The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-28
SALT LAKE & MERoUR RAILWAY.
Manager Jacobs to Be Congrat-
uIated.

OF all feats accomplished in latter
day engineering, where the primary
object was to scale the dizzy mountain
heights, it cam safely be said that the
building of the Salt Lake & Mercur
railway stands preeminent. The road
is eleven miles in length, starting from
Fairfield ON the lime of the Union Pa
cific, and it's course from start to fun
ish, overlooking the new-found Mer-
cur camp, is one of continuous wind
ings and of grAat interest to the en-
tranced patron of the road
When Colonel Moore, of Salt Lake,
ran his levels for a 4 per cent grade to
the summit, where lowered the SNOW
clad hills rich in virgin wealth, and all
between was rugged and beetling
crags, his engineering knowledge was
taxed to a degree never before known
to the profession. But with transit
and level he blaZed a trail for the steel
bands that crept onward and upward
with a certainty as unerring as the
master mind that with mathematical
precision made possible such achieve
ment.
The degree of curvature attained in
the history of standard guage roads,
there being quite a number of AZ degree
curves, something that railroad men
generally will be inclined ito doubt, as
we have been Schooled to believe that
no standard equipment would go
around a curve that borders so closely
on the square.
But the Salt Lake &, Mercur rolling
stock gets around these curves on
grades as indicated, and does it every
day in the year with perfect safety.
The engines used are of the Shea
type, and ON the regular ruin is to be
found Engineer George Green, a vet
cram in the service. He used ito rum
ON the Northern Pacific, and is at
home ON a mountain road. His fire
man is John Ault, and he has seen SER
vice on some fast runs-he used to
throw coal on the Union Pacific for
Alex Mclean.
The conductor is w. w. BentIy, who
is AN old time and competent railroad
man, and the writer of this knew him
in early South Park" days, when men
were being killed there on an average
of one "a day. Bently is every inch a
mountain man. He is not only CON-
ductor, but is express agent baggage
agent, mail agent and ''road agent as
he holds up every passenger for the
dollar fare ON the trip up to the clouds,
and the ride lis we'll worth it.
The road was commenced in October,
1894, and completed January 20, 1895,
it's primal object being to haul down
the ore from the Mercur mine to the
mill. The tonnage brought down every
day until October was $50 tons, and
from that time on 200 tons day was
brought down.
The road cost $125,000, and all things
considered is a. monument to the en-
terprise and energy displayed by Nam
ager Jacobs. besides being today pay
ing investment ON a scale unknown to
the larger roads.
The coal haul has increased greatly
and the passenger business has grown
SO THAT another engine and coach will
be put on after the first of the year
AS it is now, passengers are often
taken in a box car, the coach being
packed to its utmost capacity. In such
casas, Manager Jacobs has instructed
that no more than half-fare be coll
lected, showing that his is not a grasp
ing policy by any means.
Work is now being carried on in the
way of am extension leading down into
the town, a distance of 1880 feet, wind
ing around the base of the mountains,
and 1,500 feet of it has already been
graded and the ties laid. The road
launches into the new year with glow
ing promises of even a more successful
future than it has known in the past,
and that it is deserving of prosperity
goes without saying.