The San Francisco call., 1896-08-27

utmost OF their power, not for the saving
they expect to effect, but owing to the
gross imposition that they consider this
proposed charge to be. Personally, con-
slider this departure of the Southern
Pacific Company a very impolitic one and
one that will occasion loss of revenue
instead of an increase. 1t will also add to
tbs unpopular sentiment existing in
reference to this corporation. They would
have done much better, both pecuniarily
and politically, had they, instead of i'm
posing additional annoyance on wheel
men, arranged their baggage-cars so that
wheels would be properly cared for during
transportation. AS they run things now,
the wheels are tumbled into the baggage
car just as if they were bales and boxes of
freight, and no wheel that is once
entrusted to the mercy of Southern
Pacific baggagemaster ever comes back to
its owner without being SCARED and
scratched, if not actually damaged.
If they would only provide racks or
hooks so that bicycles could be safely
stored in car, few, if any, would demur
to paying a small additional fee for the
carriage of wheels, but they could well
afford to provide such accommodations
and not charge cent for the transporta-
ton of bicycles, for such move would
so populariZe the road that the increased
patronage would soon more than recoup
the small expense entailed, and every one
who rides wheel would call them blessed
instead OF cursing them. as is now the case.
but the most outrageous thing in this
new move is to charge for carrying wheels
across the ferries and to the terminals of
the local trains TO Oakland, Alameda and
Berkeley. This entails no extra expense
on the com pany, nor does it i'm pose any
additional labor on the employees con-
nected with the ferry or train service.
Whoever has had occasion to bring his BIZ
cycle from one side of the bay to the other
knows that he carries tue machine aboard
the ferry steamer and leaves it wherever
he can find convenient place, and that
he has to load ii into and unload it from
the baggage-car without even the proffer
of aid from conductor, brakeman or bag
gageman, though one or the other may be
looking on and grinning with qualification
over the awkward efforts OF the inexpe-
rlenced wheelman to perform the duty
that properly belongs to q trainman.
General Hubbard, when he was out
here, expressed surprise at the unpopu-
larity OF the Southern Pacific Company In
this State. This latest development would
be an object lesson that would open his
eyes on the subject. Here is an instance
where everything was being done to in
commode and annoy patrons of the road
who use wheel. and when com plant is
made, instead of seeking to remedy the
evils complained of, the sore is made to
smart the more by a new imposition and
new source of aggravation.
$50 far as l am personally concerned,
their action will prove a source of loss to
them. We are usually party of seven or
eight on Sunday, and we generally bring
up at San Jose. Hereafter instead of re-
turning by the Southern Pacific train to
San francisco, we will ride to Alviso, and
there take the boat to the City, and we
shall give our patronage, as far as possible,
to the roads which operate in Marin
County. The roads there are good and
the railroads are accomm odating."