The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-28
VALLEY ROAD DIRECTORS WILL
LEAVE FOR STOCKTON THIS
EVENING.
THE INTERIOR WIDE AWAKE
OFFERS OF AID FLOW IN FROM
THAT SOURCE IN GREAT
NUMBERS.


road have almost all paid in the first in
stallment of their assessments. Secretary
Mackie said yesterday that but very few
had not been heard from in this respect,
and it was believed that ultimately the
proportion of subscriptions which were
not made good would be very small, if, in
fact, there were any to be included in this
class.
The board of directors is making its
arrangements for the proposed trip of in
spection to Stockton tonight, and word
comes from that city that preparations are
being made there to afford it every facility
in its search for information. The trip
may conclude Friday, or it may be neces-
sary that the board shall remain over day
longer.
In the stirring times which have marked
the career of the new road within the past
two weeks or more, this city and Sacra-
mento have been the principal points of
interest and the country has in measure
been relegated to the background. thrust
not be supposed, however, that friends of
the road in the interior have either lost
interest in the project or in any manner
relaxed their efforts to help the plans
along.
The daily mail which reaches Secretary
Mackie is large one, and in looking over
a portion of it yesterday the following ex-
tracts from letters taken at random were
made which show that the interior is
well abreast with the city in point of en-
thusiasm.
From Visalia comes the following:
The Board of Trade of the city of Visalia is
formulating an offer to you, and viii be ready
to submit such offer through committee OF
leading citizens within few days. The COM
mittee also desires to submit to you maps and
statistics relative to population, arabic land
and present business of the east side of Tulare
County. AS they do not desire to annoy you
by premature applications and offers they re-
quest that you set a date on which you will
give them hearing.
Rights of way are frequently offered the
board in localities which it is thought may
be available. Here is a sample letter of
this kind:
SAN FRANCISCO, March 10, 1895.
Directors Valley Railroad: 1t has been sug-
gested to me that the San Francisco and San
Joaquin Valley Railroad may be located SO as
to reach tidewater at or near the mouth of the
San Joaquin River, then approaching San
Francisco by boat. Should such location be
contemplated, beg to direct the company's
attention to the Rancho Los Medanos, belong
ing to me, as embracing land suitable for the
company's purposes, and obtainable without
cost. 1t has frontage on the bay with forty
feet depth of water, and offer to donate to the
company ten acres fronting on the bay shore
and right OF way all through the ranch.
Antioeh's business men think that mis-
apprehension exists regarding the depth of
channel at that point, and write regarding
this and other matters to the board as fol-
lows:
Instead of eighteen feet of water at this point
there is, for a distance of ten miles west of
Antioch, from thirty TO sixty-five feet. We can
assure and convince you that for about $4,000
the entire channel to San Francisco can be
made to admit any vessel drawing twenty-six
feet of water. Our advantages are superior to
those OF Port Costa as the water is fresh, no
teredo, straight channel, not rock, stump,
or any hidden danger to navigation. Please
grant us an opportunity to present facts; it is
all we ask, believing we can show it to be the
only interior point where the new road can
compete with Port Costa as freight terminus
for the wheat of the San Joaquin Valley.
From Visalia comes a letter regarding
subscriptions to stock, in which the novel
suggestion is made that they be paid in
labor. The writer says:
I am satisfied considerable subscriptions can
be obtained in labor. Money will be out of the
question, as the people here are simply pro-
ducers, and everybody knows that producers
nowadays have no money.
A gentleman living near Upton gives
encouraging views of the outlook in that
vicinity:
can say that If a railroad is built through
here the people will furnish right of way and
i
thirty or forty miles of road with my own
horses for stock in the railroad company. If it
shall go through any of my land 1 am willing to
furnish depot grounds and grade the road free
through my land. think all the people will
help build the road through here. They have
been robbed long enough by the Southern Pa
cifc. think the people OF San francisco had
better wake up If they don't want to make
graveyard of that beautiful city. Ihope it will
not be failure this time.
Martinez has heard of the hearings &C
corded Stockton and San Jose and is now
moving in the same direction. In letter.
under date of the 18th inst, statement is
made that committee was appointed at a
recent meeting to consult with the board,
and this committee now writes asking that
date be set for the same.
An indication of the growing feeling in
favor of railroad development in all parts
of the State is afforded in letter from Los
Angeles County, in which the writer says:
The people in the vicinity of Maynard are
getting very much interested in the matter of a
railroad, and believe they would do great
deal of work in the way of grading, besides
giving some money. believe now is the time to
commence operations. We need a railroad
very badly, and are tired of the iron hand of
the Southern Pacific. Two-thirds of all the
merchandise used in this valley is hauled in
wagons over the rough mountain roads from
Los Angeles, which is cheaper than to pay the
rates OF freight charged by the railroad.
Director Francis Upham was in retro
spective mood yesterday, and in a general
way ran over the trials of the Traffic Asso-
citation when it first took the field in favor
of the road, and contrasted the feeling of
relation now noticeable on all sides with the
respondent outlook a few months ago.
Gust at present." said he, 'the point
considered by most people is whether this
road will prove paying investment or
not. We have passed the period of uncer.
tainty as to the building of the line, as