The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-06-07


reached. Senator White offered an
amendment making the appropriation
availa bic for either Santa Monica or
san Pedro as might be decided by
board OF engineers. This board was to
/ be made up as follows An Off
Ger of the navy. with rank not
less than commander. to be ap-
pointed by the secretary Of the
navy a member Of the engineering
/ corps Of the army, to be selected Dy
| the secretary of war, and one a mem
/ Der of the coast geOdetic survey, to be
/ selected by the superintendent of the
( survey. It was also provided that the
Southern Pacific must agree TO snare
I its wharf with any other company
/ upon payment of a proportOnate snare
/ Of the original cost and expenses or
maintenance
Senator White led the fight for this
I amendment. and Senator frye for the
! opposition. The latter kept in frequent
/ consultation with Mr.. Huntington The
( newspapers took an active interest IN
/ the fight and were largely responsible
/ for forcing Senator Frye 10 a compTO-
( mise. By the terms of this the matter
I was to be left to a board of i've en-
/ SlneerS, one from the navy, one Irofn
! the coast geOdetic survey and three
/ from civil life, TO be named BY the pres
/ ident. This passed the senate. The
! bin went TO a conference, and Mr.
/ Huntington appeared TO have changed
/ his mind. for Mr. Hermann began in
/ the secret sessions TO fight the White
amendment Representative James G.
/ Mcguire of San Francisco heard Of
/ this and threatened to expose the plot
] on the floor Of the house. This brought
Mr. Hermann to terms, and the river
/ and harbOr bill finally became a law,
/ carrying this provision for a harbor
] for Los Angeles.
Government Board Named.
The board was appointed in October.
/ 1886. 1t was made up of Rear Admiral
! John @. Walker Of the navy, Augustus
] r Rodgers Of the coast geOdetic sur
! Vey and William H. Burr. George ).
J Morrison and Richard P. Morgan from
/ civil life The appointment of all was
/ we'll received by the public except that
] of Morgan who had been identified in
i the past with the Southern Pacific and
! who had a son in the employ of the
road. The suspicion against him
/ turned out later to be justified by his
/ report.
The board began its session in Los
/ Angeles on Dec d 1896 and spent
/ some time listening to testimony and
making a careful personal examination
| Of all the conditions. An exhaustive
report in favor of San Pedro was filed
I March i, 1897, only Mr.. Morgan being
! opposed One-fifth of the reasons he
/ cited in favor Of Port Los Angeles were
the beautiful surrounding scenery and
/ the appropriate name.
The people of Los Angeles were jul
/ bilant, but again they reckoned with
! out Uncle Coils" He had been one
OF the largest contributors to the Re
publican national campaign fund and
he was able to persuade Sec
rotary Of War Russell A. AIger
to delay TO the utmost adVeF-
! Using bids and letting contracts.
One preteXt after another was offered.
Decisions from first one legal official
and then another were sought on tech
meal points, and all were favorable to
San Pedro He even went so far as to
declare the appropriation Ineffective be
cause no special provision was made
out of over S3,000,000 to pay for the adj
vertising Of bids. Los Angeles and
San Francisco papers offered to carry
ths advertisements for nothing, but
Secretary .Alger protested that such q
proceeding would not be 'dignifed'' for
the government. He insisted that the
question be referred to the Judge ad-
vocate general, who decided there was
money availa BILE Senator White offered
a resolution. which was passed order
ing Alger to advertise for bids. Still
the secretary dilly-dallied- Finally
| General ROsecrans. President AcKin-
/ ley'S old commander, who was then
J living in Los Angeles, wrote a long let
ter to the president, explaining what
/ was going on. The result was that
| President Mckinley deeisively ordered
Secretary Afger to advertise for the
bids Immediately. This command was
obeyed. after nearly a year had been
consumed by delays.
Lost First Great Fight.
And c P Huntington had at last
lost the greatest political fight of his
1 life.
He tried to renew it a little later. but
he failed Both houses were against
him strongly by that time When th5
I initial appropriation of $4OO 900 under
the continuing contract came up in the
house in 1898. Congressman GTOsvenOI
began to show opposition. but ne was
sat upon Senator Stewart of Nevada
I tried IT IN the senate. When the bids
were opened Feb. 10, 1898. it was found
| that they were much lower than had
been expected Heldmaier & Neu Of
I Chicago Offred to do the work fOl
/ S1,30319S- This would leave balance
I Of some $1,6OO, 900 Of the total apprOprI-
alton unexpende6. Senator Stewart
tried to get this balance for Santa Mon
lea to help the Southern Pacific out
/ But he failed
The people of Los Angeles arranged
for jubilee lasting two days when the
work should begin or San Pedro har-
[ Dor. The date set was April 26-1 1899
On the first day about 10000 persons
assembled in San Pedro TO see the wOrl
begin. One Of the Heldmaier & NeJ
baTges, loaded with rock, was ready t
] be dumped aUtOna tically by electricity
when President Mckinley pressed {
button in the White House library. TIL,
president pressed the button, but the
machinery failed to work and the stone
. had to be pushed off by hand But the
. work was begun and the people wer,
enthusiastic There We're speeches By
Governor Henry T Gage. Senators
White and Perkins, T. z. GibbOn anC
others. The next day there was an el
abora re street parade and other festivi
ties.
The work of construction has beer
going steadily on, and at present it il
abOut One-tbird completed.
1t is expected that the harbOr viii b
ready to accommodate ali deep SCI
commerce by the time the San Pedrt
railroad is completed