Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-17
THE RAILROADS.
The Atlantic and Pacific's
Latest Move.
IMPORTANT WORK ON HAND
The Santa Fe's New Line to
ChicagO-PrOgress on the
San Diego Road.

An important move IN railroad
circles is being made, and the HERALD
is enabled to present to its readers
authoritative information regarding
the operations.
1t will be remembered that the At
lantic and Pacific road is leased to the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe sys-
tenn, and that the contract will expire
at a very early date. Whether or not
the agreement will be renewed, is, of
course, a matter OF uncertainty. The
st. Louis and San Francisco road con-
trolls 81 per cent. of the shares of the
A. & p, and is directly identified
with it, being the eastern end of the
latter road. y is probable that the
gap OF 600 miles between Albuquer-
que and the St. Louis road in the
Indian Territory will be speedily built
over and the system completed as ori-
pinally organized. Whenthe road was
first planned it was intended to build
it out as far as Mojave, and line
was surveyed to that point, but the
Southern Pacific, anxious to keep all
competition out of the State, built out
from Mojave 24O miles eastward and
met the A. and p. road at the Needles,
on the Colorado River. The A. and
p. trains were then run over the
Southern Pacifc's track up to a few
years ago, when the Southern Pacific
sold the branch to the A. and P. for
$1,000 900, which was at the time
considered an exorbitant price. All
the time, however, the A. and P.
have been quietly working on their
line out from st. Louis, and when the
connection is finally made at Albu
querque, it will give them a through
track from st. Louis to Mojave. 1t
now transpires that the A. and P. are
having considerable work done in the
TETON Canon, and their intentions in
California are said to be as follows: J he
line will be built out from Mojave, run
westward through Kern county, pass
ing north of Willow Springs, and tra-
versing the Liebre ranch, run up a
cafion north and back Of Germans
Station. The road will then pass the
Castac Lake, which it will skirt and
run down the Fort TETON Canon, fol-
lowing the general swing OF the coun-
try to within three miles Of the Tejon
ranch house. From there it will go
directly to Bakersfield and run up
north almost parallel with tie South
ern Pacific's line. A good deal of
work has already been done in the
mountains, as the road is not only
staked out in the cailon, but the pre-
liminary grade is worked and a
wagon-road cut for hauling supplies.
Nothing has been done out from Mo-
jave, as there will be very little be-
yond tracklaying needed through Kern
county. The grade in the mountains is
said to be comparatively easy one,
and the engineers say that they will
have the new line in running order as
far as Bakersfield before next spring.
The region traversed by the road is a
remarkably fertile one after the desert
is crossed, and will be the means OF
opening up and the settling OF much
valuable agricultural land. .
The Southern Pacific people will
doubtless feel rather sore in having
disposed of their road from Mojave to
the Needles, but it proves that when
the Atlantic and Pacific purchased it
they had some ulterior object in view
beyond the mere possession OF the
line into Mojave. Should the lease OF
the Atlantic and Pacific to the Santa
Fe be renewed, this extension Will
mean the addition Of valuable ,privi'
leges to the latter company, and give
them the entry to the northern part
of the State, which, it is said, they SO
much desire.