The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-08-23
TRANsCoNT1NENTAL LINES.

Inc multiplicity OF raliTOad operations hoV
in progress in the west, having for their oh
ject communication with the Pacific cnas
serve to preplex if not to myslify, the publi
mind'concerntng their extent and Importance
r ilroad construction in this great field j
making rapid strides, INC already the evi
dence of a gigantic struggle between the rail-
road corporations is coming thick and fast
The enormous capital backing the severa
roads makes the result Of the rivalry uncer
tain, while it assures a '.baltle of the giants.
map with an explanatory description of thu
routes and their situation which aifn rds al
interesting study CT the outcome OF the pres
ent conflict between the great lines. The Ag'
says there are six roads now in the course o
completion, and each of them, either direc:.
ly or indirectly, is a riva! If the others.
But Bullion from which we take the body
of this article fails to say a word about the
and when finished will be one of the longest
IN the country. OF the others it says:
IN nSILI " " SoiI
Francisco northeastelly across California aud
Nevada, and to Ogden in the northern part OF
Utah. Its only eastern connection at pr, sen,
is the Union Pacific, which it connects will,
at Ogden. If the latter should abandon the
Central Pacific route, this road oulu he en-
tirely cut off from the east, unless some one
of the roads now terminating at, or pushing
to Denver, Col, should build a line from
Denver to Ogden, and thus secure a connec-
ton to San Francisco. The Southern Pacific
is another line which is completed from San
Francisco soulhwesterly through California
to Yuma. thence westerly across Arizona aud
into New Mexico, terminating at Ell Paso,
where it meets the Texas Il Pacific. The lat
~ter has begun a suit to recover possession Of
that portion of the Southern Pacific lying in
New Mexico, on the ground that It occupies
the land grant given to the Texas & Pacific
some years ago. If successful in that suit it
is probable thft a similar claim
will be made to the Southern Pacific line in
Arizona, which would leave the latter ROAD,
only, a line betwecn San Francisco and
hiiItt II H'SlliStH, itpFNd N Cdllht re
i2 anotle, powerful corporations, and is push
ing lis line in three different directions. At
El lasO it connects with the Mexican CeI-
trial, which gives it. admission to- the heart If
Mexico; at Denning, New Mexico, it branch
rs off to the Southern Pacific. whose track it
uses to Benson. Arizona, 100 miles, from
which point it will run Il line to NEE, the
Sonora railway. which it is building from
Guaymas, Mexico. At Albuquerque. ON the
line of the AtcIlison, Topeka d Santa Fe, it,
cisco Co., is building The Atlantic X Pacific.
which is being pushed to San Francisco ana
San Diego, almost parallel to tie Southern
Pacific, and running through Arizona and
Nevada. A new line, lately projected, makes
tn problem NOR complicated. This is the
California Central, a. d is TO lun from San
Francisco along the Pacific coast to Santa
Cruz, aid thence nearly due west 10 a point
III Utah not far beyond the Nevada line,
about $50 miles, with a branch of about $50
miles to the Arizona line. This line may
furnish a connection to the Union Pacific,
and possibly may be made the continuation
of the Atlantic Il Pacific, making a direct
line from Albuquerque to SAM Fran
cisco, by which the Atchison, To-
peka Il Santa Fe would profit. The Union
its line now runs from Omaha to Ogden, L.
033 miles. 1t has acquired the Utah Central,
Utah Southern, and Utah Southern Extern
sion roads, giving a completed lire from )g-
den south to Frisco, Utah, $50 miles. From
Frisco to a connection with the California
Central is less than 100 miles, which would
make the Union Pacific route from Ogden to
San Francisco about 900 miles. Its advan-
tage over the present connection with the
Central Pacific would he that it penetrates a
very rich mining region in Utah and Nevada,
which would furnish a large traffic. The
Union Pacific has other connections under
way, one to meet an extension of the Oregon
Railway d Navigation Company's road, Civ
ing it a line to Portland, Oregon. Ii has also
obtained control of the Nevada Central. run
ming from Battle Mountain, New, Oh the
Central Pacific south to Austin, from which
place an extension TO the California Central
is talked OF. The sixth route is the Texas L.
Pacific, which WAS projected to run from the
eastern line of Texas to the Pacific
coast at San Diego. The Southern Pacific,
however, anticipated it by building a line
across California and Arizona to Ell Paso, and
the suit of the Texas Il Pacifc is to recover a
portion Of that line. If it secures the line TO
Yuma ii will then have 10 build only from
Yuma to San Diego. If il tails il must then
seek other means to get to Tie Pacific coast,
which could be accomplished by IA onnec-
ton with the Atchison, Topeka Il Santa Fe
al FL Paso to Albuquerque, and thence by the