The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-16
POLES MUST COME DOWN
Protest Against the Abandoned
Electric Line at the Pan
handle.
PRoPERTY.OWNERs COMPLAIN
II. II. Lynch Says That the Rails and
Trolley Wires May Be Re-
moved.

The property-owners on Baker and Fell
streets, in the immediate vicinity of the
panhandle entrance to Golden Gate Park,
are complaining that the Market-street
Railway Company has left wires and rails
standing for several months on part of the
abandoned Metropolitan Electric road and
also neglected the roadway between the
tracks.
AT present there is serious talk of pre-
pairing protest to the Board of Super
visors with petition that proper action be
taken in the premises. 1t is argued that
since this portion of the Electric line has
been abandoned, and apparently will not
be used again, the street railway company
ought to remove the poles, wires and rails
and put the streets in good condition.
The road was cheaply constructed and
without regard for its appearance or for
the comfort of the public Were the tracks
well laid and paved as the new roads of
the Market-street Company's electric sys-
tenn are there would not be so much
ground for fault-fnding, but the old
Metropolitan tracks are full of ruts and
dangerous distractions that make riding
over them extremely unpleasant near the
panhandle entrance.
In the open space opposite the wide,
embowered avenue there is still row of
iron poles with cross arms supporting
trolley wires, and beneath are double
tracks very rickety and so poorly ballasted
that the ties show through the macadam.
There used to be an ample sweep for car
riages passing in or out of the panhandle.
but these poles and tracks, now absolutely
useless and unsightly to look upon, in
trude themselves obnoxiously to the incon-
venience of bicyclists and riders.
Along Fell street from Devisadero to
Baker and thence upon Baker to Page
street those abandoned rails and trolley
poles and wires have been left standing.
The railroad company ran its new lines
along the two other sides of the parallelo-
gram formed by four blocks, and in doing
SO avoided the steep grade on Baker street,
between Oak and Page, which is almost
lmpractlcable for an electric line. The
grade is IA per cent and has been Stunned
by the company, as the heavy inclines on
Scott street were abandoned for the easy
slopes of Devisadero street
II. II. Lynch, superintendent of con-
struction of the Market-street system, was
asked about the forgotten tracks and troll
ley poles near the panhandle.
II don't exactly know" said he, "what
we are going to do with that bit of road.
1t is not to be used again, and [ suppose
the only thing to do is to tear it up.
Maybe we will remove it soon."
According to the provisions of the origi
nal franchise granted the Metropolitan
Company by the Solid Nine of execrabIe
memory, the franchise has been forfeited
on various points. 1t was expressly agreed
to build the road to the ocean within three
years after the franchise was granted, and
failing in this the company would abso-
lutely lose title to the road The road was
to reach the ocean in three years and carry
passengers for nickel fare. On each of
the T poles opposite the park panhandle
the franchise called for an electric light
that accidents might not occur. The
lights were never known to shine, and now
there are neither lights nor electric cars on
that stretch of abandoned and neglected
roadway.