The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-03-02
Letter from &. p. Huntington on Ihe Cal
ifOFnia southern Pacific Railway.
WASHINGTON. FebruarY Il. 1873.

as WHO are informed oil the plans and pro-
gress of the California Southern Pacific
Company. and think it Is the misfortune
OF your section that more is not known of
our purposes anc our future relations 10 the
! Southwestern States:
| You arc aware that this company has now
45O miles of its own road and branches in
operation south and east of San Francisco,
and loo miles more so far advanced as to be
ready In July, and at that time there will
be over $50 miles of continuous rail between
San Francisco and the Colorado river, near
Fort una, or about one-third OF the total
distance between that city and New Or
leans. 1t Is true that 22S miles of the line
nearest San Francisco belong to the Central
Railroad Company, aud which the Southern
Pacific Company uses until its own road
parellel with this (half of which is built) is
finished directly into the city.
| These two companies hold pleasant and
nelghboring relations, but their organiza-
| ton, management, roads and revenues are
entirely distinct and separate.
There are "a few shareholders in each
company who hold stock in both, but the
majority do not. Our expenditures on the
900 miles now running and to be ready IN
July-the materials for all of which are
bought and on the ground, or in transit
will not be less than $45, 600, 600 in gold :;
and the road, involving the heaviest noun
tain crossing, Is now nearly done.
The California business is we'll accommo-
dated over the Central Pacific branch lust
mentioned until the overland connection
with your Texas roads is made; as the COM
pany do not wish to divert their means and
energies from the great work of pushing
eastward merely to build duplicate lines
have taken the pains to state these mat
tiers to you because our position and pur-
poses have been persistently misrepresented
by those who fear they might be injured
! by our success. Our line IS now nearly
at the Arizona frontier, where we expected
to be met by the Texas and Pacific Company
under the terms of the same law we build
under. We are not so met but instead, that
company is seeking government aid TO build
road alongside of ours, built from private
means for distance of two hundred miles.
That portion of our line extending from
San Jose to Los Angeles, four hundred miles,
would not probably have been built for
many years merely to meet the demands of
local trade, but was undertaken by us as
part of a through line to the East. IL
crosses two or three ranges of mountains,
and in places is very expensive-none more
so in California.
Having invested so much in through
line in the hope of through business, we
feel now us if we would rather build as
much more road, even though it passes
through poor country, than wait for the
Texas company to get outside help; for the
sooner the through line is completed the
sooner we shall enjoy the through traffic.
We have, therefore, made a counter-prop0-
sltion to Congress asking for the right of
way and the lands formerly granted and
withdrawn for so much of tile road as we
may build between the California and Texas
boundaries, and if it is granted we shall, |
feel sure, be at the kio G ande with our
Il ack inside of six years, or as much sooner
as Is required to meet there the lines build
ing from the East.
This, l conceive, is the most effective
help we can render to the trans Mississippi
system of roads, because it assures and
makes easy through connection and estab-
fishes beyond doubt a second and real
Southern Pacific Railroad. The great cor
pOrations whose lines are now pointed to-
wards and across Texas would each and all
! then spring into life and activity. Some of
the stronger corporations, l know. are pas
sively waiting until the action of the gov
ernment on this question is definitely set
tied one way or the other; because, if the
Treasury is to be used to build the roads of
private corporations in old, thickly-settled
States, they reason, ''there is no telling
where it will STOP" and they will not en-
bark any of their own means until they see
whether they are going to Ge helped or in
jured, or left unaffected, by the interference
OF Congress. We should feel so ourselves
but for the fact that we are confident that
| the subsidy scheme must fail, so far as it
relates to the California end (for there is no
decent pretext for government paralleling
our road there), and am satisfied that it
is easy to defeat the whole measure, and
thus give private capital the signal and the
chance to step in aud do the work.
Scott's greatest efforts have been brought
to bear on the Southern States, and | see
some of your influential men have been per
suaded, first that the Texas Pacific is "a
Southern Pacific road; and, second, that it
cannot be built without government aid
Both of these propositions are fallacious.
In regard to the latter 1 have just shown
how the main l:ne and its three important
branches to New Orleans, Vicksburg and
Memphis can, and will. be speedily built,
if Congress will only say ''hands off, )" and
stop entertaining propositions to do it out
of the public treasury. In this way be-
Iieve these misguided Southern members are
actually hindering and postponing the pros
ecution of genuine s uthern Pacific road
by attempting to have one miscalled by that
name built with the proceeds of taxation.
You seem to be aware of these false pre-
| lenses. The Texas Pacific bill is not half
so much IN the interest of the Southern
States as it is in the interest of Missouri
and Pennsylvania and Scott's system OF
roads stretching between them. 1t contem-
plates, among other things. a change of the
eastern terminus from Marshall to Texar-
fnr a III M draA Ia
superfiuOus extension of the Atlantic and
Pacific road, SO as to switch as much as
possible of the through business from the
! trunk line in Western Texas towards St.
Louis, and part of the southern business
to Memphis, and thence eastward over the
Scott lines porth of the Ohio river
Can Southern members afford to advocate
such a measure when they can be assured of
neutral road leading to the Gulf and Mis-
sissippi river cities without prejudice to
any, and without vexing the public patience
by demand for subsidyl
Our sympathies, by geographical posi-
ton, are indifferent among the eastern con-
neciing lines, but as a matter of business
policy We do desire the shortest and bes;
through line between the waters of the Pa
cific and the Gulf. This will best be OBJ
tanned by having a choice of termini on the
California coast at San Francisco, the COM
mercial metropolis, or at Los Angeles, some
five hundred miles nearer the Gulf, with a
branch to San Diego, all of which are pro-
vided by the Southern Pacific Railroad, the
extension to san Diego being within one
one hundred miles of that port.
At the eastern end We should be glad to
be met-ind We have satisfactory assurance
that we should be-by roads from Southern
As well as Northern Texas; and in a short
time the whole system all the way from
Galveston and New Orleans would be COM
plete and in impartial operation.
While we have not offered to take part in
the construction of these branches, because
we believe that is unnecessary (the great
Texas corporations being quite competent
TO the task whenever the through line is as
sured), yet We are not unconcerned In their
progress. Whether the line first to reach