The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-10-05
Good NEWS FOR THE PEOPLE
THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC VS.. TON
sCOIT's TEXAS PACIFIC.

Everybody admits that the Southern
Pacific coming from California, constitut-
log part and parcel of the California and
Oregon system Of railways, whica it would
drain into Texas If extended TO Houston
and G4lveston-everybody eonfesses that
such road is to be preferred infinitely to
that extension OF the Pennsylvania Central
which dips down from ST. Louis into
Northern Texas and is called in derision
he Texas and Pacific" The only ques-
tion is that suggested by DR.. Ashbsl
Smith, who doubts whether Huntington
honestly proposes TO build the road across
the plans to El Psso. We have before Us
a copy of the Los Angeles Herald which
gives the following conversation with Vice
PfesIdenr d. D. Cotton, of the Southern
Pacific Railroad:
What has the road cost peE milei" asked
the interviewer"
1T is difficult to tel exactly at this
moment, but should say about $40. 900 {"
Would that be fair average for tue ell
tire distancel"
"Yes, l think it would; at any rate,
don't see how it Can iatI much st..t OF
that"
lis the Southern Pacific likely soon to
payY'
1T cannot be profitable at present, but
we hope that it Will be at no distant day
There are long stretches of country through
witch the line pass that will not for wears,
II ever. furnish much support. The fruit
and wine trste of Los Angeles, Will. how
ever, be Immense, the oil regions will fur
nlsh large amount nI freight, and Arizona,
in whose resources have great confidence,
will, Ms it develops, send US Its materials
and receive from San Francisco Its sup
plies"
''Will San francisco Rave all the trade
OF which you speak E
Undoubtedly. 1t will be cur obi ct,
us 1t certainly Is ou~ interest, To bling it
over cur lines to San Francisco. The roads
owned and operated from San Francisco
are sure TO moDOpolize all the trade along
them, West of Ogden every town looks
to San Francisco as the place to supply its
wants. East of Ogden every town looks
towards Chicago and ST. Louis"
''What do you Intent TO do with the
large construction force whose labOrs have
just been ended by the laying of the last
rail 2"
"a part of them are to be discharged,
and We shall find speedy use for the rest
A large number OF men will he sent TO
work on the Central Pacific making en-
bankments where we now have trestIe
work. The rest will be furnished employ
ment in carrying out project which We
have in view, and in month or two,
when the weather will permit, they will
be put at work at the lower end of the
route, extending it to Fort Yuma, on the
Colorado, in the direction of Ell Plso and
of Galveston" .....
when do you expect to reach Fort
Yuma2"
II think by New Years"
:" suppose travellers will at once take
this Route to Arizona instead of the old
one by way of the ocean and Colorado
river 2"
'' They have already begun to do so; bur,
up to the present, not in large numbers.
People so thoroughly detest Staging that
they will do almost anything to avoid it.
aud, until now, they have had two sleges
of it," .
II suppose you will make every exertion
to push ON eastward through ArIzona2"
I'VE certainly shall We are we'll
equipped for railroad building, and no or
dlnary obstacle shall stop us. If we get
permission to extend our line east of the
Colorado to Texas and the assistance which
We need from -CnnSress we sh.ll ho ot I'll
Paso, in Texas, in three years. l say
IN three years, but believe we can do IL
in much less time than that. No railroad
compsny in the world has such facilities
for railroad construction as We have now,
with our trained officers AID disciplined
wo-kmen."
Il suppose your efforts to extend your
line eastward will be met ut every point
10y Tom Scott9'
"0h, yes; we have never been able to
arrive at any definite understanding with
him, although we should have been glad
to. He wants to control an entire over
land line, so that he can send all the
freight that would go over it from this
course by his E.steIn roads. As the
STATESMAN has ever asserted. II we owned
the western end of the new rranscontinen-
tai line, he could not do this; we should
claim the privilege granted to all railroads
placed in like manner, of dividing the
freight fairly among competing Eastern
roads. This is what we are now doing;
we divide the freight going East over the
Central Pacific so that it may 60 as nearly
rs possible in equal proportions over the
three great Iowa roads and over the three
rival roads running east from Chicago"
"You would be glad, then, to agree
upon some point of meeting Tom Scouts
lInef' .... .. .u ...t ....
Most assuredly; but he will not hear to
any compromise" D.. ....l.. .H.t..f ..u.
III you would luild to El Paso, how
much would he left for Mr. Scott to buildP
"AbOut SIX hundred mIlrs. Our part OF
the road would, however, be at once con-
structed, without any reference to him or
mis- plans, if we once had a charter. We
have every advantage over him as regards
railroad building. Our force, as have
said, is large ana well disciplined, and our
means are ample. He has no force ready,
and no means, though with his land grant
assured, he could raise the money to cum-
mence his work. We could complete
one hundred miles while he is getting ready
to do his first grading" s..I
II each newspaper in Texas had printed
these PLAIN unquestionei facts, showing how
necessary to Huntington is an independent
road to the Gulf, and how he is throttled
by Jay Gould and the Union Pacific, from
Ogden to Chicago and st. Louis, Dr.
Ashbel Smith would never have questioned
the sincerity of Huntington or the absurd
Legislature stultitied itself when asserting
IN the rnhherv Of Texas nv Tom Scott