anaheim-gazette 1931-06-04

Important Months In Espee History Railroad Had Its Beginning In Dreams of Its Founders Sixty-Two Years Ago INCORPORATED, JUNE, 1861 Big Idea Started With Little Money May and June are anniversary months of significance in the annals of the Southern Pacific railroad, says Earle Health, editor of the Bulletin, in the current issue of that "organ" of the railroad. Sixty-two years ago, on May 10, 1869, the "last spike" was driven at Promontory, Utah, heralding completion of the first transcontinental railroad. Date Deserves Attention That date is deserving of the attention commonly according it, marking as it does the accomplishment of a gigantic construction enterprise that time has proven the greatest of all factors in making possible development of the whole western country. There is, however, a date falling in June that merits recognition, particularly this year, as a "three score and ten" anniversary. On June 28, 1861, the Central Pacific Railroad Company of California, parent of our present company, was incorporated. It was on that day Leland Stanford, Collis P. Hungington, Mark Hopkins and Charles Crocker took the first definite steps leading to the building of the transportation system that was to win renown fort he "Big Four," and which was destined to take its place alongside the great railroad organizations of the world. Affairs of Week at Nation's Capital (Correspondence to The Gazette) Washington, D. C.—Public interest in the Nicaragua Canal has been revived by President Hoover's warm commendation of the officers and men of the Army Engineer Battalion, which has just completed the field survey of the proposed route. All that remains now is the drawing of the maps and other plans needed by the actual workers. Congress will be called upon at its next setting to appropriate money for the actual digging and work should start soon afterwards. No opposition to the canal is expected to appear in Congress, which has already given the money for the survey, assented to the 99-year lease that was obtained at a cost of $1,000,000 from the Republic of Nicaragua in 1916 for the necessary right of way, and otherwise shown its desire to have a second shipway to parallel the present Panama Canal. The railroad interests which fought the building of the Panama ditch will not oppose the Nicaragua proposition, largely because they appreciate the futility of trying to block the scheme. Besides which most of the traffic which will use the canal could never be routed by rail. The new canal promises to be a boon to a large section of country, chiefly to golf ports like Galveston, New Orleans, Pensacola and Tampa, which will benefit by a shortening of the time to California by about three days. The Nicaragua route is something like 500 miles farther north than Panama, a day and a half's sailing for a ship. Not only the gulf ports, Mississippi Valley will be the construction of the Government work now, but rivers in the heart of the result in nine-foot channel steamers that will carry to New Orleans for transport ocean-going vessels to the coast and far Pacific ports. Aside from the saving money, the new canal will insurance against the blight Panama Canal by enemy war, or by one of the manias that continually occur America. The building of Gua Canal will benefit body in the United States be a drain on the pockets. The Panama Canal has a tion long enough to show been a worthwhile project. larly this year, as a "three score and ten" anniversary. On June 28, 1861, the Central Pacific Railroad Company of California, parent of our present company, was incorporated. It was on that day Leland Stanford, Collis P. Hungington, Mark Hopkins and Charles Crocker took the first definite steps leading to the building of the transportation system that was to win renown fort he "Big Four," and which was destined to take its place alongside the great railroad organizations of the world. No Written Memories Many and varied are the stories passed down through the years about how this first company came to be organized. No written memoirs were left by the men who played the leading roles. We are obliged, more or less, to let our imagination visualize the dramatic events staged in the back room of the Huntington & Hopkins hardware store at 54 K street in Sacramento. Schemes for the building of a railroad across the continent had been proposed as early as 1832. Five columns of army engineers were sent into the field during 1853 to survey all possible routes from the Mississippi to the Pacific. There was a growing popular demand for a railroad to weld the nation into a common unit. But there was no money with which to build. Capitalists were not interested in ap roject so risky. A Discouraging Prospect The little that was known of the West was of a nature to discourage such a venture as building a railroad. The country was undeveloped and practically uninhabited, with little prospect of traffic to pay the expense of operation. Indians would hamper construction work. Mountain roads so steep that wagons had to be lowered down them by ropes were fresh in the memory of emigrants who