Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-11-08
From the Evening Express

| faclc U0asb Uetlot6.
From the Evening Express ]
Messrs. George Is. Wilbur anC
Lucius T.. Pratt, of Boston, and w
r.. Morley, Of New Mexico, the two
former Directors and the last CHE
Engineer Of the AtchisoB, Topeka
and Santa Fe Railroad, arrived in
our city by yesterday afternoons
train from San Francisco and reg.
istered at the Cosmopolitan Hotel,
awaiting the departure of the
steamer for San Diego this after
noon. Tue coming of these gen.
tlenen has been anticipat with
the 'nost engrossing interest on the
pa of our own citizens as well as
those of San Diego. The somewhat
indefinite report Of their pro-
posed visit which was given
currency q week ago at once
started a round of speculation and
conjecture, aud, with many, no
doubt, served to stimulate the
hope of possioie great things In a
railroad way in the future. Our
San Diego friends, who had been in
direct correspondence with the gen.
tlemep, knew moro about their
coming, and the object of their
visit, than we did, but were quite
reticent on the subject. All they
allowed to come out was TINT the
railroad magnates were on their
way to San Diego, and that the
matter was probably all arranged
for making the Bay City the west
era terminus of the new route.
Calling at the Cosmopolitan
Hotel this morning, reporter of
the EXPRESS found Messrs. Wilbur,
Pratt and Morley in the vestibuie
| in c0m paDy with q number of gen.
tlemen from San Diego and one or
two prominent Los Angeles men,
all taking III the early morning sun
and chatting about railroad matters.
Mr.. Pratt, i'll response to query,
said that the party had come
through almost directly from Bos-
ton, stopping only u few days in
san Francisco before taking train
for Los Angeles. The gentleman
said he had learned in San Francis.
GO good deal about the monopoly
IN railroads existing on this coast.
he had heard something of it
in the East, but had gained no ade-
quate idea of its extent until ar
irving here. He seemed to he
pleased with the information that
the people OF Southern California
would welcome the Atchison TOpe-
ka and Santa F6 road with open
arms, regarding it as theirsdeliver-
er from the transportation thrail-
dom in which they have been held
so long.
'Nhere is the present
terminus oi y9t.' road?
Mr.. Pratt--l, is now at Las
Vegas, New Me leo, and pushing
for the river.
You mean the Rio Grande?
Yes, sir; about ninety-tive miles
distant.
Mr. Morley, the Engineer-And
ii is probably ninety-five miles Of
the hea :iest railro4a work in the
United States.
What progress are You making?
Mr.. Morley-We now have about
fifteen hundred men at work and
lay mile of track day. After
we get to the more open country OF
the river bottom we shall make a
mile and half day, easily.
When do you expect to reach the
river?
Mr.. Pratt-About the first Of JAM
| uary.
And you will then continue down
to Albuquerque?
Probably.
And from there turn westward?
That we can'tsay yet. There are
two surveying parties out running
preliminary lines, end we depend
upon their reports in locating the
route.
At what point will you probably
meet the Southern Pacific?
We can't tell. II both lines con-
tinue as they are projected they
will have to cross somewhere, but
where the crossing may happen to
be nobody has auy idea. Most
people seem to think that we have
some sort of all understanding with
the Southern Pacific Railroad
Company about making q connec.
tioi, but that Is not the case.
Probably there has never been q
word exchanged between tho two
companies OH the subject.
You do not depend upon the
Southern Pacific in any manner,
then, for your western connection?
| Not at all.
| How coon do you think that
there will be an al!-rail route
through?
That we can't tell. There is now
gan of about six hundred miles
but by the first of January 1t will
bs reduced to four hundred ano
fifty.
But how aoon do you think ths
two railroads will meet and crosi
. each other as you suggested?
Well, if both lines are continued
: at their present rate they viii prob
ably meet inside Of eighteei
months.
A Los Angeles gentleman sitting
by suggested that the Southern
/, Pacific folks made q shorter liml
than that.
Mr.. Pratt, continuing-It ma.
! be "a shorter time than that; it ma,
! he ny the first Of January 1881
) that will be fourteen months,
In this opinion Mr.. Morley cor
Cured.
Do you experience any troubl
In procuring rails2 II has been re
ported that railroad iron Is becom
ing scarce.
Mr.. Morley--Yes, 1t Is. We can
:. buy it just when we want it now
a but have to engage 1t four or flv
. months ahead. Our road was fo'
! tunate, however, in securing abou
five hundred miles OF rails whe
q iron was at bedrock prices.
y Your first objective point on thI
:. coast was Quay mas, Mexico. Wa
:, 1t not?
" Mr.. Pratt-Yes, and we may sti
go there.
But If you should build yor
~ Gon ntonnD