The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-09-19
TN RAILWAY CIRCLES.
The Herculean Efforts of the Rio
Grande Western.
THE RIO GRANDE JUNCTION co.
Electricity vs.. Mules-The Comparative Cost
of the Old and New Motive Power
Personal and General.

The Rio Grande junction Railway com
pany advertises in Denver papers for pre-
posals for grading its line from Rifle creek
to Grand Junction. The line will be con
structed by the Rio Grande and the Mid
land jointly, and when completed broad
gauge trains will be operated over each line
} westward from Denver to Salt Lake city
without change. The officials of both roads
were seen recently by a Denver reporter,
4 and the statement was obtained that all
} possible speed will be used to have the con-
nection constructed as soon as possible.
The work of broadening the gauge on the
Rio Grande will be continued so as to be in
readiness for operating broad gauge trains
when the through line is ready for
operation. On the same subject the
Denver NelrS says: "F'rom Rife creek
down the valley of the Grand to Grand
junction the distance is siXty-ive miles
This section of the road is to be con-
structed jointly by the Midland and Rio
Grande companies, under the name of the
Rio Grande Junction railway. The fnan-
cial arrangements have been completed
and bids for the grading of the roadbed are
advertised for. 1t is to be pushed forward
as rapidly as men and money can do it. The
line
PRESENTS NO DIFFICULTIES
for railway constr lction. In one or two
places there will be some heavy rock cut
ting, but for most of the route there is an
open way down the valley 1t may be
stated by way of comparison that between
this point and Grand Junction, a distance
of ninety miles. there are no difficulties to
be overcome viii n equal those between
EQunpa Nigfa .naANrilln tho
side of the range. In fact, the work is
lighter, the grades easier and the valley
broader. The Grand valley is indeed a
natural pathway for the locomotive through
the mountains and that it is so soon to be
utilized is a matter of congratulation to
Denver, to Colorado and to the entire coun-
try interested in transcontinental com
merce and travel.
"But fast as it may be possible for the
Joint company to build the new road down
the Grand rapidly as the Rio Grande may
lay its third rail between Canon City and
Rifle creek, neither will be able 10 meet the
Rio Grande Western with its broad gauge
rails at Grand Junction on the 1st of No
vember. Many hundred men have been
for months busily engaged in reducing its
grades, Strengthening its curves, laying
broad gauge ties, and preparing for the steel
rails on which will run its broad gauge
trains. This work is progressing rapidly
and its completion is already in sight The
Rio Grande Western is backed by an abun-
dance of capital, while it is not necessary
to speak of the experience and energy of
the men who are controlling and directing
the work-General w. j. Palmer and d. c.
Dodge. In fact it is to the Rio Grande
Western that the people of Colorado really
owe the speedy completion of this new
broad gauge continental route. True. the
Midland was planning western extensions
and the Rio Grande contemplating the
broadening of its gauge; but neither might
have been accomplished for years had not
THE RIO GRANDE WESTERN
announced its intention of broadening its
gauge and backed the announcement by
actual work. This virtually compelled i'm
mediate action by both the Midland and
Rio Grande companies, and the result is a
Joint broad gauge line ID be owned by both
and operated in their mutual interests,
opening new continental route by way of
the valley of the Grand, and giving to Den
yer an all rail connection with the Pacific |
coast, more direct, more advantageous to |
the state at large, more beneficial to her |
commercial interests and more fruitful of
influences on DenverS future as a great
inland city than any siXty-tive miles of
railway which can ever henceforward be |
constructed across the plains or through |
mountain canOuS. When it is completed |
when the trains of the Midland and of the |
Rio Grande are rolling westward to the |
Pacific and the trains of the Rio Grande |
Western and of the Central Pacific are
entering the union depot at Denver, the |
transcontinental line Of the future will |
have been opened, the real overland route |
will have been established. The trail of !
steel will have at last been laid along which |
will flow the commerce and travel betW cen
the Atlantic seaboard and the Pacific-be-
tween Europe and Asia