Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-12-28
Railroad Meeting.

ted Chairman and Mr.. w. II. j.
Brooks Secretary.
Col. Warner briefly stated the oh.
ject of the meeting to be connection
via the Southern Utah and Union Pa
cific to the Atlantic.
Mr.. HI. ID. Barrows stated that the
Committee had written to Senator
Jones and received a response.
The response by telegraph was in
effect as follows:
1t was dated San Francisco, Dec.
9th, and signed John p. Jackson. 1t
said the communication of the Com
mittee had been highly gratifying to
Senator Jones and he entirely agreed
with the Committee that the railroad
scheme in question would make Los
Angeles second only to San Francisco.
The railroad connection East can not
fail to secure that position. He was
pleased to join Los Angeles i'm its
present effort and to see that the peO-
Pile were ready to make great sacriti-
ces to attain their end.
After the reading of this dispatch,
Col. Howard was announced and took
the stand.
He related the fable of the praying
teamster whose wagon was mired, and
Hercules, wherein the heathen god as
sured him that he would not assist
him unless he helped himself. A long
statement of the trade we had lost
since railroads were introduced, and a
statement of taxes followed. He then
exhibited map and laid out an air
line to the terminus OF the Southern
Utah railroad. He said the PROPOSE
tion Tonight, and he was authorized
to make it, was for the citizens of Los
Angeles to subscribe $4O0,000 to this
railroad connection. Can they do it
The estimate of the tonnage of Los An
geles is $4,000 tons Of imports and 80, g.
600 tons of exports, total, 10000 tons of
ocean tonnage. This little road to San
ia Monica has reduced freights from
So per ton to SIS per ton, making a
saving of 81 per ton. This would
make an annual reduction of $40, 900
made by this little II mile road. The
distance from Ogden to Santa Monica
is $40 miles, while from Ogden to San
Francisco is 800 miles. The propOsi. I.
tion is to ask the citizens of Los An
geles to subscribe 500, 900 out of their
saving i'm freights, to build road 100
miles to Mojave river. From Salt
Lake south the Mormons have built
120 miles of railroad, leaving vacu-
um Of 400 miles to be built by John p.
Jones and Jay Gould. They will
build it, Why should we hesitate to
give $40o,000 out of our saving in
freights? This does not interfere with
the Los Angeles and Independence
Railroad which will be extended into
the InyO country. Gentlmen, unless
you get this road Los Angeles will
drop into decadence by means of the
working of railroads. III have shown
you how our railroads have subtrac-
ted from our mercantile resources, and
this is our opportunity to become a
great railroad center. John p. Jones
thinks as much of himself as he does
of Los Angeles. He has built road
out of his own resources and it is a
success. Jones is human. He is in
accord with your projects. He gives
you the preference, but if the Southern
Pacific or any other corporation offers
him his price he would be an ass
not to take 1t, in case you do not help
yourselves. l have shown you facts
and figures and the Importance of this
road" And with these remarks he
closed. -a rl.tBa
Judge OMelveny and Gen. East
man were called for but did not ap-
pear. b..
Col. Howard again appeared and
said that he believed this was u ques-
tion concerning merchants and this
should be turned into n mercant lie
convention.
Mr.. Barrows was no speaker, but
agreed with Col. Howard that this
should be conversational party. This
was the natural outlet of the Salt
Lake basin, and the projected rail-
road was the shortest route to Salt
Lake and the Atlantic. He believed
the Santa Monica harbor could accom-
modate the steamers from China and
Panama, and become the terminus Of
trans-continental system OF rail-
roads. The day was not far distant
when Los Angeles and San Bernar-
dino valleys would feed n population
of q million.
Mayor Beaudry was called for but
did not respond. 81
Col. Crawford said Col. Howard's
statement covered the ground. He
had furnished him some statistics, but
would prefer merchants to do the
talking. He believed the road was
an immediate necessity to this coun-
try.
Mr.. Ayres thought that unless we
push this railroad out and bring the
Union Pacific westward, the city Of
Los Angeles will, within moderate
reach, have attained her greatest COM
mercial prosperity. With that road
Los Angeles will become great city,
but without it can not. Every man
loyal to the progressive future must
give his whole and undivided support
to this project. He presented a series
of resolutions asking that work be i'm
mediately resumed between this city
and Cajon Pass; that the l.. A. a. /.
r.. r. be requested to call an assess
ment on the present subscription, and
that the committee aid in getting up
additional subscriptions to the l.. Az
I. r.. r.. stock. ..a
The resolutions were adopted on mo-
tion of w. H. Workman.
In answer to question by the Pres
ident Col. Crawford stated that freight
could be taken to San Francisco via
Santa Monica from the East cheaper
than by the Central Pacific.
On motion of Mr.. Ayres the COM
mittee or their substitutes were au-
thoriZed to proceed to Salt Lake to
negotiate with railroad men for this
proposed road.
The finance committee was author
lied to collect the necessary funds.
Mr.. Barrows notified the people that
$275,000 had been Subscribed, and
these resolutions mean that the assess