Amador ledger., 1904-12-23
City Pharmacy, Jackson
The lone and Eastern Railroad.
[ S. f. Call, Dec. Is. !

In the foothills of Amador county is
situated the town of lone, terminus of
the Southern Pacific. From this point
the lone and Eastern Railroad Com
pany is building standard gauge steam
railroad to the towns of jackson and
Amador City, distance of twenty
miles. This railroad will serve the
population of the three towns above
mentioned, and will transport the
| freight and passengers for the towns of
Sutter Creek, Plymouth, Volcano,
Mokelumne Hill and other points, and
will carry the freight to and from the
great mines OF the mother lode, includ-
ing the Zeila, Argonaut, Kennedy,
Oneida, South Eureka Central Eureka,
Wildman, Keystone, Bunker Hill and
Fremont mines.
The inbound freight will be lumber,
oil. mining machinery, supplies and
merchandise. The outgoing freight
will be ore, sulphurets, tailings, live
stock, and later on lumber and marble.
| The business of the company for the
first year after construction is estimated
as follows: $4,000 barrels of oil. $4,000,
900 feet of lumber, 10000 tons general
freight, $4,000 tons of concentrates,
20, 0O0tons of tailings 10000 passengers,
besides mail and express. These esti-
mates are based on the business now
existing and carried on by means of
freight wagons and stages at rates
about double those to be charged by
the railroad company.
1t is fair to assume that the coustruc-
tion and operation of the railroad will
cause a constant increase of business
and assure steadily increasing revenue
for each succeeding year. Competent
authorities state that the earnings per
mile of this road will equal or exceed
those OF any steam railroad in the state
of California. With the above data as
a working force" the promoters of
the road are sanguine of the most fav-
orable results to the citizens of the
county and to the investors.
The president of the company is
Francis E. Beck. San Francisco, Cal.
The directors are: Francis E. Beck,
Henry P. Hoey, S. C. Scheeline, J. F.
Burgin, William Pardy Sr., G. X.
Vending and Jackson Dennis.
Early in May of the present year, H.
E. G. Feusier, who knows the Sierras
thoroughly, was engaged as chief en-
| gineer. The first preliminary survey
was made on the north side of Sutter
creek. But on account of being unable
to secure right of way, the surveying
corps was called in and nothing further
done till July, when the county board
of supervisors granted franchise, and
the right of way by Martells was
bought by the company, midway be-
tween Jackson and Sutter Creek, to
which place the line will be extended.
The actual work of construction be-
gan in August by the Atlas Contract
and Supply Company, which afterward
sublet to the firm of Erickson & PETER
son the construction of the first section
from lone to Martell's.
Right of way and terminals have been
purchased, and seventy-eight acres at
lone were bought from the Pacific I'm
provement Company for the yards,
depot and shops.
The greater part of the grading has
been completed, most of which was
rock work and necessitated the use of
large amount of powder. The three
largest trestles have been built, and
another is under construction.
The first track laying was done in
September, but on Decem Der the Sth
an engine was secured, a track-laying
force organized, and earnest efforts put
forth to complete the road to Ranlett
and have cars running to this point by
January. This alone will materially
shorten the heavy loads over muddy
roads to mines and towns above 1t is
the opinion of the chief engineer that
the construction of the railroad will be
completed to Marteil's by February.
AT the present time the construction
force numbers two hundred and three
men and a hundred and fifty-six horses.
There are twenty-eight men and one
engine engaged in laying track, with a
ballast gang following. Thirty one
cars of steel have been received, and all
the lumber for the trestles is on the
ground.
The road opens great possibilities for
the tiller of the soil. The climate con-
ditions are favorable for the culture of
pears, prunes, peaches, apples, cherries
and berries. There are openings for
creameries.
Clay beds are found from which ship
ments are made to the potteries around
| the bay