hubert howe bancroft - Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History ...

590 RAILROADS—CENTRAL PACIFIC SYSTEM.
ncction and combinations, made travel in all directions
from the metropolis easy, agreeable, and popular.
Most of these are under the Central Pacific management.
The causeway connecting the Oakland shore
was re-incorporated, and extended to Madison, a distance of 90 miles from
Elmira. Its officers in 1879 were A. M. Stevenson pres't; T. Manafield
treas'r; E. Allison secVy; G. B. Stevenson supt.
In Jan., 1871, the people of Antioch, near the mouth of the San Jo&quin
river, conceived the iaea of a railroad to Visalia in Tulare co., and organized
a company to construct it. TTie project never came to fruition; but the two
towns have railroad connection through the lines of the Central Pacific
company.
The railroad from San Rafael to San Quentin was undertaken by the citizens
of San Rafael in 1869. At the first meeting, Feb. 19th, A. Mailliard,
J. Short, S. V. Smith, (sen.) P. K. Austin, L. A. Hinman, Jamea D. Walker,
and James Ross were chosen directors. Mailliard was elected pres*t of the
company, Charles Stevens sec'ty, and J. D. Walker treas'r. The length of
the roaa was 3£ miles; capital stock $50,000. As was so frequently the case,
their ambition outran their means, and the project rested until Mr Donahue
took hold of the railroad affairs of Marin co. In 1865 a railroad was constructed
from a point on the Central Pacific to the Mt Diablo coal mines in
Contra Costa co.
In 1870 the project of connecting Nevada city and Grass Valley in Nevada
co. with the Central Pacific at Colfax was first agitated. Nothing was accomplished
until 1873, when a survey was made for a narrow gauge railroad
over this route, and in 1874 congress granted the right of way. Zahriskit*
Land Law, Sup. 1877, 64. The company was incorporated under the name
of Nevada County Narrow Gauge R. R., and received no subsidies, but was
permitted to charge 10c per mile for passengers and 20c per ton for freight,
with additions for hazardous freight. The officers of the company were
John C. Coleman pres't; John W. Sigourney vice-pres't; George Fletcher
secretary; J. H. Bates chief engineer; William Watt, Edward Coleman, J.
M. Lakenan, Niles Searles, and R. W. Tully directors. Turton and Knox,
contractors, constructed the road, commencing in Feb., 1875, and completing
it to Nevada city, 22 miles,, May 20, 1876.
The Northern Railway company, chartered July 19, 1871, extends from
West Oakland to Martinez, 31 miles, and from Woodland to Tehama, 100
miles, forming important links in the railroad system of the state. It controls
branches between Suisun and Benicia, 16 miles; and Martinez to Tracy,
46 miles; all these lines being leased to the Central Pacific.
The California and Nevada R. R. has been constructed from Oakland to
a point above San Pablo. It was originally intended to be carried to the
Nevada state line near Bodie, but later made for Walnut creek, Contra Costa
co. It is a narrow gauge. The Bodie and Benton R. R. is also a narrowgauge
road, 32 miles long, now running between Bodie, in Mono co., and the
town of Mono. It was chartered in Feb. 1881, and was in operation, with
its branches, in 1882. The Carson and Colorado R. R. runs from Keeler, in
Inyo co., to Mound House, Nev., 299 miles. It is a narrow gauge. The
company was organized in May 1880, and the road completed before 1885.
The Nevada and Cal. R. R. was first called the Nevada and Oregon R. R.
It runs from Aurora, Nev., to Goose lake, CaL, 300 miles, entering Cal. at
the lower end of Plumas co. It is a narrow gauge, and was chartered April
25, 1881. In April 1884 it was sold under foreclosure of a mortgage at U.S.
marshal's sale, and purchased for the account of the bond-holders for
$372,534.21, when it was reorganized under its present name. Only 31
miles are in operation, from Reno, Nev., to a point in CaL a few miles west
of the boundary.