Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-04-30
Rock Island Maturing Plans 70 Reach the
Gulf and Has Already Secured En-
trance Into Galveston.

Traffic officials OF the roads reach
ing California are trying 70 figure
out definitely what the effect Of the
san Francisco disaster win be on the
traffic situation a. shown In the final
statements u earnings. They find u
difficult 60 arrive At any definite con.
eiasion On the SUBJECT owing 10 the
uncertain elements which enter into
The problem.
In some lines ef traffic there will
~ a tremendous increase In the vol
ume to be transported. while In 9th"
ers there win be material reductions,
m temporary arrangements are made
for resuming business In San Francis
90 nj once, the final outcome may
show material gains 20 the roads In
earnings, but II the burned out mer-
chants walt for the rebuilding Of per.
manent structures before attempting
TO resume their various enterprises.
the loss to the roads earnings will be
heavy.
san Francisco has been the great
distributing center for the entire Pa
cific coast. It's merchants have their
representatives In Oregon and Wash
ington actively competing with the
jobbing house1 Of Portland and Seat.
sie and Tacoma for the trade Of these
two states. The loss of the distribut-
ing trade In general merchandise
IN where the possible damage to the
railroads will come In, and the
amount OF II will depend entirely on
the length Of time the business Is
suspended. II the period be short.
IL will be more than offset by the
tremendous volume OF building mater.
ials that must be carried to reestab.
fish the destroyed city, but II II be
long continued Il will be irreparable.
1T appears To me to be impossible
now TO arrive at any reliable con.
clusion on what the final results Of
the catastrophe VIII be to the rail.
roads. from the standpoint Of earn
ings." said w. q. Riddle. third vice
president Of the Rock Island. There
In no doubt that for a time at least
the loss from the cessation Of the
general merchandise trade will be
heavy.
OF course IL they 60 ahead and re.
build the city In first class style.sas
believe they will. adopting all mod
ern improvements, traffic Will be
created by the transportation OF steel,
iron and other building materials that
win be needed. All this building ma.
sterial will have to be transported
from the east as the only materials
they have In California are wood and
common brick. However, / look for
a considerable loss
I'm my opinion the merchants Of
San Francisco Will make arrange.
ments to resume business at once
said p. C. Stohr, assistant traffic
director OF the Hartman lines. "They
will put up temporary structures and
not walt for 4 permanent restoration
of the city. All their stock has been
wiped out and they will have to order
new supplies from the east. That
I win create an immense Of volume Of
traffic IN itself.
The temporary structures will be
OF wood, and the shipments OF lum
Der will help to make good the loss
OF local traffic In general merchan,
disc. Then there will be immense
quantities OF permanent building ma
teriaI. Of steel. iron. etc, and the
transportation OF that will more than
make good our losses.
.'The city will rise from its ashes
greater and grander than before. \
viii not lose any of Its trade. and the
fire may ultimately prove to nave
been q blessing In disguise"
Few people realize the extent oi
the railroads. subscription to the re
lief or San Francisco In the way 81
free transportation of supplies.
The Northwestern road has announ
ced that clothing and supplies con
signed To the American Red Cross Re
lief association will be transported
free OF charge. All the other thans
continental roads are doing the same
thing. II should be understood
however, that To obtain free transpor
fation all relief supplies must be con
signed to the American Red Gross
Relief association 81 some other re