The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 30, 1895, Page 1

A v T FRANCISCO, SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH 30, 1895. STOCKTON IS CHOSEN Starting Point of the San Joaquin Valley Road. DECISION OF DIRECTORS. The Dirt Will Fly Within Sixty Days and Work Will Be Pushed. GRANTING OF CONCESSIONS. “The City and People Will Give Valu- able Franchises, Rights-of-Way and Terminal Lands. STOCKTON, Car., March 29. in Val .—The San y Railroad will start from Btockton. That was practically agreed upon to- night. Within sixty days, work on the road to eld will be un and pushed forward to comple ed by the directors of the San v Railroad was granted ata ting of the leading citizens of Stockton | This does not mean that a | not be build from San Francisco “ grain warehouse and lumber yard 1n the city, and also with the pottery and harvester works. Those on Mormon Channel you reach off Taylor street, and by crossing Mormon Chaunel, at the head of navigation, you reach the warehouses and lumber-yard on the north bank of that channel. For the main business on Stockton Channel you continue on Taylorstreet to Tule street, the north on Tule street, across Mormon Channel by a drawbridge to Weber avenue. From this point you make direct connections with the flourmills and warehouses over the iron tracks. STEAMER CONNECTIONS—AS you will want to make steamer connections with San Francisco, at least for the present, this can be easily and cheaply done through some of the warehouses already located on Stockton Channel. Or suit- able ground ean be had just below the Farm- ers’ Union warehouse, and also on Mormon Channel, just off Tule street, where a most ex- cellent location can be had. PASSEN STEAMER CONNECTIONS.—To make the most direct passenger connection I recom- mend the extension of the Weber-avenue line as far ea t as El Dorado street. You can then bring your passengers directly to the two lines of passenger steamers already established, or to your own steamers if you wish to put on a line. Ido not think you will find this neces- sary, as the lines already established have am- ple facilities, and I am sure you can make sat- isfactory terms with them for the handling of both freight and passengers, giving you direct connection with San Francisco from the time you I ur first rail. SHoPs, YARDS, ETc.—At the junction of Tay- lor and Tule streets and adjoining the same, is a most excellent location for yards, shops, roundhouses, etc., as you would be within a few blocks of your depot and water connections and right on your through line.. Ample room canalso be had at this point. With the land that will be donated you can get from fifty to seventy acres at a nominal cost, considering the advantage of location. By the dredging out of the drainage canal on the western line of this property you can, at a very small cost, make a navigable waterway seventy feet wide along the entire length of this property, making dlrect connection with the Mormon Channel below the drawbridge, ® C. M. WEBER, SON OF THE FOUNDER OF STOCKTON. [Drawn from a photograph.] down the peninsula through Santa Clara Valley, across the range and on to Fresno. That may be done, too. But work on the competing road will begin at Stockton and the first shovelful of earth for the new line will be dug from the soil of San Joaquin County. There was a conference between the members of the Stockton Commercial As- sociation and the directors of the San Joaquin Valley road to-night in the rooms of the Yosemite Club. Then the confer- ring bodies retired to hold separate execu- tive sessions. Prior to this, President P. | A. Buell of the Stockton Commercial As sociation had submitted the following proposition: To the President and Board of Directors of the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad Company, Sam Francisco, Cal.—GENTLEMEN: Confirming my verbal report on a plan for your entrance to the city of Stockton and your terminal facilities therein, I have laid out the route on & map which I now present to you. I have given the subject a great deal of thought and believe it to be the best plan for your terminals for reasons which I will give you. By examining the map you will see that 1 have shown the location of the principal pub- | lic buildings and hotels, all of the manufactur- ing industries, grain warehouses and lumber | yards, tHe steamer landings, also the streetcar | lines and all of the tracks, depot sites and ter- | minals of the Southern Pacific Company. With | the above information before you I think you | can readily see the advantages of the plan | which I suggest, viz.: an entrance from the | east on Taylor street, which gives you a i affording direct steamer and barge connections with your yards, and affording unequaled facilities for the receiving and handling of your ties, rails, lumber and coal. All of these hown on the map. The mate- rial dredged from the canal can be used to raise the grade of your property. I have esti- mates on the dredging, which I will furnish if desired. ROUTE FROM STOCKTON INTO THE BAN JoA- QUIN VALLEY—AS your trains leave the city running out Taylor street you reach the coun- | try through the least settled portion of the | city, and by diverging to the south you can head direct for Burneyville, crossing