1896 Hotchkiss High Flying

Carlson's Road Los Angeles Times, Mar. 6, 1896, p. 7.

Meeting Last Evening at the Los Angeles Theater. 

New Railroad Warmly Advocated by Several Speakers. 

Resolutions Adopted to Further the Scheme--Suggestion to Ask for a Government Appropriation of Over Seven Million.

     The Los Angeles Theater was decorated last evening with a sparse gathering of chilly human beings, who shivered in the keen draught from the stage, and bowed before the convincing arguments of Hon. Billy Carlson, the illustrious Mayor of San Diego, as he industriously  boomed the proposed new railroad which is to connect Southern California with Salt Lake . . . connecting the Santa Fe road with the Union Pacific.

     The owners of the Nevada Southern Railroad have until April 16 in which to raise $175,000 for the redemption of the road which was sold under foreclosure . . .

     Billy Carlson wore an extra edition of his perennial smile as he paced up and down the platform, flourishing a stout cane, and shooting forth his arguments by jerks. The gallant Mayor's smile may be bright enough to gild a tombstone, and his heart is probably in the right place but he does not shine as a public speaker. He labored long and vigorously with a somewhat unresponsive audience, explaining all about the past and present difficulties of road, and its possible brilliant future when once in his hands. 

     . . .

     Col. A.B. Hotchkiss was then called, and opened his speech with a shower of compliments all around; to Los Angeles, San Diego, the railroad, and especially to his "eloquent and brilliant young friend, the Mayor of San Diego." Col. Hotchkiss especially commended the unusual intelligence he saw shining forth from the audience before him, and proceeded to turn that intelligence into the proper channels by directing it to a proper view of the numerous benefits to be derived from the construction of the proposed line of railroad. He spoke of the enterprise of Los Angeles  in making the best disposition of the annual tourist crop, and in extending her buildings and public works until she was justly considered the pride of Southern California.

     Warming up as he went on, Col. Hotchkiss feelingly referred again to his friend the Mayor, "that brilliant young man of destiny, whose smile was like a beacon on the path to Salt Lake, while his wand was ever ready to point out the way." The audience warmed up enough to applaud this with cheerful howls, and Col. Hotchkiss branched out into the subject of refractory  ores, in which the land to be opened up by the proposed line of railroad is rich and which might all be smelted in Los Angeles instead of being taken to Pueblo. if only transportation were easy and direct. 

     The desert country to be turned into a garden by irrigation was next taken up as a territory  to be opened by the new railroad. The object of the meeting was to declared to be  an effort to induce people to think, and so realize the great necessity of a direct line up through that region. No contributions were called for, the speaker asserted, but the benefits were as free as salvation. 

     Col. Hotchkiss then spoke of the unfortunate financial and industrial condition of the country, due to unfortunate legislation, and warmly commended the course taken by Senator Stephen M. White in advocating the Nicaragua Canal--a project in line with the railroad in contemplation, as both afforded means of direct communication with the East. It would take $7,500,000 to build the road, and the speaker strongly recommended asking for this sum when other subsidies were voted by Congress. He concluded with an urgent appeal to Los Angeles to "stand in" on the new scheme, and so cover her name with glory.

     D.C. Reed of San Diego was next called to the platform, and spoke for a few minutes on the same line of argument as had been handled by Mr. Carlson and Col. Hotchkiss. 

     John Mitchell Jones was called upon, and made a few remarks laudatory of the enterprise from the box in which he was seated. 

     The meeting was concluded by Mayor Billy's offering a resolution . . .

     . . .

(Back to 1896 Railroads)

 Kelyn Roberts 2017