Los Angeles herald., 1890-09-13
A GRAND GRAND 7 FAKE.
REDONDO NOT SOLD TO THE SOUTH
ERN PACIFIC.
A Little Deal About Little Depot Mag
nifed Into Mighty Transfer of Rail-
road Property.

appeared with sensational story to the
effect that the Redondo enterprises of
the Messrs. Thompson and Ainsworth
had been sold out, lock, stock and bar
rel, to the Southern Pacific company.
Naturally the public were much ex-
cited by the tale of woe. The Southern
Pacific has some reputation as very
able-bodied gormandizer of enterprises
that interfere with its own. In days of
yore it bought up the line to Santa Mon
lea, and proceeded to rip up the wharf
so as to concentrate all the
business of the section at San Pedro.
The suspicion was natural that the same
game was to be played at Redondo.
This excitement did not generally ex-
tend to the newspaper fraternity, who
knew that their contemporary had mere
ly sprung upon the confding public an
other first-class fake.
All that was necessary was to prove
that fake it was, and here is the proof,
and all that there is in the story. When
the Redondo railroad was first projected,
and while it was being constructed,
a good deal of negotiating went
on with the purpose of having Union
depot beyond Jefferson street, where the
two roads cross. The cable railroad was
party to this. Nothing was ar
ranged and the matter was dropped, the
Redondo road coming across the track
of the Southern Pacific up to Jefferson
street. Within few days this project
has been revived, and last Monday Col.
E. E. Hewitt, and Mr.. Crowley OF the
Southern Pacific, and Mr.. Crank OF the
cable road, went down to Redondo to
confer with Captain Ainsworth
about this little depot, the
plan being to place it at
the crossing of the two roads, pick up
the Redondo depot and move it back
to that point so that this road need not
cross the Southern Pacific, and extend
the cable across Jefferson street to the
depot of the two railroad companies.
A conference was had, but no conclus-
ion reached. There is the little mole
hill out of which so large a mountain
has been created by brilliant imagin-
alton.
Knowing these facts, an interview
was sought with Captain Ainsworth OF
the Redondo company, but Captain
George J. Answorth was found to have
gone to Portland Oregon, on little
visit for rest and recreation.
His father, Captain j. G. Ainsworth,
is at Redcndo in the absence of the
son, but he could not be reached direct
ly. The secretary of the company, S. p.
Rees, was communicated with, and he
at once stated that he knew the report
to be absolutely false in every particu-
lar.
Col. E. E. Hewitt was seen, and was
just as emphatic that the story was as
baseess a fabrication as ever was sprung
upon a contiding public. He knows abb
solutely nothing of any intention of any
purchase Of the Redondo property. He
is sure that there is not word OF truth
in it. AS to the connecting Of the story
with the Santa Monica wharf, Col
Hewitt knows nothing. Orders We're
sent here to begin work on the wharf.
A large lot of heavy timber was got out
at Truckee and shipped here for that
enterprise. 1t arrived here, and the
order to begin work on the wharf had
been conternanded without eXplana-
ton; this material was unloaded in the
yard where it now is.
Later in the day S. p. Rees visited the
HERALD Office at the request of Captain
J. G. Ainsworth, to state as from Cap
tain Ainsworth that there was no basis
whatever for the story to rest in; that
it is false in every particular, in word
matter for good and all.
1t is difncult to see why the Southern
Pacific should enter into any such deal.
1t would require large outlay OF money
and would do no good so far as the di-
versity of business for San Pedro is
concerned. There is too much to cor
raj. The business of this city
is large, and there is room
along the sea coast for five hundred
wharves. If the Southern Pacific is go
ing into the monopoly business it will
have to buy about wharf month.
The Santa Fe now is at Redondo, and
would go right on with wharf business
on its own account. The same corpora
ton is at Ballona, where wharf is now
being planned. Senator Jones and Col
onel Baker might go into the business
at Santa Monica again, and operate the
Los Angeles and Pacific railroad to
this city. Then there is the Terminal
company about to put up wharf on
Rattlesnake Island. Verify, the South
ern Pacific would be kept busy buying
wharves for some time to come.
Let us all go into the business OF build
ing them. with view of selling out to
this great gobbler OF other peoples en-
terprises.