Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-24
RAILROAD MEETING.
La Canada Enthusiastic for Rail-
road.

road.
A meeting was held at Crescenta Tues
dav night, and General Shields was
called to the chair, and Mr.. R. G. Moses
elected secretary. A committee was APP
pointed to meet the managers of the
Terminal Railroad company on the sub
iect of extending their railroad from
Verdugo park, to branch through La
Canada valley. The committee is az
follows Messrs. f. Durham, G. II. Nc
Arthur, Jesse Knight, Will ID. Gould,
DIR. s. S. Salisbury and General Shields.
The meeting estimated that there are
10000 acres of orchard land in La Canada
valley, capable of sustaining farming
population of 5000, and that the salu-
brity OF the climate would increase the
population at least one-third.
General Shields took the floor and de-
livered the speech of the evening, treat
ing the subject at great length. lie said:
GENTLEMEN: The object of this meet
ing is to consider the proposed extension
of the Terminal railroad from Verdugo
Park, four miles, to La Crescenta, thence
westerly and easterly, westerly six miles
to Monte Vista, and easterly two miles
to La Canada colony, all in La Canada
valley.
By some it is assumed that the Los
Angeles and Salt Lake railroad must, as
geographical necessity, go through La
Canada valley. This is a mistake. Said
railroad may enter either the Arroyo
Seco cafion or the Big Tujunga cafion
without going through La Canada val
lev, merely passing across the valley,
near one of the ends.
Rv coma If is said 81 eft the railroad
alone; it will come when it gets ready.
We can neither make nor change the
plans. The railroad managers know it
all" This is tissue OF mistakes. We
can give them facts, guarantees, my
surveys and map OF reconnoisances, that
may solve the railroad question, at least
as to La Canada valley. President
Workman has said as much of what |
have done and of what La Canada valley
may do. To give an illustration: Re
Gently three men approached President
w. H. Workman and General Manager
T. B. Burnet with information of an I'M
supplied railroad field in an adjoining
county, and now the Terminal is going
there, which it might not have done but
for the given information. Let us of
La Canada valley profit by the example.
This is why called this railroad meet
ing. This is why have made map of
my reconnoisances, and why l have
shown it to the managers of the Ter
minal. My map is here for your in
spectiOn.
There is a proposition to abandon the
proposed Los Angeles and Salt Lake
raiload for the proposed San Francisco,
Yosemite and Salt Lake railroad. Here
is proposition that should arouse La
Canada valley and all Southern Califor-
MIA. 1t may postpone the grandest
future that ever tarried below the
horizon of La Canada valley and the
rest of Southern California.
The favorite argument of the advocates
of the proposed San Francisco, Yosem-
lite and Salt Lake railroad, as suhsti-
railroad, is that Southern California has
neither existing room nor prospective
profits for more railroads. This argu-
ment should be rendered harmless by
the logic of facts, as | did it thirteen
years ago, upon being told that there was
neither existing room nor prospective
profits for more railroads i'll Southern
California. l was told at home and
abroad that Southern California had
enough railroads for all time. Regard
less OF these statements 1, while in Gin
cinnati in 1873, began to publish my
scheme for gridironiDg Southern Cali
fornia with new railroads.
| was assured that the Denver and Rio
Grande railroad, and possibly the Santa
Fe, would lengthen their lines to ramify
in Southern California, if shown exist
ing room and prospective profits. | did
it. by the logic of facts. gathered my
facts out of soil and climate, as soil
tiller in Tennessee, Alabama, Ohio and
Southern California.
To further show this method of long
ago, as lesson for nearly 1892. |
add that, in 1881, called and ad-
dressed railroad meetings in villages
and cities of Southern California,
organized a reconnaissance with Mr.. S.
p. Jewett as engineer, and published a
map of the proposed network OF rail-
roads. Letters of inquiry from railroad
men flowed in from the east; soon the
Hon. j. f. Crank entered the railroad
arena, then Mr.. Jewett began the work
OF construction, and now, with the ex-
ception OF the mountain-top railroads
and few others, my network of paper
railroads is a network OF busy iron rail
roads.
As Humboldt said OF the fine Next
can valley OIL OaXaca, La CanaOa Is an
aerial valley. The elevation of the main
floor OF the valley is an average Of about
1900 feet, the foothills from 500 to 1000
feet higher, and the surrounding mount
aims thousands OF feet higher. Through
the mountains are great natural doors,
happily contrived by nature, for easy
ingress and egress of the existing roads
and the proposed railroad. Through
these doors the valley looks out and the
world looks in. The mountains shut
out the infelicities of climate, and the
doors are so placed as to admit the bet
ter outside breezes, to be perfected by
percolation through the dry, pure
mountain air Of La Canada valley.
In the valley are 10000 acres OF
orchard land, 10000 acres of rich noun
tain slope for growing forests, all under
the protection of surrounding ranges of
lofty mountains. OF these mountains
there are two closely connected summit
plateaus, mutually and easily accessible.
The plateaus are generally undulating,
very fertile, and Of sufficient area Tor
hotels and villages. Water can be had.
The lower one OF the two peaks is 1900
feet high, the other one $500 feet; the
higher peak is only 800 feet lower than
Mount Wilson. A railroad OF ordinary
grade can reach the 2600 foot level, and
thence a cog road three and one-fourth
miles long will reach the 5200-loot level