The San Francisco call., 1898-03-13
OPENING OF 4
 NEW RAILROAD Ventura and Ojai Valley Company Runs It's
 First Train.
Excursion of Leading Citizens, Speeches, Feasting and
 Dancing.
Operation of the Little Line Will Develop Magnificent
 Country.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

LOS ANGELES, March 12-A large party of representative citizens left here this morning upon the invitation of Captain John Cross to attend cele- bration at Nordhoff, Ventura County. The occasion was the running. of the first train over and opening for busi- ness the Ventura and Ojai Valley Rail road. The party consisted of Mayor Snyder. General Forman, president of the Chamber of Commerce; Max Mey- burg of the Merchants and Manufac- turers' Association. and twenty-five other prominent gentlemen. At ven tura the party was joined by large crowd of citizens of that place. and start was made over the new road.
 After a trip of sixteen miles through beautiful valleys and past unequaled mountain scenery the train pulled into the town of Nordhoff, in the midst of Ojai. one of the largest and most fer tile valleys in this part of the south. The guests were invited to seats Tn carria ges and taken for a drive around the valley, winding up at Oakdale' where a barbecue was in full blast. There was much Speech-maklng Tn the line of felicitating the citizens or OJal upon having communication with the outside world. The Ventura band was in attendance a dancing platform had been erected. and everything imagin- able was done for the enjoyment ot the guests.
 The Ventura and Ojai Valley road is the enterprise of Captain John Cross of this city. backed by generous sub- sidy of citizens along the line IL runs from Ventura to Nordhoff, a distance of sixteen miles, through magnificent country, which it will develop and build up On the 10th of last August work on the construction of the road was begun by Grant Brothers, contractors and 1t was completed in exactly seven months. The road is standard gauge and splendidly built.
 Tn addition to opening up splendid country. this road will give easy access to one of the most noted resorts in Cal ifornia. Every summer at least 5000 people have gone by wagon to Hot Springs, located in Ojai, to bathe in the health-giying waters or for good fish ing and hunting to be found there Now that the road is in operation, It IS expected that this number will De largely augmented. In the valley are also located asphaltum and gypsum mines and in the mountains are lm- mense quarries of brown sandstone, which will now find an easy way to market.
 The building of this road marks new era for Ventura County, and it's citizens are correspondingly jubflant. The road is on quite a grade, and was most expensive to build. The officers of the new road are: John Cross, presi- dent and general manager; A. P. Cross, vice-president and superintendent, and George Blake, general passenger and freight agent. Captain John Cross owns a majority of stock in the road, and has absolute control of it. Many persons thought the road was being built for the Southern Pacific Compa- nv. and would be turned over to that corporation upon completion. This IS denied by Captain Cross, who says there is no intention of turning the line over to the Southern Pacific Company or anybody else.