Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-16
on TO SALT LAKE.
A Railroad Which Would Pay
From the Start.
Los Angeles Capitalists Should Take
This Opportunity.
Governor sheldon Says the Road Could
Be Completed In Eighteen Months.
Advice to the City's Mem
OF Wealth.

Gov, Lionel A. Sheldon has interested
himself greatly in the project of build
ing q railroad from this city to Salt
Lake, and was consequently much in
terested in the article furnished in
Tuesdays HERALD by Mr.. w. s. Barton
about his trip over the proposed line.
A HERALD reporter called on the gov
einor and asked him for an expression
of opinion regarding the value Of the
road, which he gave as follows:
A railroad to Salt Lake City will
connect there with two important east
ern lines. twill shorten the distance
across the continent from Los Angeles
800 miles to all points north OF the
thirty fourth parallel, north latitude. 1t
will run through new country, one
that possesses considerable timber and
mineral. 1t produces grain and great
numbers of cattle and sheep. In large
part 1t has the resources to support q
large population. It would have been
settled and developed ere this but for
the want of transportation. Such a
road would tap sections containing i'm
mense debosits of coal of excellent
quality.
THE BEST PROJECT.
It is the best railroad project in the
United States today. / mean for the
investment Of capital. Nothing can be
more important to Los Angeles than
the building Of that road. That and q
deep water harbor at some point near
by on the ocean would make this an i'm
mense commercial, city. In addition
manufacturing on a large scale would
be practicable and profitable, because
an abundance of cheap fuel would be
attainable, and the trade range for the
city would be immensely enlarged.
Twenty thousand artisans and laborers
would in brief time be added TO our pop
ulation, which would cause an immense
increase of other classes. What market
it would afford for our gardeners, horti-
culturists and florists! What we most
want are markets near by, which would
in good measure solve the question of
transportation. With that railroad and
an adequate harbor, the population of
Southern California would be quad
rupled in twenty years and perhaps
sooner.
WHAT CAPITALISTS SHOULD DO.
The government should and must
make the harbor. The railroad will be
speedily built if the capitalists of Los
Angeles will assist. For two years l
have been in communication with rail-
road men and capitalists on the subject
Of the Salt Lake road, and am certain
that if the people of this city will sub
scribe and pay for 81 ,000, 900 of the stock
it will be built and running inside of
eighteen months. There are twenty
men in this city and vicinity who are
able to take $4,000 each, and if they
lost it the result would be money in
their pockets. But there is no danger
of loss, for if any railroad will pay that
will.
PROFITABLE INVESTMENT.
It would be profitable investment.
Our banks are groaning under their
piles of money, and bankers are COM
planning that they cannot loan and that
in consequence OF abundance money has
become too cheap, though notice they
do not reduce interest rates. If they
want more and better opportunities for
using their money it would seem to be
sensible move for them to do something
that will enlarge business and make it
more prosperous. Whether we get the
Salt Lake road soon or not depends upon
the moneyed men of Los Angeles. They
are all sucking at the wren's egg now,
when with little enterprise and adven-'
ture they would Immediately have
nh ot onn