The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-09
THROUGH SAN JOAQUIN.
Charles ErtZ Talks of the Posi-.
bilities Of His Valley Line.
Surveying Work Between Stockton and Visalia
VIII Commence To-Day Under Engineer
0iiver-A Possible Connection.

Charles Ertz, president Of railroad COM
pany recently organized in this city for the
construction of line through the San Joa-
quin Valley, from Stockton TO Bakersfield,
has returned from Southern California and
was interviewed yesterday concerning the
details of prof jet which, if carried out as
planned. will give the southern portion of
the State greatly increased sportation
facilities and San Francisco another trans
continental road.
When approached on the subject Mr.. Ertz
at first manifested a strong Discrimination to
talk OF his scheme at all, saying with much
truth that the people of California had been
fooled SO often by paper railroads that they
were inclined to look upon a man engaging
in the business OF railroad building rs VS.
ionary and sometimes as hopeless lGnatic.
mo less than 20 men," continued Mr..
Erz, ''have within the past FIVE years or
gained companies to bald local lines, hold
ing out to the people the hope of ultimate
transcontiGental relief. For this reason l
would rather say nothing of the road about
to be commenced. II viii talk for itself one
of these days"
FURTHER INFORMATION.
Being pressed for further Information
Mr.. ErlZ said: The work of locating a
route for the proposed road will commence
tomorrow, when Emery Oliver. a civil en-
gineer of Portland, Or, will leave this city
with corps Of assistants for Stockton.
Surveying will be done under Virgil g.
Bogue, formerly of the Union Pacific.
Some time next week another party of sur
veyors viii join the advance corps at Y iSa liza
and work on toward Bakersfield. When a
route is dec ided upon the next move is to
get right CT way. In this matter we shall
encounter no difficulty. for the San Joaquin
Valley people are anxious for another line
and will readily grant the enterprise every
possible assistance"
IS there any intention on the part OF the
com pany 10 eventually connect with the At
lantic and Pacific, aud thus give the Santa
Fe Through line to California" was asked.
Mr. Ertz hesitated for some minutes and
then SAID: ut Is only a short distance
from Bakersfield 10 Moj@ve.
FEASIBLE ROUTES.
"There are several feasible routes Walk
ers Pass would be the best. in my opinion,
though this would of necessity make our
connection with the Atlantic ana Pacific at
Rodgers, the first station east OF Mojave,
the present western terminus There are
five overland roads trying at the present
time to get into California-the Santa Fe
the Union Pacific. the Burlington, the Rock
Island and the Missouri Pacific. Why is
this? Because the field is rich and the time
ripe.
"The inability of the Southern Pacific to
handle the rapidly increasing traffic of Cali
f0rnla Is becoming more apparent every
day. Laying aside the matter of rates Alto
gether the company cannot handle the crop
Of this year in manner satisfactory to the
producers. In 1890 there was a loud howl
from the wheat men On account of the in
adequate facilities for getting their crop to
market. The previous year witnessed the
same condition Of things. The company
gave as an excuse that the cars were on for
egn Dads and could not be called in. The
+r,,+ n IL pa vlt
to the demand. This is evidenced by the
fact that 800 new frcightcars have been or
dered for the present season, but even with
this increase the crop cannot possibly be
handled in the time necessary to ensure
satisfaction. / have studied the situation
carefully, and am convinced that Cali for
MIA will have another through line within
two or three wears"