The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1901-12-26


two last named tunnels through
Much has been said pro and con re-
garding the Lucin cutoff, but we can
say from authority that the cut of will
be constructed and that the Southern
Pacific Company has at the present time
an order in for the construction of four
large steam shovels that are to be used
in doing work on that route.
Considerable speculation has been in
dulged in as to who will receive the con-
tracts for the new work. Chief Engineer
w. H. Hood was in Wadsworth SUNDAY
IN bis private car "Sacramento" giving
Instructions for the commencement of
work al Browns. In the Maintenance of
Way Department it is thought that the
award will be gITen to Manager Watts Of
the Ulah Construction Company. His
standing with the officials Of the
Southern Pacific is Of the highest. Some
OF the work which has brought him to
the front as a railroad contractor is wit
messed in the construction OF the Col.
orado & Midland Railway. portions of
the Denver & Rio Grande, Rio Grande
Western and on the Canadian Pacific
At the present time he also has blanket
contract on all the improvement work
that is being done by the Oregon Railway
and Navigation Company. Fitzpatrick
Brothers are also spoken OF, their repu-
tation mainly resting on the fact that they
received the awards for making the new
road on the Union Pacific at Sherman
Hill. 1t is said that Fitzpatrick Bros.
have lost favor with the Southern Pa
citic Company through their work at
Sherman Hill and work dole in the
Northwest. On this subject we are in
formed tn Fitzpatrick Bros. have lost
out mainly through their antagonistic
attitude toward labor and the manner in
which they treat their sub contractors.
1t is stated that President Burt of the
Union Pacific awarded the Sherman Hill
contract for two years and gave Kilpat-
rick & Collins an offer of Sl80,0O0 bonus
providing the work was done in eighteen
months. The contractors dredged Chi
cago, Kansas City, st. Louis, st Paul
and Omaha for labor and, as we under
stand the matter, failed to complete the
work in the required time.
Erickson & Peterson are not in il, they
being considered to small fry for such
an undertaking. Besides their methods
of procedure are disliked by the
Southern Pacific Company.
The work in sight between Reno and
Browns will throw into that territory
hundreds of men and lively times will
probably be witnessed in Reno, Wads-
worth and Lovelock the next twelve
months. At Wadswnrth the new line
runs on the plateau east Of that town
about four niles If the roads connects
with the new cutoff at that point and
continues down the caayon. to Reno,
Wordsworth will not be on tho lire.
Wadsworth is located in hollow and
not very accessible from either direction.
Assistant Superintendent Fitzgerald
few days ago that with the
of the present plans but two
pushers would be required on the Salt
Lake division, one from Wells to Moore's
a distance of nine miles, and one other
east of that point.
Another Improvement of great magni-
titude is to be made by the Southern Pa
cidc Company in San Francisco. The
present route into that city has long
been an Objectionable one to the COM
pany and now it is proposed to establish
"a new line, double. tracked, passine out
through South San Francisco. This
line finds severe obstacles in the nature
of projecting cliffs Of rocks and these
will be overcome by putting through a
series of tunnels numbering six, the first
one of which will be at Iowa and Six
teenth streets, near the Union Iron
Works.
With the completion of the proposed
changes on the Central Pacific the road
will be one of the finest in the United
States, capable of handling a greater
business than any other single-tracled
. Al