Year: 1876

Has done more work during the
past year than perhaps any other
railroad in the United States. While
the workshops are closed and road
building and even repairs suspended
over the whole United States, South
ern California is the scene of activity,
and we can point with pride to the
progress of 1875, and look forward con-
fidently to continuation of it in 1875.
The main line Of the Southern Pacific
was at Spadra, distance of 25 miles
from Los Angeles The road is now
completed through the San Gorgonio
Pass, distance So miles from Los Ange-
les and track laying is going on at the
present time, while the road bed is
completed several miles beyond.
Across the desert which the road is
now traversing steel rails will be laid.
The route has been changed some
what, Ehrensburg being the point Sc
iected at which to strike the Colorado
River instead of Fort Yuma. This
distance is about 100 miles and it is
expected this will be completed the
coming season. Los Angeles is eager
Hy watching the progress of this road
Eastward, for she expects to reap
rich harvest in Arizona. The vast
mineral wealth of that section will
attract miners from all parts of the
country and the furnishing of supplies
10 the many hundred mining camps
and settlements will double our trade.
Whether the road will be pushed on
into Arizona is yet a question. If Tom
Scott succeeds in obtaining his SUBJ
sidy and proceeds 70 build the 32nd
parallel road, we do not suppose that
the Southern Pacific will be content
with a simple junction at the State
line. 1t is not improbable in that
case branch will be thrown out to
Prescott, Arizona, tapping the richest
mineral belt of that State. But the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company
has officially offered to construct the
Trans-Continental road simply for the
land grant which Tom Scott received.
How this proposition will be received
remains to be seen, but in the present
temperof the people in the States, it
is not likely thatany further subsidies
can be obtained from the Government
no matter what may be the character
Of the enterprise. It is probable then
that the Southern Pacific will have an
opportunity to extend itself to the
Mississippi Valley, and furnish the
nation with the great Southern high
way to the Pacific Coast. On the
Anaheim Branch the road has been
extended to the Santa Ana river, fif-
teen miles beyond Anaheim, the ter
minus being fixed for the present at
that point. A route has been survey
cd from the terminus of this branch to
San Diego, and also one from San Cor
gonio to the same point. Which route
will be selected for the San Diego
branch has not yet been determined.
On the San Fernando Branch the track
has been extended five and one-half
miles beyond San Fernando, to the
South approach of the tunnel. To
the North, beyond this point to Ca
7iente. there is still gap of some
ninety miles breaking the line to San
Francisco, but the work has been
pushed as vigorously the entire
year as men and money could
do it. The work of tun-
neling at these two points has taxed
the skill of the Engineer and recources
of the Company. AT San Fernando
Ehe extension is to be about one and a
quarter miles long. A force of 1880
men is employed there, working night
and day. The entire number of men


ROW at work upon the road is not less
than 5000. The operations of the
Company at San Fernando are des-
cribed fully in another column. The
fiat has gone forth that trains will! be
running through from Los Angeles to
San Francisco in July, 1876, and des-
pite the enormous amount of work
yet to be done, past experience war;
rants us in expecting the fulfillment
of the promise. The managers of this
great corporation promise nothing
they do not fulfill to the letter, and
we may therefore expect to greet the
first through train from San Francisco
the coming Summer. The completion
of this road will give an immense i'm
petus to travel in this direction, and
speedily disseminate information con-
cerning our soil and climate. The
ocean voyage from San Francisco to
Che Southern Coast, it is true, is neith-
er dangerous nor a tedious one, but
che American public is accustomed to
travel behind a locomotive, and doubt
a 4