The San Francisco call., 1898-06-10
Important Documents
 for Inspection.
FIGURES BY THE MILLION
COST OF PRODUCING LINES AND
 ALL EQUIPMENT.
The Southern Pacific Company Fight ing Hard to Prevent Reduc- ton of Its Fares by the
 Railroad Commission.

The taking of evidence in the suit of the Southern Pacific Company against the Board of Railroad Commis sioners to restrain them from reducing fares on the plaintiffs lines, proceeded for some time yesterday afternoon before United States Court Commissioner Hea- cock. Commissioners La Rue and Him. ton were present, but took no active part in the case. The railroad was represent ed by Attorneys Herrin and Garber, and Attorney General Fitzgerald appeared for the State.
 The only witness called during the hearing was W. c. Curtis, head of the department of maintenance, of way and construction of the Southern Pacific Com pany. The proceedings were not produc- tive of much matter of interest, being confined almost entirely to the reading of tabulated statements containing a mass of figures intended to give the court in- formation as to the mileage cost Of the plaintiffs roads, real estate, equipment, rolling stock. buildings anu vessels, cal culated to show that the proposition of the defendants to arbitrarily reduce the tariff charged by the company on its roads in this State was dIre hardship and would be disastrous II carried out. 4 peculiar feature of the evidence was that the figures were nearly all based on the cost per mile, including steam
  nectiOn. One of the items which caused some amusement was the punching of regal with general expenses and basng it on the mileage proposition. It showed that the cost was $3O5 Il per mile per year, or over a million and a quarter dollars each twelvemonth:
 The hearing opened with presentation of a certified copy of articles of incorpor- ation and amalgamation of the Southern Pacific and its feeders in California; At torney General Fitzgerald would not agree to the admission of this document until it was shown that the incorporation took place after the pending suit was in stituted, namely, April 13, 1898. Upon w. G. Curtis taking the stand MT. Fftzger- aid entered a statutory objection to his testimony as to facts concerning the business and property Of the pIalntln eX- cept as an expert. If he was testlfying as an expert it was satisfactory, but if otherwise the books or the company in the capacity of expert and toiled through the columns of figures, dilating upon their meaning as suggested by MT. Herrin, He related his experience as railroad man, during which he had been connected with the Central and Southern Pacific companies since lS6o As MT. shown that he began his career at a very early age. His testimony was for the purpose of showing what 1t would cost at the present time to reproduce the property, this being taken as it's actual present value, aside from good will and franchises. The mileage was given as 399S
  would be s42,O25 OS, including all lines owned or leased in California, making total cost of S132, ,2e4 ,169. These figures do not include the cost or value of street franchises. Station grounds are listed at $1096 A "per mle,' giving real estate a credit of s317O 19 per mile. For each mile tunnels, estimated to cost $l35S fl per timber and bulkheads, s5S2 per foot, giv- ing total with other minor sums of It seems that bridging where trusses are used cost SIPS 50 per lineal- foot, trestleS average $5S3 5l to the eolni mile, e making total Snowsheds average 53.7 lineal feet to the mile, costing S403 20. The main tracks. re- quire S5:5l long tons of Iron to the mile, tons, ST71 IS. Other items elaborated by MT. Curtis such as ballasting, turntables, shops, machines, tools, supplies, fire pro- tection. telegraph lines helped to make up the total, while the mileage on equip ment was given as $4461 r; buildings, and legal expenses, s3O5 7i; interest and commission. S3347 4S; Southrn Pacific Com pany, material and supplies, sSS6 55; Southern Pacific property, $755 50; docks, Wharves. floating equipment, etc. S7S5 6S.
 Referring to the cost of securing water for the operation of locomotives MT. Cur tis said the engines must be supplied ev cry twenty or thirty miles and that in the desert sections the cosA If securing non- mineral waters which would not destroy
 
 rado Desert wells had been sunk 2400 feet at cost of over $6000 and no water se- cured, and in consequence there were places where water had to be hauled in water cars.
 Coming to the San Francisco, Sacra- mento and Los Angeles terminals, MT. Curtis stated that their per mile" cost including side tracks, shops, wharves, slips, etc, was s3257 55. This gave grand total for the 3S9S. 69 miles of road in the State of 42,025 02.
 Attorney General Fitzgerald evidently got weary of minor details, such as wash outs and repairs to culverts and suggest ed that the company might as well in- clude lightning and earthquakes as prob able causes of loss, at all oI which MT. Curtis sweetly smiled and retaliated by calling attention to the losses caused by damage to persons and property in the course of build.?g and repairing roads.
 MT. Herrin then took another course and offered list of items of cost of the entire Pacific Coast system, not including Oregon lines, or the Mojave branch, for merly belonging to the company Mir Curtis began giving his figures stating that the total mileage was 4313.12 on main line, costing an average of $37. TIT ID per mile, and making total of $162 $40, ,S26 Among the various properties going to make up this enormous sum were named the steamer Solano, at Port Costa. the ferry and river steamers, dredging ma chimes and tugs, valued at s2,474 431; of To- comotives. 467. value of s4. .4S5. $50; eight Gars 2y yae @ s Paman lG ,G GseepeTs sleepers. three-fourths value SSl. .5s0: 24i first class day cars, $1611, $50: 29 second class passenger cars, $121, DO: B combi- nation passenger and ba9~~oe cars Sl40- GOO, and 105 mail and express cars S372 $50
 At this point MT. Fitzgerald interposed an objection and declared that as Mr Curtis was testifying to alleged facts they must naturally come from the books of the company. and this being the case he insisted that the books were the best evidence and must be forthcoming
 After consulting MT. Curtis Attorney Herrin announced that the desired rec ords would be produced. and the hearing went over till to-day al D. m.
 Rear-Admiral Belknap tells what the present war has taught our navy in next Sundays Call