“Because it won't pay,” was the dry reply.
“Why won't it pay? We have plenty of natural resources, which, if developed, would make plenty of business for two railroads,” Mr. Holman said.
“Only the San Diego people say so. No one else thinks of San Diego County, but as a most arid luckless region, where it never rains.”
“That is the talk of San Francisco people, Governor, because they want all the railroads to come to their city, and nowhere else,” said Don Mariano.
“We have less rainfall in Southern California, on an average, but on average, too, we get better crops than in the northern counties in dry years. How it is I can't tell you, unless it be that a given quantity of rain is all that crops require, and above that it is superfluous, or else that for certain soils a certain amount of rainfall is all that is required. It is undoubtedly true that in dry years more crops have been lost in some of the northern counties than in ours,” said Mr. Holman.
“Perhaps, but when we have such magnificent wheat country in our northern valleys, it isn't to be supposed that we can give any attention to San Diego.”
“If our county does not take the lead as wheat-growing, it certainly can take it as fruit-growing. We have no capital to make large plantations of vineyards or trees, but what has been done proves, conclusively, that for grapes, olives, figs, and in fact all semi-tropical fruits, there is no better country in the world.”
“That may be so, but you see we are not engaged in the fruit-growing business. We build railroads to transport freight and passengers. We do not care what or who makes the freights we carry.”
“Exactly. But surely there cannot be any reason why, if San Diego should have freights and passengers to be carried, that we should not have a railroad.”
“Certainly not. If you can get it, do so, of course.”