The herald., 1895-02-23
TO STORM SACRAMENTO
Citizens Mass Meeting
Last Night
BUILDING OF THE SILT lake ROAD
The Project Has at Last Taken
Businesslike Form
LEGISLATURE APPEALED TO
4 Committee Of Twenty Citizens to Visit
the Capitol
They viii Camp With the Lawmakers
S Until They Finally Succeed
~,
A Memorial Drawn Up to Be Circulated. and
nust Contain at Least Two Thousand
Citizens Names
4 Committee of Twenty Citizens to Visit
the Capitol
They Will Camp With the Lawmakers
Until They Finally Succeed
A Memorial Drawn Up to Be Circulated. and
Hust Contain at Least Two Thousand
Citizens Names

evening the rooms of the Chamber OF
Commerce, on the corner of Broadway
and Fourth street. The attendance was
verv large and considerable interest was
manifested
Mayor RAIDER presided, Nathan Cole acted
as secretary and ]. M. c. Marble explained
to those present the purpose for which the
meeting was called.
He briefly said that it was desired to get
the public sentiment regarding the prac-
ticability of building the Salt Lake road,
and on this occasion the matter would bo
fully discussed.
Ex- Mayor William H. Workman was
called on and he told about his trip East
in furtherance of the project, and the way
he was received there. He said that all
the capitalists he interviewed during his
wanderings favored the building of the
road, believing as they did that it would
be paying investment; that they were
not slow to ask why Los Angeles capital
lists did not open the enterprise with a
substantial if not a handsome subscrip-
tion.
1.-The building of this road" said the
speaker, cannot be opposed by the Santa
Fe people The Southern Pacific Com
establishment of the Salt Lake road would
double its business just the same as the
coming in of the Santa Fe trebled its re-
ceipts. If the Salt Lake road comes to
Los Angeles it means the advent of sew
eral transcontinental lines, which will be
indicative of continued prosperity to
Southern California. The Rock Island,
the Northern Pacific, Rio Grande West
ern and Union Pacific will all come to
this city, and even the Southern Pacific,
if it so desires, can use the same tracks
between this city and the Mormon capi-
tai. When this road is constructed it will
be for the people, and the advantages
that will follow its construction can hard
ly be overestimated.
LAS a taxpayer consider the subject
of greater Importance than anything
which has ever come before the people of
this section. As for myself-and l am a
taxpayer and a property owner-I am
willing and anxious to tax myself 10 per
cent to have the road built | am in IA
vor of sending a committee to Sacramento
to advocate the passage OF bill which
will bring before the people for their vote
the proposition of issuing bonds for the
building of this road. ~
Mayor RAIDER then called upon Captain
Cross to address the meeting, and he re-
sponded.
II feel that the matter is of vital i'm
portance to every taxpayer, said he,
land the more it is agitated the better it
will be for the project. AS matters now
stand there is great danger of the north
ern metropolis doing us up, for they un-
questionably have the necessary enter
prise.
What did they do after meeting of San
joaquin Valley citizens in this city some
time ago? Why they raised a few million
dollars and are going to build road to
Bakersfield. But that is not going to be
their terminus by any means. They will
go on to Phoebe, and from there on to
Salt Lake, and if the citizens of Los An
geles do not wake up, this beautiful city,
with all its possibilities of advancement,
will be shut out.
Like Mayor Workman while was in
the East | found the capitalists there did
not relish the idea that the moneyed men
of this city-do not do something tinan-
cially in furtherance of the enterprise.
"1he proposed road will be a benefit to
the whole country through which it passes.
/ am positive that there are many roads
which would lease the Salt Lake road
when completed, and not dollar need be
;:expended until a lease is signed. ! am in
favor of naming a large committeeman a
small one-to go to Sacramento and camp
|. with the legislators until they get what
4 they want. Let them put their hands in
their pockets and pay their own expenses
with no hope of reward other than the
passage of the desired law"
TRey. M. Haskins was next called in
and said that he had left the ministry on
account OF falling health and is now en-
gagged in doing what good he can for 9TH
ers. For that reason he favors the Salt
Lake project because it will help Los An
geles and everybody in it.
The very mention of the plan, " said
the speaker, brings back old times to
me, for when l lived in Salt Lake, twenty
eight years ago, it was going to be built
then. When | came to California in 1879
met an old school fellow of mine Isaac
Trumbo, and he contided to me at that
time that he was working on plan to
construct road from Salt Lake to Los
5 Angeles; but nothing ever came OF it,
Twenty years ago an old man named
Dribble, whom Mayor Workman remem-
bcrs well, and who ran an OK team across
the desert country between here and Salt
Lake, told me on one occasion that the
line was going to be put through. The
road would be a practical investment, for
it is an absolute necessity.
''Still these are hard times and anyone
wlfo will talk about building a railroad
deserves medal. When l agitated the
subject some time ago in the East the
people there said l was crazy. This mat
ter reminds me of a story I once heard.
There were several gentlemen assem- bled
to further some scheme and they all de-
cided that it was practicable. One fellow
VINO was Iull OF business pulled out his
book and wrote check for $25, 900 and
said; I will start the ball rolling by
donating this amount. Suddenly every-
body present looked at his watch re-
marking, I have an engagement, and l
am afraid | shall have to leave Don't
let it be the same in this case. Let us
put our shoulders to the wheel and work
in unison and then the project cannot
fail.
''One thing should be settled before the
committee goes to Sacramento, and that is
to ascertain what is the nature of the
country which lies between here and
Salt Lake. 1t has been claimed that it is
/ rich agricultural land, while others have
stated that it abounds with coal and iron
mines. A few weeks ago 1 met an en-
gineer who has travelled all over the ter
ritory and he said that none of the land
is tillable, but that it is rich in coal and
iron deposits. The people should know
whether the land is fertile or not, and in
fact, all the details about the proposed
route.
I'm Los Angeles can be found city Of