The Lamar register., 1892-05-28
THE ELK MOUNTAIN RAILROAD
Some Interesting Facts About the Country
through which this New Road
VIII PaEs.

The Elk Mountain railroad officials having
secured the land surrounding Sands station
on the Colorado Midland railroad they pro
pose having a town established at that point
to be appropriately called WIlkesharre, aftel
their native town in Peunsy sylvanta. Here they
will make connections with the Colorado Mid
land and Denver " Rio Grande railroads and
establish their round house. machine shops
marble ,aa9 slate yHrts They will, in all
PROBABILITY, start other industries at this
point and make WilkesbArre one of the most
Important towns In Western Colorado Among
other things also contemplated Is an extern
sive snelter, which will treat the mineral OF
the western country successfully, ms they can
draw upon the coal, lime and lead ore and
other resources of Crystal river. To say the
least Wtlkcsbarre will be a town of envy to
her growing neighbors.
Before it was a settled fact that the Elk
Mountain railroad would build up the Crystal
river wiley, IL appeared TO be u question in
the minds of a few outsiders regarding the
mineral resources Of the district and whether
sufficient traffic could be secured to maintain
and operate the line. Happily We can now say
that with the construction of the road every
one has changed their Views, and consider the
Elk Mountain railroad one of the best under
taktngs ever started In the State, starting out
as IL does with almost positive assurance that
stations will be necessary every five miles OF
the road in order to accommodate the people
in the country and handle the great mineral
resources OF each camp.
As an illustration, after the road starts
from Wilkesbarre (the junction with the Mid
land railroad) II could, in n distance of about
nye miles, receive coal from the Aspen "
Western railroad, which runs to the Colorado
Coal " Iron Companyis property up Thomp-
son Creek; then the next stopping place
would be about the same distance up the
river, at Janeway Postoiiice, or close to the
mouth of Avalanche Creek where there is
great number of most promising mines and
prospects. which should give from 50 to 100
tons of ore per day for shipment Prominent
mining men and capitalists are deeply inter
ested In the district and propose to help the
railroad fsss.
Passing up the river through n rough canon
we reach the hot springs. Here is to be found
immense springs Of hot mineral water bub-
bling up along the valley on both sides of the
river. AT this point there will no doubt be n
watering place established almost equal to
that of Glenwood Springs. This place also
has the advantage of having good mining
property surrounding it which will add con-
siderable tonnage TO the line in due time.
Ascending the river only few miles furth-
er we come to the junction of Coal Creek with
Crystal river. By ascending the large bodies
of the coking coal of the great coal fields in
Coal basin are reached and will ultimately be
hauled out by a railroad down the valley.
Stiil ascending the river, the railroad comes
upon the outcrop of the coking coal from
which shipments could be made. Coming
next to this upon the line of the road is an eX-
tensivc anthracite coal deposit, from which
the railroad expects to draw immense ton
mage, as 1t is one of the very few anthracite
coal fields in the West, and will be handled
by expert coal men. At this point there viii
also be important cattle shipments made,
the cattlemcn of the North Fork country will
bring stock this way to secure the benefits of
the standard guage road.
Within the next five miles the new towns of
Marble and Clarence are reached. Here will
be located the yards and station for the re-
certion of marble, slate and mineral From
this point are TO be run branch roads towards
CRYSTAL, in order to secure the marble in this
section and the mineral from the upper coun-
Try, and one running up Yule creek will
reach the slate and marble of that section
Thus 1t will be seen that large amount of
traffic is destined to be done upon the road.
which will open up this entire district as
nothing but railroad transportation is capable
of doing. Already the population OF Crystal,
Marble and Clarence has greatly. increased,
and as the road approaches completion 1t can
be expected there will be thousands of people
in the Crystal river district where there are
hundreds at the present time.-Crystal Riser
Current.