The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-06
FIXING THE BLAME FOR THE PARK RUINS

assignees shall be entitled to charge for The
carriage of passengers, and this privilege is
accorded to and accepted by said grantees upon
such express condition. At the end OF the
term for which this privilege is granted said
company, its successors or assigns shall take
up and remove said railroad tracks.
On the 1st of September, 1894, the priv
ilege granted to the Southern Pacific Com
pany by the foregoing resolution, which
was duly signed by Mayor Ellert, came to
an end. 1t lacks now but two months of
full year since the expiration of the
privilege, that expressly stipulated: "At
the end of the term for which this privilege
is granted, said company, its successors or
assigns, shall take up and remove said rail
road tracks,"
And the tracks are still there.
They have had authority for being there
some of this time. In November of 1894,
two months after the tracks should have
been removed according to the provisions
of the resolution, the Supervisors forgave
them the trespass, and because the
tracks were still there permitted tn EN- to
remain forty days longer.
1t is rather a curlously concocted resolu-
ton. 1t reads:
WHEREAS the Southern Pacific has not
needed its terms of contract with us, there
fore do we reward the Southern Pacific by
enabling it to make still further profit out of
its tracks in the park (Which it promised to re-
move two months ago..
At least this is the spirit of the resolu-
ton It was passed by a majority vote
November TO- 1894, and its literal wording
is as follows;
WHEREAS, This board, by resolution No. Gill
(hird series), granted permission to the South
ern Pacific Company to lay spur track along
and upon certain streets and public property
for one year from September l, 1898; and
whereas, the said period has expired and the
tracks of said company SO laid have not been
removed; therefore
RESOLVED, That the time in which said tracks
shall be maintained and operated is hereby
extended for a period of forty working days
from November l, 1894, the said tracks being
used for the purpose of conveying loan to and
for the improvement of Golden Gate Park.
If the Southern Pacific had been honest
and straightforward and removed its tracks
when it agreed to do SO, it would not have
been quite so rich as it is now, but the peo-
pie would have had pleasure ground free
from Southern Pacific Railroad tracks.
But ever since the tracks should have
been torn up and removed, even under the
terms of the last resolution of reward for
a dishonest policy, the Southe-n Pacific
tracks in the park have been earning
money for the Southern Pacific stock
holders.
And now it would appear that these
tracks have come to stay. If they can
stay a year or six months without au-
thority, why cannot they remain perma-
nently? This is a problem that the South
ern Pacific is going to answer IN the
affirmative if they can. If the people, or
the peoples servants, continue to sit pas
sively and see the Southern Pacific tracks
grow into Golden Gate Park and become a
very part or the peoples pleasure ground,
the Southern Pacific will be pleased. Its
tracks have been there illegally for half
year now, and they have been making
money for their owners all that time. If
the people will only keep quiet a little
longer-say another year-why, the South
ern Pacific tracks may become an institu-
tor of Golden Gate Park.
1t is a case that calls for immediate &C.
ton of the Board OF Supervisors and Park
Commissioners. Without the passive con-
sent of both of these bodies these tracks
could not remain the obstruction and dan
ger that they are now. Either one of
these bodies could, if it would, tear up the
tracks and remove them at the expense of
the Southern Pacific Company.
When questioned about the matter last
evening Superintendent McLaren admit
ted that THE CALLS attitude was correct.
Moreover, the superintendent promised
that the tracks should be removed.
"Within ten days." he said, II will have
those tracks out of the park. You can be
sure of this"
The date of this promise is July 5. On
the 18th the time for its performance will
expire. On the 10th THE CALL will photo
graph that part of the grounds. Doubt
| less it will displease the Southern Pacific
Company to be forced to remove its tracks
in Golden Gate Park within the next ten
days, but it will please the whole people
immensely. And if Mr.. McLaren has the
| frowns of the Southern Pacific to bear he
will have won golden opinions from the
public, which is better.
! THE CALLS expose of the generally dill
apidated condition of things at the old
| Midwinter Fair site awakened a good deal
of interest in the matter yesterday. Those
who do not go to the park often had al
most forgotten the ruins and debris that
have disfgured it for nearly year now.
''Surely, the executive committee could
not plead poverty in the matter" said
Matthias Johnson, one of the committee of
| fifty to which the executive committee of
the fair was supposed to be responsible.
They had money enough left over to have
cleared up the grounds many times over.
And that was one of the stipulations en-
tered into between the executive commit
tee and the Park Commissioners, that in a
couple of months or so after the fair
was closed, the site should be turned over
to the park in as good condition as when
it was taken by the fair managers.
II remember that in every contract en-
tered into between the fair management
and the concessionaires there was clause
providing for the removal of all structures
Immediately upon the close of the exposi-
ton. And each contractor on the main
buildings was to receive his last payment
in the building ITSELF which was to be re-
moved at once.
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