The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-06
The "CalI'S" Proposition Has
kindled Warm Enthusiasm
in Many Places.
ROLL OF HONOR UP TO DATE.
Cities and Towns Whose Business
Men Desire to Be Placed on
the Public Record.

people cake Will not be Dough.
There is a positive boom in pledges of
support for the San Francisco and San
Joaquin Valley Railroad.
1t is only eight days since the CALL sent
forth the proposition that business men
and producers of the San Joaquin and
Santa Clara valleys should sign an agree
ment by which they would pledge them
selves to patronize the competing road as
soon as it is ready for business.
The proposition has been received and
acted upon in manner that is gratifying.
Signed pledges by shippers of all kinds
of freights, and by the people who will be-
come passengers, have come in by the
hundreds daily, and each day the number
increases. The spirit of manly opposition
to monopoly has been fully aroused.
The pledges that have been received by
THE CALL thus far are positive and to the
point. They furnish the guaranty re-
quested and also supply in a considerable
degree the statistical data as to amount of
freight that will be shipped by each signer
in year. Of course, these figures are APP
proximate, but they show that the COM
peting road will not suffer for the want of
business. The Roll of Honor also indi-
Gates that the best and most trustworthy
men of the different communities are
heart and soul in this movement.
For the benefit of those who may not
have read the original proposition for
pledges and would like to be informed and
join the hopeful majority, the article in
question, which was printed on the first
page of THE CALL of March g. is here re-
produced:
TRUE SUPPORT FOR THE PEOPLES ROAD
THROUGH THE VALLEYS.
THE BROAD PLAINS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN AND
THE FERTILE SANTA CLARA ORCHARDS OUGHT
TO IMMEDIATELY RESPOND IN A SUB
sTANTIAL MANNER.
The San Joaquin Valley Railroad is to be
peoples railroad. 1t is, therefore. proper that
the people of the San Joaquin Valley and Santa
Clara Valley should express their intention in
regard to the manner in which they will sup
port it after it is completed. The people living
in the San Joaquin Valley, who feel that
change of conditions is necessary, who feel
that competing road would benefit them,
ought to make definite expression as to what
support they will afford to the enterprise which
is calculated to bring them relief.
Looking in this direction, the CALL has pre-
pared and wilt distribute among the residents
of the San Joaquin Valley and the Santa Clara
Valley blank pledges, which, when properly
made out and signed, signify that the signers
will for five years give to the new road all the
support and encouragement within their
power These pledges will be simply worded,
and will contain only stipulation that the
persons signing them will patronize the new
road where the rates are as low as, or lower
than, those of the old-established company. In
order to secure necessary and valuable statis-
AZ g,,f oxrill hQ hlor1
in which each person signing this contract
will be requested to specify the number of tons
shipped annually by him, and the average
general cost of such shipments.
The CALL intends to establish roll of honor,
in which the names of those who sign such
agreement will be published from time to time.
1t may happen that some dealers are in posi-
tons where publication of their intentions in
this regard might bring them trouble. 1t may
be that they fear retaliatory action from some
quarter. In that event, upon request, the
names would not be published, but would be
held sacredly private, the information being
furnished only to the responsible managers of
the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Rail-
road Company. After the road shall be COM
pleted and no further occasion exists for keep
ing the names from the public If so desired the
CALL would print second roll of honor, &C
eording to all who have pledged their support
the credit that is due to them
While it may seem strange that such pre-
caution should be necessary in California, the
existence of such necessity is the strongest
argument that can be used for the building of a
new road and for every true citizen to contrib
ute toward its support.
Among the first to respond to the sug-
gestion was P. II. Medley of Modesto. Fol-
lowing is the text of his pledge:
MODESTO, March 90, 1895.
To Charles NJ Shortridge, Editor and Proprie-
tor of the San Francisco "Cdtp'-SIR: For the
purpose of giving not only moral but substan-
tial aid to the San Francisco and San Joaquin
Valley Railroad, hereby agree, rates and ia
cilities being equal, to patronize and forward
over the said road all freight may have for
| transportation.
And further agree that will give to the said
road the right of way through any lands that 1
am possessed of, and also win give the afore-
said road the necessary ground for depot on my
land adjoining the city of Modesto, county of
Stanislaus. P. H. MEDLEY.
This is indicative of the spirit of enthu-
siasm that has pervaded the valley dis
tances in all directions. 1t burns from the
upper bay country to the far-away orchards
of the south coast The roll of honor has
fairly started in its growth. Herewith is
given the first page of it-a golden page in
the volume that is bound in good faith
and which will be preserved for reference
by all good people. 1t will be remembered
that the CALL agreed to not publish the
names OF signers who marked their pledges
confidential" This agreement will be
kept sacred throughout the campaign and
afterward unless the seal of silence is with
drawn by the signers. There are hundreds
| of these confidential pledges now in the
possession of the proprietor of the CALL
They will be used only for the legitimate
purpose for which they were Intended at
the outset. Following is the roll of honor
OF those who have not marked their pledges
confidential:
BAKERsFIELD.
J. B. Hens, F. r. Munger,
Walter Shook, w. S. Doxie
G. j. HanZ,
MODESTO.
s. NJ. Mclean, Andrews & Wood,
B. Well o. McHenry
A. R. Jamison, Wakefield & Lewis,
Robert Elder, p. a. Peterson,
Philip Elias Ira Harris,
G. e. Marriott, IT. *. Beard.
Meyer IL Late, F. Hintze
oAKDALE.
Isaac Watson, Charles Offer,
Q. Hasholt, q. w. Shaffer
G.. A. Watthen. III. Sanders