The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-06
in FOUR MONTHS.
SutrO's Scent Road Will
Be Open.
ESTIMATES BEING TAKEN.
Inducements Will Be Given to
Passengers.
THE BIG MONOPOLY is AOAMANT.
Steam Dummies Must Remain in
Service and No Changes Are
Contemplated.
THE BIG MONOPOLY is ADAMANT,

Adolph Sutro declared yesterday that
his electric line to the Cliff House would
be in full operation on January l, 1888.
"Then," said he, There will be scent
fare to the Cliff, and every passenger Will
be given a ticket emitting him or her TO
admission to the Cliff House and heights.
"The road can be built and equipped for
$500, 900. though the capital stock has been
placed at $500 600 In four months the
road and equipment can be constructed,
and then it will be open to the public on
the date stated. l will take 100000 stock,
the public will take another 100000. and
if that is not enough to start the road a
third interest will be sold. At present we
are getting estimates on construction, ma
chinery. rolling stock and so forth, ana we
are also figuring on the engineering work
Everything will be in readiness the day we
begin to build, so there will be no delay
for material.
1.-The public shall have third interest,
and the road will go into operation with
out any indebtedness or interest Cd bonds;
all will be clear for dividends. The ter
minous out here at the cliff will be oppo-
site the baths. 1t is always warm unGer
the glass roof OF the bathhOuse, so people
winter and summer. They can step from
the cars into tue baths and need not be
afaid of cold winds of storms. Then they
will have tickets emitting them to enter
the Heights and Cliff House"
But it is stated the Market-street Com
pany's lines are not paying to the ocean
beach," was sGgges ted.
Il know they are not" instantly replied
Mr.. SutrO, as smile of satisfaction spread
across his face. They're not receiving
enough fares 10 pay for aXle-grease; their
cars are running empty nearly every day.
You see there is no attraction out here for
people nowadays unless they pay for 1t.
But with scent fare and all the attrac-
lions free, there will b. travel enough to
make a line profitable"
THE Market-street Company manage
ment states that it will not make a change
In its dummy system until cheap electric
invention that removes trolleYs is perfect
ed, and in that case the fares will remain
as they are. Do you think the company
will not make change % was asked.
II don't know. l understand that the
steam dummy road south Of Golden Gate
Park is to be changed into an electric
trolley road, and that the alteration is
part of the present programme. 1t is all
nonsense TO talk OF waiting for an i'm
provement to do away with trolley wires :;
it may not come for many years. Nor is it
businessliSe to make calculations on some
thing that may never be realized. Get the
best there is at present. and it will be
found good enough"
MIR. SutrO has not made uD his mind
whether the Cliff House and Heights will
be free to passengers over the Market
street roads when they establish a nickel
fare to the ocean. He believes, however
that the gates will be abolished and the
Cliff become most popular resort.
The Market-street system, according to
a statement made yesterday by Secretary
j. l.. Willcut, has about abandoned its
previously announced intention of build
ing the acrOss-t0wn lines in the Western
Addition and the Mission, as well as those
which were to run by various routes to the
PARK and in other directions,
The extension of the Gcary-street line
which was intended as a part of this sea-
sons programme, has been given up per-
haps indefinitely, at least until a motor is
discovered 10 supersede the overhead or
Hey methods of propulsion. According
to Mr.. Willcut the world is on the eve Of
great discovery, by which electricity will
be used either by the storage or under
ground systems for prOpeling streetcars,
aud until this discovery has been practi-
cally dem onstrated it is probable that the
sections OF the Mission and Western Addl-
ton which have so anXiously been waiting
for streetcar lines will have to be content
with present facilities.
With all other streetcar companies of
magnitude, the MarkeI-street system is
anXiOusly awaiting the discovery of a
practical method of propulsion that will
dispense with the manifold objections of
the trolley system, and it Is prepared 10
adopt and pay well for some way by
which the conducting wires may be placed
below the surface. At present there are
but two lines of streetcars in The world
| that are successfully operated on the
underground principle. One is in Buda
| Pesth, Hungary, but the especial objec-
| ton TO this system in operation is that the
connecting-Slot is IA inches wide. which
would be manifestly Objectionable in
crowded streets and lead to unnumbered
wrecks Of vehicles of all kinds. There is
another streetcar system running on the
underground principle at Washington,
! d. c., which has been operated success
| fully for some time but yet has not demon
strated complete success. Moreover. the
| Washington system is protected by no
less than thirty-eight patents, each OF
which demands heavy royalty from the
! lines using it and an expenditure OF
money which is not to be justified until
| the complete success of the method is
| proved beyond all manner of doubt.
Inventive genius" remarked Mr.. Will
cult, "has not yet successfully COPIED with
| the difficulties of underground propulsion,
|
in time"
1t is the intention also to extend the line
now terminating at the Potrero to Eigh-
! tenth avenue and Kentucky street, and il
is expected that orders for commencing
! the work will be issued this week. Stimuli
taneously the line from Market and
Eighth streets to Solano and connecting
with the San Francisco line, will be COM
menced and be prosecuted as rapidly as
circumstances will admit.
Il was stated that DO cable lines would
! be extended to the Cliff under any circum.
| stances. The two dummy lines were being
| operated at heavy loss and cheaper
method of propelllng cars would have tc
| be discovered before the scent fare to the
! Cliff would be adopted. The improve
ments in progress and to be made in the
! immediate future involves an expenditure
by the Market-street system Of over
S2.0O0.0OO.