The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-14

! the feeling finally eliminated in Coast
! line Convention held at San Jose in June.
| The prospect of inducing the Southern Pa
cilc Company to build the line was at the
| time of the convention exceedingly dark,
| for President Huntington was known TO be
| hostile to the scheme, and il was thought by
many folly pure and simple to attempt any,
| thing in the face of this objection. Only
| TO Ut DAYS before the convention convened
| he said in an interview:
WHAT HUNTINGTON SAID.
''Our present system must be brought up
before we can think OF building much new
| road. Our central route has for some time
been sort of kindergarten for the entire
| system. My policy Will be to build feeders
into all the fertile little valleys. and 10 put
| branch roads wherever / see n district that
needs road and can support one. Lake
| County is a fine country. | have ordered
| lines 10 be run by engineers from four dif-
ferent points, and when l return expect
| TO be back again in September-we will con-
slider the practicabiity OF building up there.
! We will doubtless build this summer from
| Oakdale to MERGED along the foothills, but
| there is little other new work in pros pect
| Immediately. The connection between
| Santa Margarita and Santa Barbara is a
| long job and difficult, and business al pres
! ent hardly warrants the construction of that
| line. l doubt II there will be any more
| work for time on the west side line, south
| from Tracy. There are not many people
| there yet to use the road"
On the other hand, Mr.. Croker rather
favored the proposition from the first. and
| While the citizens did not receive very pro-
| neunced encouragement from him, yet il is
| highly probable that they were given to un-
derstand that MIR. Hun tingtOn's objections
might be overcome in the face of decided
stand FOR the proposed construction. At
any rate, the convention convened at San
Jose on the 18th day Of June, with dele
gates present from the counties of Los
Angeles, Ventura. San Luis Obispo, Mon
terey. Santa Cruz San Mateo, Alameda and
San Francisco. Elwood Cooper was elected
Chairman, and after two days work the
following resolution was passed:
Resolved, That 1t Is the sense OF this conyen.
uon mat proposition be submitted to the
Southern Pacific Company 10 undertake 10 pro.
cure the right OF way over the surveyed line of
me unfinished tortion OF the coast line between
Eliwood, In santa Barbara Couny, and depot
grounds, and pledge a subscription TO th- FIRST
mortgage per cent bonds at par. covering the
line of the road between San Miguel and San
Luis, from the people along the llue Of said road
ageregating the sum of 100000
Provided the said Southern Pacific Company
In consideration OF the faithful performance OF
the obligation involved in this resolution will
give assurance of the resumption of active con.
sIructlve work on said road within three months
after the right OF way and the subscription to
sald ponds snail nave been secured. and 10 con-
time active and vigorous work the road
sought 10 be built until the said road is COM
pete that shall make TIE coast line continuous
line from san FIancscO 10 Los Angeles.
THAT TIME LIMITATION.
A copy was at once sent to Mr. Croker.
who promptly forwarded the proposition TO
President Huntington. OF course Hunting
ton objected, and in communication TO Mr..
Cooper soon after Mr.. Croker said:
A copy OF The resolutions adopted by the con.
hH1 Gan Insa ut
were President. aud which accompanied your
letter OF the 29th ult., was forwarded 10 New
YORK Cty ior the consideration OF he Directors
residing there. and / am now able TO state to
you tile answer OF the Southern Pacific Railroad
COMPANY 10 The proposition made through those
your proposition, and will make an agreement
with an authorized committee covering the con-
slruction oil the line of railroad between Santa
Margdrlta ana ENwo0d. asking, however, that
the standing committee appointed by the con.
yentIon for the purpose shall strike out the lni-
itation OF time IN ntioned IN the resolution for
completing the road. There will be no other
notifications OF Importance desired by lie CON-
pany Please inform me as TO your wishes as to
the time and place fer further conference on
this subject.
This settled the convention res olution. for
an objection to the proposition in general is
found in the objection to the time limita-
ti0n. Considerable correspondence fol-
lowed on the subject, the company holding
that sufficient time was not allowed by the
terms OF the proposed agreement for the
construction of the road. Then confer
ence committee which had been organized
in the south came up and offered to extend
The time and terms OF the agreement for a
period of eighteen months from the date of
the procurement of right of way.
ms proposition was also respectfully de-
clined, upon the ground that the time was
not sufficient and that Ii would be impos-
sible to close the gap within the period
| mentioned. At this time Mr.. Huntington
| raised another objection and one which
| filled the members of the conference com
| mittee wita wonder, surprise and possibly
with admiration. He desired no monetary
assistance whatever. The committee went
| home disbanded, reorganized and again and
| again appeared at Fourth and Townsend
| streets.
| A CONTRACT MADE AT LAST.
In the meantime some very vigorous cor
responGence on this subject had been going
| on between Croker and Huntington. The
| COMMITTEES now proposed TO obtain and do
| nate to the railroad company the right of
way and depot facilities in consideration Of
Its commencing the construction of the
road Immediately upon the procurement Of
| said right Of way and vigorously and con-
| tinuously proceed with the work to its COM
| petion. the period of time not to exceed
three years. This proposition was accepted
by Huntington and contract conforming
to the agreement. as given above. was pre-
| pared and signed by authorized representa-
! tives OF the company and citizens respect
| lively.
The committeeman went home and the
work of securing the right of way COM
menced in earnest and has just been COM
| peted. MeSsrs. Phillips and Jack Of the
| committee have just laid before the COM
| pany deeds to the desired right OF way and
| work on the new line will be common ced at
| once. 1t will cost about 5000, 900. and
| commencing at Santa Margarita, In San
| Luis Obispo County, will run due south to
the city of San Luis Obispo and thence TO
! the coast, which 1t strikes near Port Ham
| ford.
Thence 1t follows, with some reflections.
| the coast line as far as Santa Lucia, from
which point to Ell Colo the actual line is not
| yet located, the surveys which have been
made not being yet decisive as to whether
the coast line shall be followed between
these two points, or whether the road
shall follow. the Santa Inez River for
distance from Santa Lucia, and then
Santa Inez Mountains to reach Ell Colo by
this last route. From FL Colo to Eilwood
the coast will be followed closely BY the