The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-07-27
ARAILROAD CENTERS
Millions of Railroad Money Help
ing Salt Lake City.
CoMMoDIoUS GARFIELD HOTEL.
The Union Pacific is Doing More Construction
Work in Utah Than On All Other Por-
lions of the System.

view on the railroad situation and yeSter-
day succeeded in cornering him and tapping
that energetic bunch of nerves for some
very valuable information.
The activity of the Union Pacific in ex-
tending and expanding its system in this
region with a view to capturing and con-
trolling the valuable freight commerce of
Salt Lake is met on the south by the ag-
gressive movements of the half dozen lines
that are seeking an entrance into the city
over the Rio Grande Western.
1t is remarkable that all the railroads
now building have Salt Lake as their objec-
tive point and look upon it as the source of
their supplies.
'How about the railroad situation,"
asked the reporter of Mr.. Mainland
at is very encouraging. More money is
being expended this year in Improving and
extending the railway lines operating in
territory naturally tributary to Salt Lake
city than during all previous years since
the original construction of the Utah
Northern, Oregon Short Line and Denver
q Rio Grande WS..ern.
lowing to complications between the
roadsin Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado. etc,
and the building of new lines, competitive
territory is enlarged and the seat Of war is
moving westward. There is every indica-
ton of revision, of rates and concentration
of efforts towards the establishment of new
centres towards which the railroads will
work and Salt Lake city is in the ring.
'What is the Union Pacific doing."
1.-The Union Pacific is doing more con-
scruction work in Utah than Z all other
portions of the system combined. The ben
eft that Salt Lake city will derive from the
work going on is, it seems, not understood
or appreciated by our own people. The
work of widening the gauge between Poca
tello and Ogden is mammoth undertaking
and almost equal to rebuilding the whole
road, as the road crosses the west side OF
the valley, and expenseh has not been spared
to strengthen the line and secure an easy
grade. Before October l this line will be
completed, and the days of the transfer at
Ogden will be ended. Through trains from
the north and west win come to Salt Lake
city. The transfers at Ogden and Poca-
tello, so disagreeable now, will be avoided
and many hours saved in the trip to and
from the north and west The convenience
in freight shipments will be immense. Salt,
coal and general merchandise can then be
shipped with promptness, and the immense
quantities of lumber coming in from the
northwest need no longer come to Salt
Lake via Granger. Salt Lake merchants
will appreciate the advantages of the Utah
& Northern standard gauge, and the trade
will be much closer than at present.
1.-The extension of the old Utah Central
from Milford to Phoebe, New, is also pro
crossing rapidly. Thousands of men and
teams have been working on this extension
all summer, and the grade is practically fin
ished. This line will open up great mineral
wealth to Salt Lake, and it must certainly
be only short time when the extension
will be pushed on through Nevada
to a connection with the Southern
California lines = thus opening still
another transcontinental route and giving
to Utah in general and Salt Lake in par
ticular, the immense advantage of the
southern California trade.
''When the Union Pacific lines now under
construction are completed, Salt Lake can
afford to celebrate on the advantages she
will enjoy from the trade of the new terri
tory to be brought subject to her will be
immense.
''In addition to the two lines of heavy
construction work referred to above, the
Union Pacific is about to build new depots
and yards in Salt Lake city. Business is
increasing so rapidly that new freight
yards and facilities are absolutely neces-
sary in order to hold ground against the
splendid facilities now enjoyed by the Ri(
Grande Western. Although grand Union
depot may not be among the present, ye
the railroad improvements going on and K
be pushed here during the remainin;
months of 1890 will cut quite figure il
the general development for which 1S90wil
be held remarkable.
at is confidently expected that before
another season opens, commodious hote
will be found at Garfield Beach, and tn,
city thus enabled to take its proper plac,
among the famous summer resorts o
America
"How about the Rio Grande Western? 2
''The Rio Grande Western has just beer
changed to standard guage, the marrow
guage being laid aside. This takes it t
Grand junction. The Colorado Midlan
and Denver & Rio Grande connections vii
probably be completed within SIXTY DAYS
and that means another through broa
guage line with a half dozen thoroughbre
roads working for the coast business with
out any narrow guage handicap as hereto
fore.
1.-The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific i
supposed to be furnishing good deal of tn
money which has gone into the Rio Grand
Western Improvement work, but whethe
that is true or not IL is sure that the ney
line will work in sympathy with the Burl
ington. Missouri Pacific and Rock Island a
opposed to the Northwestern and Unto
Pacific combination. This viii mean livel
competition in which I tab business will Gu
quite figure"
THE new route, the last track of whic
will soon be completed, viii be called tn
Rio Grande Midland route, and has bee
organized on a comprehensive basis, as tn
Denver 81 Rio Grande and Colorado Mic
rnd roads win each take its share throug
Colorado Of the business furnished by th
Missouri river roads.
CAS- this traffic has to be divided in Colt
RADIO viii there not be trouble there?r
''No; they cannot afford to fight yer
much over it. With the Rio Grand
Western standard guage another roa
from Colorado 10 Utah would notpay, as tn
cost Of constructing new line over til
mountains would be very EXPENSIVE
"lYhat other roads have been surveye
from Colorado to Utah.n
at is almost certain that the Chicag,
Burlington g. Quincy in 1881 expended
good deal Of money on such surveys an
the Colorado Midland also looked over til
field. Both routes were to follow an al
line as nearly as possible and pass throug
the Duchesne country, opening up Il nun
Der of good valleys and mineral district
The next line to come through will surel
take the Midway line and reach Utah wit
shorter line than either the Union Paclf
on the north or the Rio Grande Western
the SOUTH"
"What forced the Rio Grande Wester
to widen its guage?n
Increasing business made il necessar
for great improvements and the days of tt
narrow-cuage systems are numbered.
"With I; bulk-brealling process nece
state by the change IL guages in Colora6
TO contend with the Rio Grande and tn
Rio Grande Western were at q disadvan
age in hauling trsnscontinental bushes
end if the Rio Grande Western people ha
not made the change then il is more tina
likely that one of the other Missouri rive
roads would have commenced work Yves
which would have meant death to the Il
Grande Western. The happy solution