The morning call., 1895-01-30
INTEREST INCREASES DAILY
One Million Ten Thousand Dollars Is
Subscribed.
EMPLOYMENT FOR MANY THOUSANDS.
Claus SpreckeIS Declares That the Whole
Amount Will Be Raised Within
Two Weeks.

California is to-day like the traveller who
spent night of horror in the den of lion
and found when morning came that the
monster was toothless, its limbs paralyzed
and its eyes sightless. The building of the
valley road, now an assured fact, has
taught men of all classes how powerless
the Southern Pacific is and has been. 1t
has demonstrated that the people would
have been free long ago if theyhad but
shaken off the chains that bound them,
and now when the thing is practically done
the wise men know Just how it could have
been done, and marvel that it was not done
long ago.
Claus Spreckels and his sons John D.
and Adolph B. are regarded as public
benefactors, for there was a generous
dash of patriotism in the motive that
caused them to place their wealth in the
great gap that lay between the conception
of the road and its success. The manufac-
turers and merchants, the agriculturists
and the laborers, all who dreamed of a
great and prosperous California and with
hope deferred became sick of heart, are
praising the capitalists who came to the
rescue of the State.
The bankers are slow to place their seal
of approval upon the scheme in public, but
if all that was said yesterday, mot for
publication, mind you" could be written
it would fill columns that would make
very sunshiny reading for the projectors
and promoters of the scheme. With the
bankers are the iron manufacturers. Their
industry has languished since the days of
the great strike, and they now have cheer
ing visions of new factories, bridges and
railroads that will come with advancing
prosperity; yet they would rather not say
much for publication, for many of them
have been patronized by the Southern Pa
ciic, and the thrifty gentlemen who COM
pose that corporation are far, very far,
from being friendly to an enterprise which
is to take from them the rich revenues of
the San Joaquin Valley.
The building of the new road means the
dawn of better, brighter day to the world
of toll. The hewing of trees, the leveling
of the earth and the casting of the iron and
steel will give work to thousands; and
when the cars are running on the shining
trail that leads to the south there will be
permanent employment for a small army
of men.
Good work was done yesterday by the
committee that has charge of the enter
prise. money talks" is an expression
the meaning of which is known to every
wide-awake citizen, and money united its
golden tongue yesterday.
When the meeting of the committee was
called to order by Chairman Spreckels, the
form of the subscription list was approved
and without any further preliminaries the
members present were informed by the
chairman that the time had arrived for
action and, stepping to the secretary's
desk, Mr.. Spreckels placed his name at the
head of the list, subscribing for 5000
shares, amounting to 100000.
John D. Spreckels followed with the
handsome sum OF 100000, and likewise
took that am oun5 for his brother Adolph,
who was not prese Mt. Their example was
an inspiration to others and the lisb began
to grow with the growth of a giant.
As fast as the members present could
write their names the work of building the
fund proceeded, and inside quarter OF an
hour the magnificent sum of 81 ,010, 900 was
guaranteed.
The names of the subscribers and the
amount of stock taken by them are as fol-
lows.