Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-09
TWO RAILROADS TO UTAH in SIGHT.


we shall be visited by delegation of
railroad men and capitalists, whose OBJ
servations while here may have i'm
mensely important effects upon the fu-
ture activities of our city and section.
The gentlemen alluded to are hackers
and promoters of the Terminal railroad.
From what we have been enabled to
learn of the intentions of the men who
have 80 far been the active projectors of
this great enterprise, we have been made
to believe that the Terminal will
be extended out through Death
valley and across Nevada to South
ern Utah, there connecting with
eastern roads. This would not only
furnish us with another overland con-
nection with the transmountain states,
but it would open to the commerce of
Los Angeles q rich and vast tributary
territory, which, for want of transporta-
ton facilities, has remained these many
years comparatively dormant. 1t is not
necessary to recspitulate the immense
mineral and other resources of the coun-
try through which this road would pass.
Suffice it to say that they include
mines of silver and gold, extensive coal
measures, great salt marshes, and mex
haiistible deposits of magnetic IRON
The fact that a territory SO rich in
precious metals aud in chemical and
other minerals has been overlooked SO
long by railroad builders, whilst far less
inviting territories have been traversed
and opened to commerce by the iron
steed, has been a puzzling problem to
those who are aware of the great amount
of railroad traffic that is awaiting de-
velopmens in that region. But it is not
alone in the fact that the country itself
is one that would afford paying
business to any railroad that enters
it that cur people have wondered
at the failure of railroad build
ers to select it as promis-
ing route; but in another very
material fact, that it offers the shortest
and bestroute below the snow-line to
reach this coast from the east. We had
supposed that when the Union Pacific
started to extend the Utah Central road
through this region, the managers OF
that company had fully realized the
value of the territory they were about
to cover. and would push the extension
of the Utah road with energy to this
city. That they did not do SO was due
to some counter-deal with other roads
that are interested in staving off new
overland connections with this coast.
There seems to be little doubt amongst
the officers of the Terminal road here
that their line will be built eastward by
this route. If, however, there is any
truth in the rumors that are now gain
ing credence amongst railroad men, to
the effect that the Santa Fe managers
have come to an understanding with
the Denver and Rio Grande company
about getting into San Francisco, then
we are probably on the eve of witnessing
another combination to build through
the territory between here and Utah.
The Santa Fe (Which is virtually
the Atlantic and Pacific would
only enter into any joint plan
with the Denver and Rio Grande
on the presumption that the latter would
extend its road to connection with the
Atlantic and Pacific at Ludlow or Bar
stow. And as this is really the quickest
and cheapest route, and the only one
that the Santa Fe people would enter
tain, the prospect is that another road
will soon be mapped out from Southern
Utah through the rich mineral region of
Nevada and Southeastern California to
this coast.
We are therefore confronted with a
strong probability that two lines of road
will be run through the territory desig-
mated. But those who are familiar with
the country to be traversed say that the
territory is rich enough in metals and
other natural resources to support two
roads. They would doubtless be wide
apart. One might keep we'll to the
southwark and pass through very rich
country, whilst the other would find
many mining districts, soda and borax
fields, magnetic iron deposits, etc.,
further to the north.
1t would give US great pleasure to
know that the gentlemen of the Ter
minal company, who are about to visit
this locality, should be able to see the
advantages of penetrating the interior
country with their road, and were dis
posed to push it's construction as rapidly
as possible. Whilst we would greatly
appreciate the extension of the Denver
and Rio Grande to some station on the
desert of the Atlantic and Pacific, and
recognize the fact that it would give us
immense business advantages in Nevada
and Utah, yet we would prefer that a
road which has Los Angeles as it's head
quarters, should be the first to open
this ich tributary territory to our COM
merce.
GOVERNOR BoYD yesterday took pos
session of the executive Office of Nebras-
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