The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-25
THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC.
WHAT BENEFITS ARE TO COME FROM
ITS BUILDING TO OUR CITY.

representative OF the DEMOCRAT last
evening had very pleasant interview with
Mr. James A. George, who represents, and
ably too, the interests of the Southern Pacific
Railroad In our city. Mr.. George, whose BON
homm'e would win anyone to his cause has Mt
heart the welfare and interest Of Louisiana,
and 1t was with much satisfaction that the
| DEMOCRATS representative CLEANED the fol
lowing particulars concerning the new road
After n pleasant conversation. Mr.. George
said:
The Southern Pacific railroad of California
was authorized under the act chartering the
Texas Pacific Railroad, tho twenty-third sec
| tiOn OF which authorized them to lay out and
construct n road from San Francisco via Los
Angeles to u point near Colorado river at or
near Fort Yuma IN Arizona. Under the char
| ter OF tho Texas Pacific railroad they were
| required to build one hundred inile3 per
| annum on the east end and fifty miles per an
/ mum on tho west end, which would have
COMPLETED THE ROAD
by 1893. The Southern Pacific road was built to
Fort Yuma, with the expectation Of the Texas
Pacific road meeting them there; but when
they got to Fort Yuma 70j 5-l2 miles from
San Francisco, In 1877, they found tho Texas
Pacific road 1850 miles east, the Texas Pacific
road having built In five years only l0J
| miles. The Southern Pacific then proposed
to build to FL Easo without government sub
| Sidy OF any kind, and for the right of way
! across Arizona and New Mexico It proposed
to give the government the same right to
regulate the tariffs over the road as the Texas
Pacific proposed to give,
FOR A SUBSIDY
| Of S39,00OO0O Tho Southern Pacific wants n
direct connection with New Orleans and tho
lower Mississippi and with that object in
view they are looking to a connection with
N UnCt ton Itnr iuI. and
tonic road, from San Antonio to FL Paso The
Galveston, Harrisonburg and San Antonio
road has now 2i2 miles OF their line built
and are now fifty miles nearer FL Paso than
tho present Pacific terminus, Fort Worth The
Southern Pacific Railroad, when built to FL
Paso, would be Of more benefit to New Or
leans than any road that could be built for
the following reasons: New Orleans will soon
have now two roads to Texas Morgan's and
Wheelock's. If the Texas Pacific Is built
from Fort Worth to III Paso, that will furnish
tho Wheelock road with
DIRECT CONNECTION WITH MEXICO
and the Pacific Ocean and with tho com
pletion Of the Morgan Harrisburg, Calves
ton and San Antonio rond, New Orleans
would have two distinct lines. From Santa
AurOnicG to New Orleans is 2010 miles The
nearest point from any port on the Pacific
coast to New York Is 300 miles With two
such lines rs New Orleans would have with
over 1000 miles distance in her favor, there is
no reason why she should not control the
bulk Of trade In her favor, and again, In the
Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio
road, New Orleans would have q road run
ming over 100 miles parallel with
THE BORDER or MEXICO,
which would give her an advantage In travel
controlling that no city in the Union would
have.
The great point tho people OF New Orleans
want to know Is. Are these roads being built2
At the present time there are 1900 men at
work on the Southern Pacific from Fort Yuma
east. Since October fifty miles OF road have
been graded, twenty-five miles Of rails laid
and track laying Is going on at the rate Of a
mile day. Marcopa Wells, 200 miles east
of Fort Yuma, will be reached In May or June.
and Tucson, 300 miles, or half way between
eighteen months. II matters not how soon
any road east OF FL Paso, going west may
reach that point, 1t will find
THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC
there. On reaching El Paso. If the Southern
Pacific finds no road there, she will build east
through Texas until u connection with New
Orleans Is reached. The Galyestop Harris |
burg and San Antonio railroad. however, will
be built in time to meet the Southern Pacific
at III Paso. This statement ! make on the
following telegram:
NEW YORK, Dec "a.
Jas. A. George:
"Your message received or course we shall |
be compelled to build east until we can So
cure connection with tho roads running To |
points on the Gulf and the lower Mississippi |
J. j.. GALES"
The Texas Pacific bill as now pending be-
fore Congress gives New Orleans no connec-
ton with the Pacific coast that will be OF any
practical benefit for this reason.
THE MEN WHO CONTROL
tho Texas and Pacific railroad also control
the Pennsylvania Central, and they have run
both ends of their eastern roads in Texas to
he ttVfr \,
Mountain road for ST Louis The friends OF |
the Texas and Pacific claim that the second
section Of tho bill affords the New Orleans
and Pacific, or any road running from New
Orleans in connection with their line. all the
facilities they could ask but II one reads tho
section it will be observed that in two places
in the section that before the word ''freight"
the word Through" follows in both instances
freight means from one end of the
line to the other. and no freight could be
shipped from New Orleans to any point be-
tween here and
THE PACIFIC OCEAN
except Mt the local rates charged on the Texas
Pacific main line. All that that section says
In regard TO local freights for connecting
lines is that the local lines can ship Mt "the
then established rates on the Texas Pacific"
If New Orleans could get any advantage
out Of any such system OF pro rating as that
fail tn 600 it.