The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 31, 1895, Page 3

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 1895. 3 SPRECKELY MEETY ALL OBSTAGLES. DIRECTORS JOURNEY - BY STEAMER, BY WAGON, BY RAiL A DAY FOR THE VALLEY RAIL- ROAD PEOPLE ENDS WITH A DERAILED ENGINE. LOST HOURS AT MIDWAY, L BE SENT TO Ew DAvs TO SURVEYORs W STOCKTON IN A On Friday ment by w Joaquin ight, foll it was @ ad should. s give the directors of y down the river by , one of the steamer: Navigation and Impro at the service owing the arrange- d that the San ment Comp of the Comme: and at 7:20 0'c by b Magee, who ¥, took passs In addition, P. Henderson ockton, and 2 the boat, W alled e on the , Or Levinsky or Store, we ch was in charge Corcoran, manager of the Califor tion and Improvement Company “We will make the landing in time to \ which arrives in San Fran- 5 ». ., said Mr. Corcoran, “or a boiler.” catch the t cisco ath we will bursi Mr. Corcoran did not quite keep his wo Chis was due toa change of pro- | gramme. Originally it had been intended to proceed by boat to -Antioch and there take the tr: On the w; was ¢ d it was dec to go to Moh 1g'and walk across country to Bethany to take the train there. This change was done for @ purpose. It was to give the directors and engineer, W. B Storey accompanied them, a chance spect a short cut across the islands who road out of Stockton, to Tun to ith a mileage much less Southern Pacific Com- The boil The directors and their escort’ missed the of the Leader did not burst. train by a few moments, and 'there fol- lowed an interesting series of adventures. As the steamerpulled out from the dock ! i n of Stockton, | wn the plan les to- the Contra Costra shore, | passed and the Burns cut-off gave the vis- | itors an opportunity to see how much | could be done by straightening the chan- nel of the stream. Mr. Corcoran pointed out what is known as the Devil’s Elbow, one of the most tor- | tuous passages in the stream, the annoy- ance of the earlier navigators, with its | sharp turn, now avoided by taking the | cut-off. With the fertile lands of Roberts | 1sland to the left, the steamer pursued its |way down the river, passed Whisky | Slough and then turned into Middle River. | This channel was pursued until Connection Slough is reached, where a long, tortuous | channel was followed until Old River, the | original main course of the San Joaquin, | was reached. Then the boat was headed up Old River toward Mohrs Landine. This river is as crooked as the Mississippi, and navigators aver that the oaths of the | early pilots have been caught and held in | the crooks and turns and can still be heard during favorable weather. During the voyage up the Old River an excellent dinner w A sharp jolt just after the dessert had been served sent C. M. Weber upstairs to | find out where they were. The steamer | the bank and pursued her | the hotel, to follow a sug off | swung course, | | on the hurricane deck. Storey. This levee extends for several Stockton. It | stretches for use for a railway track. Mr. this. | One thing seems certain—that a corps of | have but to formaily accept it at a meeting, surveyors will be put into the field to de- | of the twelve men who constitute the | - morning the | termine if an available short route exists | board and the assent of the other five is as- of the direct- : served on the Leader. d€pOt onmy land ad joining the city of Modesto, | The engineer, the directors and the | cessful, and as the engine returned to the Stockton escorts spent much of the time | rails those gathered about shouted: “Three The point where | cheers for General Manager Stetson of the | Kennedy’s air-line survey crossed was : San Joaquin Valley Railroad.” shown, Further up the Grant line canal | levee attracted the attention of Engineer | Stockton woke up jubilant over the defin- t from Stock- | miles in an almost direct line toward | assured and that the capital of the county is one of the available | of San Joaquin was to be the point from Storey seemed to think quite favorably of | PLEDGES FREIGHT, RIGHT OF WAY AND DEPOT SITE. MODESTO, March 29, 1895. To Charles M. Shortridge, Editor and Propri- etor of the San Francisco ¢‘Call.'' Sir: For the purpose of giving not only |moral but substantial aid to the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad, I hereby agree, rates and facilities being equal, to |patronize and forward over the said road all |freight I may have for transportation. And further agree that I will give to the |said road the right of way through any lands |that I am possessed of, and alsowill give to |the aforesaid road the necessary ground for |County of Stanislaus. P. H. DEDLEY. zestion offered by ! dent. Here, in attempting to switch an | Director J. B. Stetson, which proved suc- | empty boxcar so as to make it up on the train, the engine ran off the track, entail- ing a delay of several hours. The drive- wheels of the engine left the track and a serious accident to the engineer and fire- man was narrowly averted. The engine left the track at a cattle guard. The wheels ran