The herald., 1898-02-05
Mr.. MUIR SPEAKS PLAINLY
UNPRECEDENTED RUSH OF BOTH
PASSENGER AND FREIGHT
The Southern Pacific Needs More Good
Men-The New Line to Pasadena.
The Santa Fe's Tunnel

and was reminded of his statement,
made few weeks ago in these columns,
| to the effect that the Southern Pacific
company had relinquished it's fight
against San Pedro and would not now
combat the effort to secure the deep
water harbor there.
What / said then was and is per-
fectly true" he replied. I'VE have not
made the slightest effort against San
Pedro ever since the matter was settled
by the Walker board. Mr.. Huntington,
am positive, has not said word about
the matter, in the way of entering into
any controversy. 1t seems to be the
fashion in many quarters to attack the
Southern Pacific for everything that
any one does that is not liked. do not
know who it is in congress who is con-
testing the appropriation, if it is anyone.
but can tell you it is not the result Of
any influence of the Southern Pacific.
Il do not pretend to explain the situ-
alton, but it may be the result of a de-
| sire of some to economize, but what
ever the reason, you can say as you did
before, that we have nothing to do with
it, The fight is over and we accept the
situation" Mr.. Muir spoke earnestly
and knew that he would be quoted. His
utterance at this time should be reas-
suring.
SPOKE TOO SOON
| Assistant Superintendent Prior of the
Southern Pacific, the day before yes
| yoI ha tar- To tat TO "a
no more men were wanted by his COM
pany for train crews. Yesterday, how
ever the influx of business was so great
that he had to retract. and said that any
good railroad men who had good letters
could be fairly sure Of getting work,
but that no dry goods clerks need apply.
The traffic on this division of the
Southern Pacific yesterday beat all rec
ords. The freight business was over
whelming, one train following another
as soon as 1t could be made up, and the
engines hardly had time enough to &c
| into their stalls and be cleaned before
they were ordered out on the line again.
| Yesterday, besides their local trains
| there were also at one time on this di-
vision eight through trains; four limit
eds, including the Santa Fe's two de-
| layed overlands, one Raymond excur-
sion special train and one special bear
ing the Bostonians.
| Orders for more motive power have
been sent to headquarters and new train
crews are put to work as fast as they
can be found. Instead of the rush de-
creasing there is every prospect that it
will increase, at least for some weeks to
come.
THE BURNING TUNNEL
At the Santa Fe general offices there
is only one topic of news and that is the
burning tunnel at Williams, in Arizona.
General Manager Nevin and General
Passenger Agent Byrne are at the scene,
but the reports are not very encourag-
ing, though it is claimd that each day
shows some progress made. The method
of attacking the flames with constant
influx of water is maintained, and it is
thought that the steady stream is hav-
ing some effect There are those, how
ever, who claim that the result of this
will only be more disaster on account of
the mixing of water with the limestone
forma ton.
NEW LINE TO PASADENA
The proposed electric line to Pasadena
by way of the Mission road and the Estu-
dillo tract is, it is said, about ready for
actual work. The company is said to
have secured plenty of capital and to
have completed the preliminary ar
rangements. The plan involves a real
estate enterprise of considerable mag
nitude, being no less than the exploita
ton of the tract of land mentioned con-
sisting of 5000 acres adjoining East Los
Angeles and South Pasadena. The pro-
jectors claim that the round-trip from
this city to Pasadena on the proposed
line will take at a maximum thirty min
utes.
NOTES
Superintendent j. A. Muir of the
Southern Pacific is greatly incensed at
what he denounces as bogus interview
with him which appeared in a San Pedro
paper, the American, recently. He was
made to say in this that the Terminal
road had been sold to the Vanderbilts
and that he would move the railway
shops from this city to San Pedro, that
the Salt Lake road would be built inside
of a year, and a lot of other assertions
which have been widely copied, much
to his annoyance. Mr.. Muir states that
there was in no way the slightest basis
for the publication.
H. B. Sailor, who for some years has
been the Southern Pacific operator and
assistant agent at Mcpherson, in Or
ange county, has recently been ap-
pointed to the same position in the San
ta Monica depot. He relieves Mr.. l.. b.
Valla, who goes to Acolita as operator.
Mr.. A. w. Mcpherson remains as agent
in charge at Santa Monica.
On the Ventura division of the South
ern Pacific 1t appears that the plan is
to hire Japanese section men. At least
this report has spread among the section
men all along the line in that region,
and they have as result quit work.
Something like twelve thousand feet
of lumber are used every day at the
new beet sugar factory near Ventura.
1t is located at station called Oxnard,
twelve miles from Ventura, and neces-
states a passenger train service of two
trains day, besides considerable freight
traffic.
The little Maricopa and Phoenix rail-
way is overburdened with freight now,
as all the Santa Fe freight is diverted
to the Southern Pacific over this line on
account of the burned tunnel blockade.
Mr.. Robert Cunningham of Ottawa,
Kansas, has arrived in San Bernardino
to take the place Of chief clerk in the