Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-01
RAILWAY NEWS.
Latest Pointers About the
s. PL. &U. r. r.
1T is NOT A U. P. SCHEME
Progress of the Los Angeles &
Ocean Ry.-Movements of the
s. P's Surveyors-NOtes.

It will be remembered this paper
three months ago gave publication to
the theory that the actual head and
front of the project to build third
transcontinental line of railway into
this city, via Salt Lake City, was none
other than Jay Gould, the great East
ern railroad king.
When Rattlssnake island, in San
Pedro harbor, was sold by the Domin-
guex heirs, it was generally assumed
that Richard Smith, of New York,
bought the property, simply acting as
an agent for Mr.. Gould and his asso-
ciatee. Although Mr.. Smiths attor-
neys have, ever since the transfer
to him OF the island, held that
it was simply a private specu-
iaticn on his part, it is the fact, how
ever, that Mr.. Gould owns the island.
When Mr.. Smith opened up negotia-
hons for its possession, a matter of
nearly half a year ago, he pushed them
% far as to secure an agreement from
the Dominguez heirs to convey to
him.
There was filed for record late yes
terday afternoon the transfer, by
agreement to convey, of 224.l0 acres
Of the Rancho San Pedro, for a con-
sideration Of $500, 900. The sellers
are Dona Anna, ,Josefa, Dominquez de
Guyer and the Donas Guadalupe Mar
celina, Marie Dolores Dominquez and
Maria de los Rupees. The buyers j.
p. Woodbury. and Lou. B. Winans.
This acreage transferred is none other
than Rattlesnake island, and the
scheme of a re-conveyance of the
property means simply a recently
conceived plan to put it in Mr.. Gould's
hands, the agreement to convey to
Mr.. Smith being nullifed.
This secures sea coast terminal fa-
cilities for some one of Mr.. Gould's
roads, and must denote, in itself, the
intention to extend one Of these lines
to this city and the ocean. The Union
Pacific is about the only line that
could be practically extended, and
that will be the third transcontinental
road to be built here, starting from
Milford, Utah Territory.
When the plan OF building from
Salt Lake here was first conceived
company of local moneyed men incor-
porated with the object of taking care
of the interests of the California di-
vision of the road. A survey for
route through the Sierra Nadre noun
tains was made by an old railway
engineer, Mr.. Thomas Rask, and
practicable pass through the moun-
tains was discovered by him. Then the
Pasadena branch of the incorporation
was started and right of way secured
through from Pasadena to Redlands,
San Bernardino county. Rights of
way were next secured to the ranch
boundaries of the Rancho San Pedro,
and when finally the transfer of Rat
&lesnake island was made, through
that property to the sea coast. All
was then ready to transfer to proper
parties, and with the filing of the sale
of the island yesterday was placed on
record the transfer, by ]. P. Wood
bury for himself and as trustee of the
railroad of the Pasadena Railroad
Company, all rights of way, depot
privileges and real estate owned by
that company, for considera ion Of
418O 600.
Mr.. Scott then filed for record the
transfer of the above to the San Pedro,
Eos Angeles and Utah Railroad Com
pany for consideration of 5000 900.
He acted as an agent for the Union
Pacific. With the filing of these
transfers has been settled the question
of who is going to build the new road,
and at once all doubts heretofore ex-
istant as to whether it would be built
or not.-[Los angeles Express.
I ESeyeral statements made in the
foregoing article are, to say the least,
of a most highly sensational char
acter. So sensational were they that
the HERALD's representative deemed
it necessary to examine them thor
oughly, and accordingly, at late
hour last night, Mr.. l.. F. Scott,
the brother of Mr.. Clarence w.
Scott, the gentleman who figures most
prominently in the transferring and
conveying of the property mentioned,
was seen in his office.
Mr.. Scott said: 81 and my brother,
Clarence w. Scott, are probably more
AAtluudtCiv COuuOCoCu III Jul UublucSS
affairs than brothers usually are; we
do not conceal anything from one
another. For a long time he has
been busily engaged working up sale
of the San Pedro, Los Angeles and
Utah Railroad Company's properties,
and for this reason has been in New
York for some time with a party
of powerful and prominent capitalists
who now own 73 per cent. of the
stock of that railroad. These gentle
men are in no way connected with
the Union Pacific Railroad Company,
and my brother does not know any
one connected with that company.
The S. P. L. A. & U. R. R. is dis
tinct organization, and is not even re-
motely connected with any eastern or
transcontinental railway. There is
but little foundation in the article in
the Eapress--the only truth in it, is
the part referring to the transfers
made yesterday. MIR. Jay Gould
never owned Rattlesnake island, or
any part Of it. Mr.. Richard Smith
went into it as a speculation. He
sold out to L. r. Winans, ]. P. Wood
bury and W.B.K King. King sold out to
Winans, and Winans transferred to j.
r. Woodbury.. Afterwards the latter
gentleman transferred it to my bro
ther, G. w. Scott, who in turn trans
ferred it to the San Pedro, Los Ang-
eles and Utah r. r. The transfer to
the company was simply to give some
security for the issuance of the mort
gage bonds, the account Of which you
published. will say positively that
Jay Gould is in no wise connected
with the road, and if any other road
comes into Los Angeles over the route
it will be done by traffic agreement,
or some such arrangement, after the
road is built and in running order.
The parties now owning the road are
perfectly able to do so, and will do so
without outside assistance. My bro