on the Stanislaus River, a point unequaled for the purpose, reached in an air line from Stockton over a perfectly level coun- try and passing through the richest part of the valley, and a section that will now be probably settled up, for in addition to your competing road this section i8 now being irri- gated by the water from the Stanislaus and San Joaquin Company, which will have com- pleted by July a systerh that will irrigate 250,- 000 acres of the richest land under the sun. This section will furnish you & vast amount of traffic. ROUTE FROM STOCKTON TO SAN FRANCISCO— Your trains coming in from the south pass through Taylor street to the Moss tract levee, then turn south on the levee until you cross the French Camp Slough. From near this point you can reach the San Joaquin River in a straight line and cross the same on to Roberts Island at Reynolds’ ranch. Then use the cross levee between the upper and middle divisions of Roperts Island to Morriseys. Cross Middle River at this point on piling—no drawbridge being required. Fol- 2 | mapped out the direction of every flourmill, | 6 Tax)if, strebg and running its entire length. "The._féuty blocks, Nos! 19, 21, 22 and 23, which & pfje 10 Mpymon Channel, are asked for, that¥he Foad may have room for passenger and freight-dej The right ol over Scotts avenue, from | San Joaquin to Beaver streets, across the head of Mormon Channel. A right of way for a spur for two blocks along Commerce street. ' The right of way over blocks 14 and 29 for entrance to Tule street. A right of way of Tule street, from South street to Weber avenue. Right of way on Weber avenue, from El Dorado street to Mormon Channel, Tule street to Weber avenue, turning west, and across block G from Tule street to Weber ave- nue, turning east. A tract of land lying between Tule street and | five acres, this tract to be used for yards, shops, | ete. . The rights of way from the easterly limit of the city where Taylor street crosses the line to the Stanislaus River, dividing San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Subscriptions to the capital stock of $150,000, which was subsequently reduced to $100,000, Claus Spreckels in open meeting déclaring that that amount would be sufficient. This proposition of the directors varied | butin a few particulars from that made by Mr. Buell. When the directors pre- sented it to the merchants assembled it was carried through with a hurrah, and so Stockton became the initial point for the new road. William Inglis made the motion for the association to accept the terms of the valley road directors, which was adopted withont a dissenting voice. It was perhaps because he realized that the terms would be accepted that Director Thomas Magee, when in the dome of the | courthouse this afternoon, asked to have | the directions of Modesto and Oakdale, | the thriving towns of the San Joaquin plains, pointed out. When the association had voted to grant the requests of the directorate, and after the cheering for the San Joaquin road and for Stockton had subsided, the speech- making began. Claus Spreckels in a short but neatly turned speech, which was frequently bro- ken by interruptions of applause, declared that he knew nothing yet as to what would | be done in other places and with other lines, but that the San Joaquin road would begin to build from Stockton. He had pre- viously declared that $100,000 would be all the directors would ask Stockton to sub- scribe. The question as to whether Stockton would ultimately be on the main line to San Francisco was not considered. Stock- ton gets a trunk line through the San Joaquin Valley and that isall the city is | asking, since there is water communication | with San Francisco. The speeches continued until a late hour- P. A. Buell spoke for the Commercial As- sociation and for Stockton. Other Stock- tonians who spoke were John J. Corcoran, Mayor McCall, R. Reibenstein, president | of the Couneil; Councilmen; William Inglisand Orrin S. Henderson, a member of the Board of Su- pervisors, who promised that the Super- visors in behalf of the county would do all the law would permit them to.do to aid the railroad. Governor Budd had been wired an invi- tation by Mr. Buell to be present. He sent in reply the following message: Regret it is impossible to attend the recep- tion to directors of the valley road. Must re- main here to complete, the work delayed | through time occupied in the consideration of | bills during the last ten days. Speeches were made by all the directors, | Robert Watt and Thomas Magee speaking | at some length. The usual felicitations were exchanged. The Yosemite Theater was lighted up | for the inspection of the visitors, and an adjournment followed. Stockton’s contribution to the valley road is a big one. It is eauivalent to $200,000 in cash, besides the most invalu- A right of way over the Weber Tract from | the Moss Tract levee, containing about twenty- | H. C. Keyes, one of the | & responded. This is believed to be but the beginning of the aid which the progressive people of the San Joaquin Valley, from Stockton to Bakerstield, will extend. Work is certain to begun within sixty days and turned to the other end of the end of the projected dine. Then it may be that the directors of the new road will turn their