Los Angeles herald., 1890-08-29
THE NEW RAILROAD.
Who Is Backing the Los
Angeles and Glendale?
The Purchase Of Rattlesnake
Island and Other Movements.
A List of the Millionaire Stockholders
In the New Scheme.
Are the Missouri Pacific and the Rio
Grande Combination the Power
Behind the Throne?

No more important movement in an
industrial way has been made for years
in Los Angeles than the organization of
the Los Angeles and Terminal railroad
company. The outlines of this ap-
peared in the papers of yesterday, recit-
ing that B. F. Hobart of St. Louis had
been chosen president of the company
and 7. B. Burnett vice-president. The
latter is now a resident of this city, and
is general manager of the company. 1t
is also known to the public that
these gentlemen and their associates
sometime since obtained control of the
Cross roads, the or Los Angeles, Pasa-
dena and Glendale.
A matter of considerable interest is,
who is behind this movement? Thus
far, no one has been able to get at the
heart of this mystery. All sorts of con-
lectures have been made, the Union
Pacific being generally credited with the
work. The board of directors is poin-
ter, and the stockholders in the new
road is better one. Here are the hold
ers of the stock, SO far as yet appears:
B. F. Hobart, Chas. H. Bailey, T. B.
Burnett, w. H. Workman, Dan McFar-
land, H. T. Lee, r. G. Kerens, Geo. E.
Leighton, Geo. B. Leighton, E. F. Leon
ard, Geo. w. Parker, S. w. Fordyce,
Chas. A. Goddard, Jeff Chandler, S. B.
Elkins, Thos. Lanlgan, Alvah Mansur,
Morgan Jones, John T. Davis. B. F.
Hobart, trustee.
There is big lot OF railroad talent in
that list. Several of these are railroad
presidents, any one of whom could
,,,tt o,~I II
Note, they are mostly people of st.
What have they done? They have
bought the Cross road, both
branches, that to Pasadena and
that to Verdugo canon, via Glen
dale. They also bonded to Rattlesnake
island early in the summer and put up
sufficient to hold the option. This deal
includes the whole island, all the marsh
land adjacent on the Dominguez family's
interests and both sides of San Pedro bay.
That deal will be cOnsummated, and this
syndicate will become the owners of that
water front property. The sum to be
paid has never been made known, but it
is large one. In addition to this rights
of way will be secured-thev are nearly
all now secured-for a road down the
east bank of the river, to the south
limits of the city, and thence to the sea
at Rattlesnake island.
What will be doneo Next Monday
the board will go before the council and
ask for a franchise along the river
to build and operate road. 1t
is not likely that any delay will
be encountered in getting this,
as absolute guarantees will be given,
that the road will be built at once. The
matter is so important to the city, that
the council will in all reasonable proba-
bility grant the right at once.
As soon as this franchise is secured
and the material can be got on the
ground, work will begin and be continued
until the road is completed, the wharf
built and all in operation to tide waterat
Rattlesnake island.
At the same time, or nearly so, the
Glendale road will be widened to
standard guage, and that branch will be
continued up the San Fernando valley,
by way of Burbank, to the Santa
Susanna pass, and thence down the
Santa Clara valley to the ocean
at Hueneme. Now. all that is
quite an enterprise in itself. All
these roads connect rich and populous
districts, where there will be great
deal of local business. The roads will
pay from the word go. And yet the
scheme looks too big to be merely local.
But no line of questioning can get out of
any one what the programme is to be.
Mr.. Burnett comedies that this is the
Pacific Coast terminal of trans-conti-
mental line, but when asked the route
east says that has not been
fully determined on, and when asked
what interest there is behind it, he says
the interest of the stockholders. 1t has
been generally thought that the Union
Pacific was the power behind the throne.
But is it? These people are not Union
Pacific men. They have no connection,
and have not had, with that road. Many
of them are associates of Jay Gould.
1t will be noted that the Missouri Pacific
which reaches Denver is closely allied
with that great recent consolidation and
Improvement of the Denver and Rio
Grande, the Colorado Midland and the
Rio Grande Western. In the same con-
nection it may be noted that from the
crossing of the Green river where the
junction is, surveys have been run
southwesterly, catching up the head
waters of the Virgin river, and follow
ing that stream towards the Grand
Canon of the Colorado. In
the same connection are the surveys
made this side of The Needles toward
San Bernardino. All one can do in the
absence of information is to reason and