Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-03
Excellent Business Done on
All the Lines.
A Further Reduction on Cali
fOrnia Products.
Numbers of Prominent Railroad Men
Visiting Here.
The Work of Repairing the Southern
Pacific Line in Soledad Canon.
Some of the Changes.

The railways are doing an excellent
business in these days, both in freight
and passengers. The overland trains
come in moderately well filed and the
local passenger traffic is good. The San
Francisco train usually consists of twelve
ears, all well filled with passengers. In
every way the business done by the
roads is much better than it was at this
time year ago.
Word was received yesterday at the
Santa Fe offices that Mr.. Hynes, who is
at present in the freight traffic conven-
ton at San Francisco, had moved to
have mixed carloads of oranges, lemons
and vegetables carried at the general
rate of $1.121a to Missouri river points
and $1.25 to Mississippi river points and
Chicago. This is designed to facilitate
the handling of the remains of the
orange crop and also to increase the ex-
portation OF California vegetables.
The resignation of Z. w. Sanborn,
whose place as general superintendent
was filled by w. b. Beamer, makes room
for new man in the position of train
master which had been occupied by Mr..
Beamer. Notice was given yesterday of
the appointment of /. L. Hibbard to the
position. The Office is at San Bernar-
dino.
q. w. Stevens, superintendent of the
eastern division of the Wabash railroad,
is in the city visiting his father-in-law,
Williamson Dunn, of the Southern Cali
fornia road. Mr.. Stevens's home is at
Peru, Indiana, and he is out on the
Coast for his health. He has succeeded
in short time in forming a very favora
BILE estimate of California
Several well-known railroad men, who
attented the meeting of the General
Passenger and Ticket Agents Associ
alton, held in the City of Mexico, on
March 18th, are returning by way of
Southern California. G. w. Boyd, assis-
tant general passenger and ticket agent
of the Pennsylvania system; James
Horsburg, assistant general passenger
agent of the Southern Pacific, and F. A.
Palmer, assistant general passenger
agent of the Wabash, are among this
party and are now in this city.
The Soledad Repairs.
One day last week reporter of the
Burbank Times visited the Soledad canon
and inspected the work being done by
the Southern Pacific Company. Owing
to the severe washouts in the caf1on the
company found it necessary to change
the railroad line, and it was the decision
of the engineers to maintain the old
route, although placing the bed higher
up from the bed of the creek that flows
through the canon.
The new line, as far as established
strikes from Acton, and runs continu-
ously to about three miles below South
Side; this is from thirty to forty feet
above the present grade, and at the
farthest ! 200 feet north. There are no
tunnels, but there are several heavy cuts
and fills. The line passes Ravenna be-
tween the dwelling and barn of James
Robertson. After leaving South Side
there are only about 400 feet of the old
line used.
The line continues down the north
side of the caflon to the first tunnel above
Lang's, where the river is crossed, and
then the route is on the south side of the
canon. However, between the end of
the present stakes just below South Side
and opposite Lang's the line is not yet
fully determined on. 1t is not settled
whether the present station at Lang's will
be maintained, but it is hardly possible
that it will, for the river threatens to
come up higher at the next rise.
Half a mile west of Lang's the perma-
nent grade again commences. Consider
able work has been done here, and men
are now driving two tunnels, one $50 feet
and the other 312 feet. After emerging
from the last tunnel the road is on very
easy grade to Kent, where another tun-
mel, about 800 feet long will be made
At this point the line is undetermined to
Saugus. The new road will be about
sixteen miles long.
The work is being remarkably we'll
done. Great care is being taken with
the cuts and fills to avoid land slides in
winter; all the loose dirt is scraped back
beyond any chance of slide, and the
fills are very broad at the base. The
tunnel work is very substantial, and no
trouble is feared at any point from any
cause.
There is an army of men at work
There are 43 men in the engineering
corps, 25 in locating and 18 in construc-
ton; AZ gangs of Cinnamon, or about
1000 men; 30 track-layers; 300 horses
$50 carts, and 2 land and / car pile
drivers.
The Southern Pacific Company again
demonstrates its ability to cope with any
disaster. After a damage costing fully
$500, ,000 the company was able to sci
their trains running, and, although men
work trains, etc., have been steady a.
work on the road for nearly three months
traffic has not been delayed in the least
and now we expect to be able to ride
through the cai1on at all seasons of the
year without any set-backs. The worl
as outlined is grand undertaking, ant
will be safe.