New-York tribune., 1869-03-05

not beoanse they desire 10 occnpy the island but TO
make certain that other company VIII Ret u me
fenera opinion among Ell 70 s"rO rccE With no
fresh water, natural anchorage. and no Oppottu-
ties for making secure harbOr by art, except at .
cost more than double that necessary at Oahlahd.
Beside all the military authorities are agreed tnat
the entire island should continue to be reserved ior
military purposes
The 0aklanders are not preparing to make their
harbor, and the Vallejo people say it will never DC
made, because there is better harbOr without cost
at their place. and better place for city III every
respect.
About year ago the great rush for the purchase
OF town lots on the outskirts Of San Francisco ceased
although land three or four miles out from the
settled part of the city is still high, for of it
readily be sold at $1,000 per or more. An ex
ctement at Oakland followed, and within two years
prices have risen from four to tenf0d there, and
number of handsome fortunes have been made-if
the thing sticks But these valuations are based
greatly on the suppOsitOn that Oakland is to be the
real business terminus of the Continental Railroad ;
and as that suppOsitiOn has received check from
Vallejo, which has got ahead of its rival in the com
petlon OF its road TO Sacramento the eSctment has
now been transferred 10 the incipient city OF the
straits: About month ago Sacramento company
bought $50 acres at Vallejo and they are now selling
il out brisky in hOmcsteads at the rate of $500 per
This tract IA q mile and quarter from the
steamer landing. Other sales have been made at al
most as much profit A grain elevator. the only one
in California is being built there Preparations arc
in progress for erecting 300 houses the coming Sum
mcr--a good number for small town. That 1t Is 10
become an important place is universally admitted
ing cities of the futuren 1ho Times says 1t will be
the second city of the State. The Sacramento Union
seems to think it will be the first As the outlet of
an extensive grain district il must become a large
exporter of wheat and flour II is the only point in
California, except San Francisco, from which large
cargOes Of grain have been shipped direct to foreign
ports .....
The completion of the railroad from Vallejo to Sac
ramentO has changed the course of travel between
the capital and the metropolis, most of the passcn-
gers now going 60 miles by rail- The Steam Naviga-
('omnnuV which a mOnOnnkX
songer trade between this city and the two chief
towns of the interior for Is years having bought OIL
or oil all opposition has at last found % com
petior that cannot DO driven out of the field. The
fare, which has been 81 to Sacramento is now re-
duccd TO 81 per l20 miles by the river. RumOr says
that the Steam Navigation is now paying $780, 900 q
year of subsidies 10 competitors who have been
bought OIL and has reserve fund OF Sl%?OOCO ready
for use in running down opposition. AS the railroad
has large way traffic, runs through rich district,
and can always beat the steamer in time, i must run
through perhaps ut prices so low as 70 leave lltte
profit to the stockholders; but the more active the
competitions and the lower the prices the greater the
boneht which Vallejo will derive from the increased
travel.
If the place could command capital enough TO COM
mence roads this year to Stockton and Healdsbnrgb,
with a certainty of finishing them next year, the rise
in the value of property would be more than the cost
Of the roads; and land is still so cheap about vallejo
that fine speculation might be made III that way
THE RAILWAYS AND THE OVERLAND MAIL.
To the EditOr Of The Tribune.
SIR: Permit a Californian, who, not long
since came across the continent to make few remarks
suggested by your article, yesterday morning, Arc We
really building Pacific Railroad r. All the statements
OF the correspondent from whom you quote cannot
verify from my knowledge. hut from observation
and information inclined 10 give credence them ALL
That portion Of the Central Pacific which runs from
Sacramento to the summit of the sierras IS well built,
and the magnitude OF the work far surpasses anything on
the Eastern road; but that portion on inc i.e ,e.
