The herald., 1893-05-05
CROPPING IN A DARKNESS FULL OF
LIGHT.


surveying party is reported to be
running lines out from Mohave towards
Inyo for projected railroad. They re-
port the country as geographically in
wiling to easy and economical railroad
construction, being without heavy grades
and having no difficult distractions to
overcome. We have known for many
years that no finer stretch OF country for
railroad building can be found anywhere
than that which lies between Mohave
and Independence. When Senator Jones
first started to build the Santa Monica
and Los Angeles railroad ii was his in
tention to continue the road TO Inde-
pendonce, Inyo county. Indeed the
incorporated title OF the line was tho
Los Angeles and Independence Railroad
company. Nothing but the great finsn-
cisl panic OF 1875, in which the C4lifor-
MIA bank of San Francisco went down,
carrying with it number OF interior
Institutions and disarranging all indus-
trial projects, prevented US from having
q railroad to Inyo at that time.
There seems to be some substantial
backing TO the present movement, al
though who ia behind it has not yet
trannpired. Perhaps Mr.. d. O. Mills,
the owner OF the California and Carson
road, Is preparing to carry out project
which he was known to seriously enter
tain several years ago. His road now
runs practically from nowhere to no
where. IL has no importont terminus
at either end, but connects at Mound
House, in Lyons county, Nevada, with
the Virginia railroad, which in turn con
meets with the Central Pacific at Reno.
The Carson Valley road ia about three
hundred miles long, and taps the trade
OF Bodie, Caudelaria and Inyo county.
1t terminates at small town near
Owens lake. In order to keep up this
extensive road, which engineers would
say is built en- air, the owner has had to
personally, and at his own expense,
develop all sorts OF traffic for
1t. He has worked borax fields
and salt marshes along the line, has
kept large gauge OF men at work telling
trees and furnishing firewood to the
towns along its route, and has produced
an important industry in providing acids
and salts from the waters OF Owens lake
1t would seem that the owner of road
like this would consider IL imperative
to extend it to country that would fur
nish 1t business on its own account as
Los Angeles would. II it were run to
Mohave, about one hundred miles, it
would open very rich region on route,
and would have the advantage of very
important trade that would necessarily
spring up between this city and the
country it trAverses.
1t may be, however, that this explor-
ing expedition is entirely disconnected
with the Mills road, and that it is the
result of the desire of one Of the great
overland roads that penetrate az far "a
Utah, to reach this coast. 1t ia als5
possible that the Santa Fo company has
something to do with this movement.
We can see where that company would
add immensely to it's business by ex-
tending a branch OF ITS road into the
great interior basin. Such branch
would he feeder to its main line of the
most important character. 1t would
give it an immense traffic in coal and
ores from Southern Utah to Los Angeles,
and would turn the source of supply to
to Salt lake from San Francisco to Los
Angeles. The mere statement of the
traffic which such road could secure is
the strongest argument that could be
advanced for its construction.
1t is also possible that the Southern
Pacific ia at the bottom OF this move
ment. We can ace many reasons why
that company should consider it a 6ne
stroke OF policy to run branch OF iii
road to Salt Lake. The Central Pacific
may pass out of its control when the
United States forecloees its mortgage
and it would with this road have con
The company is perhaps not we'll salts
fed with the opposition San Franchises
has raised to it, and might want to have
point dappui to fall back upon. The
deep-sea harbor it has built at SAINT
Monica would also furnish motive 70
the extension to Utah. Indeed the res
sons for such an extension multiply a
one contemplates the subject in all it
bearings.
Whether any of our surmises are col
rect or not, we have this fact to ia
back upon. Somebody is getting read
to build a road that will connect Los Al
gees with Southern Utah.