The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-15
AN INEVITABLE FATE.

The Southern Pacific Company is doing
excellent service for the valley road by
push ing forward its work of extending the
coast line from San Luis Obispo to Santa
Barbara and by shortening the peninsular
entrance to San Francisco by beginning
the construction of its cutoff through the
Potrero and the San Bruno hills. BY these
two means it will save about hundred
miles in distance between Los Angeles and
San Francisco, and hence will shorten its
schedule time between San Francisco and
n ew Orleans by about five hours.
This will be a great gain to the Southern
Pacific, which necessarily regards its over
land business as the supreme considera-
ton. At the same time it will shoulder
the whole San Joaquin Valley out of the
system of transcontinental traffic. This
means great deal in divers ways The
route from Saugus via Santa Barbara and
San Luis Obispo to San Francisco besides
saving about hundred miles or five hours
over the San Joaquin route, will be ex-
ceedingly picturesque and the ideal route
for tourists. Instead of carrying passengers
through the long stretches of the San
Joaquin Valley, the new line will intro
duce them to charming succession Of
coast, mountain, forest and valley scenery.
During the summer months the heat of
San Joaquin Valley is uncomfortable to
travellers who are confined IN railroad
trains, and the new route will obviate
that difficulty by transporting them
through a region which is cooled by the
pleasant breezes OF the Pacific Fur Their
more, the Southern Pacific has always Ia
bored under the disadvantage, not only of
having a southern line of monotonous
scenic features, but one devoid of the very
valuable charm which view of the ocean
brings. The new overland route via San
nish all the lacks of the present route
through the San Joaquin.
1t is inevitable, therefore, that the San
Joaquin Valley is to be sidetracked by the
Southern Pacific, and that its beautiful cit
les and orchards and vineyards will not be
given the chance to tell their story of
opportunity and wealth to the visitor who
reaches these shores by the southern
route Nor will those travellers from the
north or by way of the Central Pacific to
San Francisco be given the opportunity on
their return V la the south-whether by the
Southern Pacific or the Santa Fe line-to
see the San Joaquin Valley; for by avoid
ing it they may save five hours in time to
Los Angeles and be enabled to enjoy the
delightful scenery of the San Luis 0bispo
route. In mourning the enormous ex-
pense required to construct line from
Santa Margarita to Santa Barbara through
the most difficult country that the South
ern Pacific ever assailed, it took into &C
count beforehand the great advantages
which this line would enjoy on the score
of overland traffic.
If the residents of the San Joaquin
Valley underestimate to the smallest ex-
tent the tremendous disadvantage under
which they will be placed by this new ar
rangement they are lacking in the percep-
ton required of them to make their wonder
full valley what it ought to be-the leading
wealth producing and home-making Sec
ton of the State. And if they are unable
to see in the advent of the valley road an
almost providential means of escape
from the inevitable calamity which the
Southern Pacific has prepared for them,
they are not deserving of the benefits
which a wholesome manifestation of en-
terprise would secure.
Their only salvation is the valley road,
and they will not deserve it unless they
offer every inducement in their power to
secure it. This road, and it only, will look
to it that visitors to California shall see
what the San Joaquin Valley is and what
superb inducements it offers to the makers
OF homes and the builders of a common