The herald., 1895-02-24

with no obstacles from one end OF the
line to the other. There were no noun
tains to cross, and even at that time the
building OF road over the same country
was frequently spoken of. The Mormons
were then, and ever since have been, de-
sirous of having more immediate connec-
ton with Southern California, and look
upon San Pedro as a natural ocean outlet.
| firmly believe that when the road Is
opened the merchants trade of Utah will
all come to Los Angeles instead OF going
to San Francisco, New York and other.
Eastern cities as is at present the case.
Forty years ago they were pleased to trade
here, and now, with proper railroad facili-
ties, that trade will naturally return here.
In that case Los Angeles would be large
wholesale center and one street, as IS now
the case, could not begin to accommodate
/ the large wholesale businesses which
would naturally open up.
Believing that road from Los Angeles
to Salt Lake. having observed what L dld
in early days, would eventually be built,
has induced me to labor assiduously ana
faithfully for the construction OF the
road In 1888 Colonel Isaac Trumbo,
number of other citizens and myself in
corporated the Los Angeles and Salt Lake
Railroad Company Colonel Trumbo has
been indefatigable in his efforts to Sc
| cur the road.
''In 1891 l went East over greater por-
tion of the route to satisfy myself in re-
gard to the resources that would be de-
| veloped, taking samples of all kinds OF
ores, such as gold and silver, copper, gyp-
sum, iron, coal and manganese. L al1o
was across large mountain of transpar-
ent rock salt which, with proper trans
| portation facilities, would yield large in
| come to those who would quarry it.
| Il also observed immense quantities
mountains, in fact--of the finest quality
of building stone, which when once seen
would be in large demand all over the
country. At present most of our building
tone comes from Flagstaff, Arizona, and
when this country is developed the stone
can be imported at far cheaper rate. The
receiver of the land Office in Salt Lake, to
whom | gave a sample of the rock, named
the mountain upon his map from which
| secured the beautiful piece Workman
| Butte.
What Los Angeles needs is the build
ing of manufactures to give employment
to skilled mechanics and worthy laborers,
who are always needed to build a large
city. To secure these, cheap fuel and raw
material must be obtianable. During my
! travels across this almost untraveled coun-
try, | found unlimited quantities of the
very best bituminous coal, which, of
course, only needs mining, and as it is
right in the face of mountain, it can be
mined cheaply, and with this road built
| it can be landed in Los Angeles at $4 or
|
| ible and the coal makes good quality of
coke. | went into number of tunnels
/ five or six hundred feet deep, made by
the Mormons, and made critical exam
ination, and | am free to say that the coal
is of the very best quality.
Immediately across the valley and
about fifteen miles distant from the coal
mines and about 400 miles only from the
city, | found mountains of magnetic and
| hematite iron ore. Some of the magnetic
or steel iron ore assayed as high as two
per cent. 1t can be mined for some
| time at least by simply rolling it down
the mountainside into The cars.
I The iron, like the coal, is almost mex
naustipl and could keep iron foundries
in the city supplied for centuries. My
, idea is that the iron ore will be put
| through furnaces on the ground made
into pig iron and hauled into town and
made into steel rails and all other articles
from which steel is made in other places.
In other words, | believe with the road
built, Los Angeles could in time be made
a second Pittsburg.
"Arriving in the East with these
samples | have referred to, ] laid them
before the most prominent railroad men
in the United States, and they were so
| convinced as to the necessity of building
| the road that they sent experts over the
| line who simply confirmed all had said
and shown to them. After the report of
these experts had been received by these
prominent railroad builders they had be-
come fully determined upon the construc-
| tion of the road, and the line would be
in operation today were it not for the
general depression which soon followed
Another thing which has retarded the
construction is the lack of interest among
the capitalists at this end of the line.
| Wherever 1 went East they would say,
'Mr. Workman, we believe the road would
be big investment, but why don't your
own people take hold and assist in an
undertaking which is so important?
IT claim that if the people of Southern
California will show an earnestness and
speedily built and millions of dollars will
be invested within its borders. The en-
terprise is a gigantic one, requiring as it
does an immense amount of capital, and,
for this reason, among Others, l do not
think that it can be constructed by private
Therefore, the bond proposition has prac-
tically been adopted, and if our present
plans are carried out, it will only be a
year or two until the whistle of the Salt
! Lake locomotive is heard within our
midst.
Along this route are innumerable val
! leys, OF good fertile land, some of which
are settled and many which have been
highly cultivated by industrious Nor
mons. Fruit and alfalfa fields abound
and by the introduction of a little capital
all these valleys can be transformed into
orchards and cultivated ranches.
when this road is assured and con-
| struction begun, every poor man not fear
ing the present exile, can take up 100
acres of fine Government land, and by a
little industry have little home with all
the comforts of civilization.
''This will be a veritable poor man S
country and will give this part of the
| rat a nfry nd
needed. The mineral deposits along the
line of the road will give permanent en-
ployment to thousands of people, who will
naturally spend in Los Angeles the money
they have earned.
Should not every one in Southern Cal
| enterprise which will do so much good for
their section of the state?''
THE MERCHANTS WANT IT