The morning call., 1895-02-27
Map Showing the Progress Of the
Work
Compiled from the surveyors field notes.l

Compiled from the surveyors field notes.l
ward the work so auspiciously begun, in
reality the construction department never
fully relaxed its labors. A moderate force
of men were kept busy for months and
lately this force has been largely increased.
Several weeks ago the Santa Maria River,
about twenty-five miles below San Luis
Obispo, was reached, and now temporary
trestle has been erected across that stream,
while beyond it the roadbed has been ex-
tended several miles further south.
The completion of the coast division
through TO Santa Barbara will undoubt-
edly have the effect of transferring all
through passengers from the present route
followed to the newer and far more pleas
ant line. 1t will give direct entrance to
San Francisco, around the tedious ferry
transfer, and in every way be the most de-
sirable of the two routes to passengers
When this new line is opened for traffic
other changes OF moment will be made in
the same route. The cutoff to South San
Francisco, by which the heavy grades near
Valencia street and in that neighborhood
will be avoided, will have been constructed.
But by lar the most important work the
company has under consideration in this
connection is the double tracking of the
entire line as far south as San Jose and the
introduction of a suburban train service
similar to that employed by the Illinois
Central in Chicago, the Reading road in
Philadelphia and by other lines in various
cities of the country.
One of the features of this traffic will be
fast and frequent train service 1t is said
the company will run trains every twenty
minutes during certain portions of the day
when travel is heaviest and that they will
approximate fifty miles an hour in speed
The officials of the Southern Pacific have
not always been ardent advocates of a
through line by the coast. In fact there
was time, not many years ago, when they
were opposed to any such measure
Several years ago, before the Southern
Pacific had decided to build the coast line
through, there was a large railroad meet
ing held in San Jose at which Vice-Presi-
dent Croker was an attendant In the
same city at the same time was the repre-
sentative of wealthy Eastern capitalists
who had in view the construction of an
other overland route. This gentleman re-
fused to make known the nature of his
proposition until after the wealthy men of
San Jose who called the meeting had got
through with their negotiations with Mr..
Croker. That gentleman, however, got
wind of the new road proposition during
his stay in the city, and after some tele-
graphic correspondence with his associates
entered into an agreement to build the
coast line through, the time in which it
was to have been completed expiring sew
eral months ago.
Mr.. Croker at the time contended that
the coast line would only injure the bust
ness of the road, which the company
already had in operation to the south
without developing material amount of
new traffic its proximity to the coast, as
he claimed, having tendency to prevent
the acquisition of much freight traffic.
However, it became apparent to him that
the movement started in San Jose would
result in the development of formidable
opposition if his company refused to make
the concession desired, and he chose the
only course which promised protection to
his interests