Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-01-28
"The Railroad Question.

so erroneous in its conclusions, and so
pettifogging in its tone and character
that one might be excused for suppos-
ing it a leader transplanted from the
columns of the Sacramento Record.
The article contains an unwarranted
and untruthful attack on Congress
man LUTTRELL, Misrepresentation
of the object and purpose of the
Chamber OF Commerce and an effort
at special pleading on behalf of the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company.
OF the attack OH Mr.. LuTTRELL moth
ing need be said more than he is not
as charged "the deadly foe of the Rail-
road Company He is the friend of
the people and the untiring and un-
compromising advocate and defender
of their rights. When to be this is to
be the enemy of railroad company,
Mr.. LTTTRELL may be proud that be
is such an enemy. The statement
that the "Chamber of Commerce rush
ffhalf cocked,n may be disposed of in
few words. The Chamber of Com
merce have offended to this extent
and no more. They have asked that
the Southern Pacific Railroad Com
pany shall fulfill their contract made
with the people of this city and county,
and they have protested against vio-
lation of that contract. Ifthis is .'to
rush off half cooked the people of
this city have reason 10 congratulate
themselves on having Chamber of
Commerce hat rushes off half cooked.
Now let us look at the evidence on
which the Chamber of Commerce
based their conclusion that the South
ern Pacific Railroad Company intend
ed to violate their contract by chang
ing the route of the road. The "man-
ly, straightforward letter from CHAs.
| CRoCKER'' does not amount to much
| when read in connection with the bill
which his company is nov asking
Congress to pass. Here is the bill.
BE il enacted by the Senate and House of
| Representatives OF the United States of Amer
| lea in Congress assembled, That the southern
| Pacific Railroad Company, q corporation or
| ganiged under the laws of the Stale of Cali
| iorni;t, is hereby empowered, subject and puf-
| suant to the laws OF the state OF California, 10
| change the Inc of its road between Gllroy
| and Tehachape Pass, so rs to run by way of
| pajaro, Salinas Valley and the Palonio Pass
| thence To a point between Poso creek and
| Kern river, there connecting with the line as
| heretofore established.
SEC. 2. That the Southern Pacific Railroad
Company Is hereby empowered, subject and
| pursuant 10 the laws Of the State of CalifoI"
MIA, 10 eonncets.he main line of its road with
| a bianch thereof running from Tehaehape
| Pass, via Los Angeles, by constructing rail-
| road and Telegraph line, commencing at
| point on said branch road near the town of
| San Bernardino; running thence, via Cajon
| Pass, to point on said main line OF its road
| at or near the boundary line between the
| counties of Kern and san Bernardlno.
I SEC. 3. That the right of way through the
public lands be, and the same is, hereby
| granted to said company for The construction
| of the railroad and telegraph line mentioned
| in the preceding section of this act; and The
right, power and au hority are hereby given
TO said company to take, from the public
| lands adjacent TO the line of said road, water,
earth, stone. timber. and other materiais ioI
the construction, maintenance and use here
Of; said right of way is granted To said rail
road To the extent of two hundred feet in
width on each side thereof, where il may pass
over the public lands, including ali necessary
grounds for stations, buildings, workshops
depots, machine-shops, switches, side-t cks
| Turntables and water stations.
SEC. 4. That said railroad company shall
be required to construct only twenty miles OF
ra lroal per annum upon the Los Angeles
branch of its road; and shall be allowed un-
tilthe first day OF November, eightcer nun lln-
entire road, including the main and branch
lines thereof.
SEC. 5 That nothing in this act contained
shall be construed to increase or diminish the
quantity of public land heretofore granted to
said company for the purpose of constructing
Its roads, nor In any respect TO change the Sc
| lection or location thereof; but the same shall
be and remain, both as to qantity, selection
! and location. the same as II this act had not
been passec, and the same as originally
Withdrawn, and shall be patented to said
company or its assigns on building its rail-
i road on the route mentioned in the first sec
ton of this act, in the same manner and to
| the same eXtentas if 1t had built on the orig
inal route, as shown on the map filed by said
com pany IN the office of the Com missioner ot
the General Land Office on the third day OF
January, eighteen hundred and sixty seven
| Now if our reading of this bill is cor
rect, and we think it is, it contains
four distinct propositions. First, a
change of the route of the Southern
Pacific Road. Second, an extension
of the time in which to build the road.
Third, retention of the land and
other privileges which would inure to
the company if they completed the
road within the time specified by the
now existing law. Fourth, monop-
oily of the Tehachape route to this city.
The second section clearly and ex-
| plicitly asks that the company be per-
| mitted to connect the main line of
their road with @ branch thereof run
ming from Tehachdpe Pass via Los
angeles. The idea of connecting the
main line of road with branch is
original, but this is an original bill.
IL is usual with railroad companies to
connect branch roads with the main
road but it was left to the Southern
Pacific Company to hit on the novel
plan of connecting their main road
with branches. The third section OF
the bill carefully secures the company
all the rights and privileges it has
heretofore enjoyed. The right of way
| -four hundred feet wide-is securely
hedged about The fourth section is
the one to which we call the particu-
lar attention Of those of our citizens
who have cherished the hope that the
road would be completed between this
city and San Francisco within the
next two years. The company is re-
quired to build but twenty miles pei
annum on the Los Angeles branch