The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-04-24
RAILROADS.
What They Are Likely to Bring
About.

To the construction of railroads il
progress in and about our territory
at present is due, more than to any
thing else, the scarcity of laborers
A great many are at work on the
Denver and Rio Grande, and other
roads, in Colorado, Arizona and
New Mexico. Already the hiring OF
men and teams for the Oregon
branch of the Union Pacific has
been commenced, which will drain
the entire country between here
and the northern boundary of the
territory of all the surplus labor, if
such a thing has existed for some
months past, and will infringe
materially on legitimate industries.
So far as can be learned-and infor-
nation on that topic is pretty deli
have been taken for
all the work to be done on the Den
yer and Rio GraHde, or Sewer Val
ley Railroad, in this territory, a dis
lance of from I60 to 20O miles. On
part of this route men have been
nearly all through the
winter, that is, in the Salina Pass,
grading ON points with a view to
securing the right of way
on the most desirable por-
tiOns of that canyon, for fear
competition might interfere. For
this purpose, it was-or such is
the belief-that men were employed
during the whole winter season.
Now, however, the road is TO be
built at once, contracts have been
taken to complete so many miles of
grading in gwen periods, and i'll
order to keep these contracts good
men and teams will have to be en-
lloyed in large numbers. Already
,heSe are being secured, and the re-
,ult will be that not only will the |
surplus labOrers and teams Of the |
entire southern country be thus en-
lloyed, but there will be a heavy |
all made in other and permanent
pursuits.
Again, should it be determined to |
push the Utah Southern Extension |
lhead another sixty or seventy |
niles into Iron County, as is con-
and not at all unlikely,
here would be a still greater drain
Ipon steady industries, particularly |
# an agricultural character, which /
would render labor OF all kinds |
decidedly scarce i'll the south.
Then there is talk of pushing the
Jtah and Nevada through westerly
ONE $50 miles into Nevada, and
Jtah would naturally be called |
pom tc furnish her quota OF
4bOrers for this purpose, which
would again draw from the steady
many persons, in the
western part of our territory. Should
his take place to any great extent,
nd the present indications seem to
aYOr it, there would be a raise, in
many things, the price of labor
included. Thus, not few
armers, at the prospect of steady
abOr through the summer for them
elves and teams, with an immediate
eturn of hard money for their labor,
will leave their farms for the time
eing. 1t will not be so with par
icularly well-tO-dO farmers, for they
an till the soil, and help build the
as well; but there is always
class which does not make a
larked success of it, and this class
,ould leave. Besides, if teams and
lbOrerS prove scarce, and there is
very reason to believe they will, it
ill be necessary on the part of con-
FACTORS te offer greater induce
tents, and those additional induce
lentS will secure a great many.
While this may not make any
larked difference in the cereal pro-
uced, it will make some, and per-
APPS considerable, the result of
'hich would be to send these ar
cles up. Again, with the construc-
on of these roads, hundreds and
undreds of horses now running
lie will be made to work, and they
iii have to be fed from the pro-
uctS of the farm instead of secur-
lg it for themselves, and this will
lcreaSe the consumption of some
asses of cereals at least, render
lem scarce, and it may be, for that
eason, they will command a higher
gure-certainly they. will, if the
lcreased consumption is marked.
he outlook, therefore, is for great
lbor scarcity, better wages, and a
igher price for necessities.