Omaha daily bee., 1885-04-24
SANTA FEES EXTENSIONS.
What This Line is Doing in the Far
or Pacific Regions.
A Big Project for the Santa Fe in Case
of War-Jay Gould's Plans In
Kansas,
Denver Tribune Republican.

hhnShS,
Denver Tribune. Republican.
The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe has
been rather peaceful In its methods since
last fall, when with the aid of the Bur.
lington 1t scared the life out of the Trip.
srtite scheme and made the roads con
nected with that alliance withdraw and
give 1t up. But 1t has not been asleep,
and away down In the southwest 1t has
been and Is now at work securing more
and more business. In 1883 the loss on
the operation of the Sonora division was
$9S, 500. In 1884 that loss was reduced
to S33,400, 1885 that division will
doubtless show very good net esrnings.
The Santa Fe is building up a big fruit
traffic which comes off of the Sonora d.
vision aud extends as far east as Chi.
csgo. 1t Is claimed that the Mexican
fruit is superior to any other,
and that Hermisillo oranges, especially
are of an excellent quality. The trade
has grown largely in the past year, and
gives promise of still greater increase.
But the thing that will probably conduce
more than any other to increase the traf-
fc over the Sonora road, Is the fact that
the Santa Fe has put on a steamer from
Gusymss to Mszatlan and other points
on the coast. The steamer Is called the
"City of Topeka" and was built express
ly for that trade. 1t has been running
several months and its good effect upon
the Santa Fe business, Is already percept-
ible. Guaymas has one of the best har-
bors on the west coast and south of 1t
there are several places In Mexico CT con-
siderable commercial Importance. The
trade between Guaymas aud those
places Is susceptible of great
Increase, but 1t needs to be
worked up and developed. These
places are isolated and have had no
and close connection with the rest of the
world. They have moved, If at all, but
slowly In the last fifty years, and have
about maintained their relative import
ance. But the infusion of American en-
terprlse into their methods of doing busl-
ness will give them a new life. The
steamer City of Topeka makes three
trips during each month, and 1t will
build up the coast trade which is now 80
very small to a traffic of great import
ance.
THE SAN DIEGO LINE.
The Atlantic & Pacific is now building
q road from Daggett, a point west of the
Needles, on Its Mohsve division,
to Cotton, On the Southern Pacific.
This line will connect at Col
ton with the California Southern,
which belongs practically to the Atchi-
son, Topeka & Santa Fe. The Califor-
MIA Southern runs direct to San Diego,
and, therefore, by the completion of the
line from Daggett to Cotton the Santa
Fe system will be brought in communi'
cation with the Pacific coast at San Diego.
There are now building two steamers for
the Santa Fe, which that company will
run between San Diego and San Fran.
cisco. 1t Is expected that the steamers
and the railroad will be finished in time
for the overland travel of next fall. The
harbor at San Diego is a very fine one,
and it is thought that eventually the
town will be a place of great importance.
II CHINA TRADE.
The enterprise of the Santa Fe roaG
does not stop at developing the coas'
trade of the Pacific. 1t halts for q mo
ment only on the shore of the Western
sea, while 1t looks beyond where the Dc
cident and Orient meet and are blended
into one. 1t seeks to draw within thu
current Of Its influence that traffic of thu
east which comes by way of the weat
and which is freighted with the riches o.
the indies.
The intention Of the Santa Fe is t.
induce a company to put on lines O
steamers from San Diego to Australil
and Japan. An effort will then be made
to draw the trade away from San Fran
cisco. To do this, it will be necessary fol
the road to put the rail rates down very
low. The traffic across the ocean 4
now, to a great extent, picked up at Sal
Francisco by the clipper ships, and taker
10 them around the Horn to New York
These clipper ships are a very impo1tan
factor In the making of freight rates be
tween San Francisco and New York
They have very little expense to bear
and the water way is free, 30 that thei
greatest obstacle is time. 1t is possible
though that they may meet another OBJ
stacle In the shape of Russian guns
They sail now under the Engllsh flag. l
war breaks out between Russia anc
England. these clippers will be subjec
to attack and capture by Russia, ant
their greatest safety will be found II
staying at home in English waters. TIL
war would probably held the overland
business, for there are few but Englisl
ships engaged In the ocean traffic.