New-York tribune., 1869-03-05
THE PACIFIC COAST.
CALIFORNIA.


| FoRNIA-THE STEAM NAVIGATION boats
| COMPETITION BETWEEN RAIL AND RIVER.
| IFRoM An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT ...
| SAN FRANCISCO Jan. S.-You Oh the Atlantic coast,
with population of 100000 look to the Pacific
Railroad for great increase in your commerce and
industry; and what should it not then be TO us, who
are only 5000oOf An addition of 10 per cent to tho
trade of your city would be equivalent to addition
of nearly 100 per cent to ours New-York is such an
immense place that the influence of the traffic the
Pacific Railroad will for a long time be scarcely per-
ceptble there, but here it will Immediately double or
treble our busness-that s if the railroad makes its
[ terminus here Your readers who are in the habit
of looking over the California papers, viii however.
have observed that there is great difference OF
! opinion as to where the Pacific Railroad Will, or
| should have ITS terminus This question appears to
me very curious and worthy of the examination of
all intelligent men In the United States and it is for
the purpose OF laying the man points, take it for
granted that understand them all-before tho pub
| lie that write this letter
The presumption among those who have not been
in California will be, and the general impression in
this city is that if the do not actually run into
will be the terminus for all practical purposes. 1t
seems antecedenty probable that city which for 20
years has mOnopOzed all the foreign commerce, all
| the manufactures. and all the banking capital Of
coast line 1900 miles long would not permit a great
railroad TO stop at any rival point Why should not
| the same influences which have taken all the trade
of tho TO San Francisco in the past continue to
take it's trade there in the future You have fear
that Jersey City or WeeEawken will take the trade
from Manhattan Island, and it may appear equally
absurd for the San Francscans to fear that Vallejo
| or Oakland will take their trade.
Nevertheless such fears are entertained The Sdcrd-
nlentO Union and The Stockton IHdependent the two
nblest papers in the interior of the State do not hest
tate to say that Vallejo will be the chief center Of the
| foreign commerce OF the State and The Union has
been discussing the matter with much ability. Val
ejo is town of 1000 inhabitants, situated six miles
west of Bcnicia and directly opposite the Mare Island
Nayy-iard, on harbor quarter Of mile wide, six
/ mi flai iNf No
from the sea, with a channel wider, deeper safer
and more plainly marked, than the channel from
Sandy Hook to Manhattan Island. The site of
Vallejo IL almost level having just enough slope for
drainage the foundation is rock and hard clay the
upland comes down near To deep water: the vicinity
Is very fertile earthquakes not severe and the
place on account of its fine harbOT and proximity to
the Strait of CarquineZ is the natural railroad center
of the State. IL already has railroad running to
Sacramento, northeastward 90 miles and another
northward 10 Calistoga, 40 miles and next Summer
branch, 40 miles long, from the Sacramento road
will extend 10 Marysyille. Sacramento, which is on
the route OF the Pacific Railroad and through which
twO-thrds of the trade of this port passes is only 90
miles by rail from Vallejo while it is 10 from San
Francisco and 100 from Oakland: and the Vallejo
road has lighter grades and fcwer and easier curves
san Francisco has snch an immense preponderance
immense 10 permit the transfer OF foreign Commerce.
10 another point. But the natural disadvantages of
its site are immense. lts water front is succession
of hiph rocky points and WIDE mud-iiats its upland
consists of steep hills deep gules, drifting sands,
and extensive salt marshes. Ii has been necessary
to make a site by art. More than 9O acres once
occupied by the bay Of San Francisco are now hled
i'm with earth and covered with houses. The sum
spent grading Is yaTiOusly estimated from SDVO,-
90 To $1,000 OOOO; | think the latter figure quite
small enough. This expenditure has secured room
only for the present population II the clty IS to
continue growing at its present rate other grading
will be necessary. at cost of $lCOOOO year. TO mt
the lots for occupation, i'll addition to the cost OF
making streets. And after all the expense, the made
ground" which Is large portion ol that near the
water front offers no solid foundation, and the whole
city j. infested by earthquakes The fear of the-o'
aud the dampncss of the brick houses lead inc Peo
ple TO prefer wooden dwellings, and thus large part
of the city is exposed O the danger Oh being swept
away by great conilagration. Hlshanco - hlsn. .
