Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-04-02
Commercial Position Of Los An
geleS County.

Commercial distances are not COM
puted by the length in miles between
two points, but by the cost in labor,
wear and tear and time consumed in
passing over distances. This branch
of the problem is reduced to an accu-
rate science by railroad companies.
1t has been found that itcosts as much
to rise or fall grade oftwenty feet as
it does to run mile further on level
road. Hence it is as cheap to run five
miles further around hill as it is to
run up grade of fifty feet to go over it.
So each curve is the same as adding
an additional distance to the road.
For this reason it is commercially
nearer for Scott to run two hundred
miles farther through San Gorgonio
Pass, than to run direct over the
mountains to San Diego. With this
rule as our guide, we will show that
Los Angeles is the natural CONNER
cial shipping point on the Pacific
Coast for ''our back country" as shown
on our map. The only competing
point is San Francisco. As shown by
the official survey Of the Central Pa
cifc Railroad, the road from San
Francisco to Salt Lake is $50 miles.
The sum of the successive elevations
is H., 1873 feet; the sum of the depres-
sions is 5,462 feet; total 17,1OO feet.
Divide this by twenty, and we have
855 miles to be added to the running
length Hence from San Francisco to
Salt Lake the commercial distance is
equal to 1900 miles of level road. This
distance does not include the addi-
tional length for curves, of which we
have no statistics. A competent engi-
neer acquainted with the road assured
US that the many short curves would
add at least 400 miles more, making
the distance 2,209 miles. The cause
Of this is that the Central Pacific Rail-
road cuts right across several noun
tain ranges. A glance at our map
shows this fact, and that part of
it is made from map of the
Central Pacific Railroad Company. On
our map the size allows only
the bold ranges to be shown.
Now pass the eye over the route from
Los Angeles to Salt Lake. 1t will be
seen that the heavy mountain ranges
run nearly north and south and termi-
nate before reaching very far south.
The route from Los Angeles follows a
natural grade all the way to Salt Lake
having no heavy grades or sharp
curves. The length of road from
here to Salt Lake will be almost 900
miles. The elevation of Salt Lake is
about 1000 feet, equal to 200 miles.
An actual survey would show inter-
mediate elevations and depressions of
probably 1900 feet, equal to 100 miles.
Curves would probably be equal to
100 miles. Total commercial distance
from Los Angeles to Salt Lake 1900
miles, against 2,2O9 miles, the dis
lance from San Francisco to Salt Lake.
The difference In favor of Los Angeles
is 900 miles. Another item in the
case is that the road to Los Angeles
will run below the snow-belt, which
OF itself is of vast Importance. At this
time q road is already under way from
Salt Lake toward us, and has Phoebe
for its objective point. Extend from
Los Angeles road to meet this one
and it will open up the extensive min
ing regions of Southern Nevada, Utah
and Northwestern Arizona. Look at
our map with the proposed road from
San Gorgonio Pass to Salt Lake, or
defect the road from Phoebe to Cerro
Gordo II found practicable. All the
ores of these thousands of mines will
reach Underwater. here and save the
present cost of transportation of ores