The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-12
RAILROAD txrENsioSs.

Erroneous statements in regard to railroad
extensions in this State having found their
way into print, we Will state few facts in
order TO avert misrepresentation. Several
newspapers have announced as new thing
the proposed building of line from Los
BAuos in MERGED County 10 Hanford in
Tulare. This line was graded two years ago,
the bridge material collected and consider
able proportion of the rails and ties laid
along the track. The only thing that is new
is that contra IS are about to be let to lay
these rails in place with a view to the early
opening of the road 1t may also be stated
that the line from Oakdale, in SianislauS
County, to MERGED has also been graded, and
will be equipped with rails at any early day.
It is said to be the policy of the Southern
Pacific Railroad Company 10 run ultimately
four parallel north and south lines from
Contra Costa and San Joaquin counties to
The must Southerly cultivated portions of the
State
The main line, which was known for many
years as the Southern Pacific, in cOntradiS-
tinction to the Central Pacific, may be said
10 ran from Lathrop to Yuma. and to drain
the central plains of San joaquin, Stanis-
laus, MERGED, Fresno. Tulare and Kern.
West of this line and generally on the west
u II SlupG VI TIE Nohot dfulICl IiHt
of road runs from San Francisco to Temple
ton, and drains the counties of San Mateo,
Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey. This
line is now being extended to Santa Barbara.
When the extension is complet d it will add
to its drainage basin the counties of Ven
tura and Santa B rbarI and the northern
portion Of Los Angeles. On a line some
what 10 the east of a line eQuidistant be-
! tween these reads. the railroad company is
parallelirg both. This third road starts
from Tracy, and has reached Los Banos.
The rails are now being laid on the south
ern extension, and in few months it will
reach 1uiare Lake. 1t will drain the west
ern portion of the San joaquin Valley coun-
ties, which, with irrigation, are going to
become highly productive. Finally, the ter
ritory east of the mtin line Of the Southern
! Pacific is being supplied with stretches of
! road piecemeal. There is a road now in
| operation from Peters to Oakdale. An ex-
! tension of this link to Merced has been
| graded and only awaits the rails. Another
| piece of road from Fresno TO Pose is open to
| traffic, and affords Southeastern Fresno, Cen
tral Tulare and Northern Kern an outlet
When the three new lines are completed,
say from the San joaquin Valley to the
| valley of the Santa Ana, Southern Califor-
mia, which may roughly be said to be from
| 80 to 800 miles wide, will have four parallel
! lines, all of them draining fertile country,
and carrying its produce to San Francisco.
| Deducting from an average of 275 miles of
width say 100 miles for mountain and desert.
| there will be a railroad every forty four
| miles; so that a settler cannot be further
| than twenty-five miles from an outlet for his
! grain and fruit.
OF course as the State fills up more roads
will be needed. AS localities become thick
| ly settled they viii want a branch line OF
| their own, and if their output warrants it
they will get it. Landowners in productive
regions can afford to build feeders to trunk
| lines, even if they do not pay from their
passenger and freight receipts. They pay
| indirectly by enhancing the value of the
land they traverse. In Kansas and Iowa
railroads doubled the value of the fields they
crossed. In counties which are served By
| two or three roads lands sell at $50, $40 aud
| $50 an acre, even when they are long way
| from towns; but in some of the northern
counties, which are without railroads,
equally good land can be bought for five dol
| lars.
The extension Of the railroads noticed be-
| long entirely to the Southern Pacific system.
The State will very soon have other roads
for which preparations are now being made