The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-15
THE MERGED ROAD
What People Think of the
Project.
THE ROUTE PRACTICABLE.
SO Says j. c. Snyder, Who Knows
the Country Well.
INDUSTRIES WILL BE DEVELOPED
Fine Granite and Sugar Pine Timber
VIII Be Given an Outlet TO
This Market.


OF public feelingo or that subject IN those
communities, the people of MERGED and
MariDosa counties must be thoroughly
aroused to the Importance of the euter-
prise mentioned and eager to assist in its
successful completion,
AT the Lick House yesterday, Messrs.
S. N. Fancfef, president of the Bank Of
MERGED E. r Dixon. resident of another
large financial concern in the same place,
and J. &. Snyder, an Old-time resident Of
Marfposa,- were .. discussing the project
mentioned. -. =.
Mr.. Snyder has lived in MaripOsa for
over thirty-two years and is familiar with
every. paEt of ground TO be traversed by
tile road. In. his opfnion The plan Of fol
lowing tire MERGED River from Snelling up
lis entire course. to the Yosemite. while it
may be practicable. would still be: eX-
tremely. unwise.- 'The river, he saws. fol-
lows "A. canyon neatly all the way up, and
fur.IhiS reason it Would be impossible to
get out to or in from the surrounding
country from which it IS expected to Sc
cure much traffic. -.
"TheprOPer route forthe road TO follow, 3"
said he, Sis. 70 90. ups BY way of Hornitos
a far as Princeton, which is about five
head Of NaripOsa Greek, on the east
branch, whicii would bring the line out on
.What-is known as.tke Mono flats, between
Bear and St0Ckton<creeks. AT that point
the.line would. strike tie survey for The
Yosemite free road, made several years
ago, which strikes the MERGED River at the
mouth of Bear. Creek. Thence up tire
valley it would be found very easy work To
construct a road. =:
"There IS nothing impracticabe about
the proposition, and as an indication of its
feasibility | might state that some time
ago the county Surveyor OF Merced and
another thoroughly cOmDetent engineer
ran survey for a railroad line from the
line of the Yosemite grant down a dis
tance of twelve miles ana found no OBJ
stacleS TO construction. This survey was
made right il the seotiQn where the
heaviest grades will be eucoun tered" -
Mr.. Dixon seemed to be enthusiastic in
the support Of the Project and said that he
believed the people of MERGED were wiling
TO take hold OF the matter Just as sOOn as
the plans were presented to them in a
buSness-like shape =:
In the propositions made erbally by the
parties who have the prGject in hand it is
provided that the people of MERGED Issue
bonds TO the amount of 100000, these
bonds to be voted to the corporation in
lieu of light and power privileges which
will be granted tile people. Mr.. Dixon
thinks that there will be no difficulty in
securing the consent of the people to this
upon a reasena BILE. assurance being given
THAT both The Light and power will be sup.
piled aRd that the railroad Will be com
plated. IS .s -..--. !.
Itis stated that the company proposes to
give TO MERGED light and power privileges
for which they are now paying S30,000 a
year for just half that amount The.
amount of power used for this purpose at
present is 800 horsepower, and in addition
To- This the company agrees to give zoo
horsepower outright to the citizens, which
theycau utilize in any way they may see
IT. III =
Mr.. -Dixon,s idea is that it will not be
necessary TO float the bonds at all. but
that the $4,000 saved each year d cast Of
power and light can be applied to wfplng
.0utthe bonded Indebtedness. and that at
the expiration of fifteen years the whole
am aunt will have been tsken up. -
"lhere is a feature about the 700 extra
hoTse-pO wbich strikes me as being of
great ADVANTAGE TO our citizens" said he.
Take a wOolen-mil, for instance we
could say tOlts owner: We will give you
YOUR power free for five Or ten years and
-0Y1hat time:lhe factory would commence
To- paYsu a prof, and the enterprise Woulg
be a fixture in our midst. 49,
effeTing better communication with the
Yosemite, 1: think they are manifest TO-
even the most casual observer. Ny own
case. VIII serve as an illustration. Il ann
now taking a ten days vacation, - and
should have liked very much to have spent
it IN the mountains but after elaboration
I.coDc3uded that the disagreeaDle features
of the trlp-not including the cost ameng
Them would more than offset It's pleas.
7 fat- uc l3xf 4
: the I osenllte, and the return trip would
consume as much more, SO that there
would be four days Of tiresome travel over
a hot, dusty road, and the chances are
that i would have felt no better, If as
well. after my return as did before start!
ing +. ~ $50: ' p.
:. Mr.. Fancher made. suggestion in the
same line. 81 20 away. every year said
he, 'anG / would always prefer to take the
mountain trip were it not fer its disadyan-
tages. came up 10 San fraucscO this
year because here / am in telegra nhic COM
munication with my people, and IL I am
needed at home | can get back there in a
few hours, whereas if l. was I'D in the
mountains it: would require four days to
get word through to me and to make the
return: trip. :5:' 3.
e.. III the road can be built so that it can
be operated in the winter the travel will
be simply tremendous. At that season of
the year Yosemite is at lis best, and
think the locality could be made by far the
most popular in tie State. g
''Ihere is another feature about the pro-
ject, said Mr.. Dixon, s'and that is the new
Industries which it is bound to develop.
AT Raymond, am reliably informed, the
granite quarries have at present 3Ovsr
100000 in orders ahead of those already
filled. Now, there are plenty of quarreS
through the mountains which could be
opened where Just as good granite can be
obtained as thatat present procured from
those at Raymond. Again, take sugar
pine. Ask any dealer in this city " hat il
is worth and howill tell you from $I20 to
S125 per 1000 feet.
There is unlimited quantities of that
class OF timber 10. the mountains, and as a
logical result OF bringing it into market
MERGED would secure a sash and blind
factory at once. We could say to persons
who desired to start such a business
Your power, under ordinary conditions,
would cost you SO day; that we will
give it TO you for nothing for five or more
years. That would mean practically a
gift of $4,000 or more, and men would
Jump at the chance.
"The proprietor OF a fouring-mill In
MERGED recently told me that it cost him
from SIS 10 SIG per day of ten hours. Mr..
Wulkop says that he will guaran tee q sufi.
Gent power to run the DILL for SIS per dav.
and will allow him 10 use it for twenty.
four hours each day besides. This, Won
see. would save the miller $1,000 or $4,000 a
year.