The morning call., 1892-06-04
THE NEW ROAD.
Salt Lake on the Transportation Cues
tion-An Important Issue.

Salt Lake on the Transportation Cues
tion-An Important Issue.
Concerning the proposition to build
railroad between Salt Lake and San Fran
cisco, the Salt Lake Tribune of recent date
voices the popular feeling in that city
as follows:
The best way TO estimate what the road would
probably pay Is TO first get It's cost railroad
from here 10 San Francisco would be about
1000 miles-perhaps 80 miles less. To get out
OF the State of California Oh the route proposed,
as we figure IL, Is about 266 miles from san
Francisco Bay to the Nevada line, just Ibis size
of Beckwitb Pass That much of the distance
would Involve good many bridges and some
very neaVy cutting IN the mountains for perhaps
so miles, and IL might altogether cost, 1dlly
equippeG, S4U ooo Ihiie- FROM BeckWitn ass
10 this place there would be but one bridge ana
that cheap thing over the Truckee. There Is
not a pOint where there would be any very
heavy cutting, except perhaps for dozen miles
over The TOyabi- Range. This side OF Beckwth
Pass the road ought not 10 cost 10 exceed
$4,000 mile, but placing II al $4,000 we
have tile whole line equipped for $4,000 OOO;
DIX per cent on that fOr operating EXPENSES anu
= per cent interest on Investment show mat 10
make The road profitable Investment
i VIII have 10 pay S3'OO0Ouo per annuni'
Working 300 days IN year, IL Will make 10 nec-
essay for the road TO earn $4,000 day, or
on 1000 miles, $40 per mile The road VII!
traverse the mineral belt OF western Utah ana
Nevada and IL viii place 100 mining districts
under tribute. To earn the necessary money on
the first 1G5 miles from this city, tile road VIII
have 10 pay $3.50 day. To say nothing ABOUT
passengers, no hing about machinery, meTchal-
disc, anu coal To go out, and Nevada wool, peel,
grain and vegetd bles to come In, at So ton, 900
tons OF ore per day would pay The required
amount, The next 200 miles would do quite as
well. Then for 100 miles further Oh the ROAD
would run through salt marshes and close by
lowgrade mines. which, possibly. would be
made valuable with road near. Beyond mat.
the road would have nothing in itself OF value
for probably 200 miles. but that is all the space
on the road that would not be profitable. Tie
other end of the road would come out Tor 10
miles through The richest part OF California, and,
striking the mountains, Ii would at once enter 4
magnificent timber country, and would tap al
the northern valleys of Plumas County, which are
very splendid. We believe the local Traffic here OF
The road would be amule TO pay per cent on
The investment and per cent Tor operating eA.
penSes, leaving the through freight and tfaVel
clear profit beside.
While in one sense ii would be a parallel road
10 the Genital Pacific, they would b riva Is IN
nothing eXceDt the through business and 10
carrying lumber out OF the Serras and the
freight OF the Sacramento Valley. With the road
built and paid for, the Central Paelhc would not
be able 10 reduce prices 10 a point 10 hurt the
new road, because IT'S fixed charges would not
compare with those OF The Central Pacific.
Then, another thing is that the trade OF Cali
f0fnll ought 10 be dOublrd aud that at once. In
that State there are about 1000, 900 people; IL
ought 10 OSsess IL ,0O0, 900. and the addition
ought for a long time TO increase the business OF
that State IN proportion 10 the population
gained. The orchards have only just begun 10
bear. WIN the rivers uliliZe1 II would be seen
that the valleys as yet nave done nothing IN
comparison with what they ought TO do. The
mountains are iull Of lands which are exact
adapted for a thousand products. San Fran
cisco Is and always has beeu the great CONNER
clal center OF the Pacific Coast and TO say that
the East is proposition wnien every man ia The
East would laugh at