had come west over the covered wagon route. Construction thru mountains in those days, with pick and shovel, one-horse dump carts, wheelbarrows and black powder, was literally hand carving. The project gave promise of being the biggest job in the world and it is little wonder that people doubted it could be carried to completion in a country that was lacking in money, men and materials. Stage Was All Set The stage was all set for the one who possessed the engineering ability and unfaltering enthusiasm necessary to "sell" the idea. Such a man was Theo D. Judah, youthful civil engineer, who furnished the spark that set the enterprise afame with action. After building a railroad from Sacramento to Folsom in 1856, Judah turned his energies toward the great transcontinental of which he dreamed. He made twenty-three trips by foot and horseback over the high Sierra and with the assistance of Daniel W. Strong, of Dutch Flat, found a pass through the mountain suitable for an railroad. He body in the United States be a drain on the pockets MUTUAL ORANGE DISTRIBUTORS. PURE GOLD CALIFORNIA. In our judgment the average net returns made to our grower-members for all fruit delivered by them are better than those of any other similar citrus co-operative in California. —The Oranges, Lemons and citrus fruits competing under a world's best just so do they w possessed the engineering ability and unfaltering enthusiasm necessary to "sell" the idea. Such a man was Theo. D. Judah, youthful civil engineer, who furnished the spark that set the enterprise afame with action. After building a railroad from Sacramento to Folsom in 1856, Judah turned his energies toward the great transcontinental of which he dreamed. He made twenty-three trips by foot and horseback over the high Sierra and with the assistance of Daniel W. Strong, of Dutch Flat, found a pass through the mountain suitable for an railroad. He was a delegate to a railroad convention and was sent to Washington to plead the cause in Congress. In the face of ridicule and derision he talked "Pacific Railroad" incessantly, winning a few influential converts but very little money. Things Began to Happen Returning to Sacramento early in 1861 he called a public meeting, Collis P. Huntington, a local merchant, was present. His interest was aroused and he invited Judah to call at his store the next evening. Other night conferences quickly followed. Huntington enlisted the support of Mark Hopkins, Charles Crocker, and Leiland Stanford, who at the age of 37 was then governor of California. A company was formed; stock subscriptions were pledged; and in a few weeks the four country merchants launched one of the greatest railroad projects of all time. In the undreamed of result of their achievement, born of courage, sagacity and ability, the entire West has shared. A complete telephone system has been installed in the new $1,500,000 Los Angeles Stock Exchange building. These telephone facilities involve an outlay of more than $60,000. In order to overcome the traditional noise of the trading floor, particular attention was given to the telephone ringing devices and buzzers and annunciators, which generally take the place of bells throughout the building. One of our international editors says that the Daughters of the American Revolution, standing for an adequate navy and against European entanglement, have been imposed upon propagandists. But many Americans admire this patriotic organization for continuing faithful to our best traditions in spite of the flood of un-American propaganda it has had to contend with. Recalls Memories of Plains Les Richardson, Bronson, Mich., drove his oxen to the Chicago Jubilee week for the Century of Transportation Pageant. and a half's sailing for a good steamship. Not only the gulf ports, but the entire Mississippi Valley will be benefitted by the construction of the second canal. Government work now under way on rivers in the heart of the country will result in nine-foot channels for river steamers that will carry their freight to New Orleans for trans-shipment on ocean-going vessels to the California coast and far Pacific ports. Aside from the saving in time and money, the new canal will be additional insurance against the blocking of the Panama Canal by enemies in time of war, or by one of the many earthquakes that continually occur in Central America. The building of the Nicaragua Canal will benefit nearly everybody in the United States and will not be a drain on the pockets of taxpayers. The Panama Canal has been in operation long enough to show that it has seen a worthwhile project. It takes in about $100,000 a day in tolls; ships using it finding it much cheaper to pay the high charges than to sail around Cape Horn. While the Panama cost around one billion dollars, it is earning more than enough to pay interest and retire the principal, and will eventually give the government a waterway for its navy, cost free. The new canal will probably be built to accommodate ships of greater width and depth than the Panama, which has already been faced with the task of wrapping through one British warship that was only