Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-12

never speculated in any form; they never
had branch house: they never sent
out drummer to get business: they
never gave more than $500 credit to any
customer; they never sued q man for
debt. and 1t was q cardinal rule Of the
firm to sell only good articles for the
highest price they could get for every
thing"
Charles Croker had ACQUIRED a fortune
Of about $4,000 selling dry goods. with
his brother, E. b. Croker. an engineer
by education. q lawyer. by trade. who. in
additio nto his interest in the dry goods
business had the largest practice Of any
lawyer in Sacramento. He retired from
active participation in the railway en-
terprtse two years later. when Leland
Stanford. who had been elected governor.
appointed him to the supreme bench.
After the expiration Of his term on the
bench. however. he became the general
counsel of the Central Pacific Company,
and continued so until his death.
Agitation In Washington.
Having finished his survey to the Nevada
line. via Dutch Flat and Clipper Gap. Ju-
dab started for Washington in company
with Aaron A. Sargent. a newly elected
member of Congress from California
The journey was made by sea by way Of
the 1sthmus of Panama, and required
several weeks. but II was time well spent
because it gave judah an opportunity to
educate Sargent on the subject of his
hobby. They talked of nothing else.
and when they arrived in Washington at
the opening of Congress. in December
1851. they not only had prepared bill
which was introduced by f. III. Rollins
OF New Hampshire. but secured the ap-
pointment of a special committee on the
Pacific railroad to which Sargent was as
signed.
Judah remained in Washington until
he saw the bill passed by both houses OF
Congress. and in July. 1852, returned to
California to commence construction
work on the road. In the meantime
Stanford. Croker and Hopkins applied
themselves to raising funds and buying
material for nifty miles Of track. In or
der to do this. Mr.. Huntington went
east. with pledges from each OF the Of
f1cers of the road on their personal re-
sponstbility for the sum of s25o.O00.
On the 22d Of February, 1863. the cere-
m m ars Of breaking ground took place in
first shovelful of earth in the presence
of the legislature and almost every citi-
zen of the town. Thirty-one miles were
completed the first year.
started again for Washington to secure
amendments increasing the land grant
from 6.40O to 1880 acres per mile, re-
ducing the distance required to be con-
structed from fifty to twenty-five miles a
year and permitting the company to is
sue bonds. But shortly before the con-
vening of, Congress in December he was
stricken with fever and died in New
him purchasing and shipping material
around the Horn, undertook to complete
his task. and was successful in nearly
every particular.
Rivalry Between Companies.
At the same time the Union Pacific was
building westward from Omaha, and
there was sharp rivalry between the
two companies as to which would secure
the Mormon territory. Utah being the
most thickly settled territory and Salt
Lake City the only place of Importance
between the Missouri river and Sacra-
mento. Before the dispute was decided
the graders met and passed each other.
and continued to push on until the roads
overlapped nearly two hundred miles.
Finally the question came up to Presi-
dent Lincoln for decision. and. under the
geographical instructions of Mr.. Sargent
his Interpretation of the law made Og-
den the junction point. Finally four
spikes. two Of silver and two of gold, the
products of Utah, Nevada, California and
Idaho. were driven into the last tie by
Gov. Stanford and Thomas F. Durant. as
Some months after rendering his de-
cision President Lincoln was asked his
opinion of Senator Sargent. His reply was
characteristic:
Il nave absolute 1altn IN sargent.
faith that was strong enough to move
mOuntains'-which meant that the sum-
nit Of the watershed which was to be
the uniting point of union between the
two railroads had been moved many
miles eastward on the map. I'm COM
pliance with the assurance of the senator
from California.
The cash subsidy to the Central Pacific
was $4,000 per mile on the plains and
$4,000 per mile through the mountains.
Ia M NJ ~ S,~flA
in alternate sections.
Millions Spent on Curves.
1t has been frequently alleged that the
engineers made the road as circuitous as
possible in order to increase the land
grant and obtain larger subsidy, but.
however that may have been. during the
last five years, after Mr.. Hartman secured
control of the property, he spent $1OOUO,-
grades until the track between Omaha
and San Francisco is as solid and as
smooth as those of any OF the eastern
trunk lines. Any one who is in the habit
of writing newspaper letters on railroad
train is qualified to judge. and have new.
er travelled over a road that permitted the
use of typewriter and a fountain pen
with less difficulty than between San
Francisco and Cheyenne.
Some day or another a monument to
Theodore Judah will be erected upon the
line of the Central Pacific railway. and
no man ever deserved such a distinction
more than he. He was the originator
Of the Central Pacific Grenville M.
Dodge was the originator of the Union
Pacific. 1t is not necessary to say that
railroad across the continent would
have been built some time or another.
even IL Theodore Judah had never exist
ed but his impetuous spirit and irresisti-
BILE enthusiasm FASTENED that event by
interesting the five Sacramento merchants
in the scheme.
His Personal Magnetism.
His persuasive magnetism secured the
passage of the first bill through Congress
construction and granting a
subsidy in money and land: he surveyed
the route that the track now follows, and
during the first two years in the history
of the company and until his untimely
death was the soul of the enterprise.
do net know where Theodore Judah Is
buried. Some one ought to look up his
grave and see that 1t is properly marked.
All of his early associates have passed
over the great divide, after having
quired stupendous fortunes, which were
the direct results of their faith in him.
They should have rescued his name from
but as long as they neglected to
do SO, the interests that control that great
property at present should not forget the
duty.
Relatives near Hagerstown, Md. re-
port the death in a hospital at River
side. Wash. of James Sharpe. owner