along the edge of a stringer, splitting the timber its whole length, but passed safely over to the cross ties. The swerving by an inch would have plunged the engine down several feet, with a possible loss of life. The cause of the accident was an imper- fect switch, the one end of which projected a little to the side. It was a day of incidents yesterday. ite fact that the competing railroad was which it would start. | Having accepted the offer of Stockton, | | the seven directors who visited that city Company in not maintaining a telegraph office at this point. ‘When it had grown late Clans Spreckels said to the trainmen: “You will not suc- ceed in-that way. If you will let me direct it I will have that engine on the track within fifteen minutes.”” The conductor was willing, but Engineer Jordan was not. | He wanted to continue the trial of the frog and the redwood ties in his own way, and perhaps thought the Southern Pacific officials would prefer that the passengers should wait rather than that they should be quickly sent on their way by taking the advice of a director of the competing rail- | road. “I have handled bigger machinery than that locomotive,”’ said Mr. Spreckels, “and I can put that engine on the track in fif- teen minutes, I would like to get home to-night.” This was at 6 o’clock. The engineer was obdurate and followed his own resources. A handcar came up and another frog was used, but the attempt to get the wheels on the rails failed. Meantime Mr. Spreckels and a portion of the party had sought luncheon at the hotel. § At 6:45 o’clock J. B. Stetson made a sug- gestion: plates and spread the rails a little and run the engine over the the ties until youreach the point where the fishplates have been removed, y the track,” said he. It was getting pretty late and so the ad- vice of another director of the San Joaquin Valley road, as well as the president of the North Pacific Coast road, was heeded. A half-hour after acting upon Mr. Stet- s0n’s advice the engine was on the tracks again. Just then an engine came puffing in from Tracey. become alarmed at the failure of the train to arrive and had telegraphed headquar- ters, whence word had been wired Tracey to send on an engine. It was thought at Livermore and Tracey | that the train had been held up and robbed. When the cars rolled into the station at Livermore a big crowd had gathered to learn the particulars of what they thought to be the latest hold-up. On the way into Oakland the directors discussed the competing railway project in its varions phases. Engineering corps will be at work in and about Stockton within a few days, and within sixty days at least construction work out of Stockton { on theline to Bakersfield will be begun. P. A. Buel states that it is quite likely that Stockton can perform the agreement into which she has entered within less than that time. If that is so, then con- struction work, can be instituted within less than two months. Engineer Storey and Direcior Watt dis- cussed the kind of engines to be used, and it was explained that a lighter engine could be used in the San Joaquin Valley than for the road when it entered the mountains to join the transcontinental trunk lines. So the San Joaquin Valley road is to be connected with some one or more of the transcontinental lines. . Itis also evident from the statements made by the directors that a road from Stockton to some point on the bay near “If you will unscrew the fish-| u can get the engine back on I The Livermore office had | | Low excursion rates have been obtained on all'the railways and steamship lines for round-trip tickets to and from Santa Bar- bara. The aiready extravagant display of all that is mild, gentle, bright and pictur- esquely beautiful will be enhanced on this occasion by the artistic disposition of the | glorious products of a favorable climate. The grateful citizens of this beatific cor- ner of the earth are anxious to display toa less fortunate people the floral product of this marvelous region. P ADVANCE IN SILVER. Attributed to the Bellef That England Will Favor Bimetallism. NEW YORK, N. Y., March 30.—The ad- vance in silver in the open market in Lon~ don to-day has been foliowed by a.cor- responding rise in bar silver here, which has led to increased strength and activity in silver certificates. To-day’s advance is attributed to the growing belief that Eng- | land will consentto join in the bimetallic conference, which.now has the assurances of representation from the United States, France and Germany. It issaid Spainis | in the market as a buyer of bullion in con- nection with the Cuban insurrection. Bar silver closed at 5 ». . quoted at 3¢d per ounce. il XSS Death of a Railroad Man. CHICAGO, Iryn., March 30.—C. Booth, president of the Switchmen’s Mutual Aid ociation, also president of the Railroad Men’'s Alliance, and one of the best-known railroad men in the United States, died to- day from lung fever. SRR Destroyed the Building. | BROOKLYN, N. Y. March 30.