The San Francisco call., 1904-07-18
WILL ABANDON
PART OF ROUTE
New Street Railroad Com
pany Arranges a Transfer
Deal With Transit Lines
ADOPTS DEFINITE PLAN
City Council to Be Asked
to Allow the Surrender
of COrkscrew Franchise
Oakland ONCE San Francisco Call.

10l6 Broadway, July H.
Plans comprehending the immediate
construction and operation on new
basis of the projected Webster street
and Park Railway Company's road in
this city have matured rapidly since
the filing of articles of Incorporation
last week in San Francisco. The new
company has entered into negotiations
with the Oakland Transit Consolidated,
whereby a transfer arrangement will
be effected. On this plan the new cor
poration will be able to abandon the
'corkscrew franchise it holds over
Broadway and Washington street south
Of Fourteenth street to the water
front.
This deal also includes the abandon
ment of the Pleasant Valley franchise
which the company holds. 1t means, in
short, that the new line Will operate
from Fourteenth and Webster streets,
out Webster street to the "fill south
of TWenty-fourth street and thence
across Adams Point, opening up the
broad acres generally known as the
Adams property bordering along the
northern shores of Lake Merritt.
By the arrangement for transfer
privileges with the Oakland Transit
Consolidated both the new road and
the old system make a gain. The re-
linquiShing of the "corkScrew' fran
chise leaves the Transit tracks unob-
structed by the cars of the Webster
street corporation. The franchise as
originally planned takes advantage of
the five-block law, by which one street
railway company may use the tracks
of another system for not more than
five consecutive blocks.
The "corkscrew' franchise route was
so carefully mapped that it gave the
new company a chance to work up the
two main thoroughfares over the Tran
sit tracks from First street and Broad
way to Fourteenth street and Broad
way.
This route is as follows: Beginning
at the foot Of Broadway, near First
street. and running up Broadway from
First to Fifth street, along Fifth to
Washington, up Washington to Tenth
along Tenth to Broadway, up Broad
way to Fourteenth. The road continues
along Fourteenth street to Webster TO
the boulevard, across Adams Point to
Pleasant Valley and thence to the GEM
eteries.
The franchises are nominally held by
J. H. Mcdonald, one of the directors in
the new company. 1t is conceded
that the Adams people have a large
interest in the project 1t is understood
that the holder of the downtown fran
chise will go before the City Council to-
morrow night with a petition for leave
TO abandon the "corkscrew' route At
that time the representatives of the
company win make an explanation Of
its purposes. Several Councilmen have
been interviewed concerning the aban-
donment of this franchise If the
company, as is understood, shall also
cut the Pleasant Valley franchise. for
which $4,000 was paid to the county in
4 contest before the Board of Super
Visors, it will be obliged to go before
that body as the route is mainly out
side of the municipal limits. If this
franchise be dispensed with the ter
mini Of the new road will be at Four
teenth and Broadway and at a point
near the head Of the northeastern arm
of Lake Merritt