Manuscripts
Single item in manila folder marked "Tie Plates, SPM 341-041." Some detailed info (a little less than a quarter-inch linear) about railroad ties and tie plates used on the line, for renewal purposes later that year. Suggestion is to obtain ties locally rather than have them shipped in. Letter dated 9/27/32 from A.D.McDonald to Titcomb suggests using local ties rather than importing them from U.S.: "I hardly think we are justified, especially in view of prevailing financial conditions and the general situation in Mexico, in using treated ties for your tracks, and I suppose if you can obtain native hardwood for substantially all of your requirements, the question of using treated ties, and also the application of tie plates, will also disappear." Etc
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"Investment in Southern Pacific Railroad Company of Mexico -- Agreement Between Mexican Government and SPRRCo. of Mexico -- Notes received and claims against Mexican Government." File No. 1083, Part 6. From "Related Files: Copies of Mexican Income Tax Law and Regulations of the Income Tax Law -- translations in envelope at back of File 78; Also See File 1797-A." (~1/25" thick). [Cárdenas took office during this period, on 12/1/34]. Miscellaneous financial wranglings, including discussion of SP's owing SPM $3 million and what to do about this debt. Includes good letter from Hale Holden to Walter Douglas, dated 4/3/34. It begins: "Referring to your letters of March seventh and March thirteenth in which you gave reasons for anxiety over the future course of the peso and have concluded for the time being to retain your pesos in Mexico rather than convert them into dollars and to open two new bank accounts in Mexico City for that purpose: We are somewhat puzzled to understand the reasons for your conclusions..." Good content follows re: SPM policies and thinking
Manuscripts
These materials, consisting primarily of correspondence but also including maps, news clippings, photographs, and blueprints, are arranged and bound by topic according to the Southern Pacific's internal organizational schema. There are 160 individual bound items in these 23 boxes. Each grouping is in reverse chronological order as it was originally filed by SP de México administrators. Collection has material in English and Spanish.
mssSPdeMéxicocollection
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"Claims Against Southern Pacific Railroad of Mexico for Losses Incurred During Revolution of 1929." Terrific detail on this conflict. Letter of Dec. 5, 1931 details chronological events from March 3, 1929 ("Revolution started") to March 20, 1929. Rebels were burning trestles and holding up or taking refrigerated cars. Inclues lengthy, stinging letter from A.A. Burnand of Burnand & Co., dated 11/7/31. (They were packers and shippers located in L.A. and Tucson). "Mr. Titcomb seems to think he can treat his patrons about as he pleases and still enjoy their friendship and patronage with his affiliations -- this cannot be done. When we enter into an agreement we carry it out. ...If you have revolutionary losses there is no reason why we should bear any part thereof. If they burn a bridge from you and steal a truck from us, you certainly cannot be called upon to pay us part of the value of our truck anymore than we should pay for part of the repairs of your bridge. ...We have given this entire subject careful and fair consideration during the past two years while we have been trying to get a hearing. The more we think of it the more we feel we have been shabbily treated by your officials in Mexico. I know you have the reputation of being absolutely fair in all matters and I feel that you would approve an order of prompt settlement of our claim if you were fully acquainted with the entire file..." Some other great stuff here too! Including a letter to T.D. Boyd of the Mexico Arizona Trading Co. who had made similar complaints, i.e., letter from Shoup to Boyd dated 10/31/31: We value your goodwill... I do not feel, however, that we should be charged with the results of difficulties beyond our control, incident to the revolution, in which we lost perhaps more than any other private interest in Mexico. Let us hope better times come to us all." This in response to an earlier handwritten letter from Boyd to Shoup: "Please pardon script. I am in the field trying to plant tomatoes. All of letter is good; last paragraph is great illustration of stresses caused by revolution and of views of SPM: "We realize that you suffered many losses, and that you still are losing in your operations. Your revolutionary losses were unavoidable; whereas what we are complaining about was caused by useless, non-productive, unreasonable action by employes and officials in failing to carry out a simple, clear, and extremely important agreement, which you yourself helped us to make. I know that in the bottom of your heart you know we are dead right. Don't hesitate. Do what is correct in this matter and don't force Burnand and me to continue to fight the SPdeM. We don't want to do it, and I do not think you gentlemen ought force us." --Apparently a key issue was that the SPM wouldn't send several hundred empties into Nogales, or north of San Blas, which left the shipping company unable to ship their tomatoes [back into Mexio? or further north into U.S?] Boyd claims that "persistent, insistant, and earnest requests for empties are on record and also were verbally made." Etc. [SEE ALSO III:2, XIX:3.]
