The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-09-19
THF SOUTHERN Pacific RAIL.
ROAD
spFrcTs or cot. tom. SCOTT AT SAN
FRANCISCO
LAp1rs ANpGENrLEMEN

LADIES AND q ENTLEMI-N;
As stated by Your chairman. we appear
before Won tonight as the officers, and my
selfparticularly. as the executive oHicer oi
the Texas Pacific Railroad Company. we
are here on our way 20 the sS0n theFn portion
OF your State. there 70 locate the terminus
of THAT railroad, chartered, Us you all know.
under the act of Congress, 70 be constructed
from the eastern boundary OF the state o.
Texas TO the Pacific ocean AT the harhor 81
San Diego. We are therefore here on u ou1
siness trip TO inaugurate road Which. 1
believe is going TO traverse country OF
great interest to all your people; roau
that will make "A development On the south
line OF this country and on the border OF
Mexico, that your people Will hail WIN
great deal of eXultatiOn. lApplause.l
will state that the road commences ON the
eastern boundary of Texas at Two points.
The first at TeXarcauna, on the eastern
borders of the State. forming a connection
with the East via. Little Rock. and also by
the way of Memphis and 81. Louis. ami also
to Cincinnati, and all the points accessible
already from the Pacific TO the Atlantic
coast From Marshall the line is already
in operation to Shreveport on the Red river;
and from that point it will form connec-
ton with Vicksburg, Montgomery Atlanta,
Richmond, the Capital OF the nation, B1lti-
mole, Philadelphia, New FORK and New
England generally From Shreveport,
again. it will form a connection, which will
be one of great importance with New Or
leans, where. rs you all know, there Is
already a city of immense commercial Inn
Dortance and from which there is access by
ocean TO all points in Europe. Leaving
these points the road traVerses the great
State of Texas distance of 200 miles, hitler
| the last three months, then travelled about
| three hundred miles over that state IN q
| wagon, and have been amazed at the eN-
tent OF its producing qualities-its power to
| pruduce everything required to make
| State great and rich. Therefore, l say In
my Judgment, it is capital place for the
| construction of a railroad.
! Coming through Texas we next come to
| New Mexico. aud cross that rich Territory,
with all its mineral resources, and then fol-
| lowing from that IN your direction We come
| TO the Territory of Arizona, with the reDu-
| tation of which, at least, every body here.
| suppose, is familiar, with its immense ca
/ pacities for development. Then via Fort
| Yuma, if you please, upon the 32t parallel,
! we come to your State. traversing il by the
! best line for railroad we can find till we
reach San Diego. being thus landed on the
| corner of your great State. Applause
The question has been asked of me since
| | have been in your State, whether this en-
| terpriSe is placed upon a basis to insure sue
| cesa and in response to that inquiry, / take
great pleasure in saying that its basis l.
sound and good; that its capital Is so well
| in hand, that in the next five years-you
building road, or providing road 70 the
| Colorado river. as TO this side of tive shall
| take great pleasure in carrying you through
! upon our road to the waters of the Atlantic.
| Applause The road. as now organized is
TO be, and hope it will ever be conducted
] as a continental line-an open highway.
Two months ago, after going over the
| whole scheme carefully, and looking ut the
country and the resources of the country,
we decided to put under contract, immedi-
ately, five hundred miles of this road, the
| letting of which will be completed by the
first of October, and IL will all be built be-
tore the first of January, lS74-eightccn
| months from now Great applause.]
We are now on the way to San Diego to
start the construction of the road from this
end, and we shall commence building il az
several points i'm the interior OF Texas on
the Colorado river, and ut san Diego. Com
mencing from these several points / aim
safe in saying that the whole road will be
completed within five years. Great APP
pIause This being SO, trust that the peo-
pie of San Francisco and the whole people
of California will see il to be their interest
to make such arrangements rs viii insure
permanent thorough and complete connec-
lions with this road.