The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-09-03
THE BERKELEY
FRANCHISES MAY
CAUSE TROUBLE
Proposed Moving Of
Local Depots.
RESIDENTS WILL OBJECT
MANY BUSINESS INTERESTS
THREATENED.
Grave Consequences Likely to Follow
if the Berkeley and Dwight Way
Stations Are Finally
Abandoned.
RESIDENTS WILL OBJECT
MANY BUSINESS INTERESTS
THREATENED.

BERKELEY. Sept. 2-The Southern
Pacific Railway Company and the resi-
dents of the university town are likely 70
soon come 10 a serious clash. 1t promises
to be the old story of monopoly coming
in the guise OF benefaction and then
abusing the confidence reposed in it
\ month ago c. p. Huntington applied
to the city for two valuable franchises.
He proposed TO extend the Telegraph
avenue line now connecting Oakland and
Berkeley SO as to cover the best part of
the city's residence and business sections.
The line was to leave Telegraph avenue,
run down Bancroft way TO Shattuck av-
enue and along ShattuCk avenue to North
Berkeley, At the time of application for
these privileges some diStruSt as 10 the
railway cOmpany's motives was enter
tanned, bat they had no weight with the
Board Of Trustees. That body granted
what was asked for within the shortest
time allowed by law.
1t now appears that this sudden move
on the part of the Southern Pacific, so
eagerly forwarded by the City Fathers, is
but one step in the direction of a precOn-
CeiYed plan whereby the whole traffic of
the university town IS 10 be completely
revQlutionized without consulting the
wishes of the residents. Having given
away their franchise, the city is beginning
70 see through the scheme which il is
proposed to force upon it.
The railway company plan IS said to
be as follows: 1t will first of all do away
entirely with the depot now known as
Berkeley station, on Shattuck avenue, be-
enue. A new depot will be constructed
somewhere near the point where Bancroft
way runs into Shattuck avenue. This new
depot will be the terminus of the local
train connecting Berkeley with the Oak
land mole. Traffic between the new sta
ton and North Berkeley viii be carried
on by means of the new electric line along
Shattuck avenue, for which the franchise
has just been granted. the new station
being the point of transfer.
The second change looks toward doing
away altogether with what is known as
DWight-Way station at the point where
Dwight way crosses Shattuck avenue.
local train between Ashby avenue and the
new station to be built near Bancroft way.
II is asserted that no more serious blow
to the business portion of the town than
this could have been thought of. Berke-
ley has but two small business centers-
one near Berkeley Station, the other near
Dwight-way Station. Both depend for
their business largely upon the presence
of the two railway depots. The cOnten-
plated change on the part of the Southern
Pacific will have for its principal effect
! a shifting of the trade center Of the town
! for d distance of several blocks. It means
that the best business property of the
city will shift from its present location
TO the region Of Bancroft way and Shat
tuck avenue. The dealers already estab-
Iished in the neighborhood of Center
street and Stanford place are not slow 10
see the fmminence of the danger which
will threaten their prospects and they
The removal Of Dwight-Way station
will fall heavily upon the merchants of
that district as well as upon the extern
sive residence section of the city, which
extends for some eight or ten blocks up
Dwight-way and on the streets surround
ing.
Pacific in attempting to carry out this
scheme will be the signal for a lively con-
troversy between the city and the rail-
way monopoly.