Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-09
COAL AND IRON.
Mr.. Tayior's Plan to Secure Rail-
road to Southern Utah.

road to Southern Utah.
Mr.. Thomas Taylor. whose home is in
Southern Utah in the region of extern
sive coal and iron mines, and who has
been in Los Angeles for several weeks,
starts for his home today. He takes a
deep interest ia the proposition to con-
meet Los Angeles with Southern Utah
by rail, and sends us the following sum-
mary of his views upon the practical
way of securing such connection
EDITORS HERALD before leaving
Southern California beg the privilege
sof acknowledging the courtesies shown
me by the press, and the people of Los
Angeles, in my feeble effort to hasten
the building of a railway connecting the
coal and iron interests of Iron county,
Utah, with California. In conversations
which | have had with the people, and
with gentlemen who are building rail-
roads, the conclusions arrived at are
mutual, that there is an absolute neces-
sity to enhance the future advancement
of Southern California that she should
have cheaper fuel to make profitable the
introduction of manufactures, which
requires the building of railways, also
to bring about the quickest transit of
her fruit products and merchandise to
the northwestern states and territories,
which means saving of over five hun
sdred miles to Chicago and the east.
Being requested by the gentlemen of
the chamber of commerce to suggest
what action could be taken to bring
about the desired object, we all know
that it will cost millions of dollars that
the builders of this railway must ad-
vance. Then why not the people who
are to be so much benefited, pay the
interest on this investment, by giving
a railway company one million dollars
bonus to connect Southern Utah with
Southern California in one year; the
balance will be accomplished in another
year.
am informed that there is used an
.nuaIly more than one million tons of
coal in Southern California, and in Los
Angeles alone about one-half that
amount. Then it would pay Los An
geles alone to raise one million dollars
for the building of this road. If
1t did not carry all this coal, it
would raise competition that would
bring down the price of coal, say four
dollars per ton. Thus, Los Angeles
would save $2,000,000 annually on the
price of coal, also making it possible to
have pig iron brought here at as low
price as you now have to pay in Pueblo
Col, or the east, besides the great saw
ing in the freight of your exports to the
nifty will be benefited by the scheme, it
seems to me that the boards of trade
and the chambers OF commerce in all of
the counties of Southern California
should unite in bringing about so desir-
able an object.
This railway would open up section
of California rich in mineral wealth
where mining towns will be built, and
tDring trade and commerce to the people
of Southern California. 1t is not
that Southern California is deficient
in manufactures as compared with the
opportunities existing, but with railway
connections with this coal and iron re-
;gion, what she already enjoys is as moth
ing to the industries that would be Gre
yated and stimulated. Situated on the
sea coast, with reciprocity opening up
the adjoining nations of Mexico. Central
and South America, field for manufac.
tories superior to that of this section
does not exist. Whether the power and
importance ofl.os Angeles in this regard
be of slow growth or rapid development
depends upon the present energy OF hel
enterprising citizens, but that she will
yet be the peer of any city is as certain
as that she is the center of vast section
destined to outstrip the east.
Let the Los Angeles chamber OF com
merce display its usual energy, organize
raise this million dollars, and 1 am as
sured the object can be ACCOMPLISHED.
THOMAS TAYLOR.