“Then, Governor, that is why we came to talk with you. Is San Diego's death sentence irrevocable? Is it absolutely determined by you that San Diego is not to have a railroad?” asked Mr. Holman.
“Well, that is a hard question to answer. No, perhaps for the present San Diego will not have a railroad,” said he, with cool nonchalance.
“What do you call for the present? How long?”
“That is a harder question yet. You see, if we effect a compromise with Mr. Scott, we will keep on building the Southern Pacific until we meet his road, and then, as all the Eastern freight can come by the Southern Pacific, there will not be any necessity of another railroad.”
“In other words, San Diego must be strangled. There will not be any Texas Pacific?” said Mr. Holman.
“No, not in California,” the Governor calmly asserted, passing over the subject as of no consequence, if a hundred San Diegos perished by strangulation.
“By the terms of the Southern Pacific charter were you not to build to San Diego?” asked Mr. Mechlin.
“Yes; that is to say, through San Diego to the Colorado River, but that wouldn't suit us at all. Still, I think that after a while, perhaps, when we have more time, we might build to San Diego from some point of the Southern Pacific that we see is convenient,” said he, as if it didn't matter what the terms of the Southern Pacific charter were, knowing that Congress would not enforce them.
“A little branch road,” observed Mr. Holman.
“Yes; that is all we think is necessary for our purpose.”