W. F. Bailey

“ As early as 1850 there was a daily stage between Sacramento and Marysville, which, by the year following, had grown to five coaches each way every day.
In 1852 the California Legislature authorized one James L. Freaner to construct a wagon or stage road from Sacramento to the Oregon state line, and to reimburse him for the outlay he was to be permitted to make the following charges or tolls : For each road wagon 5 cents a mile ; each mail wagon or stage, 8 cents; pleasure carriage, 61⁄4 cents; horses, cattle or sheep, 1 cent a mile per head. ”

“ Having thus secured aid from the National Government, a further appeal was made to the Oregon Legislature and with his usual success. The Oregon Central Railroad Company was duly designated by it as the one to receive the land grant, and further a bill was passed by which the State of Oregon was obligated to pay the interest at seven per cent for twenty years on one million dollars of the bonds of the company. ”

“ Quite early in his life his parents went to Missouri, but did not live long thereafter; hence the young man was thrown out upon the world to shift for himself. He was a likely young fellow and had the quality of making friends wherever he went, and was recognized as an indefatigable "rustler," abuunding in animal spirits, and pushing with great vigor any enterprise which he undertook to promote. ”

“ A third was the Willamette Valley Railroad, local lines in the valley of that name, and the fourth the Oregon & California Railroad, which was to he built from Eugene City, Oregon, on the south to a point on the Willamette River on the north. None of these projects materialized, there not being either population or funds in the territory to carry on the undertaking.
The first actual railroad construction on the Pacific Coast was the Sacramento Valley Railroad, between Sacramento and Folsom, Cal., beginning operation in 1858. ”

“ These gentlemen had other plans in view. In their joint interest Barry proceeded to Washington, D. C., and, with the assistance of Gaston and the Oregon members of the House and Senate, was enabled to procure the passage of an act of Congress granting aid towards the construction of a railroad between some point in the Sacramento Valley, California, on the line of the Central Pacific Railroad to Portland, Oregon. ”

“ A traveler over the ninety miles in ques- tion goes over portions of what was orig- inally eight different roads. The line from Suisun to Sacramento is a part of the Cali- fornia Pacific. This company, formed in 1869 by the consolidation of the California Pacific, the San Francisco and Marysville. incorporated in 1S57. and the Sacramento and San Francisco, incorporated in 1S64, was originally operated as a San Francisco- Sacramento line in competition with the Western Pacific Railroad, the route via Niles. ”

“ The question with the bondholders was, should they foreclose and take possession of the properties or would it be better to com- promise with the Holladay management and. by pooling their interests, reduce the fixed charges to a point within the earnings. The latter course was decided upon. Owing to his familiarity with America and American customs, Villard was selected to conduct the negotiations for the committee. This neces- sitated a trip to Oregon by him. Proceed- ing to America, Villard was met, upon his arrival in New York, by Holladay. ”

“ Mr. Holladay died at St. Vincent's Hospital in Portland, Or., July 8, 1887, and was buried in the Catholic Cemetery on July 11. His second wife and two children survived him.
—GEO. H. HIMES. the Congressional land grant and state aid, was taken early in November, while Gaston did not return his papers and consequently consummate his incorporation until subse- quently, or on November 21. ”