Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-11-23
INTERESTING RAILWAY TOPICS.

Intelligent Presentation Of the Statistics Of
Los Angeles Production-Re Of the Pres
idsnt Of the Atlantic and Pacific Railway.
EDITOR Los ANGELES HERALD:
I hand you herewith copy of re-
cent correspondence on the subjec
of the extension of the Atlantic &
Pacific Railroad to Los Angeles
and the coast counties north which
will deeply interest every land
owner and fruit.grower in the
county. It has special signifi-
canoe in view of the recent an
nouncement in San Francisco pa.
pers that the Atlantic g. Pacific
management has definitely aban.
doned the idea of entering South
ern California at all, but had de.
cided to turn north at Callville,
before reaching the Colorado, and
enter the State only via the Cali.
fornia Central route, connecting
herewith in Southern Utah. Be-
lieving that the Significance of Mr..
Nuts reply to my memorial can
not be fully appreciated without
the printing of the former, which,
moreover, contains facts and sug-
gestions covering tl,e whole
ground, which, at this juncture,
should, in my judgment, be prom.
inently in the thought and speech
of every man interested in the
growth Of Los Angeles county, I
respectfully ask you to print the
memo rial, as we'll as the answer,
in full. Yours truly,
G. T. HOPKINS.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 9Th, 1881.
To Fl G. Mutt. Esq, President of
the Atlantic d Pacific r. r Co,
W b. Strong, E'q, President Of
the Atchison. Topeka d: Santa re
II. h 20, Boston, MASS
, GENTLEMEN: Having recently
been informed by President Mutt
that the route Of the Atlantic and
Pacific Railroad through Southern
California Is not yet settled upon,
notwithstanding the we'll Known
old surveys through Los Angeles,
Ventura, santa Barbara end the
coast counties. along which line a
large population confidently ex-
poets the road to be located, and
that in ell probability you will be
likelyto proceed direct from the
Needles by the most practicable
pass into the San Joaquin valley,
thus leaving Los Angeles county
100 miles or so TO one side, | feel
compelled to draw your earnest at
tention TO the serious loss of freight
that will result from such a course,
unless IL be your intention to con-
struct "a branch line TO tap the bus
mess of that rich and productive
county.
or course u track crossing the
Mohsve Desert will furnish no
way freight or travel whatsoever.
If your branch from Gan Diego
connects with the main line north
of the Sierra Madre range it will
do the business of the Riverside
Colony, 9 miles south of Cotton,
but will be too far distant from
Los Angeles to be of any benefit TO
the people there, except by connec.
ton over the Southern Pacific, 80
miles between Los Angeles aui
Cotton. And I assure you, that
having been exposed since it's CON-
struction TO the peculiar methods
of business praoticed by that mon
opoly, we are satisfied that our re-
sources can never be properly de-
veloped If we have no other de-
pendence for our transportation.
Our people would desert it for any
fair dealing and strong competitor
between the same points, with as
cordial an unanimity as swarm
OF locusts leaving a burned prairie
for field of young clover.
Unquestionably the rising inter.
EFT of most value in this State is
the growing of fruit, including the
vine. Wheat is, of course, our
great staple at present, and freight
thereon from the farms to the sea-
ports furnishes considerable item
In our railroad earnings; but, as
yet, the expectation Of that article
Is carried on entirsly by shipping;
nor DO our merchants expect that
1t can ever be handled by railroads,
in competition with the Ocean,
advantageously either to the roads
or the shippers. Even if this
proves to be mistake 1t seems to
us that the Southern Pacific, when
com pleted to New Orleans, will
command what there is in this
business, on account Of it's follow
ing the shortest route to an a tlan-
tic port.
But Of late years the ravages of
the phylloxera among the vine-
yards OF France has so greatly in
creased the market for California
wines and brandies, that vineyards
are being planted in all directions.
Especially in Iios Angeles county
is the growth of this interest para
mount, owing to its great natural
advantages OF soil. climate and
water for irrigation.
According to the report of the
State Board Of Equalization of
1880, the agricultural products OF
Los Angeles county in 1879 (since
greatly increased) were as follows,
exclusive of grain, hay, vegeta-
bles and live stock:
Acres under cultivation TALL
crops) .....,....r 100000
Gas tor beans--pounds-........ 626, 200
Hops .....-.......- 24J,O00
robacco g ............... LIS, 900