The morning call., 1894-11-17
NO FREEZE-OUT.
Harrison Makes Answer
to Shannon.
DENIES ALL HIS CLAIMS.
Says That He Never Got the
Extension.
DID NOT USE THE OLD PLANS.
Characterizes the Move as an At
tempt to Force the Olympic Com
pany to Buy Him Out.


This is one of the usual choppers in the
history OF San Francisco. A successful
enterprise evokee the enmitY and jealousy
of those who thought they could do great
things and failed. They regard those who
succeed as open TO any attack which they
may please to make.
"My knowledge OF Mr.. Shannon is
limited to an aequaintanceship of three or
four months, which extended over the
latter portion of 1889 or the earlier part of
1890. lie cam e TO my office one day with
Mr.. Blow, the stock broker, whom ! knew
very well. Mr.. Blow in Introduced Mr.. Shan.
non as the part owner of a saltwater
franchise and gave as his reason for ill.,
PRODUCING Mr.. Shannon to me that he
knew | was interested in the matter of
salt water, having prior to that period pro-
jected saltwater scheme for the Olympic
Club. -,
81 had then retired from the Olympic
Club and: did not expect to return, but
subsequently | was called back TO the club
by majority of its mem bers. hen l con-
tinued my original salt water project.
which has since gone into effect.
I'm the meantime. while out Of the club,
Mr.. shannon offered his project to my
favorable con sideration. / discovered that
the franchise had only a few months in
which to run. and that it would be physi-
cal possibility, with all of the capital in
San Francisco at my back, if l could have
had it, to have compiled with the condi-
lions of the contract in the limited time
remaining, viz: The building of engines.
the erection of an engfne-house, the laying
of seven miles Of pipe and the building of
bathhouse in Town.
81 rointed these facts out to Mr.. Shan
non. He replied that he was aware of the
conditions, but that he was in position
to secure an extension of time and re-
newal of the franchise. On this assur-
ance a company was formed consisting of
Z. A. Rix. w. T. Y. Schenck, A. S. Muir
ray, j. d. Sullivan and myself. | &C.
cepted the presidency, with the clear un-
Outstanding and a distinct agreement with
Mr.. shannon and my directors that |
should not be required to selLa single share
of the stock. Mr. Blow, the stock brok
pledged himself to sell all the necessary
stock.
Mr. Shannon utterly failed either to get
an extension of time or renewal of the
franchise, and the project died natural
death.
'1he franchise was returned TO Mr..
Shannon. together with such papers,
sketches and other mat ers as we're in the
possession of the company, and until O
year ago l neither saw nor heard from
Mr.. Shannon. About that time he wrote
to the Olympic Salt Water Company, offer
ing to sell for $500 the franchise which he
now asks the Board Of Supervisors to ex-
tend.
munieation from Sullivan e Sullivan, set
ting forth in detail the atements made
yesterday to the Street Committee, and
threatening legal proceedings unless
made some kind of settlement with Mr.
Shannon.
knowing Judge Sullivan very we'll /
called to see him. He referred me to his
brother. Matt Sullivan, to whom l said
that not one statement made be Mr.. Shan
non rejecting upon myself had one parti-
Gle of foundation in fact. Mr.. Sullivan
told me that Mr.. Shannon had assured him
that he had received a renewal of the
franchise and that his letter TO me was
largely based on that statement. He
seemed very much surprised to find that
Mr.. Shann"n's statement was not true. |
have heard nothing further In reference
to the threatened suit.
SIT a suit is brought I shall be ready to
defend it. do not think 1t will live In
any court for five minutes. The acts OF
which Mr.. Sullivan complains were per-
formed not by me, but by the Olympic
Club through me as its president.
'Mr. Shannon's complaint, as nearly as
| can remember. is that in forming the
Olympic Salt Water Company | adopted
his plans, more particularly the apI lica-
ton Of the Principle of steam cOndens-
alton. NV answer is that the statement
is absolutely false. Mr.. Shannon claims
that he furnished the Pacific Ocean Bath
ing Corporation plans, estimates. etc.
This i fatty and point edly contradict
The plans were furnished by Mr. Cash,
Mr.. Clark and Mr.. FL. A. Schulz, the
builder of the Olympic Club. None of
these plans were looked at W hen the Olym-,
pic Salt Water Company,s work were
erected.
'sIn reference to the application of
the principle of steam condensation l
have understood that James Watts was the
discoyerer and the first person to apply
the force. The principle was in operation
on every ocean-going steamer before Mr.
Shannon was born. 1t had been in opera
ton at the Hallidis Iron Works for years.
exactly as we use 1t at the Lurlne Baths.
1t was also in operation IN the sugar re-
fiueries and flour-mills long before l ever
hesrd OF MT. Shannon.
''That the pine system of the Olympic
Salt Water Company traverses the route
DTOleCL6u by MT, CudUDuU Is Lfubs lOI l1o
simple reason that no other route from the
ocean into town eXist6.
This curious fact is presented, that
when | applied for the franchise for the
Olympic Club, and again when l applied
for its transfer t. the Olympic Salt Water
COMPANY, the applications appeared in the
daily press and were continuously COM
menred upon.
"Mr. Shannon had his opportunity to pro-
test then. He did not. He quietly stood
aside till he thought the Olympic Salt
Water Company was worth alta oking. His
object, SO far as | can gather or guess at,
in raising these questions at all, is to work
up some kind of sympathy in the hearts of
tie Supervisors. and, il possible, at the
annual clran-up, get franchise, expecting
the Olympic Salt Water Company to buy it,
may say now, if the Olympic Salt Water
Company could purchase the franchise for
a dollar, assuming that il be granted, it
would not buy il. We are buying nothing
but coal now, and are attending strictly to
our own business.
Gas to the matter of Mr.. Shannon's per-
sonal attack on me, it is 10 the hands of
my solicitors, Messrs. Delmas and Short
ridge, who will oubtless take care that |
am not unnecessarily annoyed. / do not
think it Is necessary for me to make any
extended statements of public character
as TO my honor or integrity. If any one
hoN I