seven feet narrower than the full width of the Panama locks. Ships are being built larger each year and the day is not far off when a wider canal will become a necessity. Government building plans to offset shrinkiness in private construction will cost a billion dollars, according to a summary compiled recently. Of this huge sum more than $300,000,000 is actually in hand and the money is being paid out to American factories and workmen, lessening the tension considerably. The rest of the appropriation will be spent as soon as sites for various public buildings can be acquired and plans prepared. Many thousands of workmen will benefit by the program and another vast army of workers who will cater to the wants of the government employees will be supported also carrying on building programs that will engage almost as many men, while private projects are beginning to assume vast size. In spite of the administration's evident desire to push these projects and have them under way a year ago, the details of obtaining sites, drawing plans, getting appropriations through Congress and other difficulties have prevented their actual execution before now. Once under way the program will gain momentum as the months go by the country will profit in a material way. Daily Agricultural Radio Program Beginning each day at 12 p.m. and continuing 10 minutes talks of interest to farmers, growers and producers will be given during the week beginning June 8, under the auspices of the Agricultural Extension Service, cooperating with Radio Station KFI, as follows: June 8—"Citrus Question Box." W. H. Williams, Assistant Farm Advisor, Los Angeles County. June 9—"Farm Bureau Organization Work." Earl Maharg, Executive Secretary, Los Angeles County Farm Bureau. June 10—"Puncture Vine. Its Introduction and Control." John P. Coy. 1906 - 1931 A Quarter Century of Service to California Citrus Growers CROPS PAY THE M. O. D. WAY SELECTED FROM CALIFORNIA'S BEST and marked PURE GOLD and SILVER SEAL for your protection! PURE GOLD and SILVER SEAL for your protection! ages, Lemons and Grapefruit so identified have won more prizes at California peting under a single trade name. Just as Pure Gold and Silver Seal win the it so do they win favor with consumers in the markets of the world. The M fact that it is a democratic, happy family of successful growers, reflects i Now Is the Time to Join a Packing Group We Is Affiliated with This Cooperative Mutual Orange Distr HEADQUARTERS: REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA Charter Member National Council of Co-operatives California's Successful Co-operative Citrus Maketing Organiz Composed of and Serving Successful California Citrus Gro Sets National Record for Butterfat Rinda's Rosaire's Tessie 725085, a three-year old purebred Jersey owned by John Kopplin, Gaston, Ore., produced 1042.81 pounds of butterfat, 15.592 pounds of milk, in one year. Agricultural Commissioner, San Bernardino County. June 11—"George P. Clemente—Doctor, Agriculturist, and Conservationist." Judge Harold Ide Cruzan, Vice-President, Los Angeles Conservation Association. June 12—"Rabbit Cost Studies." L. D. Sanborn, Assistant Farm Advisor, Los Angeles County. NEW YORK TAXICABS New York's 30,000 or so taxicabs are to be seen scurrying around at all hours of the day and night and they are singularly cheap to ride in. That is, provided one does not engage them to go across town during the rush hours when the many delays will make riding in them one of the most expensive of all trips. The meter works just as fast when the cab is standing still as when it is under way, as in all towns. The rates averages twenty cents a mile after the first quarter of a mile, which is fifteen cents, and visitors wonder how autos of the highest price makes can be used for such a cheap service. The cars are specially made to stand up to the wear and tear of the city streets and the frequent use of brakes. All New York taxies must be built to carry not fewer than five passengers, which is the reason why there are no Ford taxies used here. Efforts to introduce Fords have met with failure, as a car to confrom to the law requires a longer wheel base than that of the low priced car. Many Tammany officials own stock in some of the big taxi operating companies, and have opposed any change in the law, the results being that the streets are cluttered up with long taxicabs when smaller cars would do quite as well. The average taxicab driver earns about $85 a week and has to know a lot about the city to hold his job. The total cost of all services rendered by M. O. D. for its members is less than the aggregate charges made by any similar citrus co-operative of California for similar services. ies at California orange shows and fairs than any over Seal win these coveted victories against the world. The M. O. D. gets results. Its consistent es at California orange shows and fairs than any ever Seal win these coveted victories against the world. The M. O. D. gets results. Its consistent awers, reflects its success. Group Which operative Distributors CALIFORNIA Co-operatives Marketing Organization nia Citrus Growers