Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-03
ON TO SALT LAKE.
The Road Will be Built in a
Year.
So Hon. Jeff Chandler States in
an Interview.
The Plans of the Terminal Railway
Company Happily Outlined.
An Enthusiastic View of Los Angeles
and the Surroundings-San Pedro to
be the Harbor.

The st. Louis Globe-Democrat of April
9th contains the following interview
with Colonel jeff Chandler, regarding
the Terminal railway of this city:
''The Los Angeles Terminal railway
company has concluded all arrange
ments to complete it's terminal system
at Los Angeles by the 1st of September,
1891. This system embraces about
eighty miles of railway and large and ad-
equate grounds in the city of Los Angeles
for yards and switching proposes and
the general business OF first-class rail
road system. The company has also
about 5000 acres OF land, commanding
one entire side of San Pedro harbor
and the approaches thereto. This
harbor is about four hundred and fifty
miles south of San Francisco and l20
miles north of San Diego on the Pacific
coast, and the only intermediate port
between them, 1t has about eighteen
feet of water at low tide now, and is be-
ing improved by the government with a
view Of securing a uniform depth of
thirty feet, to accommodate vessels COM
ing to the Pacific ocean through the
canal across the isthmus, which is now
i'll course OF construction. San Pedro
will be the shipping port for Southern
California. A high range of mountains
extends east and west between Los An
geles and San Francisco, over which
all north and south railroads must for
ever climb. This rugged barrier to heavy
traffic by railway guarantees the su-
premacy OF water transportation be-
tween the northern and southern Pacific
coast points for all time to come. San
Pedro is the most eligible harbor for the
collection and distribution of heavy COM
mercial substances of the Southern Pa
cific coast, and is twenty-three miles
distant from Los Angeles. The pros
perity OF railroads. in the region includ-
ing and tributary to Southern California
is assured by the creation and recon-
struction of industries therein. The
speculative era in town sites has passed
away, and the growth of the country
now rests on solid principles. The agri-
cultural lands are being steadily occu-
pied and improved under constant in
creasing valuation.
Much has been written of Southern
California and the adjacent country that
to those unfamiliar with the subject has
the appearance of exaggeration. If,
however, an estimate of the future of
railroad property there is measured by
the capacity of the country to furnish
tonnage, it will be seen that no over
estimate has been made. 1t requires
about thirty acres of ordinary farming
land throughout the west to produce one
carload of freight, while in the fruit re-
gions of the southern Pacific coast one
acre has produced within the present
year three carloads. Much of the orange
and other fruit lands pay a net annual
income of from $500 to $500, 5000, and up
to $1,000. Thousands of acres OF trees of
various character are being planted dur
ing the present year, and the fruit-grow-
ing limits are being constantly ex-
tended.
What that country demands is addi-
tional railways. This is also true of the
southern mountain region. near South
ern California. A line of railway ought
to be constructed from Los Angeles to
Salt Lake city, there to unite with the
multitude OF roads spreading through
the intermountain region and the north
western states. This vast region would
eagerly take up the productions of South
ern California, and return to the fruit
growing country an abundance of coal,
iron and timber. Salt Lake City is de-
veloping into one of the most beautiful,
aggressive and wealthy of American
cities. 1t is situated in the midst of
the richest mineral substances existing
in any part of the American union. 1t
is surrounded by much larger area of
agricultural country than is generally
supposed to be tributary to it, 1t will
soon be the seat of great commercial,
manufacturing and smelling interests.
1t far enough removed from all compet-
ing cities to draw to it immense wealth.
The distance between Salt Lake and
San Pedro harbor is 100 miles shorter
than from Salt Lake to San Francisco.
The grades along line of railway to
the southwest from Salt Lake to the
ocean would not exceed fifty feet to the
mile, while they are much greater on
all present lines of railway. A line of
fast seagoing ships plying between San
Francisco and San Pedro would enable
railways operating to San Pedro harbor
to reach all points on the Pacific coast,
including San Francisco, as expeditions
ly as those points are now reached by
the present lines of road.
The Rio Grande Western isslowly but
surely building down to the southwest
ern seacoast. The terminal system
spoken of above is prepared to unite
with all roads coming into that region,
and to furnish them ample facilities for
handling any quantity of traffic. The
construction of line of. road to the
southwest from the terminus of the Rio
Grande Western would open up to
Southern California connection with the
Chicago and Northwestern, the Chicago,
Rock Island and Pacific and the Bur-
lington system, and, indeed, all other
northern line. Salt Lake City and Los
Angeles have it in their power to secure
within the next year the completion OF
this line of railway by contributing
reasonably to that end. 1t is believed
that this will be done, and that South
ern California year hence will be sup
piled with as good railroad facilities as
any section of the Pacific coast.