The San Francisco call., 1907-02-27
GOULD AND HARTMAN
To join FRIENDLY HANDS
OVER THE |sLA|s BASIN
Durnbarton Cutoff Is Open
to Both Under the
National Law
CANNOT BLOCK RIVAL
Southern Pacific Unable to
Stop Western Pacific
on Peninsula
CANNOT BLOCK RIVAL

. While the Southern Pacific and
western Pacific railroads are lighting
for right TO control the water front of
Oakland they are not so unfriendly
on this side of the bay, according to
reports that ernanate from what are
usually considered authoritative
sources. The battle for terminals is
not being waged very f1ercely about
the Islais Creek basin. and as both
roads have secured possession of prop
critics adjacent to the Islais Creek 1t
is probable that a great terminal yard
will be established there for the hand
ling of freight for not only the South
ern Pacific, but the Western Pacific
and part of the Santa Fe's business.
Dumbarton Point cutoff, according to
United States law, cannot be used eS-
clusively by the Southern Pacific Com
papy. The Southern Pacific can hold
the bridge by right of a builder, but
1t must permit other trains than those
of its line to pass over the structure,
providing the competing road pays tolls
to the Hartman lines. The cost of
constructing the Bay Shore cutoff and
the Dumbarton Point bridge will be
about $1,000, 900, and 1t is not at all
unlikely that the Southern Pacific will
try to get back some of the money
&C invests, knowing that the Western
Pacific is sure to get foothold on
the peninsula, despite opposition.
The Western Pacific has been work
ing the Islais Creek terminal scheme
for some time. The Santa Fe has the
China Basin and will not require much
land in South San Francisco other than
that which it Is now operating upon;
but the business of the transcontinen-
tai lines --as grown to such a proper
tion lately that all of the roads inter-
ested in terminals on this side of the
bay have had agents acquiring lands
adjacent to the. water front. which can
be used in conjunction with the lands
of other roads or operated separately
as terminal grounds.
The Western Pacific has quietly &C
quired lot of valuable land near
Islais Greek. The Southern Pacific on
noting what its adversary was doing
became a factor in the market. 1t is
said that arrangements were finally
entered into between Hartman and
the Gould people in the East whereby
the Western Pacific was to be allowed
to use the Dumbarton cutoff and pay
tolls to the Southern Pacific for such
freight as would be routed that way
The Western Pacific could come into
the territory south of the peninsula
without any great difficulty and run
would be a useless. expenditure when
a combination could be. made The
Santa Fe is said to have been brought
into the conference and what is tanta-
mount to a traffic agreement. so far as
terminals are concerned, arrived at
The State has been asked to set
aside an appropriation for Islais Creek
improvements. The water front re-
quires more docks and the creek is
needed for deepwater ships. Extensive
dredging operations will be necessary
to accomplish this object, but the pro-
ject is entirely feasible. The State is
protected IN its right of. way to it's
docks and the docks that 1t might
construct would not be controlled by
any railroad nor would the revenue
therefrom revert to other than the
State
Virgil Bogue. constructing engineer
for the Western Pacific, said yester-
company had entered into any agree
Santa Fe regarding terminal yards.
He was inclined to believe that the
Western Pacific would not seek to en-
ter Islais Creek. The company was
trying to get pier out from Oakland
and would handle its fright cars from
the new mole on big ferryboats. How
ever, it is known that 1t would be i'm
possible for the Western Pacific to do
a very large freight business unless
it secured a big trackage on this side
for its freight yards. That trackage
is now in its control along Kentucky
and other streets, but it stands in the
names of others. The Southern Pacific
also owns property there by proxy.