The peninsula is narrow and has no large Drooks ss
Tbs Rrsemt supply Pp - ~, * G,1"S ,S TufS ~
cents per 90 gallons IN quantity from 80 TO %
cents per month for each person in housc-frOm
i've 10 ten time dCaTer than in any Atlantic city.
Tie peninsula runs southwark away from the busi-
ness of the State and the Golden Gate and tho bay
are too wide and deep to permit the construction OF
railroad bridges TO the north or east
II may seem singular that with so many dsadYan'
tages the trade should ever have been fixed here but
circumstances were different at the time when olh o2
Francisco became tho metropolis In loio' Wheh t1o
Americans conquered California, this was the only
seaport where they had majority of the population
Most the American settlers were in Sonora, Napa,
and Santa Clara valleys, and very few east of the
of Ca!auineZ. This was the most convenient point
Strait Tor men-ofwar 10 anchor and under their pro-
tecuon and with their custom tho town grow un-
til the gold mines were discovered. linen
river steamers were introduced, and they
San Francisco. Only one railroad runs ont OF tho
city that is hut 30 miles long IL has IN four years
not paid dividend, though its stock IS not offered
for sale and its management Is honest: and one OF
the high officers told me that the company would
have been IN a better pecnnaTy condition lf ihey
had never carried pound OF freight but had ue-
voted themselves exclusively 10 the passenger bnSl-
ness. An extension of 30 miles Is now being built
and when that is in running order the road may pay
better As the freight had 10 be distributed IRON
Sacramento, stockton, Marysyille, Pctaluma, Napa,
Susun, and a multitude Of other small points, oy
horseteams, steamboats, and schOoners were the best
means of conveyance from san francisco to the
wagon. But now the railroad era has commenced,
and Calistoga Vallejo Sacramento Marysylllo. Oro-
Vile, Cisco and Shngle Springs are united by rail-
and before tho end of the year stockton, Paradise
Oakland. san jose Groy and San Francisco Will DO
added 10 the list. Already. therefore the time has
come when il is important that the ship should meet
the car and the expense OF Terry III Is GER
tain that tho meeting cannot take place at San
Francisco: it must be at Vallejo or Oakland
II is SAID that Jersey City does not take the trade
of New-YOrk. so Oakland could not take that OF san
Francisco. II, however, We examine closely, We hnd
that Oakland and Jersey City are not analogous.
The railroads from the latter place carry 100000
tuns inland annually while the boats running to all
points on the coast and river, exclusive OF Jersey
City. carry four times IA much, and the railroads
east of the Hudson carry about 10000 tuns. thus
only one-flfh Of tho trade of your metropolis goes
through Jersey City, while nne.tenths of the trade
OF ours would go through Oakland Il that were the
terminus Of the Pacific Railroad. The character of
your coast and the distribution OF your population
require much larger relative coasting trade tnah
we have in California, About l6OOOOOO people hye
east of the Aleghanies and get their reghts chiefly
by water, through the numerous bays and navlgaDlo
rivers that abound on slope 200 miles VIDE; Inc Inc,
western slope Of coast mountains Is only ~ miles
wide we have in California no navigabe rivers save
those which empty into San Francisco bay, ana not
onetenth of the people OF the state traue WIN San
Francisco by vessels sailing out from the Golden
Gate AS coasting occupies very small place IN our
business, 80 railroads will occupy very large one
Moreover Jersey City has only q small tract OF up,
land suitable for dwellings with wide spread of
mud fiat and marsh 10 the north south, and west so
tLat N NAV la regarded as an island. Room for