The San Francisco call., 1896-02-03

copy of letter received last week by the
president OF the Board of Park Commits
sioners:
SAN FRANCISCO. January %, 1896.
Mr.. Joseph Austin, President Of the Board of
Golden Gate Park C0mnatsSioners-DEAR SIR:
The Southern Pacific Company is desirous of
discontinuing the hauling OF street sweepings
to the park, also the hauling OF loam and sand
TO and from the park, and as soon as arrange-
ments with the Park Commissioners has been
made for discontinuing this service as above,
it will take up al tracks for which it does not
claim to own right of way, or does not have q
right to operate.
Please inform me of the earliest date when
this arrangement can be made to go into
CHARLES F. CRocKER
To this communication a reply in the
following words was sent:
lfr. Charles r. Crocker-DEAR SIR: Your COM
munication, dated January %, 1896, notifying
the Park Commissioners OF your intention OF
discontinuing the hauling of loan and street
sweepings to the park has been received
We regret very much that y our company cam
not continue this work, as the loan and sweep
1ngs are what our park most needs.
We take. this opportunity of thanking your
company for allowing the spur track to remain
during the past twelve months, as it has en-
abled us to fertilize large spaces of park land
that otherwise could not have been improved
except at very great expense.
had hoped that the track could remain un.
disturbed at least another year, or until there
had been delivered to the park at least $4,000
yards more.
we will be ready for discontinuance Febru-
ary1. Respectfully. JOSEPH AUSTIN,
Z President Board of Park Commissioners
'That," said Superintendent McLaren.
''is the end of the spur track about which
so much has been said. In a short time
it will be taken up, and we shall have to
make some other arrangements to have
the street sweepings hauled out here that
is, If we can. l shall call upon the officers
OF the Street Department and the officers
OF the Merchants Association TO ascertain
what can be done. 1t is possible that spe-
cial carts can be built and the sweepings
taken to the park instead of taking them
to the City Dumps"
Il am sorry that the tracks are to be
taken UP" said President Austin, ''for we
need considerable of this material for park
purposes"
The new bicycle track has been graded.
and by reason of this work being corr
pleted and the fact that there is no more
loan to be handled. the Commissioners
have decreased the working force in the
park to the mum Der of sixty, including
twenty-five men with teams. Other work
is being pushed forward rapidly, and in
short time the force may be still further
reduced.
The fine weather of yesterday drew thou
sands upon thousands of people to the
park. The band, which for two Sundays
had not been heard, was greeted by an i'm
mense audience that enjoyed the pleasing
and artistic selections rendered, and gave
proof of its appreciation by frequent and
loud applause. The walks were crowded
with promenaders and the drives were
also crowded with people in vehicles,
equestrians and wheelmen -and wheel
women, all wearing pleasant smiles and
evidently happy to be out in the warm
sunshine.
The amount of work that had been re-
Gently done on the site of the Midwinter
Fair grand court is manifest. 1t has been
so much altered that but little remains to
remind visitors of what it was.
What remains of the electric tower will
be sold by the Sheriff on Thursday for the
benefit of whom it may concern. and the
sale will be with the understanding that
the broken iron must be removed within a
week. To-day work will be commenced
on the tunnel that will be built under the
main drive.
The walls of the addition to the museum
are up to their height, and are now ready
to receive the roof timbcrs. The museum
has received from the museum of Lelangor
in the Straits Settlement hundred objects
for the purpose of placing on exhibition,
some of which are extremely rare. Among
the lot are specimens of the pam boo rat, a
civet cat, boa constructor. bear mink, Ma
layan creslea quail, dwarf heron, large
green pigeons and kinghshers. Professor
Greuber, who has charge of the classifica-
tion of birds, animals and shells, has re-
ceived and placed in the cases a number of
stuffed hum ming birds, the finest collec-
tion ever exhibited in this City.