The morning call., 1894-11-16
OLD FRANCHISE REVIVED.
Suit to Be Brought Against Will
liam Greer Harrison.
HISTORY OF AN OLD FRANCHISE.
ii. S. Shannon Says lie Trusted
Harrison Too Far, and Was
Frozen Out.

a. S. Shannon and j. D. Sullivan
appeared before the Street Committee
yesterday and secured favorable report
upon request for renewal and extern
sion Of franchise which puts them in the
field as competitors Of the Olympic Salt
Water Company.
That company, it is pretty we'll known,
is the owner of q general franchise for
distributing salt water about the city
through underground pipes, is the owner
of the Lurline Bathhouse and is not the
Olympic Club. The franchise was OBJ
talned in the name of the Olympic Club
because 1t is popular organization ana
has winning way about 1t, but the bene-
fciary was and il a distinct company, OF
which William Greer Harrison is the head
and front, the Olympic Club being assured
an ample supply of salt water for the use
of its Dame in securing the franchlse-all
of which was thoroughly aired during the
recent election III the club, which revolved
about some strong allegations that they
were not getting that ample supply OF
salt water.
.. Now comes a new company in the field.
Mr.. Denman of the Street Committee was
inclined TO be doubtful as to the sincerity
of the proposition, because he thought
there Was not money enough IN the ealt
water baths to warrant the outlay.
Mr.. Day; chairman Of the committee,
promptly treasured HIM with the state
ment that he had personally looked into
the affairs of the Olympic Salt Water Com
pany and found that. not share OF the
stock was TO be had in the market; that
the capital stock had been increased from
S35, 600 to $50, 000 and was paying big divi-
dends on that.
Mr.. Sullivan, who was present as an at
torney for the new company as well as
party in interest, supplemented this with
the statement that the price of the stock
had increased from S. TO S25 and the daily
revenue as beyond belief.
According to Mr.. Sullivan, Mr.. Shannon
appeared as the original inventor OF the
saltwater scheme, and that his plans and
data on the subject, the result of years of
work, became The property Of William
Greer Harrison through cOnfiding TOO i'm
plicltly in that gentleman. The history is
not without interest, and especially as 1t
the basis OF suit now about 10 be brought
by Sullivan against Harrison for an ac-
counting and division of his personal
gains through his dabblng in salt water.
A franchise was granted to j. M. Thomp-
son and Ii. 5. Shannon away back in
1884, granting them the right TO convey
salt water secured out beyond North
Beach through Stockton street TO the
vicinity of Fourth and Market streets, and
10 erect bathhouse ther1 and at other
places along the line. Mr.. shannon en-
listed certain capitalists IN the enterprise.
but thew failed him, and in 1889 he,
with b. d. Murphy and }. d.
Sullivan, secured another franchise.
They enlisted William Greer Harrison
in this, and incidentally told him how that
certain capitalists had done Shannon" on
the former proposition, and Mr.. Harrison
had said TO them that people who do such
things should not be allowed 10 live in a
community. The first franchise was with
out time limit. but its weak point was
that it was to bring the water from North
Beach. and it was developed that preju-
dice existed against bay water when the
free ocean was at hand. The new fran
chise Of 1889 had string 10 1t TO the effect
that $4,000 had to be- expended in six
months. According to Sullivan MIR. Har-
rs0n paused. Things had to be done that
took time Capitalists had to be interest
ed, and altogether it was big undertake
ing. Shannon bad been at work on the
scheme for years; had collected data,
made plans. diagrams and specifications
until he could tell yOu the cost OF every
thing from the big pipes to the ocean clear
down TO the towels required in the bath
house, and this Information, the drawings,
ETC., all during the six months fell into the
hands of Mr. Harrison. The pause in the
feature about it. and one day the time lint
lapsed, NJ. Sherman was informed that it
had done So Then, aftera little time, MIR.
Harrison appeared before the Supervisors
and, in the name Of the Olympic Club,
secured renewal OF this same franchise
with Mr.. Shannon left out. Sullivan de-
clares tuat Harrison still las those plans,
and that they were largely carried out in
the work done. and that Shannon has
good cause of action and is about to
bring IT,.
Yesterday, however. it was other bust
ness that occupied them. They brought
out the old franchise of 1884 and asked to
have II supplemented with provision
allowing them to bring the water from the
ocean through Point Lobos avenue and
Geary street to Fourth and Market, and
the petition was favorably reported. Mr..
Day said that he Was in favor Of plenty of
| salt water and bathing. and with competi-
ton II would insure cheaDnass for both.
Sullivan and Shannon said that negotia-
tons wera on for location in the vicinity
of Fourth and Market, south of Market;
that money was at hand and that magniti-
cent lighthouses would be erected just as
soon as the work could be done. They
are anxious to get the franchise through
before The new Mayor takes his place,
as they are not overcontldent that Mr..
Sutro would welcome another competitor.