The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-26

1t Hears the Complaints of
Some Big and Little
Railroads,
AND ADJUSTS SOME OF THEM
The Local Franchise Of the Valley
Railroad Under Dis
cuSSion.

Railroads and street railways occupied
the time of members of the Street Com
mittee of the Board of Supervisors in their
all-day session yesterday. Chairman
Spreckels was in his place at the head of
the table during the entire day. Messrs.
Hughes, Benjamin, Morgenstern and Dun
ker were also present.
E. +. Preston, attorney for the San
Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Rail
road, and Engineer Storey of the road
were before the committee, presenting
petition for franchise to pass with the
road through the following streets and
property in the south of town to China
basin:
Beginning on the northeast side of Fourth
street, opposite the junction OF Fourth and IL
inOis streets, to the southwest side OF Flrst
avenue South formerly Honduras street,
street South formerly st. John street, from. the
southwest side of First avenue to the north line
of Twelfth avenue South; thence in general
southerly direction across Twelfth avenue
South, Thirteenth, Fourteenth South, under
Fifteenth avenue South; street, Sixteenth,
Seventeenth and Eighteenth avenues South;
Parmassus avenue, Latonia street and Thornton
avenue to Railroad avenue, opposite the center
line of TWenty-firSt avenue South; thence in a
general southerly direction under Th1rty-slxth
avenue South, Thirty-seventh, Thirty-e1ghth
and Thirty-ninth avenues South, ] street to the
east line Oh street SOutn; thence along EfdII
street to the county line, ''with the right to lay,
keep and maintain single or double tracks OF
standard width thereon, and to operate thereon
railroad propelled by steam, electricity or
other motive power, for the transportation OF
freight and passengers for the term OF fifty
years from date hereof"
Mr.. Benjamin wanted to know if this
franchise might not be utilized tor street
railway. Mr.. Preston explained that it
would be impossible as the conditions OF
the charter required the naming of a ter
minus of the road and also that it be built
under these conditions or the charter
would be forfeited.
The representatives of the road desired
| to know if it would be necessary in this
| instance to call for bids for the franchise as
required by the act of March %, 1893.
| After some discussion it was decided to
| report in favor of requesting the opinion of
! the City and County Attorney as to
whether the board can grant the franchise
without complying with the conditions
| imposed by the provisions of this law.
So this was temporarily disposed of.
Next came the San Francisco and San Mateo
Railway Company with an application for an
| extension OF their franchise to cover several
branches or feeders connecting with the main
line, the first and principal one being an ex
tension from the junction OF Eagle and Falcon
avenue, running southerly along Falcon
avenue to View street, along View street to
! third street, to Diamond street, thence to
Twenty-fifth street, to Church street, to Thir-
tieth street, to connect with the tracks OF the
road.
Again, commencing at the junction of Guer-
zero and Twenty-third streets, connecting with
the tracks OF the road, thence alony Twenty
| third street to Dolores, along Dolores to
Twenty-fourth and thence to Church, thence
along Church to Twenty-hfth.
! Another, commencing and connecting with
| the present tracks OF the road at Sunnyside
lose avenues. thence SnnnVSidp
avenue to the western terminus thereof, and
| thence through private property, with owners
consent, to the con junction of Corbett and
Ocean avenues; thence westerly along Ocean
avenue to Forty-fourth avenue, thence on and
along Forty-fourth avenue to W street TO the
ocean beach.
Another, commencing at the junction of
Corbett and Ocean avenues, thence easterly
on and along Ocean avenue to San Jose ave
nue. and there connect with the tracks of the
company.
The application had two formal protests
filed against it, one by the Eureka Valley
and Corbett Road Improvement Company,
represented in person by Mr.. Robinson,
and another from Donald Bruce, who was
also present
The railroad was represented by Behrend
Joost its president, and other officers and
interested parties Both sides had emf
nent lawyers, the . protestants H. n.
Clement, the railroad Michael Mullaney.
A number of speeches were made on both
sides, Mr.. Mullaney declaring that Behrend
Joost deserved greater consideratio ton than
any street-railroad man in the city for
having been the first. to introduce the
electric motor here, that he gave more
riding for a nickel than any other COM
pany and that his application for an ex-
tension was to add to the usefulness of the
road, to give even more without increas-
ing the charge. He denied that the COM
pany was insolvent and warned those
who were "trying to harass Behrend
Joost' that that gentleman would come
on top financially and they might be glad
to beg his consideration.
Mr. Clement declared the road could not
pay its bills and it would be folly to grant
them further concessions.
The committee took the matter under
consideration.
A petition of a number of property-own-
ers and residents on Folsom street asking
that the franchise of the Market-street
Railway Company on that street be for
feited came up for hearing, 1t was now
late in the day, and of small regiment of
people who had come to speak for it only
few were left. They declared that the
company had already forfeited the fran
chise under the law; that they had stopped
running cars over the line December l on
the plea that they wanted to rebuild it.
They tore up two blocks, making them
impossible. and had done nothing since
except to run a one-horse car over it once
day. The petitioners said the street was
being ruined as a business thoroughfare.
The committee decided to communicate
with the Market-street Railway Company
and get a statement from it before taking
action.
The San Francisco and San Mateo Rail-
way Company was granted the right-or
rather the committee decided to recon-
mend that the right be given-to lay 600
feet of track on Sunnyside avenue and
maintain it for ninety days, for the pur-
pose of experimenting with an under
ground conduit system.
The committee transacted great guam
tity of routine business.
------------