The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-11
TO RETAIN THE TRACKS,
Another Excuse to Keep the
Spur Rails on the Ocean
Boulevard.
so THE SAND WON'T DRIFT.
The South Side Improvement Club
Indignantly Denies Certain
Resolutions.

The repeated assertions of Southern Pa
cific officials that the company is willing
and even anxious to remove its spur tracks
from Golden Gate Park and the Ocean
boulevard do not appear to be borne out
by the action of these same officials.
The tracks are still there.
They have no legal right on the peoples
driveway and pleasure ground. Nearly
two years ago the Board of Supervisors,
against the better judgment of those who
thought they could see in the movement
an attempt on the part of the railroad to
steal a right of way that could never be
secured in an open way, granted the South
ern Pacific Company a temporary prlvl-
lege of laying its tracks from the pumping
station of the Spring Valley Water Com
pany along the Ocean boulevard and into
the park. This was for one purpose alone
that of facilitating the movement of
freight to and from the Midwinter Fair.
The privilege was granted with the express
understanding that the tracks should be
removed as soon as the fair was over But
the tracks are still there.
Often since then the Southern Pacific
Company has publicly expressed its will
ingneSs-eyen its anXiety-to remove those
tracks, especially the tracks in the park,
for in truth the tracks on the Ocean boule-
ward have not been referred to by the
Southern Pacific. But all the tracks are
still there. The public is conversant with
the merits of the case, for they have been
discussed at length in these columns. The
railroad last excuse for not removing its
spur tracks has been their accommodation
to the Park Commissioners in hauling
street sWeepings to the park.
But now the Merchants Association
promises to take away that reason. Mr..
Denman and Mr.. Dohrmann. both of the
Merchants Association, are perfecting
plans whereby the street sweepings may be
hauled to the park by the trolley system.
And so it becomes necessary that the
Southern Pacific Company should have
another reason for the perpetuity of its
tracks on the Ocean boulevard. What
could that reason be?
The octopus scratched its head and went
into session of deep thought. Presently
an idea was born-the retention of the
tracks on the Ocean boulevard, the tracks
being heavy, will prevent the boulevard
from blowing awayl
The reason was submitted to Mr..
Huntington before being published. ''No, +"
said he, ait won't do. The rails are of the
highest and poorest kind, you know. The
road-be isn't heavy enough for that. The
wind is too strong. Try again"
The octopus thought another thought.
Another idea was born-if the tracks re-
main, the sand will not bury the boulevard
out of sight.
az don't Just see the point of that" said
Mr.. Huntington, when the idea was shown
to him, Lets see-railroad track-keep-
nd-from-blow-oh well, try it on the
public. Maybe they can see the point. It's
as good a reason as we ever have had, and
they've swallowed all the others. Try it."
Accordingly yesterday morning the fol-
lowing article appeared in a morning
paper.
The following resolutions have been adopted
at an executive meeting of the South Side I'm
pointed TO wait uDon the Park Commissioners:
WHEREAS A demand has been made By por-
ton of the public press that the railroad along the
ocean boulevard be removed on the ground that
the said line of rails renders the boulevard useless
Resolved, BY the board of directors Of the South
Side Improvement Association, that after careful
inspection of the present condition of the boulevard
we are convinced that the railroad has been and is
O benefit rather than detriment TO said work
PREVENTING, AS IT DOES, THE DRIFTING
OF THE SAND FROM THAT PORTION OF
THE WORK THAT HAS NOT BEEN MAC
ADAMIZED.
Resolved, That in view of the fact that by means
of the line it has been made possible for the street
sweepings of San Francisco to be carried TO Golden
Gate Park, thereby fertiliZing beautifying it,
this board, representing the property-owners who
at their own expense graded said boulevard re-
spectfully request the Board of Park Commits
Sioners TO permit the maintenance of said line of
railway for the OF six months, during which
time we feel assured the boulevard will be
completed.
But the octopus Numbered. 1t doubt
less exceeded its authority from Mr.. Hun
tington when it published the resolutions
as emanating from the South Side I'm
provement Club. And the club is wroth
that its name should be used in this
manner. The club is not responsible tor
the resolutions, nor has the club aD-
pointed any committee to wait upon the
Park Commissioners.
1.-THE South Side Improvement Club is
grossly insulted when any such resolutions
are attributed to it" said Mr.. Schwartz,
the secretary of the organization. cit is
absurd to accuse the club of passing any
such resolutions. We have not, as body,
taken any interest in the matter of re-
moving those spur tracks from the Ocean
boulevard, Tor that is territory outside of
our jurisdiction entirely. And, besides,