The record-union., 1899-06-07
SOTO GETS HIS FRANCHISE.
SUPERVISORS GRANTED IT TO
HIM.
They Refuse to Have the County
Embark In the Free Ferry
Scheme.

When the Board of Supervisors met
yesterday motion was made to take
up the petition of John Soto for the re-
newal of his ferry franchise at Free
port, which had been postponed the
previous day on account Of the length
of the Booth investigation.
Supervisor Mclaughlin moved to de-
Ter the hearing on account Of the ap-
sence of Supervisor Gillis.
Supervisor Morrison opposed the mo-
ton, saying that Gillis ought to- be
present, and moved that the hearing
be proceeded with.
The motion was carried, Mclaughlin
voting no.
Frank D. Ryan appeared for John De
Soto and asked that his franchise be
renewed. He said that his petition was
signed by about fifty of the residents
in that vicinity. He said that Mr.. Soto
had held the franchise for many years.
and had always been accommodating
and conducted the ferry properly. Had
it been otherwise, the board would be
justified in not granting the renewal.
Almost all those who use the ferry are
ers, and he thought they should con-
tribute to the expense of conducting
the ferry. If there is to be free ferry
it should be at Grand Island, where
those who cross are residents and tax
payers in this county. The only ones
that want a free ferry are those who do
not wish to pay ferriage. If this is
granted the board will also be asked
eventually to make all the ferries free,
which will make a heavy tax on the
taxpayers of the county. He believed
there would also, if this fails, be petit
ton to grant citizens a privilege of con-
Quoting a free ferry themselves but
this would not be a matter of justice to
Soto
Phil Refill testified that the ferry had
always been conducted well, both by
day and by night, being always at the
command of the community. He
thought the community at large wished
the franchise renewed. He carried
people free who had to cross to get
their mail and little articles at the store
and had always been very accommodate
ing to the community. He had for
many years been friend of Mr.. Soto s
and for his travelling crossed the ferry
free, but paid for heavy articles like
hay and grain. He thought that the
opposition was mainly the result Of a.
little personal spite by some persons
who did not like Mr.. Soto. With a
free ferry it would be hard to get
across at all hours of the night as now
A man paid by the county, who had
nothing to make by getting up when
wanted, would, he thought, be very
hard to wake. At the Walnut Grove
ferry it is very difficult to get the
ferryman to take people across at night.
The next ferry is about four miles
above, and the road is bad in the winter
time. If the Yolo County Supervisors
would make the road good one they
could come up to the bridge and cross.
Sacramento County paid for the bridge,
and he thought the Yolo County resi-
dents should go to their own county to
get relief. He did not see that Sacra-
mento County should go in debt to help
them. out. He admitted that the road
on the YoIo side is four miles longer
for some of them, but if the road was
made good Peters ferry would be their
shortest route. The Babel Slough peo-
pie would find the bridge their best and
cheapest way. When he secured con-
tributions to gravel the Freeport road
some of the, Yolo people contributed a
little, but not much, and some did not
pay their subscriptions. He did not
think free ferry would be benefit to
Sacramento County, but a detriment.
Many of the Yoloites came here 10
trade anyhow, and he did not think any
more would come if they had a free
ferry.
Ex-senator William Johnston testified
that so far as his experience went Soto
had conducted the ferry satisfactorily.
In his opinion a free ferry would not be
an advantage to Sacramento County,
as it would increase the taxes and give
nothing in return. He did not think
any more Yoloites would come to Sac
ramento to trade. If a free ferry were
granted the inhabitants of Grand
Island and other places would also
want free ferries. He thought it a
poor principle to tax one county to BEN
eft the people of another He did not
believe in a county building free bridges
for another county. The bridge over
the Mokelumne accommodates mainly
the people of San Joaquin County,
which should build bridges to accom-
modate its own people.
w. NJ. Sims appeared for the opposi-
ton. He said he thought that COM
parison of the two petitions would show
that many names were on Soto's petit
ton that were later put on the opposi-
ton petition. He had a petition signed
by Yolo County citizens, and the board
had heard much Of this matter on for
mer occasions. The opposition only
asked for fairness and justice
He then read the petition that Soto's
petition be denied, and free ferry es-
tablished; that the Lisbon district is
being rapidly cut up into small places
and the population is rapidly increas-
ing; that most Of the inhabitants trade
in Sacramento and have frequent occa-
sion to come here. and the ferriage Is
a great burden on them. The sigma
lures, he said, are almost all of them
farmers, and the petition is signed by
40 people; including almost all of the
small farmers. He also presented Pc