The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-29

life and limb Probably $4,000 people
cross and re-cross these tracks daily,
thousands of whom are children. Also
all the street teaming and car traffic
on all the main thoroughfares leading
out of the city, from Fourth and
Townsend to the county line, are COM
PEELED to cross these tracks at all
hours, at a great risk to life and limb;
The Street Committee of the. Board
people interested or giving them an
opportunity, to be .heard-as they prom
ised-have recommended that the
definite time thus making nuisance
we have believed to be temporary, per-
manent.
vanced methods of motive power of
the present day, the Street Commit
tee of the Board of Supervisors pro-
pose to perpetuate this steam nuisance
through this thickly settled portion of
the city, so far as they are concerned,
for all time. Electricity as motive
power has now advanced to such per
fection that its use should be compul-
sorry throughout the residence portions
of the city.
These elected guardians Of the peo-
pies rights seem to regard these rights
as their own individual perquisites to
be bartered away for their own per
sonal benefit The question Is. How
long are the people going to submit to
this condition of things, and what are
they going to do about it?
Chairman Slevin called attention to
the fact that the company had made
an entire change of front concerning
the double track road since its attempt
to pass franchise through the Super
visors a year ago. At that time, he
said, Attorney Foulds had contended
that by reason of the fact that the line
was marked on the official map the city
had granted permission to run the line
across and along its streets. Now, said
Slevin, Foulds contends that the COM
pany has been in undisturbed posses
sion so long that no power this side of
the Attorney General of the State
could disturb 1t.
In line with these remarks of the
chairman, the secretary, read the fol-
lowing communication, which had been
prepared and a copy Of which will be
presented this morning to each super
visor:
SAN FRANCISCO. Cal, May 2s, 1882
To the Honorable the Board of Su-
pervisors Of the City and County of
San FTanc,scoGdensiteedhtb ndsrstand the POSITION
of the residents of the Mission district
In relation to the proposed granting by
you to the Southern Pacihc Company
of permission to lay double. track
along the present route of said COM
pany extending from Third and Town
send streets to the county line we
herewith submit for your consideration
First-The San Francisco and San
Jose Railroad Company possessed a
right of way and operated railroad
from 1854 to 1868 The route of said
railroad extended from San Jose to
San Francisco, and its terminus was
at the junction of Market and Valen-
cia streets.
Second-The Southern Pacific Com
pany was granted a franchise along
Townsend street in 1S6-.
Third-In 1868 the Southern Pacific
Company purchased the stock Of the
San Francisco and San Jose Railroad
under permission of the Legislature.
They owned repair shops at Sixteenth
and Harrison streets, and Mr.. John
Center. who. then owned the greater
portion of the Mission which was In
those days large fields, granted to the
Southern Pacific Company temporary r
permission to lay spur track from
Twenty-fifth and Valencia streets to
the said repair shops. In 1870. when
the residents of the Mission section
learned that said railroad was likely
to become permanent. they protested