plains east OF the sierTas, which was c,h i'm lie
season, has evidently been thrown toSc'hor :" ~
biggest kind of hurry. ,,v 20 road the Cali
As for the % sos GRs aeigRt99s and
COLLISIONS The runnns is e 1n from Winpimucca 10 Ar
Oh the n recently the Eastern terminus OF thc oenta
Eain E1caiihc was perfect burlesque on ralroadng anu
rno avan ~ endless amusement TO the Roodtempered
Wbite Piuers, who constituted majority 0I tng pas p
gers trough their Jokes not unmKed WITH curses
kbe iocomntive was abnndanty supplied with wood II j,
true but IL fresh wood that e0ulu haruy W I
sgT9 Ae5 70 the paos o an and would dna
e 1sSe1 when the passengers would ause themselves
by kinding sage-bTnsh fires, until steam enough bad
another fu sOp and another gathering of sage-Drush
would occur and TN we reached Argenta hours
10 be made for the working OF road built swiftly as
the Eastern end OF the Central Pacific has BEEN yet Tor
all this 1t seems rather blind management that, with
lmess means and the eXhausess forests OF the seffas
TO draw upon cannot furnish its passenger locomotives
Curves in the slerras OF necessary and one
Ia surprised to see the roads winding up the NOUN
ains like snake but the plains there are some curves
which strike the unprofessiona at least with astonsh
rnent Standing tho platform at the Argenta station
The line be traced by the smoke or tile loco
motives, making almost complete circle down the per
eSy cent TcnmSen9bms" Which most naturally suggests
itself s that IL iscKremey proLtaDe 10 0ulid r9au ~
such places for while the labor involved Is only that of
laying down ties and ron the Company receives s6OO9
in United states bonds and Is permitted 10 lssue an equal
amount OF st mortgage for every mile accepted, while
tho more miles carries passengers 10 get from one point
another tho more ten cents II gets out OF theln
40 not consider the western end or the UnOa Paclno
,ucho n Dal 10
than tho new portion OF tho Central uls stIalShter
however and the accommodations and time certainly
better il will do harm TO let these rival corporations
show each Others shortcomings, as you suggest, but
winch ought 10 have some weight IN the settlement Of
tlelr dispute viz the difference IN their tarifs Inc
fnr messengers and proportoually for freight.
reasonable price Is true but the Central racine cNofs
len cents m coin passenger and pfhen cents ~ com
for freight and puts people OH its trains who tender
20 FAR as cheapennc the cost OF transportation s con-
cerned the Pacific Railroad has. as yet been OF no al-
vantage tho people OF the Pacific coast VINO nave 10
paw lust as much aud in some cases more than when
thGy relied ON horse or OK flesh There would be some
excuse for this IL the road had been ny pI
yate means but IL has been and Ia being built literally
and absolutely by tho money OF the people receiving
liberal aid from the cities. counties ana STATE Oh OaoI
MIA as well as the immense gratuy OF the General Gov
ernmeut III the men who the road ever put any
thing into IT, they have doubtless long since GOT oui
urobabv on the first contract which was let at round
su 10 one OF their number without any such useless Of
maIity as an open bid the books OF this corpora
ton stand no outsider knows, for even Committee OF
The San Francisco Board OF Supervisors were
refused permission 10 examine ,Ist ,ba
il the wegronnded belief the Pacinc coast thst tle
seven owners OF this magnircent franchise nave ass
fortunes out Of II, to say nothing OF ther
prospcetiye profits which oyershadow those OF any ra
rnad i'm the country, unless 10 be the Union racine
Whether these 90 intend to act fairly by the peo-
ue and Government after connection IS made ahd tler
road completed hut matter OF CONJECTURE wmSh tno
only fair Inference Is from their past c0urse but nave
seen aidavits IN which officer OF the County OF ~
Dorado swears that In the endeayOr TO gam ms
premature issue OF county bonds ono of the principal
managers developed their ultimate plan, when was 70
cell out the road upon its complexion 10 sats ihe ns
mortgage and buy 10 In again, thus getting rld OF al
Government claims. These ahdavits are now, oeIeVe
In the possession OF Geu WashbuTne. .
But minor grievances sink into insignhcance wnen me
PACifo rail-