Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-03
ABOUT THE RAILROADS.
SAN DIEGO SEEKS A MAN TO
SUE THE SANTA FE.
Col. A. b. Hotchkiss Wanted by the
City to Prosecute the Case-A Po-
mona Mans Invention OF a
Photographic Ticket.

1t appears that San Diego is again let
ting her. ire arise against the Santa Fe,
and intends to prosecute the foolish at
tempt to force that line to cut San Diego
off its system. The Union of that city,
of yesterday, contains the following:
The joint finance committee of the city
council met yesterday at the city hall to
consider resolution from the auditing
committee, which was referred to the
joint committee on finance by both
houses.
The resolution is quite important, in
asmuch as it has to do with the suit of
the city against the Santa Fe Railroad
company. 1t will be remembered that
the city is about to institute proceedings
against the railroad company to declare
forfeited the lands and subsidies granted
the company, owing to an alleged nom
fulfillment of contract on the part of the
/ defendant corporation.
The question of how to proceed was
referred to the auditing committee; at
least it was stated thatthat was the ques-
ton, and the committee reported back
that it didn't know, or could come to no
agreement, so the entire matter was sent
to the joint finance committee.
1t now develops that it was not 80
much question of ways as means. Col.
A. B. Hotchkiss, attorney for the South
ern Pacific at Los Angeles, who has
been approached" as assistant counsel
for the city, asks retainer of $2500 and
an additional fee of $25O0 when the
cases come to trial. The question has
been asked, "Why Colonel Hotchkiss ?''
This question can be readily answered
by the older residents OF the city.
When the subsidies, lands, etc., were
granted to the Santa Fe, Mr.. Hotchkiss
was city attorney, and is in possession
of data and information very necessary
to the plaintiff, and said not to be OBJ
tainable elsewhere, and it has been
said, and the fee asked demonstrates
that Mr.. Hotchkiss is not distributing
bis Information gratuitously, at least not
in large-sized, liberal chunks. After
wrestling with the proposition for some
time, the finance committee adjourned
to meet with the auditing committee
next Thursday for joint conference.
A NoN-TRANsFERABLE RAILROAD TICKET.
A young railroad man of Pomona has
come to the front with an invention in
the way of ticket that will bring him
fame and an enviable bank account
says the Progress of that city. 1t is sim.
ply this: The purchaser of an iron-clad
ticket is not to be required to write his
name or make any formal declaration as
to his intention in regard to the ticket
Nothing of the kind. The agent who
sells the low-rate round-trip points his
little camera at you while he gives you
your change. 1t records the image Of
the purchaser in an instant The agent
/ pulls out the slide, rubs his chemical
sponge over the sensitized paper and
there you are. In the upper left-hand
corner of the ticket he pastes that pic
ture. puts it in under stamp that EN-
bosses the edges, and unless you can find
somebody that looks enough like you te
risk the chance of return on your i'm
age the ticket will carry the original
purchaser and nobody else.
The inventor of this form of a railroad
ticket has made series of drawings and
plates showing his idea of the proposed
ticket. He shows that any railroad Office
selling coupon tickets could have the
photographing equipment that his in
that any one who can read and has tn.
|
new ticket after half hours practice
The scheme is to be laid before tn,
Santa Fe people, by special appointment
next Tuesday.
NOTES.
The San Francisco Traffic association
claims to have caused decided reduc
tion OF transcontinental freight rates, b,
virtue of having encouraged ocean ship
ping.
Mr.. Williamson Dunn went to Sal
Francisco yesterday, to take his Office a
commercial agent of the D.. & r. q
Western.
1t is stated that the San Francisco an,
> North Beach railroad will not sell TO
!, more than $500,000. At the time Q
Col. j. Mervyn Donahue's death it wa
! valued at several millions.
Ran inc