The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-19
TAKE A REST,
Valley Road Managers Waiting
for an EVentful
Week.
WAR DEPARTMENT CONSULTED.
Permission to Build DraWbridges
Over NaVigable Channels
Is Asked.

Indications are that next week will be an
eventful one in the history of the San
Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Rail-
way. For the present the directors of that
company are resting on their oars, feeling
they are entitled to rest after accomplish
bing wonders in remarkably short space of
time. They started the project of rail-
way through the great valley of California
that will emancipate the State through
competition in transportation of passengers
and teeming produce of most of California s
most productive lands. They went ahead
at once, striking the iron while it was hot,
collected over 81 800 900 in subscriptions
from the people, made claims for rights OF
way, started engineers out on the San Joa-
quin plains with a clear way pointed out
south ward to the Tehachapi foothills of
Kern County, and made arrangements for
supplies and building materials.
Even now steamer is speeding round
the continent with a cargo of steel rails
and spikes, mills are running day and
night reeIing off the bands of iron that
are to join the great valley With the me-
tropoliS of this coast, and enough work IN
all directions has been planned that every
director may now take a breathing spell
and look after his own private affairs.
A special meeting Of the Harbor Com
missioners and the valley road directors
will be held next Monday for the purpose
of discussing the lease of China Basin
for terminus in this city. 1t is thought
highly probable that the lease will be
signed, If not at this meeting certainly
some day during the week. The commit
tee appointed to reconstruct the lease has
reached an understanding as to how it
should be written, and sent copies to the
Governor, the Harbor Commission and the
railway directors. No changes are made
in the terms or considerations of the origi-
nal documents which in the main has
been preserved. The only alterations are
in elimination of roundabout passages and
q condensing of the language. As the for
mer lease had little that was Objectionable
to all concerned, the committee believes
that the amended one will be freely signed.
2. A. Buell., who is one of the most
energetic OF Stockton's promoters of the
valley railroad, was in this City Wednesday
on important business connected with
rights of way, franchises and engineering
work of the new railway in and near
Stockton. He spent long time with Di-
rector Robert Watt and Chief Engineer
Storey in reviewing maps made by the
surveying party that moved its camp on
Tuesday to Collegeville.
Among other things bridges were con-
sidered by the practical minded director
and engineer. and drawings were sub
mitted to the United States War Depart
ment, with a request for permission to
construct drawbridges over the navigable
channels which give Stockton direct water
communication with the harbor of San
Francisco.
Mr.. Buell. is familiar with every foot of
ground in the eastern portion of the San
IL l. L
cial study of the valley road route to Ba-
kersfeld considerable weight attaches to
his opinions.
II believe" said he, chat the most
practicable route from Stockton is to Bur
NEVILLE, where the road would have a
good crossing over the Stanislaus River at
point about four miles west of Oakdale.
From this point would run close to the
Oakdale extension of the Stockton and
Copperopolis road to MERGED, and thence
few miles east parallel with the Southern
Pacific Railway to Fresno. From Fresno
south the preferable route lies between the
two lines of the Southern Pacific to Visalia,
where connections could be made with the
Tulare and Visalia Railroad.
~ should run about due south to point
about Woodville; from here diverge to the
west, crossing the main line of the South
ern Pacific at point near Alila and par
alleling the Southern Pacific on the west
side of same few miles distant to Bakers
field.
''This line would give the most direct
route from Stockton to Bakersfield and
reach the richest part of the San Joaquin
Valley, and the part now most extensively
Irrigated, and as this line will unquestion-
ably be the main trunk line for the outlet
of one or more Eastern roads, it should be
made as short as possible, SO that quicker
time can be made. OF course this route
would skip several good towns, namely
Modesto MADEIRA, Hanford, Sanger and
Porteryille. Branch lines or feeders could
be built to these towns at comparatively
trifing cost, and they might be operated
by electricity, as power could be obtained
from the numerous rivers of the San
Joaquin Valley"
With regard to the capital which Stock
ton has promised to contribute toward the
competing railroad he said that only few
thousand dollars are needed to make the
total sum of 100000.
lean assure you" he said in conclusion,
tthat the Stockton Council is all right
on the franchise proposition. We will
have the franchise and the rights of way
in few weeks, and you can then find us
waiting for construction to begin"
Attorney Preston is revising Stockton s
demand for an agreement on the directors
part that they shall build a railway from
- PVOChGOU 10 hcTu county. he stated JAaL
the agreement is in the main acceptable to
the board of directors, but some slight al.
terations are necessary before it can be
signed. The board is only too willing to
sign it, as an earnest of their design, which
is SO well understood that there can be nc
doubling its certainty.
The directors will hold meeting Tues.
day next, for which the secretary is busily
making preparations. The most important
event of this session may be the issuance
of certificates to all persons who subscribed
for stock