Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-20
MONDAY, JUNE go. 1893.
TIE SALT LAKR RAILROAD-N0w OR
NEVER.

The HERALD feels that it will be dere-
lict in its duty if it fails to use every OPP
portunity of keeping the Importance of
building railroad to Salt Lake City
before the Los Angeles public. The
road should be built, and at once; its
construction now means that Los Ange-
les will be the metropolis of the coast |;
if the matter is postponed the mighty
trade which is to be developed in the
territory it will traverse may be set in
other directions and forever lost to ne.
This road will supply the only thing
lacking to make Los Angeles both q
great commercial and manufacturing
center-cheap fuel. In its benefits to
this city it will pay for itself in
. year after it is completed. As a purely
business proposition, it would pay Los
Angeles capitalists and merchants if they
subscribed the necessary money, built
the road and made a present of it to
some railroad men to operate. But no
gift is necessary all that is needed is an
investment in project which the most
experienced railroad men say will pay
from the start. Two propositions have
recently been made public through the
HERALD. One was from Governor
Lionel Sheldon, man of great expe-
rience in railroad affairs, who said if the
people of Los Angeles would subscribe
for million dollars of the stock, he
would raise the balance of the necessary
capital and have the road completed in
two years. time.
The second statement was in yester-
days HERALD, and was from James
Campbell, conservative man, whose
experience in railroad building dates
from the days when dirt was first
shoveled onto roadbed in California.
He states that if the people Of the city
will effect an organization with the nee
essary capital, which he places at the
modest sum Of $4,000, he will secure
the rest of the money needed and would
have the road in operation in one years
time. s,..,
There can be no more important
matter before the public than the con-
struction of this road, and there is no
time like the present. Here are two
statements made which are worthy of
investigation. If any better ones can
be had we'll and good; the HERALD
favors No particular plan, endorses no
one scheme. 1t insists, however, that
if there are any men of public spirit in
this city, that if the people here care to
take advantage of golden opportunity,
that if the community has the sense to
gee chance that may presently be
grasped by other places, that now is the
time to act and act with effect. Resolu-
tions Of the chamber of COM
merce, vapid public meetings,
talk by men who are willing
to do nothing else but talk, these will
not avail. The case requires the action
of broad minded, enterprising men who
can see this chance OF advancing the
public veal. Such men can win the
earnest gratitude OF the people, and at
the same time make solid investment.
Haye we any such? o-
If we have not, we can make up our
minds that we shall be sidetracked.
That San Francisco and Salt Lake will
receive all the benefits of the develop
ment of the great region between this
city and Salt Lake, which contains
hundreds of thousands of acres of the
finest farm lands on the footstool, mines
OF all the precious metals, and better
than all, inexhaustible supplies of the
very best quality of coal.
With the road to Salt Lake built, Los
Angeles will in five years. time make as
much progress as, without it, will re-
quire quarter of century of plodding
toll.