Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-03-12
SPEEC OF
Hon. P. D. WlGGIhTON,
OF CALIFORNIA.
Before the House Committee ON Pa
cifc Railways, Feb 9th, 1876.
OF CALIFORNIA,

Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN
OF THE COMMITTEE
l had hoped that it would not be
necessary for me to appear before you
| for the purpose l now do. L do not
| come here, Mr.. Chairman, so much
for the purpose of submitting an argu-
ment in the interest of either party TO
this controversy as do to place my
self ard my constituency before you
in proper light. The necessity for
this has arisen through various intlu-
ences brought to bear upon you here
by persons who claim to express the
sentiments of the people whom have
the honor to represent in the present
| Congress.
| came here, gentlemen, unpledged,
and perfectly free to pursue such course
with reference to the subject now un-
der consideration by you as, after
careful and impartial examination Of
all the facts, | might deem best and
most to the interests of my constitu-
ency. Whatever else may have been
said, or insinuated, / declare now,
once for all, that am not here in the
interest of any person or corporation,
but solely in that Of the whole people
of more than one-half the State OF
California.
Right here, Mr.. Chairman, permit
me to call the attention of the COM
mitiee to q few facts concerning the
people and the country L represent
facts which deem it necessary mat
you should be in possession of for the
full and proper consideration of the
important question before you. The
! speedy construction of q tfans-eau:l-
mental road from California 10 1sNaS,
to connect there with the vast raI.W ~
system of the East, is, | will venture
to say, of far more Importance to the
people represent than TO those of aHy
other Congressional district in the
country.
| beg to call your attention to the
fact, first, that the area of my district
is greater than that of any other in
the United States. 1t comprises the
nineteen Southernmost counties OF
the State of California, several OF
which are larger than three or four of
the States of the Union. The district
itself, is more than one-half the size
of the second largest State in the I'm
ion. 1t embraces the oerritory from
San Francisco south to the Mexican
line, and west to the State Of Nevada
and Territory of Arizona, and [ feel
safe in saying it contains q popula-
ton far in excess of that of any Con-
gressional district in the United States.
It has 500 miles, Of sea coast, with
seven fine harbors,a climate uneXcell-
ed in the world and while am will
ing to admit that there is within its
area much sterile land or rather much
that without irrigation must remain
unproductive, do not think the fact
will be denied that it has more rich,
generous soil than any other of the
292 Congressional districts OF this ma
ton. Its productions combine those
of the temperate with the semi-tropi-
cal zones. Our wheat fields thrive i'll
the very shade of our orange groves,
and our roses, blooming the year
round, lend fragrance to the land
left bare by the ripened and reaped
harvest of cereals. Our people are OF
character the most enterprising, in
dustrious, and intelligent. A better
to-do, more energetic, and prosperous
class cannot be found on the globe. OF
the more than 10000 people who have
emigrated to California within the
past few months, more than one-halt
are now permanently settled within
the limits of the Fourth Congressional
District of California. l have the
honor to represent in Congress some
thing more than half dozen cities,
containing a population each of from
5000 to $4,000 in number. Nearly all
of these have sprung up in the past
five years, and all of them have more
than doubled their population in the
last three years. We have an area OF
some 1O0,0 900 square miles, u popula~
tion of quite 100000 souls, this latter
increasing each year at the rate of full
ly 20 per cent, and show list of tax
able property at the present rating of
about $274,O00, 900, and future of un.
exampled prospect and greatness, laid
out for us by the Creator.
AS you will see, our population Is
but two to the square mile of our ter.
ritory, but our people confidently and
reasonably anticipate that within the
, next quarter ola century we will con-
tain, and be able to maintain, popu-
lation of, at least two million OF souls.
In the face of these facts, gentlemen,
which / assert cannot be gainsaid, you
will readily see that we are seriously
and deeply interested in the subject
: now before you, and that railroad IA
cilities are of such vast Importance to
my constituency that their considera
tion must occupy the attention of ev'
: ery intelligent person in the District,
: and they do so to such an extent as tt
warrant me in saying that the whole
people of my section are well informed
and fully alive to this most vital sub
iect. And it is not only vital to them
but important to other communities
allied to them.
There are now built and in operation
i'm nv district 65f miles of railroad
and 23O miles now in process of con
struction being pushed to completion
with great energy. All these roads
!. with the exception of three narrow
gauge roads, the united extent o
which Is about nifty miles, and por
ton of what is known as the "Sant'
Monica and Independence" road, ant
. eight miles of road from Goshen to vi
J saIia, in Tulare county, belong to ant
s are under the control and management
$ of the Southern Pacific and Centra
Pacific Railroad Companies. The lat
ter of the said companies hasabout ~
miles, and the Southern Paclllc aoou'
$50 miles. The wonderful develop
; ments of our country by the building
of these roads has fully satisfied th'
people in their neighborhood of theil
), Importance and the benefits which
n arise from their completion.
My people, like most new commu