Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-06-24
Jay GOuId's Latest Move.


The war of the giants in the South
west has begun in earnest. The Texas
and Pacific, it will be remembered, was
originally chartered to extend from the
Red river to the Colorado. The panic of
1873 prevented Tom Scott from pushing
the road, and, while he was knocking at
the door of the Treasury for a subsidy,
the Southern Pacific of California reach
ed Fort Yuma coming east, boldly push
ed out into Arizona, crossed New
Mexico, and is now in Texas
seeking connection with the
Galveston, Harrisburg and San An
tonic Railroad. The Californians
ask ed for no subsidy, and had no land
grant. On the other hand, the Texas
and Pacific was generously endowed.
The State of Texas gave it a splendid
domain from the public land of the
Commonwealth, and never withdrew
this even in its days of adversely. The
national grant, however, was conditioned
upon the completion of the line by 1879.
1t is now only within 300 miles of the
Rio Grande, and probably never will be
built mile beyond the borders of New
Mexico. Mr. Gould has taken the step
indicated in the following dispatch from
Santa Fe:
1.-THE largest railroad suit which ever came
before the courts of the United States has just
been commenced here before Judge Warren
Bristol, of the Third District Court of the Ter
ritory. 1t is between the Texas Pacific and the
Southern Pacific Railroad of New Mexico. The
suit is brought to recover all that portion OF
the Southern Pacific built upon the land grant
of the Texas Pacific in New Mexico, which is
over stretch of country from the Sansimon
river on the Arizona line, to within four miles
of Ell Paso, Texas, q track of one hundred and
thirty miles. temporary injunction has been
granted restraining the Southern Pacific of
New Mexico from using, occupying or running
their road within the limits of the land grant
of the Texas Pacific, or on its right of way in
New Mexico, and Judge s. B. Newcomb, of Las
Cruces, has been appointed temporary re-
ceiver The order to show cause why the in
junction and receiver should not be continued
is made returnable at Santa Fe on June "a.
1t seems that the Secretary of the In
terror has ruled that in the case of such
grants there is no forfeiture until an act
of Congress repeats the law. The title
vests at once, and rests with the donor
until withdrawn by the power which
conferred it. This seems singular law,
but it must be remembered there is q
great deal of singular law when large
corporations are interested. The Northern
Pacific has been held entitled to its
grant, though it did not comply with the
conditions as to time.
In the case of the Texas and Pacific,
an opposition road has been built by
private capital along the land grant, and
the grantees, though they have not com
piled with the terms of the grant, claim
both the land and the railroad built upon
it. No man but Jay Gould would be
likely to bring such suit, and there are
few who would have been exposed to it
other than the Stanford Crocker party
They are fully competent to cope with
the great railway magnate this side the
Rocky Mountains, and equally pugna-
ciOus.
The Southern Pacific. now reaching
from San Francisco to Ell Paso, is l 1856
miles in length, the most extensive con-
tinuous line in this country operated by
one company. The Railroad Gazette says
of the status Of the company now;
Work is not to stop at FL Paso. The com
pany will at once begin the work or construc-
lion from Ell PaSo down the Rio Grande to Fort
Quitman. about 14O miles, where it is expected
that the Texas and Pacific track will be met.
just below Fort Quitman the line will leave
the Rio Grande cutting across the great south
ward bend of that river and meeting it again
at the northern bend some 81 miles west of
the mouth of the Pecos Thence the road will
follow the river until it meets the Galveston,
Harrisburg and San Antonio extension, which
will probably be at a point about $50 miles
from FL Paso and 175 from San Antonio. Sur
veys are made, and work will soon be begun
on short extension of the Wilmington Di-
vision (Which connects Los Angeles with its
port Wilmington to deep water at the break
water, which forms the harbor. This extern
sion. with wharf which the company will
build, will save the expense of lightersge and
make direct transfer between ship and car
possible Surveys are to be made for branch
from Yuma down The Colorado to Point Isabel,
at the head Of the Gulf Of California,
This line is seeking deep water at the
Gulf, and has probably found an alliance
with the McComb and Morgan interest
to reach New Orleans. 1t is managed
by bold men, who have large capital at
their backs-men who have been fight
ing Gould for years, and who probably
well understand his movements. To cut
off the Californians from all access to
the Mississippi has been the aim of Mr..
Gould in his Southwestern combinations.
but the Southern Pacific has secured
beyond doubt an outlet to Galveston,
and has most likely kept open way to
the mouth of the Mississippi.