Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-03
RAILROAD TALK.
Interesting Interview With c. p. Hunt.
iDgton on Several Subjects.
L Csll Nro,.

1
Coils P. Huntington has about COM
pleted his work on the coast and proposes
to return TO the East some day during the
week. His stay here has been longer than
usual, there having been more or less ac-
cumulated business requiring his atten.
ton.
Yes" he said to a Gail reporter last
night, I'VE have talked over extension
projects and have decided to do some
building very soon. That bit of road from
Monterey around Pacific Grove is already
under way and we shall begin work on the
others before very long.
well build from Oakdale to Merced
and Will also do some track laying on the
west OF the valley along our grade there.
Then, think, we may do something up
! Lake county way, whether ON the Napa
Valley or the Capay Valley route l cannot
! say. 1t is not yet decided. 1t will be
necessary to do more or less surveying
before we can determine which is the best
route.
$50 far as the San Luis Obispo extension
is concerned, can say nothing. That mat
ter is in the hands of the people there. AS
soon as they have obtained right of way for
US, as they have promised and made ar
rangements to give us depot grounds, we
will go ahead. Until then our terminus
will be at Santa Margarita There is some
very heavy work across the mountains be-
tween the two places and it is going to
take some time TO get through. South of
San Luis there are no obstacles of any great
moment. It's good, honest work ali the
way, but it does not compare with what
precedes it, | am very much pleased with
what | saw of the Salinas valley. It's
much better country than thought and it
has very bright prospects"
Has the project of bridging Carquinez
Straits been considered by you lately ?" was
asked.
"Oh, yes" was the answer; "we shall
probably build bridge there sooner or
later. We have been figuring for the pur-
pose OF ascertaining the actual cost of the
| ferry and the probable cost of a bridge, and
we may decide to do something; not i'm
mediately, though. There would be vast
amount of preliminary work, in the way
of surveying and sounding. The probable
cost of the structure such as we would erect
would be about S5,000,000. One thing is
certain, however, and it is that we will not
build another ferryboat."
How do you account for the falling off
in the immigration to this State?" was
asked
think the fall in the values of railroad
stocks, extensively held in the New Eng
land States, in great measure explains the
'oii-iS oh. WI the 62OUuS mere COM
| menced, the Atchison, the Burlington, the
Rock Island and the other extensively cap.
ltallzed properties were ruling at very high
prices. A great number of the present
holders bought at tip-top prices, and their
fortunes have shrunk very materially, now
that the prices for those stocks have de-
clined so materially.
They are not receiving any dividends.
and consequently cannot indulge in the
pleasures of travel the same as they used
to do l know many family proposing
to come to California simply waiting for a
rise in the value of these securities. They
could not afford to sell at present. So far
as the falling off in the freight business is
concerned, much of the movement during
the first three months of 1883 was abnor.
NAL. Shippers expected q rise in rates and
put on the rail many ht ayy stocks of goods
There is no such movement this wear and
our revenues are consequently not so
great"
What are the crop prospects for the
coming twelve months?"
II don't think they ever were better,n
answered Mr.. Huntington The State is
looking splendid; the harvest will be
larger-indeed, the growing grain is higher
now in the valley than it generally is DUR
ing harvest time. There ought to be a big
crop. At any rate, the prosperity of this
State is now on firm, fixed basis. There
is no longer any doubt about that Cali
fornias products are of the kind that are
salable throughout the world Wines,
raisins, dried and preserved fruits, olives
and olive oil. there is market for them
every where"
Mr.. Huntington spoke also of the canned
goods rate. Shippers" he said, "are not
in position to say what it costs to haul
goods across the continent. A 90.cent rate
to New York is very low, too low, in fact.
1t is only SIS per ton, and that does not
pay. 1t is very hard work at any rate to
satisfy some OF the shippers here. If they
got a 50cent rate they would not be satis-
fed until it was reduced to 40 cents"
Speaking about his Eastern interests, Mr..
Huntington stated that he had holdings in
two small railroads. Since he had been on
the coast he had decided to sell large
block of stock in another road He in
tended, he said, to dispose of his Eastern
railroad properties, and when he had done
so he proposed to come to this State and
take up his residence in San Francisco per-
maDently