The San Francisco call., 1908-11-14
INCREASED TOURIST
TRAVEL PREDICTED
John Sebastian of Rock Island
Lines Says Many VIII
Come in Spring
Railroad Official Surprised at
Fine Showing Made by
This City

John Sebastian. passenger traffic
manager of the Rock Island lines. ar
rived I'D the city yesterday from Los
angeles. where he has been for the last
IeW DAYS looking over that territory.
he was accompanied north by F. W.
hompson, general agent in this city.
sebastian is greatly amazed ar the
progress that has been MADE here 5nr-
l.s tiie last TWO years, and in speaking
of this said:
was prepared *. sae great change
made IN your city by Mr. Thomson.
Dur, nevertheless. 4 was amazed at what
} nave seen IL would be thought that
you would be an crude and unsettled
concllion; but on the contrary il an
pears as If there never had been any
disaster.
Your rapid perfection of living will
attract a great many visitors here in
me spring. The travel TO the coast is
-afAe. bor the last two years there
mas been comparatively light travel
70 the Pacific slope Last year the
hnanclal trouble kept people from COM
lne. and the year before the condition
~ san Francisco prevented the tourist
rom coming 10 California
This year the bookings west are
Aal ahead OF previous years. and our
Golden state Limited is doing extremely
"ell m fact, it is running to capacity
-- ~+l 40 NotdlAAg al lnfNuSn
The winter.
The bulk of travel in the winter
months Is Of course to southern cali
fornia. while the movement north is in
Ihe spring and i am assured that YOU
VIII have this spring the heaviest tour
ist business that you have had for
many years.
There is a general revival Of bust
ness. and the fact that the pleasure
travel is so heavy is an index of good
times
BOOM THE WEST
II am greatly interested in the prof.
ect of making a display Of western
products in Earl's court. London, this
spring An agent of that marvellous
exposition is in California. now. and
he is trying 10 get our different COM
mercial organizations in the west in
terested 10 see if they viii not send
10 Earls court a display of our produce.
An enormous space has been offered
u.s. and I am strong advocate of the
scheme. Tt is necessary. first to get
the governors OF the different western
states interested, and they viii have to
make an appeal TO the different legisla-
lures for appropriations.
IF the state legislatures make an ap-
preparation for this exhibit the various
railroads viii come to their assistance.
The Rock Island has appealed TO the
different governors Of the states
through which our lines pass favoring
the project, and 1 am confident our
people viii give literally toward help
ing such an exposition.
WANTS IMMIGRATION
1T is highly necessary that we bring
~ the attention Of the people Of Eng
land all our resources. We are. in
fact. little known ia the United King
dom. The Canadian railroads have
spent annually vast sums in exploiting
canada, and the result has been that
canada has been securing very de-
sirable class Of immi grants
People who have money have been
hooking to. British territory. and we
have been neglected. though we have
superior sdyanta ges. An exhibit
showing what can be done in the way
of farming and also in mining viii
prove strong factor 10 turning the
tide OF immigration this way
What the southwest and the west
need is population, and / for my part
VIII use my best endeavors 10 get
some Of the people who have been go
ing TO Canada TO come west 1t is
good work and should have the hearty
cooperation Of every one in the west"