Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-25
IT MAY Be A SALT LAKE LINE,
A Possible Reason for the Rail-
road from GOff.
1t Would Be Easy for the Santa Fe to
Close the Gap.
Material Forwarded Yesterday to the
So-Called Mining Camp Branch.
Railroad Stories-Fast
Track Laying.

Track Laying.
Yesterday the Santa Fe company
forwarded a considerable amount ol
construction material, such as ties, etc.,
to Goff, little station on the Atlantic
and Pacific railway, about 20 miles west
of The Needles. The ostensible purpose
OF this move is, as was excl usively an
nounced in the HERALD some months
ago, to build railway to the Eldorado
Canon mines, about so miles north Of
eGoff.
But there appears likelihood OF there
being more to the project. A study of
a railroad map will show that the Dem
yer and Rio Grsnde Western railway,
which with the Colorado Midland (the
latter being Santa Fe appendsge) forms
q direct line from Denver to Salt Lake
city, has built branch simultaneously
from Thistle station to Marysville, in
Utah. This branch it happens extends
almost half the distance be-
tween The Needles and. Salt
Lake City. The map shows
another thing; that is, that if the build.
ers of the alleged mining camp road
from Golf station choose to extend it, it
would be a comparatively easy thing
for them to build it to connection
with the Marysville branch of the
Denver and Rio Grande Western. II
this was done the Santa Fe company
would have direct line from Los An
geles to Salt Lake right through the
famous iron and coal fields of Utah.
This pointer is good one to watch. 1t
is likely to develop.
RAzzoRs IN THE AIR.
Razzors in the air As the noon
freight pulled into Pasadena yesterday,
two seedy but honest looking wayfarers
asked the conductor to give them lift
to Arcadia, where they had secured a
job. The tie-counters were allowed to
occupy the cabooHe, and the train pulled
out. At Santa Anita, while the train
men were all at the front end, they dis
covered the tramps making across the
field with two baskets of lunch. The
conductor had razor in his pocket
which he was taking to Azusa for re-
pairs, and jerking the cutter from his
pocket he pursued the thieves and his
dinner, brandishing the weapon and
threatening to shoot. The tramps soon
dropped the lunch, but the irate con-
ductor didn't propose to let them off
that easily. After overtaking and kick
ing the ingrates till he was tired, the
conductor again drew the razor and
made them march back to the train
with the baskets. We havn't enough
dashes in the shop to represent in
blank what the train men said to the
grub stealers, bat every one who has
heard railroad man swear knows that
it was done in English as she was spoke
upon the rail.
RAPID RAILROAD BUILDING.
When it was proposed to build the
Central Pacific railroad. civil engineer
of 20 years experience reported that the
road could not be completed in 20 years,
with all the money of the Bank of Eng
land to back the enterprise. But it was
built and completed seven years before
the expiration of the time fixed by con-
gress. The act of congress allowed the
Genital Pacific to build it's line eastward
until it met that of the Union Pacific.
Inasmuch as every mile of road
brought with it subsidy in bonds and
land from the United States. there was
a race between the two roads. AS the
tracks neared each other, the pace be-
came rapid. The Union company laid
little over four miles in one day. Soon
afterward the Central company COM
pleted elk miles in day. The Union
company excelled that feat by laying
eight miles.
Mr.. Charles Crocker, who was push
ing forward the Central, said: "Well
take off our coats and beat them; but
we won't try it until we are so close that
they won't have chance to get back at
u.s." When the Central approached
within IA miles of the Union, the final
struggle began.
1--WE are going to lay 10 miles OF track
in one day; you can make up your
mind to that" said Mr.. Crocker to his
foreman, who had expressed doubts of
the possibility OF utilizing men enough
to do the work.
81 have been thinking the matter
over for fortnight, and know what l
am about. Each train load will contain
materials enough for two miles. AS
soon as one train has dropped its load,
forward the rails as fast as the men can
carry them. Then bring up and un-
load another train.
nave your mou III rehulucsS lOI 6plk-
ing. Let the first man drive in only one
particular spike, and pass on from one
rail to another let the man who follows
him drive in the second spike on the
same iail, and go on. See thatyou have
enough spikes on hand, so that no man
stops for an instant or passes another
man. Then let the straighteners follow.
and see that they advance without stop
or hitch. Close on their heels, but not
so close as to interfere, bring forward
the Jewelers. and fillers."
Mr.. Bancroft, who describes the scene
in Chronicles of the Builders, quotes an
eyewitness, a general officer:
s'It was," said he, 'as if an army
marched over the ground and left be-
hind it railroad finished. l rode be-
hind the workmen, and at times the
track was laid as fast as my horse conld
walk"
Ten miles, and 1856 feet additional, was
laid in that day of days in the his
tory of track-laying.
Set Him Right.
Geo. Augufta sala, the well known English