Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-20
RAILWAY RUMORS.
Probability of the Santa Fe Extension
to the North.

to the North.
A recent number of the San Francisco
Bulletin says:
In relation to the rumor of survey
ing party being out from MoJave IN the
interests Of the Santa Fe, w. II. Killett,
a merchant of Bakersfield, now IN this
city, says that he has merely heard OF
such a party being out, but does not
known from personal knowledge. A few
years ago, Mr.. Killett says, the Santa
Fe made contract with General Beale
to come to Bakersfield if they built
north, on condition of his granting
the Santa Fe right of way through
the TETON pass, which is the only prac-
ticable route north that now exists. Mr..
Killett further states that he heard
some months ago that General Beale
threatened to break this contract if the
| Santa Fe did not get to work shortly;
also, that the Union Pacific had made
surveys from Phoebe, Nevada, southwest
throug gh Walkers pass, and that the
surveyors told lady, through whose
land they ran the line, that by next fall
the railroad would be laying tracks.
The farmers in that section, Mr.. Killett
said, are suffering from excessive freight
rates from that point north, SO much so
that great part of what they raise is
fed to stock.
The TETON pass route was surveyed by
the so-called Wilbur line, incorporated
under the name of the San Francisco and
San Joaquin Valley railroad, whose pro-
| jector is now in Boston in conference
with Santa Fe officials, presumably for
the purpose of making some arrange
ment for prosecuting the work to COM
| pletion. Considerable grading had been
done by Mr.. Wilbur and associates at
the time the Santa Fe road got into
financial difficulties. The work in the
pass then ceased, and has not since been
resumed. Mr. Wilbur will return from
Boston in about ten days, when some
thing concerning the plans OF the COM
pany may be learned. The secretary of
the company, Louis Monteagle, is now
east, presumably in the interest OF the
corporation.
Walkers Pass has long been known as
one of the best crossings of the Sierras.
A railway route through it has been
surveyed many times. The route to it
from Ploche would be through very
rich mineral country which artificial ir-
rigation might make an important agri-
cultural district, as has lately been
demonstrated in the Salt river country
in Arizona. There are rich silver and
gold deposits in the region to be crossed
beside borax, salt, sulphur, find building
stone and some coal, if the stories Of
prospectors are to be credited. In con-
nection with these Union Pacific sur
veys the statement made officially
lately of the proposed extension south
from Keller of the Carson and Colorado
road must be remembered. This state
ment assumed that connection would be
made at some point below Keller, in
Inyo county, with some through line.
Railway theorists consider that the
surveys from Phoebe indicate a de-
termination of the Union Pacific
to enter California. These surveys
may be used only to alarm
the Southern Pacific, and in connection
with surveys over the mountains further
north, become a lever to induce the
Southern Pacific to relinquish it's Cen
trail Pacific route. This proposition is a
very plausible one, especially when it is
considered that with the control of that
road the Vanderbilt combination would
possess an overland route from New York
to San Francisco. There is good reason
to believe that the coming election of
the Union Pacific will show that the
Vanderbilt people have gained control
of that road.