—Fire started in the five-story building occupied by John Cavanaugh, a wholesale shoe- r, destroying that building; loss SANTA BARBARA FESTIVAL. INDICATIONS THAT THE DISPLAY WILL EXCEED ALL PREVIOUS EVENTS. THE CRUISER OLympPIa Has BEEN ORDERED TO THAT PoORT. SANTA BARBARA, Car., March 30.— Another object of interest will be added to the already numerous attractions furnished by Santa Barbara at her forthcoming flower festival, as is evident by the following dis- patch: AN NAVY DEPARTMENT, ! WaSHINGTON, D. C., March 21. Sir: Referring to the department letter of the 16th inst., [have to inform you that the U. S Olympia will anchor off Santa Barbara, Cal., from the 17th to the 19th of April, inclusive, and that citizens will be permitted on board. H. A. HERBERT, Secretar Lorp, Secretary Flower Fes ita Barbara, Cal. The Editorial Association will also be on hand. That the flower procession will be longer and the battle of flowers more brilliant than at any previous festival is assured be- yond any shadow of a doubt. The great pavilion where the ball will be held will be decorated more elaborately and more artistically than on any previous occasion. The number of prominent gen- | tlemen and ladies in the country who have | already formally accepted the invitation of | the Flower Festival Association to be pres- ent, and to whom tickets have already been forwarded, exceeds by 100 per cent the number of any preceding festival. There will be a larger number of ,people in Santa Barbara at the next festival than ever before seen on any similar occasion. Mr. val Ass | dea W.&J. SLOANE & C0. SELLING AGENTS Alex. Smith & Sons Carpet Co.’s For QUALITY, PATTERN and COLORING these popular goods have attained a stand- ing \\'hiclh is not excelled. MOQUETTES, SAVONNERIES, GOBELINS, AXMINSTERS. ®he variety of designs and colorings for this season surpasses all previous productions and is suited to all kinds and styles of furnishing. ........ i S et WE OFFER>=—— TAPESTRY BRUSSELS (Best quality made)....756¢c per yard, SEWED and LAID San Francisco will be one of the early lines | at Stockton and made its way down the | constructed. channel the long series of manufacturing | establishments were pointed out, and when | MOQUETTES (Best quality made) $1.00 per yard, SEWED and LAID Tule street was reached a good view was obtained of the straignt avenue upon which. the tracks of the Sam Joaguin Rail- road will reach the neck of land lying be- tween Stockton and Mormon channel, ¥‘rrc the terminal site is to be, having a #untage on two navigable waterways ad- jMning the great flourmills and reaching down to and including the point where the two channels unite. Quick time made in steaming down to the junction of the San Joaquin River. The lands under the levee, their rich crops and fruit trees attracted much attention and favorable comment: from members of the party. The Leader steamed up the San Joaquin River to the drawbpridge. The river is quite narrow here ‘and exceptional skill is required to make the turn and come back down stream. When the steamer was swung around Claus Spreckels created a little amusement by offering to wager that | the turn would not be made. The steamer turned half around and stuck in the bank. Then it was swung around the other way and made the complete turn, heading downstream. “What do you think of that?’’ asked Mr. Corcoran. “You would have lost your wager.” 3 “No,” insisted Mr. Spreckels; “I said you would not make the turn the first time, and you did not. It took two trialsto do it.” The voyage down the river was an inter- esting one. Rough and Ready Island was [Sketched by a “Call ™ artist.] THE DIRECTORS ON BOARD THE STEAMER LEADER INSPECT THE GRANT-LINE LEVEE FOR A SHORT RAILWAY ROUTE OUT OF STOCKTON. THE EXAMINER'S AID, Max Popper for the Troquois Share Club Sub- soribes Now. A number of new subscriptions were re- blank forms. The account up to a late | hour was as follows: Previously reported Iroquois Share Club, | Yerba Buena Parlo Harmes...... Emanuel Davis........ Anna Busch (Winnemucca). W. 0.Tienn (Alameda).... ith (Adelaide, % o ol | 'S ® between Byron and Stockton. The ques- | tion will determine the selection of the route. Within a period of forty-eight hours Claus Spreckels arranged for rights of way | and terminal facilities for the competing | road at Stockton, made a ten-strike rolling | the spheres in the bowling alley at Good- | water Grove, and offered to place a | wrecked engine of the Southern Pacific which had run off the track at Midway on the rails again within fifteen minutes. The directors were returning after an | exciting day’s journey which had been full of incidents, when the train was delayed for a number of hours seven miles this side of Tracy’ by an engine leaving the rails. | The Southern Pacific employes did not take the advice of the leader of the rival | railway, but were forced after several fail- | ures, when Mr. Spreckels had retired to sured, and Stockton has but to fulfill its agreement, which P. A. Buell declares will be done within a week. { There were many stories told on the voyage. One of the best was by H. J. Corcoran, who declared that during foggy weather the steamers of hiz