Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1902-01-30
Work on the San Pedro.

Since his return to Los Angeles, |
Vice President J. Ross Clark OF the |
San Pedro has made an extended |
statement as to the status of the Ell
terprise. In the Los Angeles Herald !
is printed denial by Mr.. Clark that
the Oregon Short Line has been leas-
ed or purchased by the San Pedro.
When the attention of Mr.. Clark
was drawn to the fact that the gen.
eral impression existed that an ami
cable understanding had been reached
between the Salt Lake road and the
Oregon Short Line over rights Of way
and that this could have been carried
to the extremes in the assertions
made that his road had purchased the
Oregon Short Line, Mr.. Clark said:
I'm order to remove this impression
the fact can be stated that business
understanding between ourselves and
the Oregon Short Line has been
reached This arose from demand
for the right of way through the Mea-
dow valley wash for which both roads
| contended. This wash is lis miles
long, and runs across the ribs Of
scores of ranges Of mountains that int
into very narrow valleys. Whatever
geological freak caused this structur
al condition of the surface of the des-
ert country no enc may know. but We
know that in that short distance the
opposing surveys Of both roads cross
ed and recrossed each other twenty
six times, presenting railroad prob
lens that are seldom developed.
These engineering feats were also
heightened by the fact that this wash
runs between rock-ribbed noses that
rise in places 1900 feet, in spots the
wash being as narrow as from curl
TO curb on Broadway.
ITO build around these mountain
ranges to follow other routes or seel
other grades, would involve the eX
penditure OF vast sums, the end helms
that one Of the roads would have thi:
wash route to the detriment of the
other. This arrangement permit!
both lines, without a sQuabble, to us'
this wash route. and in cases wher'
the distance is only thirty or fort,
, feet from rock to rock the points viii
be blasted away the cars OF each rOa
passing each ether within their Owl
!, shadows. This was purely CONNER
cial and has no traffic significance"
Regarding the. future and the cor
struction of the Salt Lake route. Nj
- Clark said that the line would not b
, completed before January :. 1903.
The fact is" Mr. Clark continued
:, that the completion of such an er
r terprise in two years will be regarde
= as an achievement in railroad circle
, as We have many physical difficultie
to overcome. From the present GU
look of the iron market it will be in
possible to get material to connplet
=, the line at an earlier period. as a
railroads are short in the rollin
stock and other necessities for whic
orders have long been placed. "
:. shall push the line and DO our wor
in first-class fashion, so when it
completed stable system is at onc
~ created
At present the road bed of the Sa
S.
Lake road is completed to Rio Hond
ten miles east Of Los Angeles, VIII
the grading as far as Ontario is a
most completed. The first steel brids
Of the line is being erected betwee
those points. Mr.. Clark says that I
definite route has been selected mort
and east from Ontario.-Salt Lal
Herald.