The herald., 1896-01-08
READING ABOUT RAILROADS
The Valley Line Reports Good
Progress Made
THE S.P. co. SCORES A POINT
In the Case Against the State Railroad
Commission
Secretary Smith Pepor 8 Regard ny Pacific
Railroad Lands-uo ID r easons Tor Sus-
pending Patents-Santa Fe Suit

Associated Press specil Wire.
SAN Francisco, Jan. AT a NEE ing of
the drec ors of the San Francisco d an
Joaquio Valley Railroad company today
Chief E Engineer Storey submitted a report
showing the progress made i'll Construct
ing the competing road. The line from
Stockton to the Stapisaus river, distance
of twenty five miles, is all graded and the
rails have been laid down. Grant Pro-
thers' grading camp has been moved a
considerable distance below the Stanislaus
river.
Mr.. Storey thinks that the road bed will
in very short time be graded as far "a the
Tullumne river. The Stanislaus bridge,
which ia very long and high structure, is
aluost completed. The work of erecting
the steel urawbridge over the Mormon
channel IN Stockton will soon be starred las
ms of the steel sectious for the bridge
have arrived from the east and the rest of
the material is coming in daily. Several
carRoeS OF rails are now on heir way out
by clipper ship from New York. and the
supplies Oh hand are sufficient TO push the
road into Fresno without delay. He
thought it would be safe to say that at the
present progress of the work trains would
be runnipg into Fresno in less than five
months time. All the surveys between
Fresno and Bakersfield have been finished
win the exception of a small distance in
the vicinity of VIsalia and Hanford.
THE s. p. SCORES A POINT
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. THE injunction
suit of the Southern Pacific railroad against
the state board of railroad commissioners
to restrain the board from carrying in o
effect its proposed schedule reducing rates
on grain and other commodities trans
ported over the company's lines, was re-
sumed today in the United Staies circuit
court before Judge McKenna. The attor-
ney general read the atli iavits of Chair
man La RueOf the commssi N, co tain
ing figures showing the vana ions of rail-
read properties, and that the bonded in-
debtedness of the roads exceeded their cost
of construction. AT orney Herrn, for the
railroad, objected to the admission of This
affidavit, claiming hat is contents Were
imma erial. The attorney general replied
that the figures we're taken from the report
of the compression Il committee on the Pa
cifc roads. Judge Mrkenna sustained
the objection to the affidavit. This was
the first blow to the cause of the commits
sioners. La Rue's affidavit was strong in
refutation of figures given by the southern
Pacific.
RAILROAD LANDS
WASHINGTON, Jan. TN answer to the
resolution of the house, Secretary Smith
has sent to that body a lie ter from the
commissioner of the general land off re re-
garding the lands of the Central and Union
Pacific roads. II shows as follows: Cen
trail Pacific railroad, es imated area of
grant, 1O,24S, ,224 acres; amount patented
to date, 2,2O6,SSl acres; amount of ur-
paten ed selections, ,29S 576 acres.
Union Pacific railroad, estimated area of
grant, 1925, l04 acres; amount patented
to date, 4,lSO,9l4 acres; amount of un-
patented selections 20 6l0,23l acres.
Secretary Smith says his reason for sus-
pentling the parenting of lands to the bond
aided railroads was to leave them in the
condition where congress would have all
possible freedom of dealing with the SUBJ
jet.
A PICNIC RATE
SAN Francisco, Jan. THE Southern
Pacific company has made reduction of
two thirds of the cost of the return jour-
ney to any delegate attending the Califor-
mia river impr vement convention to be
held in this city on Wednesday. The icket
furnished must be used wltnin three days
after its purchase.
PRESCOTT ROADS CLAIMS
New York, Jan. Although jury has
been impanelled in the suit of the Pres
colt and Arizona Central railroad against
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail.
road for damages to the extent of $S,25O,-
900, the taking of testimony may be dis
pensed with, if the legal points raised by
the attorneys for the defendant road are
sustained by Judge Lacombp.
G. N. Terry, of Albuquerque, N. NJ, at
the opening of the court today moved to
dismiss the complaint on The ground that
the interstate commerce Law does not
cover the case as presented. Charles b.
Alexander declared that the plaintiff road
had no standing in court legally and that
tn, complaint was faulty.
Mr.. McCurday made an able presenta-
ton of the case for the plaintiff. He Wig
orously denounced the manner in which
the managers of the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad had succeeded in the
total demolition of the property of the
Prescott road by diverting the freight and
passenger traffic to the road which they
con rolled.
Judge Lacombe adjourned the hearing
until tomorrow morning.