The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-29
ONE BIG THING AT A TIME.


| to start up business in Utah and pro-
vide employment for many idle hands
| is perceived by all classes of society.
The Chamber of Commerce is inclined
| to encourage everything of that char
acter which gives promise of success.
A number of projects have been
mentioned and favored. but little of
any magnitude has been accomplished.
We sometimes think that if the
| Chamber, backed by our business
men and the public generally, would
make a concentration of effort in one
special direction, there would be
greater likelihood of achieving the de-
sired end. Wien attention is attracted
hither and thither to a variety of OBJ
jects the result is much talk and little
work.
Just now nothing apears in view
which is likely TO meet the public ne
cessity except the building of the rail
road from Salt Lake to the Pacific
Coast; the benefits and advantages
which would arise from such an I'M
dertaking we need not repeat. They
have been placed before the public
time and time again. That such
road could be made profitable to in
vestors has also been demonstrated.
We are of the opinion that if the
energies of everyone who could assist
in such an undertaking were concen-
trated upon that one purpose, the
plan which as yet has only appeared
on paper could be made a veritable
reality.
We notice that some of our contem-
poraries appear to favor the scheme
propounded by some San Diego gen
tlemen, for cooperative company of
railroad men to build a line from San
Diego to Salt Lake City. The Herald
has given full explanations of this
proposition in this way:
Its design is to induce railroad men
throughout the United States to take
shares of $1,000 each in the company
on payments of 80 cents per month. No
payments to be made to the company
until at least one hundred thousand
shares have been subscribed. AS soon
as that number of stock subscriptions
have been secured a board of direct
ors is TO be elected by those subscrib-
ers. The stock is to be sold only at
par No bonds are to be issued. The
capital stock is to be increased after
the first million dollars has been sub
scribed as the work progresses by the
extension of the road. The highest
number of shares that any stock
holder can own is to be five hundred.
The various brotherhoods Of railroad
men are expected to take up this
stock. No man is to be employed on
the road in any capacity who is not
a stakeholder.
Cooperation ought to be encour-
aged, and it is possible that the prin-
ciple can be made to work in railroad
building, so far as labor is concerned.
When it comes to capital we are
doubtful if the scheme proposed
could be made successful. Experience
in railroad building has shown that
large capital not depending upon
small subscriptions is absolutely ne
cessary to the expeditions and
construction Of railroads
and also for their support until suf-
fcient traffic is secured to pay run
ming expenses.
The building Of road of the great
length required to connect this city
with San Diego would involve the eX-
of a vast amount Of money.
The gathering of such a sum from
railroad men scattered throughout the
United States appears to us exceed
IngIy doubtful We fear that though
a start might be made and few
miles of railroad built it could not be
carried on to completion. Monthly
might be obtained for a
little while, but they would probably
soon subside and come to a full stop.
We do not wish to throw cold water
upon a feasible purpose promising to
be of benefit to the country. But we
10 not regard the San Diego PROPOSE
Jon as one in which Salt Lake men
will be likely to invest to any great
amount.
There is another consideration to be
Kept in view There is a plendid pros
oect of the building of a road
through southern Utah to Los Angeles. |
It is being engineered fly Utah men.
Eastern capitalists have become in
crested in the matter and negotiations
Ire in progress which we are assured
Will be completed in a very short time.
It is likely that before The month of
July shall end dirt will begin to fly |
or the construction of this road, and
hat it will then be pushed forward to |
'apid completion.
Utah people should support Utah en-
erprises. Here is one on which we
believe Salt Lake business men and
he chamber of commerce, with all
others who desire TO unite with them,
nay concentrate their energies and in
rest their means and which is emin-
,ntly practical and brimfull of pro-
Mise.
We have every reason to believe that
We are on the eve of "a great railroad
'evival in Utah. For that reason we
ire of the opinion that it would not be
wise to rush into the theoretical CO.