The San Francisco call., 1896-12-29
An Entirely New Deal to Be
Inaugurated on the
First.
SPECIAL FAST TRAINS TO RUN
TO FRESNO.
Important Changes Brought About by
the Competition of the Valley
Road.

Coils P. Huntington is not apparently
getting that keen enjoyment out of the
"toy railroad" as he once presumed to
call the Valley road, that he feigned to
anticipate. On the contrary his expert
ence is much like that of the boy who
thought to have great sport by trying to
interfere with his companions ''buzzer," +"
which was provided with teeth, invisible
during its rapid revolutions.
As sort of Christmas gift to the people
of the San Joaquin Valley the San Fran
cisco and San Joaquin Valley Railway
made the announcement a few days be-
fore the great holiday that it was about to
9engage regularly in passenger business
between San Francisco and Fresno, and
incidentally that existing Southern Pacific
rates were to be cut in about half, and a
time schedule of greater convenience to
the travelling public adopted.
Now, as sort of New Years gift, di-
rectly due to this move on the part of the
Valley road, reduced rates of fare and
faster time on the Southern Pa citic Rail-
road between this City ard Fresno are
announced. The new order of things goes
into effect on January l, 1897.
On this date a special train will be put
on between San 4 rTduClSCO anu FRESNO. IL
will leave here at 4 80 P. NJ, and going via
Livermore, Lathrop and Merced, will ar
rive at Fresno at 11:15 P. NJ, making the
run in hours 45yminutes, instead of s
hours Is minutes as heretofore.
Coming this way the new train will
leave Fresno at $40 A. M, and, running
via Merced, Lathrop and Martinez, will
arrive in San Francisco at 1:45 A. NJ,
taking but hours and minutes for the
trip.
At present trains leave Stockton for San
Francisco at 6:25 A. NJ. Under the new
schedule they will leave at 8:35 A. NJ. and
arrive here one hour later than at present,
thus reducing the time to San Francisco
bv hour minutes. Going to Stockton,
passengers will leave at 4:30 P. NJ, the
same as now, but will arrive at Stockton
at S:05 P. NJ. instead of sos P. NJ, thus
saving an hour on the down trip.
For these special trains only the
Southern Pacific will inaugurate a new
deal. 1t will sell second class tickets
between San Francisco and Fresno for
So IS as against the regular rate of IS 80,
and to Merced the fare will be 81 Is as
against the existing rate OF 81 %. Fares
to intermediate points will be in proper
tion. These rates are to be the same as
those OF the Valley road to competing
points.
In this latest development, the people
of the San Joaquin Valley and of the State
at large have most significant demon
stration of the value of genuine COM
peting line. The new road which is but
in its incipieut stage, has already saved
many thousands of dollars to the pro-
ducers and merchants of the territory
through which it passes, and promises in
the near future to make its advent worth
hundreds of thousands of dollars annually
to its patrons and also to those who, by
force of circumstances, are compelled tc
take their business to the former
monopoly.
And among other things it has accom-.
plished. not the least is that it has forever
lifted the heavy burden of Southern Pa.
cifc oppression from the San Joaquin
Valley. For according to the constitution
OF the State of California rates once volun
tarily reduced through competition can
not again be advanced.
By its appearance in the field the Valley
road has not only forced the Southern Pa
cihc to reduce its charges on both freight.
and iares in the San Joaquin Valley BY
half, and therefore its revenue from it:
business in that section to that extent
but it has also taken very large share O
the business. Under the circumstances i
is estimated that the gross revenues Of
the Huntington properties in this theil
once most profitable field, has been GU
down to about one quarter what they wer,
before the peoples road, the ''toy raj /
road" of the tyrant OF California, begar
operation. And the end is not yet.