The herald., 1898-01-25
LOCAL TRAFFIC
Southern Pacific Acquires
aVentura Quarry
A BRAVE CONDUCTORS ACT
MORE RAILWAY BUILDING rs IN
PROSPECT
A BRAVE CONDUCTORS ACT
Santa Fe Tunnel Still Closed to Traffic.
News of Track and Tie-Notes
and Personal Mention

Captain John Cross, who has beeI
working for the Southern Pacitic's ex
tension to the Ojai in Ventura county
and who has about completed that line
last week made deal which will in
crease his bank account considerably
and which also indicates that the com
pany does not intend to much longer
delay the completion of its coast route
IN San Francisco. The transaction in
question was the sale by Captain Gross
10 the company represented by III. T.
Huntington of the Rose quarry near
Ventura. The rock is wanted for the
purpose of riprapping the road along
the Santa Clara river near Montalvo'
and for fortressing the shore ends OF the
railroad bridge at that point, as well as
for use on other exposed portions OF the
line. The road is now built within half
q mile of the quarry, and will be at once
completed to that point when the work
of taking out the first one thousand car
loads of stone will commence, that
amount being needed for the protection
alone of the bridge approaches.
A BRAVE CONDUCTOR
Conductor Plank of the Santa Fe
performed an act last week which should
cause him to be honored by his company,
and for which he is entitled TO the re-
spect and admiration of all. Miss Ger
trude Frye of Highland attends the
Union high school at Redlands. Mr.
Frye is in the habit of coming after her
on Saturdays and taking her home to
stay over Sunday, but he was unable to
do this last week, and Miss Frye start
ed to go home alone, intending to take
the I p. m. train. She was late in get
ting to the depot, and when she arrived
the cars had already started. but she
ran and made an attempt to grab the
front railing of the second car, but
missed her hold and fell to the ground
in front of the moving wheels.
In less time than the incident can be
told, Conductor Plank, who happened to
be on the platform, jumped after the
girl, and calculated his act so well that
as he jumped he caught her arm and
pulled her from the rail just as the wheel
touched her dress. A half second of
hesitation on his part would have
caused her a dreadful death. The pas
sengers who witnessed the act We're
horror strack when they saw her fall,
and had not time to recover before they
saw the girl safe and sound. Mr.. Plank
was too modest to make much of his
act. and it is only through the talk of
some of his admiring friends tnat the
fact has become known to the press
MORE RAILROAD BUILDING
Martin Marsh and Adolph E' sh
having built the Randsbure eaad, and
that they are likely 20 ,r overwhelmed
with similar undertakings. They have
Just engaged in the construction of the
20O0-foot siding at Barstow for the
great smelter which is to be erected in
that place, and will have it completed in
a couple of weeks together with the
foundations for the building. Mr..
Marsh announced yesterday that as soon
as the siding was done they would un-
dertake the contract to build fifty miles
of standard gauge railway, but in what
part of the country he declined to say
more than that it would prove a most
startling piece of news when it was as
certained what the project was. The
firm is the first and only local concern
ing hereabouts.
NOTES AND PERSONALS
The work of cleaning out the burned
aunnel on the Santa Fe route near Will
iams, Ariz., is slow, on account of the
dangerous condition of the interior of
the affair. The workmen have to be paid
81 an hour for taking the risk Of enter
ing the tunnel. Superintendent Denair
was badly injured there yesterday by
having a portion of the top of the tun-
mel cave and fall on him. He was gotten
out and taken to the hospital in Prescott
where reports yesterday showed that he
was resting easily and likely to recover.
1t will be some days yet, however, be-
fore trains will be able to go through
the tunnel, transferring being resorted
to to maintain traffic.
Superintendent Hurley of the Santa
Fe. at Albuquerque, recently issued an
order which has gone along the whole
line as commentator of intelligent
appreciation of the demands Of emer-
Gency occasions. 1t reads as follows:
"Recently a conductor on a fast freight
train felt broken rail and stopped his
train and went back and located it. left
a flagman to protect trains and had
section men called. This shows an intel
ligent, well-posted and painstaking con-
ductor. His action is recognized by
placing fifteen merit marks to his
credit" But Why not have given his
name to the public?
The grade of the track Of the Santa
Fe west of Lincoln park, between this
city and South Pasadena. has been alto