The Meeker herald., 1893-05-20
THE DENVER SHORT-LINE
Is Now Assuming Shape---Cap-
itaiists Taking Hold.


of the standing committee on railroad
building was held yesterday afternoon,
the session lasting from 3:l5 until 5
O'Clock. 1t was strictly an executive
session. The special call was re6cirted
for by John Evans, chairman of tic
committee, and by the following mem
bers, most Of whom remained during
the deliberations ii. II. Porter, ID. IL.
MoiTat, Thomas NJ. Patterson, Joseph
I. Cornforth, George Tritch, II. A. w.
Tabor. w. A. ii. Loveland, i. w. Mes
mith and c. W. Fisher.
The object Of the session, as leading
member of the committee put it, is to
enlist the chamber of commerce, and
through it the solid business men, capt
talists and owners of property in the
city, in the construction Of direct rail
road line from Denver to the Pacific
coast. The first step in view is to or
ganize the company. When this is aC-
cOmplished ways and means will be
discussed. 1t is expected that the COM
mercial bodies OF salt Lake and san
Francisco will give material aid to the
project and that large districts of coun-
try, at present without transportation
facilities of any kind, will be opened to
the trade of the three cities, and this
without interfering with railroad lines
at present in operation.
I'm the conference held Yesterday,
which was largely informal, the Der
thoud and other surveys to the west
were discussed. The Berthoud route
running mp Clear Creek canon, would
reach the main range near Empire,
where tunnel of from 1900 to 6,C00
feet in length would be needed The
descent in Middle park would be accom-
plished over easy grades, thus reaching
vast territory that is not even touched
by the east and west lines in operation
ut this time.
Immense coal fields, wide stretches
Of grazing lands, and farming lands
near plenty Of water for irrigation could
be relied upon to make local traffic.
From the head of Bear river the Ber-
thoud line runs southwest down the
Overland pass, thence by the Provo
river to Provo. and then north to Salt
Lake City, where it would connect with
the road projected west from that place,
and for which the citizens of salt Lake
propose to raise 100000 to insure the
construction of the first fifty miles.
The Berthoud route proposes a short
eniug of the distance between Denver
ana SAT- Lake BY 30 miles, with no
grades to exceed = per cent, or 1906 feet
to the mile. The distance between
Denver aud Georgetown would also be
shortened and the grades decreased us
compared with those now followed by
the Colorado Central.
From the interest displayed at yes
terday's conference it is safe to assume
that the Denver, Salt Lake and San
Francisco short line will presently ap-
pear in the shape of Il live, aggressive
and pushing corporation, with no en-
tangling alliances, and with the main
purpose in view of opening mp new ter
ritory to settlement and trade. The
at the Ogden congress for the reason
that discussion of the silver problem
took up most of the time. When men
toned casually it was received with
great favor, especially by the members
from the Pacific coast, where the mer-
chants for years have been anxious to
secure direct and Independent connec-
tion with the great middle districts of
California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado.
The same paper of the ilth gives the
following additional facts:
After the call Of the Denver Real
Estate and Stock Exchange Saturday,
there was favorable expression of
opinion regarding the building of the
Denver, Salt l. Ike and san Francisco
railroad. An invitation was extended
to attend the meeting of the chamber
of commerce Thursday evening next to
hear the report of Ex-Governor Evans,
chairman OF the chamber railroad com
mittee, on this topic. The following
preamble and resolution was passed:
WHEREAS, The building of direct
short lire west from Denver to Salt
Lake and the Pacific coast is of the ut
most importance to every citizen Of
Denver; therefore he it
RESOLVED. That every member of
this exchange he urged to attend the
meeting of the chamber of commerce
Thursday evening and that this ex-
change holds itself in readiness to assist
in bringing this enterprise to n sue
cessful issue.
From the same paper of the 18th:
The committee on railroad building
in the chamber of commerce held an in
teresting session IN the presidents
room yesterday. the conference lasting
from to p. m. The various details
were brought out, fully discussed and
put in form for presentation this even
ing at general meeting of the chamber
called especially to consider this i'm
portant topic. 1t is evident from the
preparations made and the data col
lected that the committee means busi-
ness and can assure members who at
tend to-nicht's meeting the pleasure of
hearing definite report.
The committee during the past week
have had access to the various prelimi-
nary surveys made with view to build-
ing railroad directly west from Denver.