The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-08

! had received notification that the Market
street Railroad Company had several hum
dred men at work on Church street, near
Sixteenth, tearing up the roadway pre-
paratory to laying tracks. He said the
fact that the men were put to work at mid
night, and such large number employed,
showed that something was wrong. The
Mayor inquired if the company had fran
chise for the street invaded
Clerk Russell looked up the records and
found that the Market-street Railroad
Company had abandoned the franchise,
the company having sent its written notice
of abandonment, which was subsequently
accepted by the Board of Supervisors.
When the railroad company started to
build its electric lines the company had
considerable trouble with the property
owners along Church street as to the fran
chise. The property owners wanted cable
road, as had been originally promised.
The company would not agree to this.
Agent Haley, representing the company,
stated to the Supervisors that no electric
road could be built on Church street ON
account of the steepness of the grade. Sub
sequently the Market-street Company sent
written communication to the board
abandoning the Church street portion of
its franchise.
On August 4, 1894, the Supervisors
adopted resolution 1882, which read as
follows:
WHE REAs, The Market-street Railroad Com
pany has filed with this board its abandonment
in writing of all the rights aforesaid upon and
over those certain streets and portions of streets
described as follows: Commencing at the in
tarspetion Of Church street with Thirtiefh
street; thence along and upon Church street to
its intersection with Hermann or Kate street;
thence westerly along Hermann or Kate street
to its intersection with Fillmore street. Now,
therefore, it is hereby
Resotued, That this board consents TO the
abandonment aforesaid, and the clerk of this
board is hereby authorized to execute in the
name of and as the act of the board an instru-
ment in writing accepting and consenting to
said abandonment.
The resolution was carried by unan-
imous vote of the board.
When Mayor Sutro had learned the
record of the franchise he returned to his
office, saying he would have the work
stopped. In short while he sent the fol-
lowing communication to Superintendent
of Streets Ashworth:
SAN FRANCISCO Feb z.
Hon. 1HOHlQS ASHUOTtp, us CGpCfIILSnu6DC OJ
Strcets-DEAR SIR: Reliable information has
been brought to me that large force of men
is now engaged in tearing up Church street
from Sixtee nth to Market preparatory to
laying railroad track thereon, and that
neither said men nor their employers have any
authority OF franchise so to do.
Pending investigation by the proper author
tiles you are hereby requested Immediately to
repair to said place and prevent the further
work of tearing up said street.
If said men do not obeyfyour instructions
you will please call upon the Chief of Police
for such aid as you may require. Yours re-
spectfully, ADoLPH SUTRo, Mayor.
Superintendent Ashworth, on receiving
the Mayors letter, Immediately dispatched
his chief deputy, Andrew J. Donovan, to
the scene of the excitement, with orders to
stop the work. Several hours later Deputy
Donovan returned and informed his chief
that the foreman of the gangs of men en-
ployed had stopped work when he ordered
him to do SO. Subsequently some one
higher in authority in the railroad eom