Tales of the Southern Pacific

As a third-generation Southern Pacific railroader, I enjoyed “The Tangled Tale That Inspired a Muckraker” (Aug. 19), about John Sontag and Christopher Evans, two of California’s most notorious train robbers in the late 1880s. It’s the kind of story that prompted Frank Norris to write “The Octopus” and would make a good movie script. But, like so many historical accounts, it should be put into perspective. Southern Pacific employed more people, paid more taxes and did more for the California economy for a longer time than any other company in the state’s history.

Incidentally, the 125th anniversary of driving the golden spike at Lang Station in the Santa Clarita Valley will be celebrated Sept. 5. This will commemorate the completion of the Southern Pacific line, which connected Los Angeles to Northern California and the rest of the nation. It is second in importance only to the golden spike driven at Promontory, Utah, on May 10, 1869, which signaled the completion of the transcontinental railroad.

Thomas C. Buckley

Pasadena