Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-27
SALT LAKE AND LOS ANGELES.

The announcement from Salt Lake
that work has been commenced on
railroad from that city to Los Angeles
has come to us in very quiet and un-
obtrusive way. Although there had
been no heralding Of this new road by
scare newspaper headings and elaborate
press articles, we are modestly assured
that force of two hundred and fifty
men were put at work breaking ground
on Monday, with the assurance that the
road would be pushed along energetic
ally. Whilst we are in the dark as to
the backing which this enterprise has.
we are left to infer that it is an under
taking of some of the most substantial
men of the great inland city. If this is
true, the enterprise has as solid basis
to start out with as we would wish to
see.
1t is of the first Importance to the
business advancement of Salt Lake that
it should have direct railroad connec-
ton with Los Angeles, its natural out
let to tidewater on the Pacific. The
great interior basin will always labor
under serious disadvantage whilst it
is confined to the Central Pacific road
for access to this coast. That road can
not afford the cheap transportation that
can be obtained by road to Los An
geles. The grades OF the former are so
heavy as to place Salt Lake City seven
hundred railroad miles further from
San Francisco than from Los Angeles.
Such difference will always seriously
handicap the commercial intercourse of
Utah with California, and until it
has a railroad outlet by it's natural
route to the sea, there will be limit to
its business development with the Pa
cific coast.
We should therefore not be surprised
if the enterprising people of Salt Lake
should feel disposed to make great sacri-
fees to build railroad to this city. We
are further satisfied that they know that
as soon as they take serious steps to
build such a road, one or more OF the
great railroad corporations OF the east
having their termini at that point will
hasten to either back the Salt Lake men
in their projected enterprise or will ex-
tend their own roads to this city, 30 as
to give them the railway connection
they deem go essential to the develop
ment OF their commerce.
Whilst the solid people of Salt Lake
are in this mood the people of Los An
geles should be alive to the benefits that
would accrue to their section by the
building of such q road. Perhaps it
would not be advisable for us to under
take to send out road of our own to
meet them, yet it would undoubtedly be
q wise move on our part to encourage
the Terminal company to carry forward
their road to conjunction with the one
coming from Salt Lake. 1t is not posi-
BILE at present to say exactly how we
should proceed to offer this encourage
ment to the Terminal company. But ii
the new Salt Lake road should develop
into an enterprise of substantial promise
we are sure the people of this city and
section would so recognize its important
bearing upon their interests as to be
willing to give the road that should &c
out to meet it such solid encourage
ment as would De in their power.
We have all along claimed it to be
impossible that the gap between Los
Angeles and Utah can long remain un'
occupied by railroad. There is no
other similar stretch of country in the
union that offers the business induce
ments for railroad that this does. The
traffic between the two great terminals
of such a road would be immense, and
the way business that would come from
a country rich in ores, in borax, in
natural chemicals, in coal and in great
variety OF minerals, salts, ETC., would
make the road one of the most profta-
Bile in the United States. This oppor-
tunity will not remain neglected by
railroad builders for many years. Per
haps it is now e.empted.