The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-06
BY WHICH ROUTE :?
Many Ways Through the
San Joaquin Valley.
MANAGER LEEDS VIEWS.
An Important Question Which Will
Be Settled by Subscriptions-1he
Practical Routes.
MANAGER LEEDS VIEWS.


at an informal meeting of tho Trafnc
Association held yesterday afternoon tue
mem bers present expressed themselves as
being highly pleased with the prospects
for securing the new railroad from Stock
ton to Bakersfield.
The outspoken goodwill and encourage
ment that has come from the business men
and producers of the San Joaquin valley
have added new life to the enterprise. The
showing that has been made OF how the
Southern Pacific is running the trade OF
San Francisco has aroused the merchants
to the present condition of affairs.
Merchants as we'll as others are coming
forward with offers Of assistance, and
when the executive committee begins the
collection of subscriptions the present In
dications point to hearty support
The subscription blanks are now being
printed, and in few days there will be a
jo int conference Of the executive commit
tee Of the Traffic Association and the
board of control OF the League of Progress
at which time the plan for raising the
money to pay San Franchises proportion
of the cost of the new railroad will be de-
termined upon.
The Traffic Association has fully deter
mined not to ask for subscriptions to the
capital stock from the people of the San
Joaquin Valley until this city has fully
made up its portion. and when that has
valley will contribute all that can be rea-
sonably asked.
"There are many routes that can be
selected for the line of the valley Rail-
road" said Traffic Manager Leeds yester-
day.
eve have the choice of route parallel
ing the Southern Pacific from Modesto to
Merced by way Of Athlune and interme.
diate stations, thence south to Fresno and
Bakersfield, or else we could hug the
coast closer or 60 further toward the
mountains by way of Oakdale. Smelling
and Mariposa."
People Of the San Joaquin Valley should
pay particular attention to Mr.. Leeds
words, for it is matter of vital interest to
the towns of the valley that the new line
build past their DOORS
Unlike the mountainous regions Of the
State the San Joaquin Valley offers
wonderful natural facilities for railroad
construction. East and west the country
is level as billiard table; thus survey
parties will not have to wrangle over the
feasibility OF this or that route, out can
with little expense and labor map out
course through most any portion of the
San Joaquin Valley.
There are q o less than dozen practical
routes for the new line. Large and pros
porous towns are situated on all of them
and there is doubt but hat considerable
rivalry will be Witnessed between the
different sections of the valley in their
attempt to subscribe the largest amount
to the capital stock Of the corporation to
in sure its trains stopping at their respec-
tive towns.
Starting from Stockton, the valley
route could take in Oakdale, Waterford,
Montpelier and Hopeton on one route be-
fore touching at MERGED. or else by a
bend toward the southwest the Southern
Pacific could be paralleled on its Modesto
line to MERGED. which would affect the In
terests of Lathrop. Ripon. Salida, Ceres,
Turlock, Livingston and Atwater.
This course to MERGED would probably
be the best for an initial movement. as the
towns mentioned are nearly all the centers
of some of the best agricu ltural lands in
the State. The land is chiefly foothills or
plains watered by the MERGED and San
Joaquin rivers.
Another possible route from Stockton
through the upper San Joaquin valley. not
stopping at MERGED, would be in a direct
line south to Newman. following a south
westerly course through the foothills of
Stanislaus and MERGED counties, taking an
easerly bend in the direction of Fire
barghs, crossing the Southern Pacific to
Fresno.
From MERGED south there are routes
innumerable, but there appears to be no
doubt that the Southern Pacific will be
paralleled as far as Fresno City, as the
important stock. fruit and wool growing
portions of Fresno County are centered in
places like Berenda. MADEIRA. Borden and
Herndon, all of which towns are stations
on the Southern Pacific line. Below Fresno
on the Reedley branch of the Southern
Pacific system are the towns of Fortuna,
Sanger, Mineola and Reedley. while on
the trunk line of the same system are
Fowler and Kingsburg.
a QlrocC drop SCUM IRON FFeSuO TO Lee
moore would take in Easton. Oleander and
RIversdale in Fresno County. and Grange
vile, Hanford. Lemoore and Ammonia in
Tulare County.
Thus it is illustrated. that in run of
100 miles there are three distinct ard
proper routes for the Bakersfield extension.
Through Tulare County the line would
be run in the direction Of the Porterville
branch or via Upton.
There Is much finer country south of
Porterville and Plano than south of Tip
ton. From Delano to Glenburn, on the
Upton route, there is practically an un-
developed country, except that bordering
on the direct line Of the Southern Pacific,
which irrigation has brought to the
front.
Rich toothill districts could be tapped by
running from Porterville to Delano along
Deer Creek, or else the line could be built
directly south. opening up an entirely new
territory-this with little additional ex-
pense for surveying or construction.