attention to building across the isl- ands and the tules to the Contra Cssta shore and thence on 0 & terminus at Oak- land. The selection of Stockton as the point at which work is to be begun does not mean that San Jose shall be neglected. A line down the peninsula will probably follow shortly. The competing road aims to reach all the chief centers of the State. Meantime, with the first mile of the road built, the revenue will begin to come in to build more miles. The route out of Stockton will probably be nearly in a southern line until the Stanislaus River is reached. There are no engineering difficulties to overcome. The people’s railway has a level, unbroken line before it, up the San Joaquin Valley. Thomas Magee declared to-night that the road would be operated in the interest of the people, and that any revenue in ex- cess of 6 per cent would be immediately met by a reduction of expenses. To-morrow morning at 7:30 o'clock the directors will start on a steamer down the river. They may stop at Antioch and Martinez. This evidently means that a line through Alameda and Contra Costa counties to this city is in contemplation. The direetors of the San Joaquin Valley Railroad have seen Stockton and weighed the inducements which the city extends to a competing railroad. The question now seems to be: Shall Stockton be on the main line or on a branch road ? This will depend very much upon Stock- ton. The directors are pleased with the city, its business prospects and the re- sources of its tributary territory. The Stockton Commercial Association, which is striving to bring the competing road to this city, sum up the advantages of the county seat of S8an Joaquin County with 800,000 fertile acres. It speaks with pride of ‘“the gateway city to the San Joaquin Valley’’ with its 20,000 prosperous inhabitants; tells of its cheap water com- munication to the bay, and advertises- the city as the grain, flour, lumber, mill and manufacturing center of California. The association has prepared a tabular circular showing the receipts and shipments from and to the San Joaquin Valley. This state- ment makes a good argument for Stock- ton. It is as follows: ‘We respectfully submit to you for your con- sideration the following statistics of freight shipments to and from Stockton to points on the east side of the San JoaquinValley, between Stockton and Bakersfield, by rail in 1894: RECEIPTS IN STOCKTON, Pounds. -814,455,875 | 28,907,268 STOCKTON. Pounds. * 724,000 114,744,980 Lumber. . 29,268,466 Produce. 3,162,506 Miscellaneous. . 25,258,649 Total....... 208,158,601 RECAPITULATION. Receipts—161,953 tons, or 13,496 cars of 24,000 pounds each. Shipments—101,679 tons, or 8465 cars of 24,000 pounds each. Attention is directed to the fact that this was 8 vear of extreme drought in the San Joaquin Valley, and of extreme hardship upon the peo- ple located therein, and as a consequence the movement of freight was far below what it would have been under more favorable condi- tions. It is within bounds to estimate that under prosperous conditions with full crops, this freight movement would be increased at least 250 per cent. MORMON CHANNEL AND THE CALIFORNIA PAPER COMPANY’'S MILLS AT STOCKTON. [From a photograph taken expressly for the ““Call.”’] R straight line through the clty, and an CX“I‘ from the same in a direct line to San Francisco | without a drawbridge. PAssENGER DePoT—For your local passenger depot 1 have selected block 21.8. M. C., only seven blocks from the courthouse and business center, and one block from the electric-car line. The electric company will extend their tracks to the depotand give you direct connection with all parts of the city. This site is also reached by three of the principal streets of the city, is on the city side of your railroad and opposite a public square. FrEIGHT DEPOT—For your local freight depot, T recommend blocks 19 and 21,S. M. C. These have all the advantageé shown for passenger depot, being even nearer the main shipping &nd offer good facilities for switches and sid- ings, which canall be reached from the city #ide without crossing your main lines. For grain, flour and lumber shipments I have low along the river and ridge to the head of the Grant-line canal levee. From here you have & fine grade of eight and a half miles in an air line to Old River. Cross at this point and with & quarter of mile of trestle you reach the high ground near Byron. T hope you will give this plan your careful consideration as I know it will stand the most searching investigations and will bear out 2l of the claims which I have made for it. I will take great pleasure in showing you over the ground and proving the statements made in this report. Very truly yours, P.A.BUELL. SrockroN, Cal., March 29, 1895. Then a joint meeting following the se; rate meetings was held, at which the direc- tors submitted their proposition. * This asks for the granting to.the new company of these concessions: A right of way beginning at the easterly line able pflvll]gea and franchises which will go with it. The real estate alone at a small valuation is worth $100,000. The road has everything which could be asked for terminal facilities, for yards, depots and freight. It has access to every part of Stockton. Itreathes the mills and the manufacturing