The San Francisco call., 1903-12-02
RIPLEY WANTS
MARTINS ROAD
Santa Fe Is Said to Be
Again Dealing With
Coast Line.
Mysterious Movements That
May End in Absorption
Of North Shore.

Stories Of an alliance between the
San Francisco and Northwestern Rail-
way, the corporation under whose title
the Santa Fe Company purposes to
build a road down the coast from the
north, and the North Shore road.
whereby the terminal facilities Of the
latter concern will eventually be shared
by the former, are going the rounds Of
railroad and local financial circles In
fact, the story has been considered of
suff1cient Importance to the officials of
the Southern Pacific Company to war
rant thorough investigation, but
whether the inquiries made by the
agents Of President Hartman have re-
suited In the development of conf1rna-
tory results is a matter that lies within
the Bounds of General Manager Krutt-
schnitt's office. This much Is known,
however: The Southern Pacific man
agement is satisfied that the Santa Fe
Company has recently effected some
kind of arrangement with the North
Shore road representatives by which.
If 1t is so inclined, 1t can merge it's
the North Shore, connecting the two
at Cazadero, and thereby give the Santa
Fe quick route from Eureka to the
bay and advantageous connections with
San Francisco.
MORE WORKING CAPITAL.
Following closely upon this story is
another that the Golfers of the North
Shore road have been lately enriched
to the extent Of $1,000, 900, and that dur
ing the coming season, as soon as con-
struction gangs can be engaged in out
door work. important extensions are to
be made on the road. President John
Martin OF the North Shore road. who
has just returned from a. hurried trip
to New York, admitted this much last
evening. In reply to a question as to
whether this money had been secured
by a further issuance of bonds he said
that no bonds had been issued, but that
the money had been raised without any
great trouble and that the greater part
of it would be used during the coming
year in work along the coast, the ma
ture Of which, he said, he was not at
this time prepared to state.
Just what caused President Martins
I
those associated with him in the rail-
road. 1t was given out at the time OF
his departure that he was going to be
gone for several months, but he had
been in the East only a few weeks when
the news reached here that he was on
his way back, and hardly had he
reached town before the story or the
acouirement of a new working capital
was a matter of comment
SIGNIFICANT REPORT.
That some big corporation is now
behind the North Shore road is sus-
picion that is general, and OF all the
large railroad concerns that would
likely seek business affiliation with
the coast road, the Santa Fe Company
is regarded as the only one that would
be advantageously benefited by such
a move. In his recent annual report,
President E. P Ripley of the Santa Fe
Company, in referring to the purchase
by the corporation of the two small
roads running out of Eureka, made
this statement:
These properties have been vested
! in the San Francisco and Northwestern
Railway Company, a corporation of
which your company, through the
| Santa Fe Land and Improvement
! Company, owns all the securities. This
/ line ultimately is to be extended south
/ ward to San Francisco Bay, or to
| connection with some existing road
1 over which connections can be made
/ with your main line. 1t is believed that
/ these lines will not only be self-sus-
! tanning, but that they will contribute
! a large and profitable tonnage to your
! existing lines"
SURVEY PARTIES AT WORK.
| At the time this report was made
/ to the directors of the Santa Fe road,
it was positively known to President
Ripley and the directors of the COM
pany that Hartman, through Henry
E. Huntington. had acquired a firm
hold on the California Northwestern
Railroad and that the only rail con-
nection that could be hoped for would
be the North Shore road. Several
surveys had also been made by the
company in a southeasterly direction
from Eureka, apparently with view
of finding a route down the forks of the
Eel River and through the territory
claimed by the California Northwest
ern. Suddenly, however, the prelim-
mary work on the contemplated lines
ceased and the statement was given
out that nothing further would be
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