in 1873 british-born andrew hallidie started the first cable car line in the line on clay street in san francisco. he manufactured wire cables and used it to haul ore cars out of mines and adapted the cable to streetcars. it worked. in 1905 there were 26 cable car companies in san francisco and nothing handled the city better than a cable car. but at in 1906 the cable car almost slipped into oliveon. some hours after the great earthquake struck and in the blaze of the fire killed and glow of arcs, only three remain intact. remnants were scattered about the breach. it didn't end there. the cable cars that did survive remain in form and spirit virtually unchanged today. the principles behind the operation of the cable car haven't changed for 125 years. they have changed from steam to electricity, but it's pulled at a speed of 9.5 miles per hour and they are pulled along. things haven't changed, but believe me, the cable car system is it not an he eccentric. with a tremendous push from the community, city politicians came finally to realize that the cable car was part of the city's history