Manuscripts
These materials, consisting primarily of correspondence but also including maps, news clippings, photographs, and blueprints, are arranged and bound by topic according to the Southern Pacific's internal organizational schema. There are 160 individual bound items in these 23 boxes. Each grouping is in reverse chronological order as it was originally filed by SP de México administrators. Collection has material in English and Spanish.
mssSPdeMéxicocollection
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Marked "Extra Copies." Discussion of how to best relieve the shortage of railroad ties; late ; appears to relate specifically to the love-fest taking place at the time between Obregón and his government and the SP de Mexico, leading up to the agreement to complete the last 109 miles of the line
Manuscripts
These materials, consisting primarily of correspondence but also including maps, news clippings, photographs, and blueprints, are arranged and bound by topic according to the Southern Pacific's internal organizational schema. There are 160 individual bound items in these 23 boxes. Each grouping is in reverse chronological order as it was originally filed by SP de México administrators. Collection has material in English and Spanish.
mssSPdeMéxicocollection
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In unmarked folder: "Lease of Equipment to the Southern Pacific Railroad Company of Mexico." File 081 SP de México, Section 3. From About 1.5 linear inches. Detailed discussion of the relationship of SP to SPdeM. Many worthwhile items herein, such as a letter from Walter Douglas of SPdeM to A.D. McDonald, Chair of the Executive Committee, 10/19/35, marked "Strictly Confidential": "I would suggest that the matter of purchase of SPCo equipment be postponed for the time being or until we have a better appreciation of what the future of railroad operation is to be. The support of the present Government to the unreasonable demands of Labor of all classes in Mexico renders a forecast of operating results of the carriers extremely doubtful. The demands presented by the Syndicate are impossible of consideration, aggregating as they do in excess of 100% increase in wages. While they are doubtless asking for far more than they expect to obtain, yet the fact remains that the Government will require us to accede to their demands for the so called Day of Rest, in other words, for payment for an extra day per week, irrespective of whether they work or not. This, in itself, means an increase of 17% in the present payroll, or upwards of $800,000 pesos per annum." Followed by discussion of why this would make it inadvisable to pass title of SP equipment to SPdeM. "President Cárdenas is fully aware of our economic condition and we will necessarily have to make such concessions to labor as he suggests in order to avoid this cessation of operations which, as above stated, would undoubtedly mean the Government's taking over the operation of the property." Detailed discussion of relationship between SP de México and SP; also good discussions of labor, other topics
Manuscripts
These materials, consisting primarily of correspondence but also including maps, news clippings, photographs, and blueprints, are arranged and bound by topic according to the Southern Pacific's internal organizational schema. There are 160 individual bound items in these 23 boxes. Each grouping is in reverse chronological order as it was originally filed by SP de México administrators. Collection has material in English and Spanish.
mssSPdeMéxicocollection
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"Classification: Fuel for Company Use. Subject: Fuel Oil -- Mexican Lines." "Related Files: Supply of Freight Cars -- Distribution of Tank Cars --542.116." File No. SPM 023-6. Part 2. From Material on how the SP supplied itself. Nationalization of oil in Mexico took place very late under Cárdenas) in the period covered in this correspondence, so look for this issue in your next pass through this. Cárdenas' huge land redistributions also took place in the middle of this period
Manuscripts
These materials, consisting primarily of correspondence but also including maps, news clippings, photographs, and blueprints, are arranged and bound by topic according to the Southern Pacific's internal organizational schema. There are 160 individual bound items in these 23 boxes. Each grouping is in reverse chronological order as it was originally filed by SP de México administrators. Collection has material in English and Spanish.
mssSPdeMéxicocollection
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"Fishing Boats for Use at Hotel Playa de Cortes - Mexico." File SP de Mexico 420, Part 2. From
Manuscripts
These materials, consisting primarily of correspondence but also including maps, news clippings, photographs, and blueprints, are arranged and bound by topic according to the Southern Pacific's internal organizational schema. There are 160 individual bound items in these 23 boxes. Each grouping is in reverse chronological order as it was originally filed by SP de México administrators. Collection has material in English and Spanish.
mssSPdeMéxicocollection