The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-13
The Market Street Railway
Company Gives Up Five
Franchises.
NOT NEEDED IN THE SYSTEM.
the Systems Workings and
Expense.


filed declaration with the Board of SUI
pervisors, giving notice of its intention to
abandon five sections of the several dozen
franchises it owns. The notice is signed
by Charles F. Croker, president Of the
consolidated company.
1t is said that this action on the part of
the company is but the beginning of a.
movement to give up the non-paying
franchises all along its line. Long ago it
was limited that as soon as the corporation
believed that it had the Citys passenger
traffic well in hand it would even go so far
as to abandon several of the car lines now
running and depend upon the parallel lines
holding all the trade. The cable-car lines
are being transformed into electric roads
as fast as possible, so as to meet this re-
suit in one way and furnish more rapid
transit. The order to change the double
end horsecars on Montgomery street to
bobtail cars is only one move in the step
to shift the traffic on that thoroughfare.
Other changes of equal significance will
soon be inaugurated
When the late consolidation of streetcar
lines was made the Market-street system
gathered in all the valuable franchises in
sight except those of the California street
and Suffer street systems. 1t had grid
ironed the City with electric, cable and
horsecar lines till every section that will
yield nickel is tapped. 1t was regular
campaign carried on to capture the bulk
of the passenger traffic of the City.
Now that the consolidated railway COM
pany is in working trim it finds that it
has number of franchises to streets that
it can get along without, and so it has been
determined to give them up.
Most of the franchises given up are
paralleled by other lines of the company
in active running operation. For instance
street, from Powell to Devisadero, is paral-
leled by the present Union-street cable
line. For this reason the Market street
company does not anticipate that any
capitalist will, care to ask the Supervisors
for the abandoned franchise.
On some of the streets abandoned the
company has rails laid. These will be
taken up at once and the cost to the COM
pany of keeping the streets between the
tracks in repair will then be saved
The franchises abandoned are as fol-
lows:
Commencing at the intersection of Mar
ket and Page streets, along Page to Fill
more, being portion of the franchise CIV
en- to the City Railroad Company in De-
cember, 1890.
A line of roadway commencing at the
intersection of Fourth and Berry streets,
along Berry to Fifth, thence across Chan
mel to Illinois, being portion OF, the road
way granted to the Omnibus Railroad Com
pany in December, 1885.
A line of railroad commencing at the
intersection of Pacific and Dupont streets,
thence along Dupont to Broadway, being
portion of the North Beach and Mission
Railroad Company granted in November,
1879.
A line of railroad commencing at the
intersection of Kearny and Jackson
streets, thence along Jackson street to
Stockton, being portion of the franchise
granted the Omnibus Railroad Company
in June, 1879.
A line of railroad commencing at the
intersection of Powell and Vallejo streets,
thence along Vallejo street to Devisadero,
being portion of the franchise granted
Henry Moffatt, j. B. Reinstein and M. S.
Eisner in December, 1890.
The Page-street franchise from Market
street to Fillmore was never used. The
company blocks any approach to Golden
Gate Park along this thoroughfare by the
stretch of electric roadway it runs from
Baker street to Stanyan. The Page-street
franchise is also parallelled by the Oak
street cable line, so the company is
doubly protected on that thoroughfare.
The Page-street franchise is part of the
property that fell into the hands of the
sorbed the City Railroad Company. George
Whittel and others have suit still pend
ing in the courts against the Market-street
corporation protesting against the figures
at which the stock was voted them.
The two blocks on Jackson street and
the block on Dupont street have been
abandoned because in the consolidation of
lines better rights of way were found for
the new electric road than along those
thoroughfares.
The Berry-street franchise on Fifth
street to Illinois street is another right of
way that was never used. 1t is practically
paraIleled by the old Fourth-street and
Kentucky line and was part of the
property held for prudential reasons by
the old Omnibus Railroad Company.
Property therefore, who looked
forward to the company eventually build
ing roads along some of these lines might
as well give up all hope, for the abandon
ment of the franchises means that the com.
pany has given up all intentions of
building.
The corporation has other big changes
in contemplation, but as yet the manage
ment is not prepared to make them public.