The San Francisco call., 1898-04-17
TROLLEYS FOR MARKET STREET Planning to Supplant the Gable With Elec-
 tricity. Only the Underground Trolley System Will Be Tol-
 erated.
Horse Car Tracks if Allowed His Way.

H. E. Huntington and the directorate of the Market Street Railway Company are planning to change the cable line on Market street into an electric system. A hint of their intention was given to a committee of the Merchants Association a few days ago, but as yet no direct ef- fort has been made to secure the neces- sary authority from the governing board of the city to make the change.
 About two years ago new rails were laid along the Market street cable tracks and when they were put down they were ''bonded'' and laid in the same manner that the rails for electric lines are put down. The rails at the ends were con- nected with copper wires, so that they would make a continuous circuit for an electric current. The manner of laying the new rails excited suspicion at the time that an effort would be made to dis pense with the cable that for years pro- pelled the cars along the wide thorough fare and replace it with an overhead cop per wire for supplying electric power to the cars. Every move of the ranway company that had a tendency to trend that way was closely watched by the merchants along Market street. and so far they have successfully kept the un- slightly trolley wire and poles from the main business artery of the city.
 About five years ago. a bold attempt was made to erect poles and string lIOIley wire dlOHB MdTkeI street. Edrly one Sunday morning big force of men suddenly appeared on the street. They were strung all the way from Powell to w6 ths fTy fepo oe aa hey eyg fb curb and setting up poles. Many property owners along the street who happened to stop the work but the to police ppifs refused claiming that they did not have that power. Finally L. R. Ellert,, who was at authorized VI he state of affairs was explained to him to stop the work, and the workmen were driven away.
 Several holes had been dug and some poles were put up. The police guarded the street against the encroachment of the Market Street Railway Company un- til the courts could be appealed to and an injunction against the proceedings of the railway company was issued.
 H. E. Huntington confessed to the plans of his corporation at conference held with him by a committee of the Merchants Association few days ago. cussing with him the project of paving Market street from Second to Sixth with bitumen, and promise was wanted from that the Market Street Company would agree to pay it's share of the expense
 The portion of the street it Is proposed to pave with bitumen is from the curb to the outer line of the cable-car tracks The roadbed of the cable tracks and the space between them are to remain at pres ent. The reason for leaving the space between the tracks paved with basalt blocks is that should it become necessary to put a new sewer down in the street 1t can be done under the stone pavement. and no injury will be done to the portion paved with bitumen.
 Huntington asked the committee if 1t would not be better to have the horsecar tracks on Market street taken up so that a clear pavement could be put down from the curb to the present line of the cable-car tracks. He said that could be done if a franchise could be secured from the Board of Supervisors allowing cleo tric cars to be run on Market street. so that the lines now operated by horse cars could be run over the tracks of the cable-cars by electricity.
 Hugo Keil, who was one of the com mittee of the Merchants Association, said yesterday that he would have no objec- tion to allowing electric cars to operate on Market street should the underground electric system be used. Huntington made a plain proposition for the assist ance of the association in securing a franchise to operate an electric line on Market street Tt is not a ma ter for our organization to advocate said Mir Keil: "but I believe we should oppose it should an attempt be made to string an overhead trolley wire along that thoroughfare The underground trolley system is being sue cessfully used in cities in the East, and there is no reason why it could not be operated here if the cable is to give way to electricity"