The herald., 1898-10-14
STREET CAR SYSTEM
FOR FREIGHT AS WELL AS
PASSENGERS
THEIR PATH is BLOCKED
Nv Riverside Trust Co.-Trustees May
Sacrifice Magnolia Avenue but
i. Victoria Is Exempt

The Southern Pacific Railroad company
apparently Is doing some fine work IN Sc
curing street railroads In the city OF RIVER
side.
saveral wears ago Riverside granted 1t
franchise for street car line oown Mag
oolia avenue, and the line was pulit anu
operated as a horse car line. Frank A.
Miller. then of the Glenwood hotel at
Riverside. but now the manager OF the
Southern Pacific hotel, Arcadia, at santa
Monica. was manager of this Magnolia
avenue street car line.
few years ago a motor line was puiit
between Riverside and san Bernaroino,
oassinp through Cotton. This road was
huilt ostensibly for passenger traffic, and
the streets were utilized as right OF way
for most of the distance OF twelve miles
between the two places.
The franchises from cities and counties
were 30 carefully drawn In the interest OF
the railroad company that 1t became pos.
sible for the company to run freight, as well
as passenger cars, and heavy engines as
well as light motors, but until recently no
advantage was taken of the liberal pro-
visions of the franchises.
This motor company finally became bank
rupt, and the property was sold. The roao
was purchased by the Southern Pacihc
company and the line was then gradually
transformed into a regular railroad Tor
gers, A commodious passenger depot Is
at present being erected in the very heart
of the city of Riverside, at the intersec-
tion of Seventh and Market streets, only
one block from the postoffice.
For several years the Southern Pacific
company has tried to get right OF way
for q line down the valley, so as to extend
this motor line from Riverside down the
valley to South Riverside-now known as
Corona: thence in q nOrthwesterly direc-
ton to Chino, where 1t would connect with
the branch line built from Pomona to
Chino, thus making loop line-in fact, a
kite shaped track-so that the traveller
could leave Los Angeles on the old main
line and go to Cotton via San Gabriel,
Puente, Pomona and Ontario, thence from
Cotton to Riverside, Corona and Chino
back to Pomona, there crossing the main
line and returning to this city via LORDS
burg, San Dimas and Covina, reaching the
main line again at Bassett. 1t was de-
sirable of course, to make this line as at
tractive as possible for tourist travel; hence
the next step in the program.
Frank A. Miller, manager of the Mag
nolia avenue street car line. recently Sc
cured a new franchise from the city OF
Riverside for the purpose Of electriZng
the Magnolia line. 1t is in connection
with this franchise that the Southern Pa
cific is getting in it's fine work. This fran
Is absolutely no protection against the
company's running freight as well as pas
senger cars.
In connection with this fr,nchisce down
Magnolia avenue Mr.. Miller also asked for
q similar franchise down Victoria avenue
another fine double drive laid out parallel
to Magnolia avenue by Matthew Gage,
under the Gage canal system.
The amount the Riverside Trust company
expended on this double drive was about
81! cc0. On either side arc to be found fine
orchards and beautiful homes, and event
ually Victoria avenue will rival the far
famed Magnolia in its wealth and beauty.
The city granted its franchise over this
avenue also, but there was an obstacle in
the way. and the city could not deliver the
goods When Matthew Gage laid out this
tract and decided this avenue to the city
of Riverside he reserved the right to build
street car lines over this thoroughfare.
The Riverside Trust company-an Eng
lish corporation-is the successor in In
terest to Matthew Gage In this property.
A. Loves Dickinson, director of the
Riverside Trust company and president of
the Riverside Orange company, is now
here from England inspecting the prop
cry Mr.. Dickinson says that his COM
pany will absolutely refuse to grant to Mr..
Miller a franchise similar to that he has
secured from the city of Riverside. To-
Mr.. Miller allowing him to construct an
electric line over Victoria avenue for
passenger car service only, with the privi-
lege of carrying domestic freight" such
as parcels, etc. but not the right to run
freight cars. The latter, in Mr.. Dcken-
sons opinion. would enormously depre-
ciate his company's property.
This program will, however, be eventual
ly satisfactory to Mr.. Miller and the South
ern Pacific company. They will then be
able to run an electric car service from
the Riverside business center down va
rious streets to the head of Magnolia ave-
nue.. thence down that avenue some three
or four miles to Van Buren street thence
on Van Buren street to Victoria avenue.
thence on Victoria avenue back 10 the
business center, crossing Turquesquite ar
royo on Victoria bridge. Such a pro-
gram would be satisfactory from the local
passenger traffic, though not as desirable
as spelling these splendid driveways with
refrigerator cars and other eyesores.
Now for the amended freight program m