Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-08

advantages superior in some respects |
even to those of San Francisco, which, OF I
course, are unquestionably great. While |
the Golden Gate possesses advantages
over this city as yet in harbor facilities,
developments are under way which will
shortly lessen the disparity. On the
other hand, Los Angeles is on the short
est route between tidewater on the At
iantic and Pacific sides of the continent,
has unspeakable advantages over her
only rival as a present and prospective
railway center, possesses possibility OF
almost unlimited production in manifold
staples and has behind her mineral
"back country" even superior to that
which is legitimately tributary to San
Francisco.
1t is our duty to develop these great
advantages; and, in this connection, we
desire to say something about the mis-
sion OF Mr.. Thomas Taylor, of Cedar
City, Utah, who is now visiting Los An
geles with view to stirring up our peo-
pie to an active interest in the richly en-
dowed region of Utah from which he
halls. Cedar City is in Iron county in
that territory. 1t is county one hun
dred miles wide by three hundred miles
long, giving super6cies of thirty thou
sand square miles. Cedar is about two
hundred and seventy miles south of Salt
Lake City and fifty miles south of Mil
ford, the present southern and western
terminus of the Utah Southern, or, as it
is now generally called, the Central Utah
Railway.
There are perfect mountains of iron
or e in Iron county, Utah. The deposits
there are said to be the largest in the
world, and they comprise all varieties.
Amongst them are the red hematite,
used for fiuxing, and the gray hematite,
the latter specially adapted to making
steel by the Bessemer process. These
ores assay over sixty per cent.-a very
large percentage for hematite ores.
} There are also vast bodies of specular
J and magnetic ores, which assay over
ninety per cent. of pure metal. But
nature is prodigal Of her gifts to this fa-
vored region. In immediate proximity
to these iron ores are immense beds of
! bituminous coal. They are twenty miles
/ wide by sixty miles long. extending to
the banks of the Colorado. With rail-
way in operation from Cedar City 10 Los
Angeles we should be able to get fine
! quality of coking coal laid down here at
! $6 ton, or less, thus affording a great
J stimulus to manufacturing enterprises.
On the mesas above Cedar City are vast
} bodies of red and white pine timber, which
could also be brought here at low figures.
, This section also has splendid ranges for
cattle, and would supply our markets
} with unlimited quantities of excellent
J meat.
The route which Mr.. Taylor suggests
would run from Los Angeles to Calico
district, thence to Ivanpah, thence to
the Ell Dorado mining camps, where AL
len G. Campbell has extensive mines,
theme to the Muddy river, where there
are vast beds of natural salt, which, by
the way, in addition to its ordinary
commercial uses, is extensively en-
ployed in mining operations, and thence
up the Meadow valley wash to Pioche, in
Nevada. The road would thence run
through Iron county, Utah, to Cedar
City, which is only fifty miles from Mil
ford. 1t would next traverse the settle
ments of Iron, Beaver, Sewer and San
Pete counties, and connect with the Den
yer & Rio Grande Railway. This would
make by far the shortest transconti-
mental railway, saving several hundred
miles over any existing route. 1t would
not only connect with the Denver &
Rio Grande road, which is about to be
made a standard gauge, but it would
also give us ali the ramifcations of the
Union Pacific Railway.
If our people would move energetically
in the matter there would be no difficulty
in getting such road through. Itwould
at once double the trade OF Los Angeles,
and give an impetus to its population
which would not stop ehort of quarter
of million. There are no serious diff
culties of construction to be encountered
The grades are not formidable, and, for,
the most part, the work would be very
inexpensive. 1t would develop country
not only rich in iron, coal and lumber,
all tributary to Los Angeles, but it would
besides open up one of the most promis-
ing gold and silver regions of the United
States.
The route which will be adopted by the
Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railway has
not yet been published. Neither has
that which will be settled upon by the
Sioux City and Los Angeles Railway.
This last corporation has already ac-
cepted bids for the building of its eastern
end, and evidently means business. One
or the other would do well to give re-
spectful attention to the suggestions OF
Mr.. Taylor.
Meanwhile, our own people ought to
stand ready to aid some of the schemes
of bringing US into connection with our
legitimate "back country" Once upon
time we were equal to the occasion
and, when we were not tithe as wealthy
as we are now, we gave the Southern
Pacific Railway a subsidy of $750,O00.
From that moment dates our real pros
INo . -