Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-04-26
rAst rre,ioas Rsaie Les,cr.


BsAls's letter to Thomas Nicker-
ser, Esq, the President OF the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fs
railway. Besides insultine, in ad-
ditisn to ignoring, the counties of
Les Angeles, San Bsrnardlno and
san Diego, Gen. Bsals also slaps
the counties Of Ventura and Santa
Barbara, and all the counties of the
csast line, square in the mouth.
Southern California is just begin
ning to be heard from; but, by the
time his letter has gone the rounds,
Gen. BsAle, whose address Is
''Bsals, Kern county, California;"
- he informs Mr.. Nickerson, will
doubtless be aware Of the sectionsl
sensation he has produced. We
cannot forbeSr quoting this won.
derful brochure, which we find in
the Santa Barbara Press of the 2lst
inst:
TEJoN RANCH, April 9, 1881.
zn0s. NicEersGs, Esq, President
Atlontie and Pacific Railroad,
Boston, Nass.:
DEAR SIR: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your
note accompanying my books and
notes OF my survey Of the road on
the 35th parallel. l enclose here
with . letter from the Secretary of
the industrial. Aid Association of
Bakersfield, Kern Valley. Kern
Valley 10 the extreme end of the
great valley Of the San Joaquin.
Bakers6eld 10 the county town of
Kern county. 1t 10 the most pro.
auctiva farming locality of Califor-
nia. Four millions Of dollars have
been Invested in improvements In
the last four years. Two hundred
and fifty miles of irrigating canals
have been built by private enter
prise. Some of these canals are 100
feet in width and carry five feet Of
water. Six and sometimes seven
crops Of hay are cut per annum.
The wheat and barley yield is per-
fsetly enormous. The people have
most prosperous of any in the
world; that want 10 . competing
railroad. You would find them
most generously disposed II our
read should come through this val
Icy, and . sensible, live and let
live policy would mako them your
firm friends forever. Your road
has the shortest and most direct
line Of any which will ever be
built from the Atlantic to the Pa
cific, and it has more good land
capable Of settlement than any
other. Up to the time that you
cross the Colorado you are safe, out
1t depends upon your sagacity,
after passing that river, whether
you have the best and shortest line
from New York to San Francisco
or whether you may not, by mis-
takes, lose all you have previously y
gained: The advice l gave you in
New York L repeat here: Do not
frltter away time and money or
experiments leading to San Diego
or Los Angeles. Ifyou must 90 &c
San Diego, do SO by u branch line.
II you must go to Los Angeles, e
there by branch line, ana try auC
get out of it, not by SOledad, bu'
BY Piru creek. l do not know il
that be possible, but it would moi
cost you $500 to send a level fro n
Newt hall up the Piru to test its
practicsbility. fit be practicable
you will save fifty miles at least IL
getting into this valley. ovel
tho Soledad route. But your
main object, in my opinion
should be to reach the end Of your
journey as soon as possible and by
the shortest line which would give
you freights and passengers. TIC
do this you should come from the
crossing OF the Colorado, up the
Mojave, and leaving that river at
the best point, come through
either Of the passse, into this val
ley and make direct for Bakers
field; thence through the rich farms
on the east side OF this valley for
$50 miles, and crossing between the
lakes by Pacheco's or some other
pass, through the thickly popu-
lated valleys Of Gllroy, San Jose
and Santa Clara to San Francisco.
II you should determine against
this advice, and aaopt the coast
line, you will have a most expen-
sive road TO build, and, certainly
on the side Of the sea, draw neither
freig ghts nor passengers. Every
spine which the mountains send
down must be cut through and in.
Vulnerable bridges and culverts
constructed. 1t will be equal in
expense to that celebrated line
running along the Mediterranean,
from Rome to Genoa. have heard
ssme absurd rumors that you
looked to crossing the Sierras far
to the north of this, but do not
credit them. To do so you would
take the longest diagonal across
the worst desert in the world, pass
the Sierras under snow sheds and
cross this great freight producing
valley at right angles, instead of
coming over the lowest passes, al
ways free from snow, and taking
the entire length of this valley. 1
beg you to dismiss from your mind
the idea (should you happen to en-
tertain it) that l feel any personal
interest in this matter. Ii you
come into this valley you cannot
help coming through my land; but
being purely q stock raiser, 1 am
by no means certain that your road
would prove a benefit to me, as my
lands are not agricultural. lam
interested in your enterprise solely
from the fact that it would afford u
! competing line through California.
You cannot assist me; but 1 know
my advice can greatly aid you. II
you require 1t, place my intimate
and exact knowledge of the coun.
try, from San Francisco to the Col.
orndo river, at your service.
My address is "Beale,u Kern
county, California. Your obedieni
servant. C. f. REAIE