The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-14
SPUR TRACKS SPOIL A FAMOUS DRIVEWAY.

and County of San Francisco as may afford to
said company the most convenient line for the
location of such proposed track, and is hereby
accorded the privilege of using for the period
herein mentioned THE GREAT HIGHWAY, if
the same should prove convenient and suitable
for such purpose, for such distance as ii may
be necessary to traverse the same between said
Lakeville and the present track of the Park
and Ocean Railroad Company. This privilege
is granted upon the express condition that so
far as said railroad route may lie upon prem
ises within the jurisdiction of said Board of
Park Commissioners it shall not be used or oc-
cupied until said company, its successors or
assigns, shall be thereunto authorized and en-
powered by order of the Board of Park Com
missioners.
OF course, the great highway proved &C
ceptable, convenient, suitable and every
thing else agreeable to the Southern
Pacific. Was it not already graded? Was
it not already partly macadamized?
Would it not be cheap and convenient to
use this great highway, this ocean boule-
ward? Indeed it would, and it was so used.
1t was urged upon H. E. Huntington
and c. F. Croker at the time that it was
pity for them to spoil the ocean boulevard
by laying steam rails or any track upon it.
shrugged their shoulders and pointed to
the wording of the resolution granted bv
the Supervisors, as who should say, "Why,
your own sworn servants have given us
this ocean boulevard for the mere asking"
Its only for year." said the Super
visors, in their own justification. But the
year has heightened out into two years,
and still the tracks are there.
Mr.. Austin and Mr.. Rosenfeld, both
Park Commissioners, have said that if the
public, through THE CALL, demanded it,
the spur tracks would be removed.
The matter of the three spur tracks"
ought to be explained to the law
man, perhaps. In September 1898, in
pursuance of the resolution passed by the
Supervisors and the consent of the Park
Commissioners, the Southern Pacinc began
to construct its track from Lakeville north
ward, past the Ocean Beach House. and
then along the ocean boulevard to II
street, where connection was made with
the line of the Park and Ocean Railroad.
Then, from III street, running into the
park grounds between Tenth and Thir-
teenth avenues, the three spur tracks were
laid leading into the Midwinter Fair
grounds.
These latter are the tracks that Mr.
Austin and Mr.. Resented spoke of remov-
ing should the public demand it.
out the sweepings. And it is a very small
matter in the long run whether these three
spur tracks are continued for that one pur-
pose of assisting the cultivation of the
park lands, or whether they are discon-
tinued. The only issue at stake is whether
the City shall reap small profit by selling
its street sweepings to the park. OF course
the street sweepings could be hauled out
to the park in some other way at a some
what greater cost. But no one will object
very hard to the continuance of these three
spur tracks in the park as long as they are
used for the one purpose, and are shifted
here and there to the convenience of the
Commissioners-even though the Southern
Pacific does make very nice profit out of
its charitable work of hauling the sweep
ings at S. a carload.
The one important question: How about
the ocean-boulevard tracks?
There can he no valid excuse for the
continuance of these obstructing tracks.
No monetary consideration can compen-
safe the public for the loss OF the ocean
boulevard.
How long shall those tracks remain?