The San Francisco call., 1910-04-02
TROLLEY LINES
WILL DEVELOP
GREAT VALLEY
New Roads TO Be Built to Care
for the Growing
Traffic
Expanding Industries Demand
Close and Quick Connection
With Markets
System Within Limits of City to
Be Equipped With DOu=
bic Tracks
By JOHN HAMILTON GILMOUR
Editor Fresno Herald

transportation facilities. This, how
ever. is 10 be remedied. and if we are
10 believe the statements of the diff
ferent organizers of railroads the
country viii be gridironed with net
work of electric lines. At present the
Fresno-HanforJ line is apparently the
only one under construction, and
though there has been some delay in the
prosecution Of the work there is not
The slightest reason to doubt that it
viii he completed. and the first link
viii then have been forged in the long
chain of electric lines.
The Fresno traction company Har-
riman corpora tion, is now engaged in
most important piece of work.
namely. the double tracking of the
present system Of electric lines. a
20 pound rail is being used, and the
way the work is being done insures
the belief that IL is the beginning OF
The long promised interurban system.
This Fresno has to have, and If the
Hartman interests DO not build. there
are others who Will for the country
surrounding the city of Fresno il ex-
tremely fertile and its marvellous rich
ness is attracting settlers. Electric
railroads covering the rich sections OF
this territory are beginning to be
- crying need.
There is no doubt, however, that the
Fresno traction company viii build
very thorough system of electric lines,
making Fresno the hub of the valley.
The company is now paying out
something like 100000 in salaries to
the workmen employed on the road. and
what, with the cost Of new steel. the
new cars and the new car barn the
investment runs well up into the many
thousands All this would not be done
solely TO improve urban system
Transportation companies do not build
solely for a small section. and a costly
road like the one Fresno city will have
soon Is merely the beginnings of a
vast electric system which will tap
every section of the valley.
BIG COLONIES PROJECTED
Another thing has 10 be considered.
Large colony schemes are being per-
fected- Banker Patterson has laid out
model colony not so far from this
city. Other colonies are projected and
behind all these schemes more or less
indirectly or directly are the Southern
Pacific and the Santa Fe
These roads want population along
their lines and to get people they must
give them something more than a fine
climate and a fertile soil People have
10 get their produce to market and
cheap and rapid transportation is what
IS most needed in the state In this
valley is TO be the densest population
in the state. We have right here in
this county all that the farmer needs
in the matter of soil. We have the
richest alfalfa sections in California.
We are Incompatible fig raisers. Our
raisin industry needs no introduction
70 the people of the United States. We
are great wine makers and we have
land which VIII raise an orange or lem
on equal in value to that of the finest
products Of the San Gabriel valley.
Give the people in the foothin ter
ritory easy communication with Fresno
and we shall in the course of a few
years have a section growing oranges
equal in the beauty of their appearance
and the lusoiousness of the fruit to the
far famed product of Redlands
Our dairy interests are growing
but there would be larger dairies if
there were quick and cheap comnaunica-
tion with Fresno. So far as the out
slider can see. this is the only thing
Fresno lacks at present
IT is true that the county is ira
versed by two overland systems. The
Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe
have good local service. but steam
service is not all that is wanted. There
must be a subsidiary service and thai
service must be electric. 1t has built
up Los Angeles and what the electric
A
electric service viii do for Fresno We
have far richer surrounding country
than Los Angeles. Take our oil alone.
There is a demand for quick line to
Coalinga and this must come. A short
line to Coalinga will make Fresno
and Coalinga almost one. And both
communities are loud in their demands
for such a road.
The Fresno traction company has
begun TO give evidence that it intends
10 furnish more transportation serv-
ice to the city Its first step is the
asking for a franchise to the San Joa-
ouin river along Blackstone avenue
It win be a pleasure run TO the resi-
dents Of the city, for there are pleas
ure grounds on the river, and a person
can enjoy cool breezes during the
heated term.
WILL TAP RICH REGION
It has been stated, and the statement
has not been contradicted, that the
traction company has plans for build
ing loop line to the south and east
of Fresno which will take in some OF
the richest sections of the county. II
this is undertaken, it will add greatly
to our population, for from the recent
sales that have been made in the coun-
fy TO people from Los Angeles. q
healthy interest in the county is re-
flected.
To prove how fast has been. tht
growth OF Fresno as a shipping center
we have only to glance at the work
that is being done by the Southern
Pacific and the Santa Fe in extending
their freight facilities. The Santa Ft
SIS expending nearly S250.0oo at Galws
putting in a larger freight yard. More
than twice that sum is being spent by
the Southern Pacific in increasing its
freight facilities right in Fresno itself
An enormous icing plant is now being
constructed between the Southern Pa
cif5c and the Santa Fe tracks south oi
the town, and now arrangements are
being made TO put in a preceding
plant costing $500.000. with a capacity
for cooling a train of 80 cars at one