The Dispatch. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1891-06-03
STEEL RAILS ORDERED
For the Laying Of the Provo
TintiC Line.
The San Pete Valley Extern
sion OF the r. c. w. Will
Get Some.
An Order That Gives Employ
ment TO Fifteen Hun
dred Men

The following telegram appeared in
the Denver Ne1Cs, and speaks Il great
deal for the Provo T!ntic Short Line,
and the extension of the San Pete
Valley Extension, as the r. @. w.
have no other extension in view:
PUEBLO, Col, May 2S.-To-d day the
Rio Grande Southern placed an order
for 100 miles of steel rails, together
with the side tracks, with the Colo
RADIO Coal and Iron Company, of this
city. This means Il goou deal for
Pueblo and Bessemer, where the steel
works are located, as the full force Of
| 200 men will be kept at work for u
few months.
1t is no secret that the Rio Grande
Western people would like to have an
independent line to the coast. They
have the line from Thistle, 100 miles
east of Ogden, stretching toward Los
Angeles. More than 1870 miles of the
road will be finished by July l, amt
200 miles more would put them into
Los Angeles. Now, wouldn't it be
the mos natural thing in the world
for the Western folks to build this
line? The officials say the line from
Thistle is only a little local line"
but nobody believes it would be built
down to some 2X4 town and stop. Be-
sides, the Western is one OF the most
prosperous, roads in the west. Its
stock is going higher every day and
the earnings show about IS per cent
increase over the same period last
year. 1t is reported on pretty good
authority that President Palmer is in
favor Of building the line and the di-
rectors invited Vice-PTesident Peabody
to come out and look over the situa-
ton. II it becomes Necessary to build
the lines the money will be forthcom-
ing.
The intentions of the Rio Grande
Western road have recently been the
subject of much newspaper comment.
The company has been credited with
having projected line to Los An
geles, aud also as being engaged in
ne citations to purchase the Oregon
line of the Union Pacific. 1t is as
summed that the Western is deter
mined to reach the coast, and hence
these runners.
That the management of the Rio
Grande Western will never remain
satisfied with the line as it exists to-
day is evident to any one who is
familiar with the railroad building
genius of President Palmer or Gen
eral Manager Dodge. Their road is
now very important link in trans
continental line, connecting Ogden
with the Central Pacific for San
Francisco and the Union Pacific for
Portland, and att Grand Junction
with the Denver and Rio Grande, and
the Colorado Midland. 1t has com
manding position, is splendidly equip
ped, and the earnings since the new
broad gauge line was completed have
been phenomenal. From simple
narrow gauge road, hardly COMPETE
tor to the Union Pacific, it has sud
denly become a powerful factor in
overland traffic and in debating the
division of transcontinental business.
Still 1t IS only one link in chain of
roads which form the Grand River
route, and it is the belief that Palmer
and Dodge wish to make it an indie
pendent line that has given rise to
the many rumors regarding its extern
sion to the Pacific.
That the Union Pacific would sell its
proprietary line from Ogden to the
northwest coast is not to be believed
for moment. 1t would place their
company again at the mercy of the
Central Pacific, and no such act need
be expected from the Could manage
mont. This fact alone disposes of the
rumor that negotiations to this end
are pending. Toward the southwest
the Rio Grande Western is about to
build extensions as far as Tintic, and
is also building from Thistle to SaliHa,
and on this is based the rumOr of the
Los Angeles line. There is more in
this, As an extension toward the or
ange groves Of Southern California
would be the most natural thing in
tho world for men of Palmer aud
Dodge enterprise in railway building
The real question now, however, is
bow rapidly will it be constructed?
Save In small branches or eXte nsions.
I'D order to cover local territory and
make more feeders, the Macs does not
belieYe that there will be much rail-
way building for at least four or five
years. There is already too much non
paying steel in the west; money is not
now abundant enough to warrant the
production of another road, immedi-
ateiY to build from the Salt Lake val
ley to the Pacific. When new era of
railway building shall set in, the Vest
ern is very liable to go to the coast.
Last nights Salt Lake Times says:
). ). Jones, the II. B. Claim of Provo,
was in The city to-day closing con
tract with the Rio Grande Western for
the ties for The extension of that line
from Splingville to Tinhc Tile cpa-
tract will involve the sum of al least
$780, 900, the most of which will 20 10