establish- ments. Its passenger depot will be but a few minutes’ walk from the Courthouse and the center of the town. Car and ves- sel come together at tidewater on both Mormon and Stockton channels, Stockton gives bétter facilities to the competing railroad than the Southern Pacific pos- sases. - The cry to-night is “On to Bakersfield.”” The directors all express themselves as CZRIT ot oW LT LI LLT) u o v H = 5 w—— highly pleased with the way Stockton has The volume of river traffic is heavy, and during the last year for which figures are given the river transportation companies showed that they carried passengers toa number in excess of 100,000 The itinerary which the CavrL published was well carried out to-day. Carriages were at the Yosemite Hotel shortly before 9 o’clock, and the directors were first driven to the lumber-yards ahd planing- mills of P. A. Buell & Co., on Center street. A half hour was spent here. Stockton Channel was then visited, and a good idea was gained of the water front. The vari- ous mills and manufacturing establish- ments were visited in order to show the volume of the industry here. A possible terminal site was inspected near the foot of Washington street, near the channel. If the road should enter the town by Edison street and pass eastward along the south side of Stockton Channel this site might become available. Another possible terminal site was viewed on Tay- lor street, on the south side of Mormon Channel, extending for two blocks between Center and Hunter streets. Thisisin the southern portion of the town. The visitors also drove out South street, along which the Council has signified its willingness to grant a right of way. The Yosemite Club rooms were visited at noon, after which luncheon was served at the hotel. In the afternoon a journey wgs made over the twelve miles of track of the Stock- ton Electric Railroad’ Company with G. E, Ladd, superintendent of the company, in attendance. The first trip was made north- erly on El Dorado street. Thisisthe finest residence street in the city and is paved for a good portion ‘of its length with bituminous rock. Elmsline the street and handsome and costly residences are on PRESIDENT SPRECKELS AND THE DIRECTORS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY RAILROAD IN STOCEKTON: TO INSPECT THE FACILITIES FOR THE PEOPLE’S LINE. [Sketched by a “Call artist.] either side. The road ends at the Sherry Homestead. The car then ran back to Main street and out to the Stockton Combined Harvester and Agricultural Works, where, as P. A, Buell said to Claus Spreckels, ‘“We can on reception declared, the only thing| creditable which {he Southern Pacific Company had done for Stockton. £ It took just two and a half minutes to run from the courthouse to Taylor and San | Joaquin streets, and as this was rcacbed{ breathed the gas all night,” concluded Weber. “And no inconvenience from the result- ing explosion?’’ queried a member of the party. “Of a slight financial nature only.” THE FLOURMILLS AT STOCKTON. [From a photograph taken expressly for the “Call.”} MORMON CHANNEL, LOOKING SOUTH. [From a photograph taken expressly for the *“Call."] build your cars for the San Joaquin Valley road.” This line of electric streetcar service crosses the Southern Pacific tracks at the rHew depot, a stone and brick structure, which comprises, as one of the committee P. A. Buell shouted, “Three cheers for the { San Joagnin Valley Railroad,” and they | were given with a will. i The gas wells and the natatorium in | connection therewith were visited. They | are located at the end of San Jonquin‘ street. Here are several wells ranging | from 1600 to 2600 feetin depth. The gas | bubbles up through the water and is col- | lected in large iron receivers which cover | the wells. C.M. Weber declares that the | gas is almost pure hydrogen gas, and to | illustrate its freedom from noxious prop- ; erties said: “A man can sleep with the | gas turned on in his room. It does not | mean death to blow out the gas.” | “I suppose he would waken much re- | freshed and that the gas can be taken asa | tonic,” said an incredulous wag of the | party. Mr. Weber did not claim that the gas possessed the properties of a tonic, but stated that not long ago -inthis city a resi- dent, through carelessness, allowed . the gas to flow in his room all night. When he arose early in the morning he applied a match to the burner. The room: had be- come so filled with gas that its ignition caused an explosion which blew out the windows and the door, “and the man suf- fered no inconvenience from having P. A. BUELL, PRESIDENT OF THE STOCKTON COMMERCIAL ASSOCIATION. ‘ * [Drawn from a photograph.] The natatorium*located at the wells is supplied with warm water which comes from one or more of them. The north side of the town was then in- spected and a visit made to Goodwater Grove, which lies at the end of the electric line, beyond the State Asylum for the In- sane. This is a pretty little grove of oaks, with a restaurant and dancing pavilion, and is one of the attractive spots for an outing'in Stockton. There is a bowling- alley here and the directors played at ten- pins. Claus Spreckels made a ten-strike and was duly:complimented for his skill with the spheres. 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