The San Francisco call., 1897-09-08
From Every Town in the San
Joaquin Delegations Will
Gather.
TO WELCOME CONNIE RCIAL
EMANCIPATION.
With Parades, Oratory and a Bar
beCue the Populace viii
Celebrate.

VISALIA, CAL. Sept. This week
will be memorable one in the history OF
this city. The interest of the week will
culminate on the 9th, when every body
VII rejoice over the arrival of the first
passenger train on the Valley Railroad.
There will be no Ia ck of enthusiasm. II is
difficult to find any one in all this part OF
the great San Joaquin Valley who has not
a kindly word for the new road ana who
is not ready to throw up his hat and shout
for Its success.
No railroad in any other part of the
United States, perhaps, has been 80
warmly welcomed as has been the Valley
road at Visalia, and, in fact, all through
this valley. One of the bosses of the
track-laying crew here says that he has
been working for railroads for the past
twenty years in different parts of the
Union, and never before has he found
every body friendly to the road. In COM
ing UP this valley each farmer he met well
coined him and the Valley Railroad Com
pany. He was never refused board and
lodging at any place he stopped at. This
is something new in his experience, he
says
THE CALL correspondent was talking to
an old farmer the other day. The farmer
declared that he would not have his folks
miss the Valley road celebration for any
thing. He said he had sold his wheat for
a cent less on the hundred pounds pro-
vided the shipper would send it over the
Valley road. There are many honest
farmers just like him; they are sacrificing g
considerable TO throw their help and in
fuence to the Valley railroad.
The new road has given great impetus
to ,he growth of Visalia. New buildings
are going up on all sides. steam
laundry has located here within the week.
A new drygoods firm from San Francisco
town. Business has greatly revived, and
all because of the Valley roads coming.
Visalia has been waiting for this day
ever since the period in the seventies
when the citizens refused to pay the
Southern PACING for building into the city
and that autocratic ROAD declared war
against her. When planning for the
building of the road through the San Joa-
Quin the Southern Pacific made its own
way easy and its own expenses light by
draughting liberal bounties from the
towns along the route. The usual de-
mand, only little heavier than usual,
was made upon Visalia. The fact that the
city was then thrifty little burg with
some loose change and respectable bank
accounts in it was taken advantage of by
the railroad. The proposed bonus was
placed in the big figures accordingly. but
Visalia objected to the hold-up. The rail-
road coerced and then pleaded, but the
Visalia citizens insisted that their town
was worth quite as much to the railroad
as the railroad was to the town.
At that the Southern Pacific lost tenn
per and VisaIia lost the Southern Pacific.
War was declared. The railroad builded
without Visalia and left that plucky little
burg seven miles to the windward and
isolated from all railroad connection. The
San Joaquin road was run through what
is now Goshen and Tulare.
Visalia, however, hung together so
tightly that she was able to build her own
connection. For twenty years now lit
tie road has run from Goshen Junction
and Tulare to Visalia. 1t has kept Visalia
in touch with MIR. Huntington's "mark of
civilization" Notwithstanding the latter's
will to the contrary.
Finding that this isolation scheme did
not work the destruction of the town
against which he had sworn the enmity OF
his might, the head of the Southern Paci-
nc constructed the line which now runs
close to the foothills on the east and is
known as the PorteIville line. This was
in the evident hope of founding towns
which would draw the trade. of this rich
section OF the country away from Vlsalia.
In this again the Southern Pacific has
been thwarted. For, while a good town
has been made at Po-terville and other
good ones have sprung up on that same
line, VisalIa has held her own and is
thriftier to-day than she was twenty
years ago.
at the inception of the Valley road Vi
salia saw her grand chance to get even.
Her citizens becam some of the earliest
and most liberal subscribers to the new
road, and they have the satisfaction now
of seeing themselves connected directly
with the world of trade and com merce,
Not only that. but since it became evident
that the Valley-rood project would sue.
ceed the Southern Pacific has been COM
PEELED to buy the little connecting road
between Goshen Junction and Tulare, and
within the last two weeks to esta blish an
independent, but none the less expensive,
direct train to San Francisco.
All these facts are RENE N bered keenly
in Visalia, and they will not be forgotten
in the speeches of Thursday. History is
lending zest to the big celebration.
The first train of the new road passed
through Visalia on Monday, coming in as
far south as Acequia street. Engines en-
tered the city limits several days ago, but
trains had not yet been seen. Work has
been rushed by the contractors, and it is
only by their vigorous efforts that the
track is TO be In shape to thoroughly
justly the celebration. Sunday had to be
used rs an ordinary workday. On Satur-
dav night the road was com pleted to the
Southern Pacific crossing and the next
day track was laid to Mill Creek and
sand was hauled by spur track from ST.
John River.
Rapid progress is being made on the
depot and there will be enough of It
visible above the earth on Thursday to
indicate the Valley roads intention of
receiving and housing its patrons in
goo, style and comfortably. One of the
features of the depot will be an open
waiting-room for use in summer.
The crowd which is to be here for the
celebration is evidently to be- a big one
and good one; it will not get away