The San Francisco call., 1897-12-19

tne emma Basin lease, after conSldera-
BILE discussion, was formally accepted
by the directors. On July contracts
were let for the grading of the road
through Stockton and for all bridges
to the Stanislaus River. Condemna-
ton suits for the rights of way to that
river were then begun. The inaugura-
ton of the San Francisco and San Joa-
quin Valley road was now an indispu-
table fact.
The operation of the road from
Stockton to Fresno began during the
fall of 1896 with running of freight
trains, and the passenger service be-
gan in the winter. This event was pub
licly celebrated at Stockton in the pres
ence of thousands of people. The open
ing of the spring of 1897 marked the
commencement of the work of extend
ing the line south from Fresno to Han
ford and Visalia. The opening of traf-
fic to Hanford was celebrated in that
city on May %, although the regular
train service was not inaugurated un-
til June 2. The road to Visalia was
opened on September with an ex-
cursion and celebration, in which thou
sands participated. The distance from
Fresno to Hanford is thirty miles, from
Fresno to ViSaiia forty-siX and half
miles and from Stockton to Fresno 125
miles. On the line of the road a num-
Der of bridges have been built across
Kings River, and on the line to Visa
liza st. Johns River has also been
brldged. Construction was continued
southwark TO Bakersfield, a distance of
forty miles, and the track laid to that
point. The road, however. has only
been opened for traffic as far as An
gela, a distance of twenty-six miles
south of Fresno
The grading forces are now crossing
Kern County, and it is expected to
have the line completed to Bakersfield
by next March. This will require the
construction of a bridge across the
Kern River. 1t is also intended to take
up the line from Visalia to Tulare, to
join the line mentioned at a point west
of Tulare Lake, as soon as the forces
can be spared from the Bakersfield
end. The distance of this extension
will be about twenty miles.
The company has made surveys over
the country extending from Stockton
to San Francisco, and has definitely
decided on a terminal on the bay of
San Francisco at Point Richmond, sit
uated I 40 miles from the foot of
-'AeNA hCN SNi iCCA. IIlC llIlc Has DGSn 10
Gated for a distance of twenty-five
miles from this terminal toward
Stockton, and rights of way for a part
of this distance have been secured. The
surveys are still in progress, but the
line is not definitely determined as yet
coming west from Stockton.
Work has. however, been begun on
the approaches to a long tunnel 500
feet in length through a spur of the
Coast Range. In addition to the work
alluded to improvements have been
carried on on the line already built be
tween Stockton and Fresno in the way
of depOts, section houses, rOundhouses
and all the necessary construction per-
taining to railroads has been done
Brick depOtS have been erected at
Hanford and Visalia, and a brick
roundhouse has been built at Fresno
The equipment of the road has been
largely augmented. The company now
operates $50 flatcars, 100 boxcars, 100
stockcars and 10 locomotives. Within
the next six weeks the company will
have added to it's equipment 100 more
boxcars and four engines.
The benefits derived by the residents
of the San Joaquin Valley from the
construction of the road are manifest
ing themselves daily. Over twenty
warehouses for the storage of grain re-
Gently erected now line the route be-
tween Stockton and Fresno. The peo-
pie throughout the valley are grateful
to the management of the road for the
material advancement their projects
have made during the past twelve
months Not only have their freight
rates been reduced by reason of the
railway competition, but their treat
ment at the hands of the Southern Pa
cific has been greatly improved. The
enterprising cities of Fresno, Han
ford, Visalia and the towns in the in
terror are enjoying in consequence
new lease of life. That the condition
of business in the San Joaquin Valley
is bound to improve under the new
order of things is self-evident. The
thralldOm Of the people of the valley is
at an end-the era of new existence
has dawned.