The Arizona sentinel., 1904-01-13
San Diego Eastern Revived.

iotLI ia - - ~ w l. oiIA'A' AA'
recent report of the purchase OF
the Ell PasO and Southwestern
road by the Rock Island system
has given strength to the belief
that the Rock Island is now back
ing up the San Diego move, with
the view of reaching the coast
via Yuma. The Union says:
although little has been said
the past year of the efforts of the
San Diego Eastern committee to
secure q new tranS-continental
railroad for San Diego, the com
mittee has not been idle. Presi-
dent MarstOn said yesterday that
much work had been done in a
quiet way and that it is not at
all unlikely that during the pres
ent year the result for which the
committee has been working will
be accomplished.
Among those who have taken
an interest in the project is G..
w. French, president of the Chi
cago short line road and Il rail
road promoter of some note.
An eastern paper stated re-
Gently that Mr.. French had sue.
ceeded in financing some of his
eastern projects to the extent of
$50, 600, 900, and it was rumored
that he was acting for the Van
derbilts.
He has gained mnch notoriety
in Ohio and Pennsylvania as a
promoter of railroad schemes.
Mr.. French was here last spring
and investigated the proposition
and arrived in San Diego again
only a few days ago to confer
with the railroad committee.
Early in the past year the
committee adopted the policy of
not making public its work. as
it found itself handicapped by
having spread abroad the infor-
nation as to what it was doing.
Other railroads took advantage
of this information, and those
which already had hines to the
coast naturally took steps to
head off any project of this kind.
Consequently the committee has
been working in a quiet way and
has been looking into every pro-
ject and proposition that seemed
at all feasible. Mr.. MarSton was
reticent, for this reason, when
asked for a statement concern.
ing the outlook for the new rail
road. He spoke in very hope
full and encouraging way, though,
Of the prospects and said he
looked for something to be done
this year.
There are a number of rail
roads looking in this direction
and some of them have already
built part way. With the re-
sumption of railroad construc-
ton, it is generally felt that this
city with its magnificent port
cannot much longer be ignored.
The early construction of the
Panama canal will be a strong
factor in San Diego's favor, as it
has the nearest harbOr to the
canal on the Pacific coast side of
the United States. The dredging
of the harbor bar to a depth of
thirty feet which will soon be
completed, thus making it posi-
bic for the largest vessels afloat
to enter at all times, is likewise
a strong factor.
Mr.. Marston said that it would
be inadvisable to give out any
information at this time if there
was a likelihood of the project
going through.
The policy Of the committee is
to give all the help it can to in
tending builders, and it would
certainly be handicap to make
the plans known. All the pres
ent trans continental roads would
at once throw obstacles in the
way, and the opposition might
become SO strong that the pro
ject itself would fall through. So
the people must be left to their
own differences as to what the
situation is. j"
The Agricultural building at
the Fair covers u acres.