company de- termined their course through the Car- quinez Straits by the echo of their whis- | tles. There was one sort of an echo at Starrs Mills, another at Vallejo Junction and still a different one at Selbys. This method of navigatign under diffi- culties seems to be an in%'yrm‘omf'nt on that of the Nantucket skipper, who told where he was by the taste of the lead as it came up with the ooze from the bottom. It was within a few minutes of train- time when the Leader ran up against the bank, some miles distant from Mohrs Landing and three miles from Bethany CLAUS SPRECKELS, PRESIDENT RAILROAD, LIKE A MAN OF THE PEOPLE, ENJOYS A iSketched for the “Call” by Fisher.) RELAXATION. and the station. There was a hurried scramble down the plank to a point on the bank, and a march Indian-file along the levee. There was a break in the levee, and a boatman, who was fortunateiy at hand, was sent ahead with a courier to secure teams from a neighboring farm in order to reach Bethany. It took the boatman several trips to ferry the crowd across the break in the levee. Engineer Storey started off on a running walk for Bollmn&' to see whether he could reach there in time to.wire a request that the train be held for the varty. Some of the others hurried past the farm- house with the intention of gaining the track and, if possible, flagging the train. They wereabout a hundred yards away when the train went by, ignoring the fran- tic efforts to hail it with hats, handker- chiefs and voices. Engineer Storey had only got well started for Bethany, the three miles of which grew with every step. This was the last train which left last night for San Francisco by the way of Bethany and the steamer Leader had already headed down Old River. There | was only one recourse left and that was to take wagons to Tracy, nine miles away. Only one wagon of small accommodation could be had at the farmhouse. P. A. Buell constituted himself driver, and with Claus Spreckels and two others of the party started in haste for Bethany, where he hoped to secure another wagon, which would return and pick up the rest of the party who were trudging along the ties. The advance guard of the walkers met the second wagon near Bethany, which re- turned to pick up the stragglers. The per- sons were packed in the wagon like sar- dines, and John Mohr of Mohrs Landing whipped his steeds into a gallop for Tracy. Captain Payson, who had made a quiet little bet with Manager Corcoran that the steamer Leader would not reach the land- ing in time for the train and had won, grew emboldened by his success and of- fered to wager that the wagon with its load of ten would not reach Tracy in time for the Stockton local, bound for Oakland by way of Livermore. A. H. Levinsky accepted the wager. There was quite a good deal of chaffing between the disputants, but Captain Mohr got his improvised stage to the depot at Tracy one minute ahead of train time, and the rear guard and the advance guard of the directory met at the station. The ride to Midway was without inci- e {7 ar 'OF THE PEOPLE'S COMPETING LITTLE OFFERS A SITE P, H. Dodley of Modesto Favors the Competing Railroad. The first man to pledge his freight to the new railroad, as sugeested by the CALL, is P. H. Dedley of Modesto. Mr. Dedley has written a letter to the editor of this paper, in which he promises to patronize the new road, rates and facilities being equal, to It was 4:45 . M. when the train arrived at Midway, It was 7:48 when the train departed. An attempt was made to get the engine on the track by the use of a frog and wedges of ties. It was rather a clumsy performance, and failed with repeated trials. But the trainmen saw no other | method. THE SPRECKELS PARTY ON THE DOME OF THE COURTHOUSE AT STOCKTON. [Sketched by a “Call” artist.] There is no telegraph office at Midway, | give it right of way through his land and though it is a regular Southern Pacific sta- | ground for a depot at Modesto. Mr. Ded- tion. Neither is there one at Altamont to | ley’s letter appears in another place. the west. It was between these points s that the frightful turnel accident occurred some time ago. Livermore was the ncarest’ CLEVELAND, Omo, March 30.—A. H. station to the west and Tracy to the east. | Stefe fli"ifl Co}'. Wgolesale glove-dealers, a It was impossible to communicate with | Signed for the benefit of their creditors. either, so Y:(I!)e engine lay there and the | Assets $40.000; liabilities considerably in passengers grumbled and the trainmen | €X0¢s3 Of thatamount. took what precautions they could against cat A 3 | Five In a Factory District. a fore-end collision of possible trains from | EVANSVILLE, Ixp., March 30.—A fire Livermore or Tracy. ! | in the sawmill and factory district caused There'was some sharp comment on the | aloss 0f $50,000 this evening. The Holfrich economic policy of the Southern Pacific | Company loses 2,000,000 feet of lumber. Glove-Dealers Assign. THE WRECKED ENGINE AT MIDWAY. [Sketched by a *Call” artist] ceived yesterday through the Examiner's | THE NAIRN LINOLEUM. 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