The San Francisco call., 1896-03-07

! these show it to be feasible and financially
/ a yarrantabIe proposition to pulid this
| line into the valley. The scenery along
| the way is said to be equal IN many places
| to that of the valley itself. AS business
nroposition the new Yosemite valley and
MeTced Railway Company is very at
tractive one Tourists will be aoie 70 90
to the valley at all seasons OF the year, the
Merced Canyon being so low that the line
will never be blockaded with snow. At
the present time tourists can only go to
the valley during three months OF tae
year, and that during the hottest seAsCh.
Owing to this fact Eastern tourists VINO
spend their winters on this coast nave no
means of seeing the wonGeriu scenic gran
deur of the Yosemite Valley.
sit takes three days 70 get into the val
lev now. You leave here at night, trayei
ali night and portion of next day ana ges
to Berenda. Then you have to stage one
and half days longer over rougn mount
ain road. Returning three days more are
consumed, or exactly SIX days in all going
and coming.
ssPhe cost of the round trip is about $50
for transportation alone, to say notnlng OF
Pullman-car charges, hotel bills, etc. BY
the new Yosemite Valley Raliroad route
passenger can go there from San FRANCISCO
in from fifteen TO seventeen hours, al an
expense of one-third or less OF the above
charge. You can then leave here late In
the afternoon and be in the valley next
morning, and you can do this at ali sea-
sons OF the year over our road. just tnlnE
of the immense mum Oers OF Eastern Iouf-
lists who go to Southern California every
winter, but are epriyed os seeing the won
ders of YosemiteI And they viii have an
opportunity OF seeing the valley IN It's
sublimity, mantled with snow, perhaps, or
wonderful in its wintery moods. These
tourists would make it a point TO see the
Yosemite.
From Merced to the valley over the line
is eighty miles The last SIX miles have
grade of 25I TO 3 per cenIum, curvlng
around the mountains as the road climbs
the Sierras. Those curves will be more
pronounced than on transcontinental
road, for the reason that we are not in so
much of hurry to get over distance, ana
this curvIng VIII add 10 the novelty and
wild excitement OF travelling II the noun
tains. There will be only about 1o0 or 200
feet OF tunnehng, and that will De at the
Devils Gate, rugged and wild spot IN the
canyon The building will be canyon or
sidehiII work most OF the distance"
How soon do you propose to begin sct-
uaI construction? %
s'We expect TO begin building as soon 80
the rain stops, and We ind the way open
for the work.
1T is not TO be a passenger road solely.
While there is 10 doubt that the Yosemite
travel alone would make this railroad
ood-paying proposition. there VIII be the
freight and passenger traffic TO Smelling,
MeTced Falls, Hornitos, Bear Valley,
Mariposa and Couiteryile.
I'VE will tap the mother lode. The
mining industry in Mariposa County has
taken fresh start. Old mines are being
reopened- New methods OF working ores
and mines oy electrical power and new
process are being applied, which not only
makes IL profitable 10 work these long
abandoned mines, but is helping those
already in operation and is encouraging
prospecting. One company alone has
spent 500, ,00O in developing = mine there.
At present machinery and supplies have
10 be caTted forty miles 10 the mines at
great expense, so the railroad VIII be
wonderful factor IN developing these
mines. Indeed, l would not be surprised
10 find second Cripple Creek up there.
Such has been the result OF the mining
boom in that vicinity that the population
OF Couitervilie has increased from 500 10
300 within one year
There are vast forests OF sugar pine
the most valuable wood in the market,
along the line, and this railroad viii get
millions and millions OF feet OF il to the
market Besides, there are great ouaEries
OF hne building stone, marble, granite and
lime deposits on the route. One man
guaranteed Us one IrainIoad day of
stone. The road viii also reduce the cost
OF freighting 10 the Yosemite fuiv-5 per
cent"