The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-02-26
JUmBLED MESS
IS I. R. & P.'S
FRANCHISE LIST


II the city Of TAcoma waits
until the +. n q p. 90. fran-
chises expire, - Mayor Faw-
| cott suggests. bcfore taking
over tho street car lines for .
municipal system, IL will be
20 years before any Of the Inn
pOrtant main lines can be
seized.
For altho one small section of
franchise expires this summer,
approved on July 10, 1893, Is the
portant ones become extinct In
1918. almost all of the street car
permits in Tacoma are still good
until 1889 and 40.
II Franchise records at the city
hall are In a terrible muddle, but
It has been possible in the last
week for The Times to determine
thru Investigation Of the munich
pal archives that the T. r. & p.
Co. has ironLbound rights to op-
crate here for the next score OF
years.
One or two of its franchises are
perpetual, the councilmen of early
days, in all their wisdom, neglect
ing to put in a time limit!
No Record of Assignment.
Ordinance No. $50, passed and
35th street, but this strip Of track
one which expires this summer.
1t was a 25-year permit. Here Is
what 1t granted:
North Union ave. between North
26th and North 30th street.
North 35th street, between Ma
son and Cheyenne streets.
South 38th between Park ave.
and Yakima ave.
South n street between 3Sth
and 56th streets.
South seth between Yakima
ave. and Asotin street.
South Cedar street from 54th
to lakewood cemetery.
This franchise was granted to
the PIT. Defiance, Tacoma and Edi-
son Railway Co., and was later as
signed to the T. r. & p. Co., al
tho no record of the assignment
can be found at the city hall.
Only three sections OF track are
affected. The North Union ave.
line existed in the early days but
was abandoned long ago, as was
the spur track to the Oakw
cemetery and the North 35th st.
section. The "Hosmer cutoff"
on South 56th from Yakima to NJ
street, Is used only for hauling
freight between the Spanaway and
So. Tacoma lines.
Track Moved.
The PIT. Defiance car line form
erly operated on a section OF No.
35th street, but this strip Of track
was abandoned years ago and the
line was moved to saith street, un-
der new franchise.
II II the city should take over
this franchise when it expires next
June, 1t would have three pieces
Of track, hemmed in by T. r. 4 P.
Co. lines. 1t would have one
block at 38th and Yakima, IS
blocks on M street, and the Hos
mer CUTOFF.
This unusual franchise was
passed to fiji up gaps in franchises
existing in 1893. At that time
the South Tacoma line followed
its present course to 3Sth and M
where II proceeded west to Aso-
tin street. and then south to seth.
A perpetual city franchise had al
lowed cars to operate as far as
the city limits, which were then
on 34th street. The rest of the
line existed under county fran
chises.
When the Asotin street line was
abandoned In 1893, . city fran
chise was granted on M street
because the city limits had in the
meanwhile been extended. Part
Of the hne had been operated over
privately owned right-of-way, and
no franchise was ever necessary
for It.
Two I'm 1928.
The two franchises which expire
in 1928 are also 25-year ordi-
nances. They provide for the Pa
cific Traction line within the city
limits and for the Mckinley Hill
line and for the North and South X
street extensions.
The first city franchise for
street cars on record at the city
hall was issued to Nelson Bennett
in 1887 and granted him the right
to lay tracks In the downtown sec
ton Of the city and in part Of Old
Tacoma. 1t was for so years, ex-
piring in 1897.
Allen c. Mason got a perpetual
franchise for the Old Tacoma line
in 1887.
Randolph F. Radebaugh was
given perpetual franchise In
1883 for the Delin street line from
Pacific ave. to 34th street.
The cable line franchise was
granted to George F. Orchard in
1888 and expires in 1888.
A perpetual franchise ON Com
merce street was given to Rade-
baugh In 1889. The Center street
line also operates on a perpetual
! franchise, issued to Horacio e..