The record-union., 1895-01-29
THE SBNSELESS HOWL"
1t Prevents Railroad Building ant
State Development.

1t Prevents Railroad Building and
State Development.
From the Bakersfield Californian.I
There are one or two self-evident prop
ositions in connection with the construc-
ton of railroads which, plain though
they be, appear to have been completely
lost sight of in the discussion that has
! been going on for some time with regard
TO the feasibility of another line in the
San Joaquin Valley.
one Of these is the very simple fact that
it takes money TO build railroads. Some
people appear TO believe that this is not
so and that all that is needed is wind. We
have had all the way from ono to u dozen
wind" railroads built in the San Joa-
quin Valley, and the people are becom-
ing somewhat weary of them.
Another selt-evident truth, so far as this
country is concerned, is that when a
given section is ready for a railroad.
when it affords the promise OF sufficient
passenger and freight traffic to support a
read, such a road is bound to come.
There is abundance of capital seeking in
and when good opening is shown capi-
talists are ready and eager to seize it.
W ere the san joaquin Valley settled as
1t might be, as it will some time be- not
one but half dozen roads would be COM
petlng for its trade
w eI6 IlG new SDdpeTS WDlcn nave been
howling about ''monopolies'' and "octo-
puses" and other like bugbears which eff
tectuaiIy IrIghten people from coming to
California, to devote one-haIf their
energy toward attracting settlement and
encouraging development that they have
to driving II away, not the san Joaquin
Valley only but the entire State would be
SO well settled and so productive that
there would be an abundance of business
TO keep three or four railroads busy and
to pay interest regularly on the heavy in
vestment needed in their construction.
1t is the senseless howl that has been
kept up so long by so largo a share of the
presS-datlng back lnGeed TO the first
yeIp against what they delighted to call
the dutch Flat swindle"-that is re-
spOnsible for the slow progress made in
the development of the Stale, and to the
practical stagnation in growth that now
exists.
And just so long as this howl is kept
up, just so long will people be deferred
from coming here. Just so long, too,
will the advent of another railroad be
prevented. There is no getting away
from this fact. Experience shows lis
truth.
For heavens sake, then, let the anti
octopus howlers take a good long rest.
Grant If you please that there is an octo-
pus, a monopoly, blood-sucking cor
poration-anything and everything you
please-though unprejudiced examina-
ton will show that we are not so much
worse of than other localities. But grant
that everything that is said against the
railroad by the most raUid and senseless
sand-lOtter be true, what is the quickest
way out OF the trouble? Why, it IS to en-
courage settlement, build up the interior
of the State, and thus be able to say to
any one of half dozen roads seeking a
Pacific Coast outlet: Here is a rich and
productive region that will give you
business. Come and take it."
That they will grasp the opportunity js
certain; that they have not done so shows
that careful investigation has convinced
them that the time has not yet come for
extension in this direction. Railroad
men are not sentimentalists, and dc not
build roads because of sentimental 0ppo-
sition to other "monopolies" and "0cto-
puses." But show them a chance to
build a piece Of road that will paw and
see how quickly they will jump at it.
That such a road has not been buiIf
through the San Joaquin Valley is posi-
tive proof Of the fact that capitalists have
not yet been convinced that such an
enterprise would pay.
But with little more energy devoted
to building up and less TO tearing down
there can be nothing more certain than
that the time need not be long DELAYED
when something more substantial than .
WING railroad will traverse the rich and
fertile San Joaquin Valley.