Burn the Car Out of "Carville" - San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco, California · Sunday, July 06, 1913

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Burn the Car Out of "Carville"

Residents of Oceanside Celebrate

Upper picture shows an interior of one of the old Falcon Club's street-car homes. Lower picture shows exterior, with group of club members in foreground.

    

RECALLS MEMORY OF FORMER DAYS

"Car That Ran Into a House" Is Landmark No Longer at Ocean Beach.

FOLLOWING the disappearance of the horse car from Market street, the street cars that for many years have been been landmarks af the beach have taken their departure.

They went up in a blaze of glory on Friday night, while hundreds of people watched the ceremony.

Alexander Russell, the president of the Oceanside Improvement Club, is the man who took the car out of "Carville." He secured the permission of Mrs. Merritt to burn the cars as a part of the Fourth of July celebration of the district. He also secured a $10 appropriation for fireworks from city authorities, and set off the works together with the cars, while the chemical engine stood by to render any assistance that might he needed.

"Make clean today by sweeping and burning up the debris of yesterday" was the motto of the residents of Oceanside, and the spectacular burning of many dilapidated street cars formed a unique feature of their celebration of the national holiday.

But few of the many who witnessed the conflagration formed by the burning of the old cars thought or knew of the history with which two of those cars had been so closely connected.

Sitting in their cozy home at Oceanside, just before the torch was applied to the cars, Mrs. Ida Fitzgerald, wife of the well-known pioneer of the beach, Robert H. Fitzgerald, rapidly sketched the remarkable changes that have come to that part of the city during the past twenty years.

She told of the wildness of the sand dunes lying between the Cliff House and the South Light Point station, and running from Parnassus heights to the sea, describing it as a scene equaled in powers of attraction for the nature lover to any to be found among the kopjes of the African interior. A step from the old steam cars at a point where Forty seventh Avenue joins with Lincoln way one was lost among the wind-piled pyramids of sand, the feet of which were many brackish pools connected by serpentine rivulets shadowed by clusters of willow and Acacia tangles.

There were bicycle enthusiasts in those days, the bike serving as the auto now does as the means for pleasurable transportation, women being much interested in bicycle riding. They had their bicycle clubs, and weekly runs. They must have a clubhouse, and so it was.

The chief shrine of these many devotees of the bicycle was an old street car from the discarded stock of the old North Beach and Mission road. This car had been placed as an "improvement," one of those legal fictions beloved for the services they perform in holding occupancy of the premises when clients go to war and lawyers wrangle over disputed titles. After serving its purpose this car was obtained and the right secured from former Mayor Sutro, in 1895, for the "Falcon Bicycle Club," formed by the women enthusiasts, to establish a home at Oceanside. This club was officered as follows; Mrs. Ida Fitzgerald, president, Mrs. William Leonard, secretary, Mrs. Viola Rice, treasurer, Mrs. Dr. Edson, vice president with Mrs. William Miller and Mrs. F. Lisinski of the Mission, Mrs. Gilman, mother of Mabel Gilman, now Mrs. Corey, wife of the Steel King manufacturer, and Mesdames Cox, Le Long, Rice, Orpin and Sutton as active and enthusiastic members.

The club sprang at once into such prominence that it became necessary to restrict its membership; a second car was secured and added to the first, so that the accommodations could meet the demands of the increased membership. These cars were modeled and furnished in a manner so unique and attractive that it may well he doubted if any other feature of this City's life at that time gave rise to wider comment and publicity.

They were wrought into queer-shaped rooms, nooks and alcoves connected by a curiously constructed veinous system of entrances and exits, fitted with lockers and every convenience imaginable. The dining-room was so arranged as to comfortably seat at one time twenty-eight persons, the table so built as to be swung to the ceiling when not in use, the whole of the car being surrounded by a sheltered porch, upon which has been held many a notable gathering of famous people.

Each "week-end" found gathered here a merry convocation of the fairest of San Francisco's brilliant women, to which was added a large number of the leading professional men, artists, writers and travelers, many of whom were and many of whom have since become famous the world over in their various lines of activities.

Miss Moore and Miss Murphy, [Read about Agnes Murphy! - MF] leading literary lights of London, were guests entertained, and judging from their delighted expressions and the articles which have appeared from their pens regarding their reception and their impressions of the place they were indeed gratified. The Strand, the Traveler and Le Petit Journal contained extended and highly commendatory articles for more than six years. As a place of recreational and hospitable entertainment, it stood without a rival, apart from all others the world over.

Among the many distinguished guests who found entertainment in "the car that ran into a house," as one of the clever guests once said, was Collis P. Huntington, who referred to it thus: "This is the most pleasant little place of rest I have ever found." W. W. Stow was a frequent visitor and did much to forward the interests of the bicyclists by constructing paths through the park and extending them down the boulevard.

John Mackay was more than once driven out to this retreat by Bill Gerhart, who was made famous by Bret Harte, who writes of him as being being the "king of the stage drivers of the Sierra."

[There are some great "Curly Bill" Gerhardt stories. - MF]

Herman Oelrichs, John Hammersmith, J. Downey Harvey and Dodds of the Union Iron Works of this city all frequent visitors.

The black horse of former Mayor Sutro could have been seen amid the dunes as the groom awaited the Mayor's pleasure while visiting the club on almost any Sunday for many years.

Martinez and Brubecker, celebrated artists, found here the scenic environs that contributed much to their impressions of this coast. Colonel George Goff, of the United States Treasury Department. and relative of Harry Morse of this city was a frequent visitor.

Arthur McEwen and Ambrose Bierce were welcome visitors, together with the entire membership of the Press Club of this city.

That well known devotee of bicycle riding, Mr. Joseph Leggett, and Frank Kerrigan, now Judge on the Appelate bench were frequently to be seen among the visitors.

Among those who were attracted to this point were Dr. J. Wilson Shields and Dr. Putnam, who with their friends formed the "Barefoot Club," locating their car at the junction of what is now Forty-sixth avenue and L street. [Now 46th and  Lawton street - MF] This organization gathered about it many of the prominent professional men of the city, all of whom loved to indulge in the pastime for which the club was named. "Hot sand" said they.. "applied to bare feet, is good medicine."

"It should be remembered" said Robert H. Fitzgerald, "that at that early day it would have been impossible to have remained upon the beach amid the hills for any length of time, owing to the shifting sands, had it not been for the work of Frank Pixley, who secured the importation of the Belgian grass which holds the shifting sand securely."

This and more, much more, was recalled by the burning of some old street cars, that the world might move on. It is civilization's way.

06 Jul 1913, Sun San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California) Newspapers.com