iu the Western Addition, and
| those who claim 10 knew declare that the
managers of the San Mateo electric line
are favorable to the proposition of putting
| on few night cars for certain distances.
| Meanwhile THE CALLS owl-car pledges
are being signed by the hundred. The
| night workers and hundreds Of others who
| would have use for The night ears are work
| ing hard for them.
As if to emphasize the oft-repeated state
| ment that from the night workers and
| those who have TO be at work very early In
| the morning would not come the creates
| amount of patronage to the CIVIL cars, here
| is a resolution adopted by a social organiza-
ton that pledges itself 10 support all-night
| cars.
| Don't think that because man who does
| not work at night wants owl cars he is
therefore dissolute either in his habits or
| associations.
Far from it. In fact. the very reverse is
| true.
The toughs. the gamblers. the fast women
and their faster male partners do not as a
| rule have any need for night conveyances,
| and the reason is obvious. They live very
| near IL not at the scene of their nightly
| revels. But few Of them would patronize
| the owl cars. They hate fresh air, and
| would rather live in a crowded tenement
| than In the suburbs.
| But the young men and young women
| who have social duties 10 perform-there
| are such things, you know, even outside the
| 400-and those who attend the popular re-
| ceptions and hops, those who go TO the theater
and ike 10 sup downtown afterward-these
| are the people who would patroniZe all
| night cars Ia greater numbers even than the
night and early morning toilers.
From one of these classes it is that the
| following resolution comes:
| WHEREAS, TIE DAILY MORNING CALL Ia
| seeking 10 establish FOWL cars" auo believing
| that hearty cooperation IS necessary 10 assist
| for The good OF the cause; therefore be it
Resolved, That We the members OF tile Wave
Club, pledge ourselves 10 use the cars and 10 aid
| and assist The CALL In Its eDdeayors 10 obtain
| pledges.
| Resotved, That copy OF these resolutions be
| spread In fun on the minutes and copy sent 10
The DAILY MORNING CALL for publication.
Committee. NJ. MoRGENsTERN,
Ii. II. GERBER,
What do you suppose strangers think of
| our provincial WAYS? And Ii is provincial
| for big city like this TO run no all-night
! streetcars.
| This is the way the absence Of them struck
| travelling Englishman who condesceuded
| to be interviewed by CALL reporter the
| other day. Said he:
| II find San Francisco about the liye1iest
| city at night time that ever was in. Every
| body seems to come out of doors as soon as
/ it gets dark. And l notice. toe, that even in
1 the wee small hours there are manv people on
| the streets. more, In fact, than l have ever
| seen elsewhere.
But what amazes me more than all Is the
| total absence OF all means OF transportation
| after midnight. Ii is not so In 'Lunnon,' l
| assure you. Indeed, all large cities have
streetcars that run all night long. Ii is sin
| gular that you have none at all here.
| THE fact OF having TO walk in aud out to
| their work must make many people live in
| town who would save money and enjoy
| better health If they could live two or three
| miles out Of town. IL must injure the
| health Of many men, say compositors,
| bakers aud others, who have to work at
/ night In close ard probably impure at
| nosphere to be compelled TO 60 to bed in
| the crowded quarters OF a busy, smoky city
Instead OF sleeping in braeing. pure at
| mosphere"
| is San Francisco any worse off than
| London, Liverpool Melbourne or Sydney,
| for instance?" asked THE CALL man.
Yes; in a measure I. is, insomuch, at
| least, as IL you miss the last car or are
| crowded out of IL, you must walk home. for
| you have no other alternative in San Fran
| cisco. That is my experience, and found
tramp over the cobbles and through the
San Francisco pnddles is no joke, this rainy
| weather especially.
You asked me about London. Well.
| London never sleeps; but London Is an
earlier city In many respects than San
| francisco. The bars and pubs ara not