The San Francisco call., 1895-11-14
R|CHMOND'S MIRAGE CAR
1t Appears at Noon Every Sun
day and After One Run
Fades Away.
The Winds Brush Sand Over the Rails
in an Endeavor to Bury
Things so Useless.

Bush street has long enjoyed the dis
tinction of having a solitary streetcar
making its diurnal orbit around some un-
known center. Once day the residents
along that thoroughfare have seen the
lonely Wanderer moving slowly past to be
swallowed up in some carhouse at the
farther end of its. track. Next day it ap-
pears with the sun and as regularly goes
70 its rest in peace away in the west with
that luminary.
But Seventh avenue, out in the Rich
mond district, has a car that makes
revolution once every seven days. All
week long the rails accumulate rust and
sea winds watt sand over the roadbed, and
on the seventh day the car plows its way
over the circuit, uncovering the rails and
reminding the people along the line that
the ola Jackson and Powell Streets Ferries
and Cliff House Railway Company is hold
ing its franchise down.
Promptly at noon the engineer attaches
his steam dummy to the coach and ap-
pearlng from somewhere moves up Sew
enIh avenue to California street. There it
stands till the Cliff train passes. AS no
transfers are ever given or received by its
conductor, as no passengers ever ride in
the car uultSS u SeCS CauRQC While
laboring under the idea that the outfit
goes somewhere, there is no known reason
why it awaits the other train. Possibly
the engineer, fireman and cket-pun cher
takes that opportunity to meet their CO.
workers. Then the dummy hauls its car
away and they both roll down the avenue
to D street and out that thoroughfare to-
ward the beach to disappear among the
sandhills like a f1eeting mirage.
This is the manner in which the street
railway is operated for the convenience of
Seventh avenue. There is the single Sun
day car. and what are you going to do
about it? ?"
The franchise was granted in 1887 for a
twenty-five year run, and while the plans
and specifications are voluminous regard
ing the official grade, roadbed and fittings
of the cars no section relates to the num-
her of trips which shall be made over the
way. Meanwhile the great streetcar cor
poration which absorbed the original
holders of the franchise occupies the public
thoroughfare with its double tracks dur
ing the week and in addition one car for a
few minutes Sundays.
1t is with no little feeling the property
owners in that locality look upon these ar
rangements that are only in the interest
of the railway company. Seventh avenue,
they contend, is the natural place for the
proposed boulevard. 1t extends from one
of the principal entrances of Golden Gate
Park north to the entrance of the Presidio
Reservation. Being free from car fran
chises, except on the six blocks south from
California, which the single Sunday car is
holding down SO tenaciously, it could be
paved and made the connecting driveway
between park and Preside.
If the railway company cannot afford to
put service on those idle rails, said At
torney Hubbs, who resides at the corner
of Clement street and Eighth avenue,
there is no earthly reason why they
should be there. Parallel lines are being
built on all sides of Seventh avenue, and
if it does not now pay for the company to
run cars on that street and fulfill its obli-
cations to the pubic, what hope is there
that it ever will pay? Anyhow, it is a
shame and a hollow mockery to have
solitary car putting along every Sunday
noon, brushing the sand which the winds
ali the week have been blowing over the
track. However, it seems to be the way
IN which the streetcar people operate their
lines in some portions of the City-at least,
where they are not interfered with"