The San Francisco call., 1908-03-10
SHOOK CONFIRMS
TRACkAG[ PACT
Attorney Admits to Oakland
Council Agreement OF
Two Railroads

OAKLAND, March 9.-The Calls re-
cent exclusive announcement that the
Hartman and Gould interests had
come together on trackage agree
ment in this city was confirmed off,
cially tonight before the city council
by Charles E. Shook, attorney for the
Western Pacific railway. Attorney
Shook, before the committee of the
whole, announced that at the councils
next meeting application would be
made by the Gould people for fran
chise along the Southern Pacific main
line right of way from Sixteenth ave-
nue. west across the north arm of the
estuary, and through First street to
the Western Pacific's terminal lands in
Oakland harbor at the foot of Union
street. This application will be for
the main line of the Western Pacific
westward from Sixteenth avenue, where
it will cross the Southern Pacific tracks,
and then follow westerly along the
south side of the Hartman right Of
way.
This announcement means that the
two large railway interests have, as
The Call reported weeks ago, come to
terms, and that they will be joint occu-
pants of that part of the Southern Pa
cific main line which now operates
along the south shore of Oakland's
water front. Snook's statement is the
most important admission which any
representative of either system has
made in public since the Gould road
was launched in this city. 1t sets at
rest all question as to the future of
the trackage arrangements of the in
coming roads, and makes certain the
| fact that First street will be the main
artery of two great transcontinental
| systems in SO far as that section of
Oakland is concerned.
! The admission by Shook also carries
with it the abandonment of the Gould
road original plan of establishing a
main line south of First street, through
| the extensive private lands and enter
prises along the harbor shores, for
which an application for franchise
has been pending before the city
council.
| This line, known as the Blue line,
was made the basis for the fling of a
large number of condemnation suits in
the superior court against scores of
owners of water front property.
| These suits have been dormant for
months while negotiations were pend
| ing between Hartman and Gould over
the trackage situation.
Now that the two magnates have
come together the blue line" south
1
as it will be supplanted by the new
| franchise which will take in the South
| ern Pacific right of way. Attorney
Shook said that he expected to have
his application ready tonight, but that
it would surely be presented at the
next council session.
! His statement as to the Western Pa
] cific plans came as a result of a dis
cussion over the opening of Sixteenth
avenue across the Southern Pacific
main line.
Shook objected to the opening of
/ Sixteenth avenue and gave his rea-
sons, making his statement as to the
new franchise application. The OPEN
! ing of Seventeenth avenue instead OF
Sixteenth was recommended, as Shook
explained that the Western Pacific de-
sired to cross at Sixteenth avenue
from Fruitvale to get to the south
side of the Southern Pacific right OF
way. Recently the Western Pacific
acquired considerable property in that
vicinity. 1t had been intended to
cross at Nineteenth avenue, but re-
cent surveys led the engineers to
change the course, and Sixteenth av-
enue was substituted
No definite decision as to Third
street has been announced Here the
| Western Pacific holds franchise
westerly from the north arm of the
estuary to a point opposite it's inside
harbor terminal. The generally ac-
/ cepted idea at this time is that Third
i street will be utilized in conjunction
| with First street, spur connection
being made at First ard Fallon
streets with the Third street line. The
| Western Pacific is credited with own
| ing considerable tract between
First and Third streets at Fallon.