The morning call., 1894-07-09
A FIRM STAND
Taken by Church, Street
Property-Owners.
The Market-Street Railway Com
pany Must Keep It's Promises or
Give Up Its Franchise.

The owners Of property along the line
of Church street from Ridley to Thir-
tieth and on adjoining streets held another
mass meeting yesterday afternoon at
Duveneck's Hall. corner Of Twenty-fourth
and Church streets. for the purpose of
agitating the proposition of having cable
or electric railroad run over Church street
1t is matter which the people in this
district have been fighting for during the
past eight years, and, judging from the
tenor of the speeches made Yesterday and
the spirit of determination that pervaded
the meeting, they are more than ever bent
upon accomplishing their desires, and that
at as early day as possible.
Charles h. Meyers called the meeting to
order and stated Its purpose. He said that
in June, 1892, the MaTket-street Railroad
Company had been granted a franchise
to construct a road over Church street and
the corporation had agreed to have the
road completed in two years. Not only
had the road never been completed, but 1t
had not even been begun, and in conse-
Quence the com Dany, by its breach OF con-
tract, had forfeited all right to the fran
chise it had obtained.
The people in that district, however,
were willing to have the company granted
an extension of one years time under GER
road.
Secretary McClosky then read the pet-
tiOn which had been circulated for sigma
lures of interested prOperty-Owners and
members of the Church-street Improve
ment Club.
This petition, which is addressed to the
Board OF Supervisors, sets forth the fact
that the s!gners will consent to allow the
Market-street Railroad Company one year
from June s. 1894, in which to construct
cable or electric line on Church street,
from Ridley TO Thirtietn, provided that
the road be completed in that time, and
that the company deposit $4,000 IN cash
or its equivalent In the city treasury as
guarantee of good faith. Failing to con-
struct the road in that time the company
shall forfeit the deposit.
Nearly every prOpertv-owner affected by
the matter of Church-street road had
signed this petition, and the secretary
said if there was any that had not they
would attach their names before the paper
went before the Supervisors to-day.
Joseph Scheerer spoke at some length
upon the subject OF the petition and its
object. He urged that the agitation be
kept up. so that the Supervisors could not
fail to see that 1t was the general wish OF
the people who would be benefited by the
proposed road that the Market-street
Company either carry out its promise and
and let some one else open up Church
street from end to end. The time had
come for it to act. and omethlng must be
done one way or the other.
A. r. GunDis0n spoke OF the difficulties
that the Church-streer people had been
labOrng under for years trying to get
railroad through. They had raised S2500
at one time to buy land at Sixteenth stI eet
so that the street would be open, and the
city had given 5000 to aid the work. Yet
in return for all this the people had only
the broken promise of the railroad COM
pany. At this late day the company has
told the Church-street people that they
would run an electric road up Twenty
fourth street fIom Mission and out Church
10 Thirtieth. This was not wanted.
Property-Owners on Church street wanted
line running the entire length OF the
street, so as to make it leading thorough
fare OF the city as 1t deserved to be.
The speaker wanted to know what ac-
tioD would be taken if the railroad COM
pany refused to accede to the demand in
the petition.
Mr. McCIosky said he felt sure the
Supervisors would declare its franchise
forfeited aud that the right of another
franchise would be sold at auction.
L. f. Hagerty was not so sanguine about
the stand the Supervisors would take in
the matter. He thought the company
would endeavor to get what they wanted
from the Supervisors. The franchise has
been legally forfeited, and he saw no rea-
son why the Mayor did not have torn out
the one block of road which the company
has ON Church street. The property
owners should show that they were deter
mined TO get their rights 10 the affair.
They should make a demand upon the
Supervisors to the effect that they wanted
a through railroad right away.
Mr.. Thompson and others spoke In q
similar vein, and were enthusiastically
applauded.
Some of those present thought it would
the petition 10 the SUPERVISORS and get
more signatures, but it was at last decided
TO lose no time, and the petition with Its
hundred or more names will be laid before
the Supervisors at their meeting to-day.