Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-05-05
President Of the S, P. Outlines
Improvements to be Made
WHAT is BEFORE THE ROAD
Tells the Merchants OF san francisco
tsomeshing About the Work
That IL 60 be Done.

AT banquet given by Z. II. Hari-
anan to merchants flnanclers OF Califor-
mia and the officials OF the Union Paci-
Nc, Oregon Short Line O. Il, & n. and
1he Southern Pacific at the Palace ho-
Tel in San Francisco on Thursday night
DIR. Hartman briefly outlined that had
been done and what was to be done on
f1he transcontlnenial system in the mat
FER of construction. lie said In part
1T is not what the Southern Pacific
bias DONE | take II, that interests you,
but what II is doing today and what
81 proposes TO do. We ask for your
8goodwiil only on the substantial show
1ng that we can make. II is not nec-
essory TO recall TO the minds Of most
of you, the indominable pluck and PER
severance, the courage and confidence
Ithat built the great system OF which
q have now the honor to be the head.
II doubt II there are men alive nc this
{1lme who would risk their lives and
|1heir fortunes In the construction of
3shat system, who would do what was
|done years ago to bridge the deserts OF
/ &nN iillAQli nttk AlttA tliAN'ht wv t't
title valleys of the Mississippi with this
Wonderful coast Of yours.
But that was done. and we should
|honor the men who did H. Tonight we
|are TO discuss more timely issues, and
\ can do no better, think, than 70 con-
Egratulate you. gentlemen. on the way
[that you have forced us TO keep pace
FOR to try 20, with you In your magniii-
|cent development That we have not
|been able TO keep up | admit. Today
I'VE give you inadequate transporta-
ttion facilities, but ! assure you that 1t
Els your fault and not ours. You have
|simpiy grown TOO fast for us and |
lam here now to pledge the word Of the
Southern Pacific that you Will not lead
nus for very long time. We are going
Ito catch up.
-four years ago when the Union Pa
|clfis road emerged from bankruptcy
|and the present management took pos
|eesion we found that we could not ham
Idle the business offered US, We added
|s4 per cent TO its freight equipment, and
the same proportion 10 It's carrying ca
|paoity, We reduced grades elimin-
lated curves and spared no expense to
|make II perfect road We built l5S
miles Of new track to shorten our road
|30 mies-an engineering problem that
Us difficult of comprehension, but per.
|fectly true--and we think now that the
Union Pacific is all that railroad
ought to be. II takes some nerve gem
|tlemen. to spend $4,000 600 or So 600 600 on
work OF that sort these days, but we
did IT, did It cheerfullys
'And we are going TO spend 10000
900 or the Southern Pacific, That
means improvements in the coast lire
from San Francisco 20 Los Angeles
the finishing of the tunnel through
SINH pass. and the reduction OF grades,
the elimination Of curves, the building
of new bridges. the improvement of the
roadbed and the LAYING OF new rails
from Los Angeles 10 El Paso. We have
b0-pound rails now we are going TO
have S0-pound rails, And while ! am
on the subject OF road improvement |
want TO tell you that from Reno to Og-
den, a distance OF $50 miles. we have
reduced the percentage OF grades from
81 feet 10 the mile TO q feet We have
also cut into curves that train which
used 10 describe so circles In making
the trip now describes but co. We have
added 600 freight cars TO the equip
ment Of the Southern Pacific We have
Increased the oil-carrying capacity 400
per cent and In addition we can store
100000 barrels Of fuel oil along cur
lines for our own use.
"a say all these things TO YOU gentle
men, because ! think It is time you
knew what we are doing and are try
ing to do. II has not been said before
And tonight ! tell YOU frankly that we
take no credit 10 ourselves. Your own
enterprise has forced us 10 develop
You have grown in agriculture, In min
ing and In manufactures. The latter
suggestion may sound strange even 90
You, but I need only 20 remind YOU
that you have built the best fighting
ship that Is anoat. We started out
hand in hand with you. and II there is
a gap between us now u IS only be-
cause YOU set a pace and we could not
follow"