Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-02
The RAILROADS.
The Southern Pacific Makes
a Purchase.
1T Buys the Redlands and San
BernardinO Motor Line.
Other Railroad News of General
Interest.
'.The Southern Pacific Gets Hold on the
Redlands Fruit Traffic-A Rate
War Imminent-Notes.

The Southern Pacific has just COM
pleted the purchase of the San Bernard
ino and Redlands motor line.
This gives that road good hold on
the enormous fruit traffic from the Red
lands country and also gives it road
into San Bernardino. The motor line in
question extends from San Bernardino
to Redlands, distance of ten and half
miles. 1t has no connection at present
with the Southern Pacific line, but it
will have in very short time. The
two tracks are within thousand feet of
each other between the points of Mound
City and Ell Casco, and it will be only
the work of day or so to make the con-
nectiuh. Before the next fruit shipping
season the motor line will have been
changed to standard gauge and the
Southern Pacific will be competing with
the Santa Fe for the fruit trade which
thelatter has heretofore controlled by
means of its citrus belt route from San
Bernardino to Redlands.
The Santa Fe and the motor line have
for some time past been having a merry
little rate war, but that will probably
cease, now that the big Southern Pacific
is it's owner.
The price paid for the road is not
known anymore than that it took about
six figures to express it.
This is the most important move in
the railroad game that has been made
in Southern California for some time, as
it has the appearance OF being an ag-
gressive action on the part of the
Southern Pacific towards the Santa Fe.
It gives the former road an entrance
into San Bernardino at minimum cost,
and pits it in position to seriously
affect the valuable fruit traffic hereto
fore exclusively controlled by the Santa
Fe.
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT Is DUE.
The Electric people were very happy
yesterday, over the successful working
of their line. One of the officials told
HERALD reporter some facts which
should be understood by everybody. He
said:
"Los Angeles owes this great enter
prise entirely to j. A. Muir. He was up
men in it were discussing the plan of
pitched in, and never left them until he
had persuaded them to come to Los An
geles. And what is the result? Why
we have made contracts already involv-
ing the expenditure of something like
$500, 900, and before we get through we
will spend about as much more, besides
giving Los Angeles as fine system of
street railway as can be found not only
in the United States but in the whole
world. AS said it is all due to Muir,
every bit of it, and think it is time for
Los Angeles to understand that fact"
RATE WAR POSSIBLE.
The Santa Fe has just issued notice
that on and after tomorrow the rate
from Kansas City to Chicago will be cut
from $3.50 to $40. This simple an
nouncement is regarded by railroad men
as forerunner OF lively rate war. The
cut is made to meet similar cut made
by the Chicago and Alton, and the
reason assigned is "self-protection in
the Atoms territory" The story dates
back to the trunk line agreement made
some months ago, to prevent all lines
west of Chicago and St. Louis from pay
ing commissions to trunk line agents.
The Chicago and Alton refused to stop
paying the commissions, and so the
boycott was declared and carried on in a
half-hearted way. AS a retaliatory move
the Chicago and Alton has endeavored
to demoralize trunk line rates by cutting
the fares between Kansas City and Chi
-cago. The Santa Fe, alleging the need
of self-protection, has followed suit, and
all the other lines will have to come in.
T. H. Goodman of the Southern Pacific
told a Chronicle reporter that this cut
will be followed by others, and the
prospects are very much in favor of a
cut-rate war.
Mr.. Fitzgerald of the Southern Pacific
train dispatchers' Office was on Tuesday
the victim of severe hemorrhages from
the lungs.
The Santa Fe will give great fire.
works exhibition on the Fourth of July
at Redondo, having laid in a $500
stock of that merchandise. A special
train will leave the First street depot at
3 p. M, Saturday, returning at 10 p. M.
There are between forty and fifty car
loads of oranges still in Riverside wait
ing shipment.
Mr.. I. H. Polk has made marvellous
success in the management of the San
Bernardino and Cotton motor line. When
this line came into his hands it was
Logging $400 or $500 a month, but it has
since paid up $640O for just claims, and
has now $4,000 in bank. Mr.. Polk was
complimented highly by Judge Ross re-
Gently on the way he was executing the
trust reposed in his hands. He is a
tireless, talented railroad expert.