Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-21
RAILROAD EXTENSION.
AN ADDRESS FROM THE CITIZENS OF
Ell DORADO COUNTY.
They Petition for the Completion of the
Sacramento and Placerville Railroad
Reasons Advanced and the Prob
able Trade to be Affected.
From the FL Dorado Republican


the matter before the railroad company.
Their address follows the resolutions
Resolred, That entertain, as citizens OF Il Do
RADIO county, hostility enmity to railroads or
IA road companies, but believe they are entitled to
the same consideration and protection as other
property or individuals in all respects and no more
ReSolued, That We feel the need of the completion
OF the Sacramento and Placeryile Railroad that its
completion will add materially to the wealth and
prosperity of the county, and is event we all will
greet with pleasure
Res ilred That we, one and all, respectful y So
licit and that the Sacramento Valley and Placer
vile Railroad Company do complete said road from
s. Sacramento at early day possible, and to that
end We will ever pray.
ADDRESS.
To the President and Board Of Directors of
the Sacramento and Placerville Railroad
Gentlemen: At largely attended mass
meeting of the citizens of Ell Dorado county,
held at the Courthouse, in this city, on the
oath ultimo, the undersigned was app 1inted
committee to confer with you on the subject
of extending your road from Single Springs
to Placerville, and, in that capacity, we de-
sire to present for your consideration some of
the reasons which we belive should influence
you toward such consummation. These
reasons are based on strictly business priu-
ciples. You have in your possession the
estimates of cost of construction, by the
engineers who made the surveys, when it was
designed TO extend your road over the noun
tains therefore we need say nothing on the
subject. Il is well known that Ell Dorado
county was, for many years, retrograding. 1t
was the natural consequence of the exhaustion
of the placer Mines before other profitable
industries had been developed. But the ex-
treme point of depression mas now been
passed, and we are steadily moving in the
other direction. As an evidence Of this
OUR ASSESSMENT ROLL,
Which was 81, 302, $50 in 1878, was 81 $685.
525 in 1879; an increase of so, S95. Our re-
turning prosperity is principally due to the
development of our farming interests, added
to the recent and gratifying results in mining
operations. Placerville, besides being the
county-seat, is the natural center Of business
for two-thirds of the county. Her present
population is not far from $500, and there is
scarcely an unoccupied business-house or res
idence in the town. Business was never on a
more substantial footing than now. By ref
erence to your own books you can ascertain
exactly what proportion of your business
comes from this point, and what the value
thereof would be over the proposed extension.
But if is well known fact that railroads
make business, and there is every reason to
believe that from the moment you reach this
city your traffic will be doubled, if not
trebled.
WHY THE INCREASE WOULD BE LARGE.
The stage or carriage ride to Shingla
Springs, short though it is, keeps hundreds at
home who would otherwise make frequent
trips to the State Capital and San Francisco
Especially is this the case during the winter
months, when the roads are in bad condition,
and when, too, pleasure travel from this di-
rection would, with railroad facilities and
conveniences be the greatest. The converse
of this is also true 4; for many pIeasure-seek-
ers who would visit US during the summer,
are deferred by the dust and heat Of the stage
ride. ColOma, Georgetown and the interven
ing country would at once transfer their en-
tire travel and freight to this route, as being
easier Of access than either Folsom or Auburn.
You now handle large per cent. of the
Georgetown, Greenwood, Coloma and Union
town freight at Folsom, which you would
then handle at Placerville. Coloma is but
ten miles and Georgetown fifteen miles from
Placerville, with two good roads both ways.
The evidence we now have of the value and
permanence OF our quartz Lodges give assur-
ance Of
A LARGE ACCESSION OF BUSINESS
From this source, in the transportation of
machinery and mining supplies. The most
extensive OF these mines are in our immediate
vicinity. The transportation of heavy ma
chinery by wagon Is so expensive that many
are deferred by that cause from operating as
extensively as they otherwise would. Within
one and half miles of Placeville is one OF
the strongest veins of iron ore in the State,
with limestone and timber for charcoal in the
immediate neighborhood. Then we would
have asbestos, lime, ETC., for shipment. One
of our most important products-our fruit
must be exported to become valuable. Plac-
erville is the center Of an extensive region
especially adapted to fruit growing-an in
dustry already promising and capable of in
definite expansion Upon this subject too
much cannot be said. 1t is undeniable that
Ell Dorado fruit holds the first place in the
markets Of Sacramento and San Francisco.
We are how
HANDICAPPED BY WAGON TRANSPORTATION.
1t is injurious-nay, destructive-to our
finest fruits, even over so short distance as
ten miles. Could our people ship by rail
from their immediate neighborhood, the bust
ness would soon be enormously increased.
Large quantities are annually allowed tnrot
on the ground, because the producer, as now
situated, cannot afford to market it. The
Assessor values the fruit crop for 1879 at $780,
coo, but this is unquestionably an exceedingly
low estimate. During the season some So
teams-mostly four-horse-are constantly en-
gagged in hauling fruit over the mountains
At least ], 900 tons annually finds q market in
this way, or by routes other than yours. One
reason is that fruit-growers dread the iniuri-
Gus effects of handling, and flce seven days
trip and $50 toll for each load in preference
If it pays to construct long lines of road in
the State of Delaware, for the transportation
of the peach crop alone, why should it not
prove strong inducement to you, as factor
of the additional freight you would handle,
by continuing your road to Placerville?
TIMBER AND LUMBER.
While the neighborhood OF the Central Pa
cihc Railroad is rapidly being stripped of its
best timber, our forests are comparatively
virgin. The entire west flank of the Sierra
Nevada mountains is covered with excellent
timber-sugar pine, spruce, fir, yellow pine,
oak, etc.-much of which would be easily
accessible were a railroad constructed to this
point The object of securing this alone will
eventually necessitate railroad facilities. The
Ell Dorado Water and Deep Gravel Mining
Company's main trunk canal was constructed
with the transportation of lumber particu
larly in view. A Y hume can be constructed
from Sportsman's Hall to Placervile-12
miles-at small cost, and this will be done
when the demand for transportation will JUS
tify it. This alone viii render accessible
belt thirty miles in length Of the best
mountain timber. which can be delivered at
the cars at a trihing expense, while to wagon
it to Single Springs reduces the margin of
profit so low as TO act as a practical bar to
expectation. We append the following from
the
ASSESSORS STATISTICAL REPORT
For the year 1879: Land inclosed, 10000
acres land cultivated, 10, $50 acres; wheat,
G73 acres, 11,762 bushels; barley, 600 acres,
u, 215 bushels potatoes, rs acres, 245 tons
hay. 1855 acres, 7.205 tons; butter, 156, 375
pounds; cheese, %, 400 pounds wool, g.
500 pounds; estimated fruit crop. 100000;
grapes, 1900 acres; wine. 525, 000 gallons
brandy :, 100 gallons tthe United States Col
lector;s figures are about Il, 600 gallonsl;
horses, 1909; mules; jacks and jen-
MES. 1Oi; horned cattle, 300; sheep,
%. 236; hogs, 300; Angora goats, 10, 800;
one grist mill-water power: saw mills, IS
-l3 steam and 5 water power lumber sawed,
y, GO0,00O feet, B. NJ; quartz mills, so
crushed 4, 600 tons of ore; mining bitches, 7
i, 200 miles in length estimated popula-
ton, u, 600 registered voters labout) 1890.
Anything further you may desire in the way
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