Imperial press and farmer., May 03, 1902, Page 9, Image 9

About Imperial press and farmer. (Imperial, San Diego County, Cal.) 1901-1903

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

Southern Pacific Main Line to Run Through Imperial
Branch Line of Southern Pacifiic System to Run From
Imperial to San Diego.
The Old Line Through Flowingwell to be
Abandoned.
Important moves in the Railroad
Ch« ss Hoard of Southern California
are being made of the greatest In
portance to the Imperial Settlements.
Tin- following dispatch from San
DiegO to the LOS Angeles Herald of
April 2»;th Indicates the general char
acter of these new mows, although
probably not accurate in all its de
tails. The readers of the Press can
be assured, however, that before the
close of this year Southern Pacific
trains will be running through Im
perial.
Following is the Herald dispatch:
SAN DIEGO. April 25.— Sensational
information regarding railroad affairs
THE VIRGIN SOIL .JUST BEING PLOWED FOR THK FIRST TIME NEAR BLUE LAKE IN THE IMPERIAL SETTLEMENTS UNDER THE IMPERIAL
CANAL BYBTEM. THIS SOIL WITHOUT WATER IS ABSOLUTELY OF NO VALUK AND WITH WATER IS THE
MOST FERTILE TO BE FOUND IN THE WORLD.
leaked out from sources of the first
character today. It has been learned
that the Southern Pacific Railroad is
to abandon about one hundred miles
of its main line west of Yuma. follow
ing the south, instead of the north
line of the Colorado Desert, forking
at Imperial, with a second line to San
Diego over the survey of the San
Diego and Eastern road, or in the
neighborhood of that survey. This
implies absorbing the Imperial and
Gulf Railroad, now being graded.
Aside from the importance of this
move to the towns of Southern Cali
fornia, it has an indirect effect on
transcontinental business, as the road
will pass for a short distance on
Mexican territory, thus relieving it
from control by the interstate coin
merce commission. The Southern Pa
cific road will be placed in the same
position as the Canadian Pacific road.
which for years has been a disturbing
element in transcontinental traffic.
The Southern Pacific has already
set a force of men at work on the sur
vey for the new line, and as the coun
try is perfectly level, it will take but
a few days to make the run from
Yuma. passing the Salton Basin on
the west, instead of north, to a point
near Walters, where the new road
will again connect with the old road
bed and continue into LOs Angeles
through Indio.
Harriman Decides on Change.
It cannot be definitely stated that
the Southern Pacific has made a deal
with the San Diego and Eastern road.
That may not be the case, but wheth
er it is or not. the Information is to
the effect that when President Harri
man was in Southern California a few
days ago it was definitely decided
that the company would make the
change in its roadbed at once and
build to this city, which will require
but \'2~> miles of additional trackage.
The reasons for making the change
are numerous. The most important
is the fact that on the western side
of the Colorado River there is a chain
of sand hills about fifty miles long,
extending from a point in Mexico to
the northwest, where they approach
close to the foothills of the Chucka
walla Mountains. Any road coming
west from Yuma is forced to choose
between the narrow pass north of the
sand hills and one entering Mexican
territory south of the hills. The
Southern Pacific Company took the
northern route but it has seen those
hills drifting steadily further to the
north, until it has become a question
of but a very few years when it will
be forced to abandon the pass, as it
is practically impossible to keep the
right of way clear of the drifting
sand. The company has appropriated
$500,000 to lay heavy rails across the
desert, and. realizing the necessity
for changing the route soon, this is
found to be an opportune time for
doing so.
To Anticipate Other Roads.
Another factor in forcing the com
pany to the change is the movement
on the part of several roads toward
the southwestern coast, and that of
the people of San Diego, in making
the survey for their road, the San
IMPERIAL PRKSS
Diego and Eastern. Naturally. If any
Other road passes south of the sand
hills it will have the tirst choice of
the ground, and the Southern Pacific
does not propose to let another road
have that desirable tirst choice. If
the Hock Island or any other road in
tends to build into San DiegO from
7uma it Will find that the Southern
Pacific's new line is about seventy
five miles nearer this city than Yuma.
This is also, therefore, a strategic
move against coming rivals, and pos
sibly against the Santa l-Y whose ex
clusive territory it will Invade by en
tering this city.
Still another point is the fact that
the half -million acres being plac, d un
dor irrigation in the Imperial country
Will become S rich region for any
road to traverse, While the Southern
Pacific by making the change, can
get rid of fifty miles of irreclaimable
desert and substitute for it at least
an equal distance through a rich pros
pective farming country. As it is at
present, the company is in danger of
losing all the business of the Imperial
region, which is already large.
The building of a branch from Im
perial to San Diego by the Southern
Pacific will be welcome news here,
for that country is now tributary to
Los Angeles, although in this county.
It is about 125 miles from hero and
nearly twice as far from Los Angeles,
and with railroad communication.
San Diego people expect to control
the trade of the country.
Another Statement.
The Los Angeles Times of April
86th also publishes the following In
formation. These two accounts do
not agree in details, but the main
facts sufficiently agree for all practi
cal purposes. Following is the Times'
statement:
Arrivals from down in the country,
which has heretofore been known as
the Colorado Desert, report that it is
blossoming as the rose of Sharon, it'
not as the lily of the valley. People
are doing things down there. Those
in control of the Imperial I -and Com
pany have a big bunch of mules
"humping themselves" grading the
roadbed for a railroad north from ltn
: to Imperial Junction, B station
Of the Southern Pacific a short dis
tance west Of Plowing Wells.
Then it is well known that the San
Diego people are really moving in
their own behalf; that they ha\e or
ganised s company to build a road
eastward from San Diego to Yuma.
There is said to be local capital
en lugh In sight to grade the roadtx d,
put In the bridges and get it ready
for laying the ties and rails. The stir
\.v of the line has been made at a
cost of $"'!>. t»(H>. New York capital is
thought to be secured to buy bunds
to iron the road and put on the equip
tnent.
Hut where is the Southern Pacific"
Net asleep, one may be sure The lit
tie road up from Imperial to Im
perial Junction to connect with
the big octopus would not dis
turb anyone. It would be sim
ply a feeder which could easily be
taken care of in any way desired. It
would be only about thirty miles
long But it is intimated that a
Southern Pacific right of way man is
on the ground at Pilot Knob, a Sta
tion a little west of Yuma. and just
alvout Where the San Diego enter
prise would strike the Southern Pa
cific. ll«> is looking about and seeing
what could be done. The distance to
Imperial is not much farther than
from Imperial Junction, and a line
run there would compete directly
with the San Diego line, which it
would parallel at no great, distance
apart.
That may be the pnrposo of start
ing a road so much farther from Los
Angeles than the one going down
from Imperial Junction. What effect
such, a road would have on the plans
of the San Diego people is not en
tirely apparent, it. is quite In the
scope of the possible that, should the
big road start to build from near
Pilot Knob or Cactus to Imperial,
about forty miles, then the San Diego
promoters might find new capital a
bit shy about getting into schemes
which would mean a big fight with
the octopus.
Hut that the Southern Pacific
would go on and build to San Diego
is not a sure thing. There is not much
just at present In the country lying
between San Diego and [mpeiial. Then
if the Southern Pacific were to build
In San Diego it would be getting into
the preserves of its friend, the Santa
i-v. Tin re does not appear to be much
room at the present time for a mis
understanding in thai quarter.
Doubtless the eiptains of industry
believe they are entitled to it because
the people seem to like it.
Usually the chief difference between
preaching and practice is in the
amounts of the salaries.
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