Daily Los Angeles herald., 1882-01-10
Les ms Casi q Halt.

Les ms Caii q Halt.
Occasionally journal is called
upon to protect the community
from downright scheme of spolia-
lion. Ts nine out of ten of the In
habitants Of the Eastern States,
Lower California is supposed to be
. very populous region. In the
absence Of census returns, these
Eastern goslings suppose that from
y million to q million and a half of
people inhabit that precious sec
tion of old Mexico. Visions of gold
aud silver mines and coffee planta-
tions are associated with the East
srn notions OF Mexico, and of
Lower California as part OF 1t. As
consequence, such kilograms as
the following. which appeared In
the HERALD of Sunday, under q,
San Diego date of January 7th, are
calculated to do Infinite mischief.
We quote from this precious tele-
gram:
Thomas L. Rogers, Vice-Presi.
dent Of the California Southern
Railroad, has just received from
the City Of Mexico the concession
from the Mexican government, for
which he applied in May last, for
the construction of railroad and
telegraph line from q convenient
junction point with the Sonora
Railroad to the port OF San Diego,
California. The line of the pro-
posed road crosses the State of So
nora, touching at port Ysabel, on
the Gulf of California, crossing the
Colorado river at practicable
point snd thence across Lower CAL
ifornia to the Pacific.
Harry Meiggs, during his adven'
turous Peruvian career, built many
miles of railway, In that now con.
quered country, which, in the hey.
day of Peru's prosperity, were only
traversed by an empty train once
week, and which did not pay for
the axle grease of the locomotives
employed to draw the losing local
cabooses. But the worst of Meiggs's
roads would pay ideal dividenGs as
compared to the road sketched in
the above telegram, which
was communicated to the
Associated Press as q verita-
BILE item of news. It is the
ghastliest parody conceivable on
the present railway building mad
ness. It is not joke because, il
investors were ever hoodwinked
into countensncing 1t, for mo-
ment, 1t would become a colossal
villainy. The road Is foolishiy
outlined, but the scheme itself is
the dream of disordered imagina-
tion. The railway is so laid ou. as
to traverse q desert country, pure
and simple, with difficult grades
and impossible tunnels superadded
to the desert features. 1t would
involve all the engineering diff
culties between Yuma and San
Diego, on the direct route, which
Msjor Evans, Scott's resident Ea-
gineer at San Diego, officially re.
ported would cost the Texas Pacific
$13,0O0.0O0 on the two
hundred miles between Yuma and
San Diego. As for the two hum
1redr other miles, in Sonora, Ari-
zons, South hern California and
Lower California, a bird would |
starve on the route, nine months
out Of twelve.
As for Sonora, we often wonder
when Eastern capitalists will be.
gin to understand that Hermosillo
and Guaynas, with their high
sounding and mellifluous names,
will really furnish less business to
. transcontinental railway than
lively Eastern town of fifteen
thousand people. Impelled by
their desire to reap the profits OF
there is really no limit
10 the amount of Misrepresentation
Of which Eastern people have been
made the victims on the
part Of people who are building
railways right and left through
regions. Mines,
here and there, which will bank.
Fupt their proprietors, are made
The excuses for a prodigality of
outlay whose only practical fea-
lure is the enrichment of the
Dhrewd men who send out survey.
ing parties to report practicable
routes from Point-no.Point to
Point-Nowhere, on the building OF
which they make mammoth
profits.
Take Lower California, for in.
'tance. Away down, a thousand
niles on this Peninsula. there are a
'ew modest settlements, which
Iupport q small and frugal popula-
Ion, and which are blessed by a
ew good mines, mainly operated
~ English companies. Between
hat portion of the Peninsula of
Lower Californis which ends at
Cape st. Lucas, and that which
Iligns the county of San Diego, on
he extreme southwestern bound.
IN NJ fha YIattod Gtotoa 10 int. |