The San Francisco call., 1896-01-25

ing line to San Francisco. The route
chosen has for its terminus either Sausa-
tito or Tiburon, although Sausalito is the
favored site, and the narrow-gauge road
from that place the more popular line at
present. But the projectors of this vast
enterprise first of all wished to effect a
combination of the two railways on the
north side of San Francisco Bay before
going further with the work of building
the competing road to its Californian
depot.
In this direction two plans were left open
for adoption. One was to secure control of
the Donahue-road stock for shareh olders
OF the narrowgauge line, and by that
means obtain absolute mastery of the
situation. This would IN effect make the
two roads as one, and in course of time
they could be united in the one general
system, as various branches ofthe Southern
Pacific system are now managed and
operated from the one general Office. The
other plan was to get from the directors of
the Donahue line, if the former should
fail, contract whereby the two roads
could be operated permanently on q
friendly, mutual understanding that
would effectually abolish competition.
The prime mover behind the scenes is
authoritatively stated to be jim Hill.
president of the Great Northern Railway
1t IS said of him that he has been secretly
buying or getting possession OF rights of
way through counties lying along th =
north coast of California, his object being
10 secure clear way for railroad before
making public announcement of his
project of connecting his Great Northern
system with San Francisco.
The Parrott estate is also said to be asso-
ciated with Hill in this enterprise. 1t is
known that the PARROTS are largely inter
4 4. D. n
and for that reason have a strong desire to
see the road on better paying foundation
than it rests upon at present. They would
like to see the com blnation with the Dona-
hue line an accomplished fact, and more
especially feel pleased over the absorption
of the road In the Great Northern Trans
continental Railway to San Francisco Bay.
Christian de Guigne, who is associated
with financial transactions of the Parrott
estate, holds or controls a large block of
stock in the narrow-gauge railway, and
this stock, it is said, really belongs to the
Parrott estate.
From the same source it was learned
that the PARROTS own large tractin Men
docino and Sonoma counties, and one of
the most significant facts in connection
with the railroad deal now going on is that
right OF way for railway mas been sur
veyed and secured through the Parrott
lands-it is said for Mr.. Hill, the railroad
magnate of the Northwest.
From time to time of late announce
ments have been made that corps of sur
veyors were in different parts of Northern
California running preliminary lines for
railroad from the Beckwith Pass over
toward Eureka, in Humboldt County, and
thence southwark to the northern termini
of the North Pacific Coast and the San
Francisco and North Pacific lines. Taken
in connection with this information the
right of way transaction through the Par
rott lands and this secret activity for
combination the statement that Hill, the
PARROTS and other capitalists were inter-
ested in the deal seems reasonable enough.
With control of the rich and promising
country traversed by these lines and the un-
opened territory northward and westward
Hill would have good prospects for sue
cessful operation of an overland line from
the beginning. The combination would
give him control of vast territory in Cali
fornia that with a competing railroad
would leap into renewed prosperity and
develop various important feeders for the
trunk line.