The herald., 1896-05-11
THE HEAD Of THE ATCHISON
President Ripley Of the Santa Fe Is
Here
He Refuses to Confirm the Report That the
Company Will Build Its Own Line
to California

President Ripley Of the Atchison, To-
peka and Santa Fe Railroad company
reached Los Angeles yesterday after
noon, and after stop Of only few
minutes proceeded to Santa Monica.
where he spent the night at the Hotel
Arcadia.
General Manager Wade of the South
ern California met President Ripley
with his special car at Cotton, where the
visiting magnate left the Southern Pa
cific and became the guest of the gen.
eral manager of the Southern Califor-
mia. Several other officers of the South
ern California were with Mr.. Wade and
helped to welcome the distinguished
head of the great Santa Fe system to
Southern California.
The special train bearing the party
reached LIE Grande station at 4:45 p. m.
A Herald reporter was on deck, and,
through the courtesy of General Man
ager Wade, secured an interview with
President Ripley during his brief stay.
What truth is there in the published
report, Mr.. Ripley, that the Santa Fe
contemplates building from Silver City,
N. M, to a connection with the South
ern California at Barstow or Victor"
was asked.
'I have seen a statement to that effect
in the newspapers" was the reply. but
the story is premature. If 1t were true
l wouldn't tell you now, as the time is
not ripe to disclose the company s
plans"
with this hint at the remote possi-
bility of the company building it's own
line to California, President Ripley
would say no more about the proposed
extension or the purport of the surveys
recently made by Engineer Vaughn
fro.a Victor to the Colorado river. AS
to the principal motive of his second
visit to the coast in three months, Mr..
Ripley said:
my primary object in coming here at
this time is to attend the meeting of the
Transcontinental association at San
Francisco next Wednesday. am going
to Santa Monica for the night and ex-
pect to start for San Francisco tomor-
row. I will return to Los Angeles in
about a week and will then remain in
Southern California several days"
viii there be much railroad build
ing in the immediate future?''
THAT I can't say. Financial condi-
tions are against it, but if confidence
should be restored so that English capt.
talists will fall over each other to buy
American railroad bonds, as they used
to do I would not be surprised to see
considerable development in this coun-
try. There certainly is room for more
roads. especially in the southwest
My visit has no special purport other
than l have already mentioned. 1 am
here, I might say. partly for pleasure
and recreation. We people in the inter-
ior love to sniff the salt water breeze:
that is why I am in such hurry to get
to Santa Monica. Your winter climate
here Is charming but I notice you peo-
pie don't accept that as a compliment
Everybody here tells me that Southern
California has greater merits as a sum-
mer resort than winter resort. Be that
as it may. you have fine country here.
and 1t is not surprising that everybody
wants to come to Southern California. ),
At 1850 p. m. Manager Wade reminded
PRESIDENT Ripley that it was time to
depart. SO the interview was cut short
Mr.. Ripley swung himself aboard Mr..
Wade's private car and was off for
Santa Monica