The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-27
UTAH AND CALIFORNIA ROUTE.


Yesterday The Herald published an
item stating that "St George is not
directly on the line of the road to Cali
fornia, according to the route decided
upon. This fact has been overlooked
in the descriptions published, but it is
an important one
| Without seriously attempting to
show that these few lines contained
any inaccuracy whatever, the News OF
last evening proceeded to magnify the
item by making it the subject of an
editorial.
AS everyone knows, this paper has
for years been an earnest and consist
ent friend to southern Utah. continual
ly calling attention to its vast natural
resources and always advocating their
development through the construction
of a railway While this has been true
in general way, it has been especially
true as to st. George, 1.-The Dixie land
of Utah" Only q few days ago an
extended interview with Representa-
tive Andrus was published, showing
what that section would do for a rail
it. All these things are part of the
history OF this paper, and the little
item that seems to have aroused the
wrath of the journal referred to, was
only given as warning. Since it has
been magnified to such an extent how
ever, it is necessary to give some facts
which might otherwise be left alone at
this time
In the first place the Utah & Cali
fornia railway enterprise is business
proposition, and is essentially a Utah
undertaking. The projectors are men
of wide experience and marked ability
and it is but natural that they should
make the most of their opportunities.
1t is understood that when the Short
Line is reorganized, the new road will,
in all probability, make traffic ar
rangement to use that line to the ter
minus at Milford. From that point
on south to Glover, in Arizona, is the
old Short Line grade, which was con-
structed at a cost of not less than half
a million dollars. This grade is prac-
tically on a water line. and is a
1 tangent ninety-one miles long The
grade is also run on up to Bullionville
Phoebe and practically to De Lamar
and that section wants the road. Even
now efforts are being made to swing it
that way. Should this route be adopted,
St George would certainly be left off
the main line, and would only be
reached. if at all, by a branch. From
Glover the route would be southwest
/ to Ludlow, on the Atlantic & Pacific.
TT is a fact" said gentleman who
is familiar with the plans of the COM
pany, that while no definite route has
been officially determined upon. the
new company will probably take adj
vantage of the grade from Milford to
Pioche, something like 139 miles. This
would take the line from Glover Valley
to COTS, 100 miles. and from Las Vegas
! to Ludlow and on to Barstow, where
the California Southern leaves the At
lantic & Pacific, From Barstow to Los
Angeles is 142 miles and the distance
! from Salt Lake to Los Angeles is less
than $50 miles. With such -oute, aid
traffic arrangements with the l'eorgan-
lied Short Line and the connecting
roads, the run ought to be made in
J something like twenty hours.
THE grade from Milford on is IN
such shape that track laying could be
commenced tomorrow, so that it would
not only be d vast saving in money, but
of time
THE new road cannot parallel the ex-
listing line to Milford. 1t would either
bankrupt both companies, or put such
a strain upon the country in supporting
them that it would be a burden 1t is
safe to assume, therefore, that such
an arrangement will be made If the
line follows the old grade, it will not
be far from st. George, and will, with
a branch, develop the mines of that
section
THE railroad will be built to de-
veiop Utah." said another gentleman,
directly interested in the COMPANY.
But we have not yet definitely deter
mined on a line, and it cannot be truth
fully said that st. George is directly
upon it. We are investigating aud will
see what those good people will do.''
The De Lamar people, backed by
heavy interests are exerting every eff
fort, it is said, to induce the company
to go their way; and of course if thew
succeed, st. George will only be reach
ed by a branch line.
From the facts set forth in the above.
by the statements herein made by
prominent gentlemen connected with
| the enterprise, it should appear even
to the editor of the News that The
Herald had full warrant for it's re-
mark in the local columns of yester-
day; that it was not 1.-The result of
reporters imagination" nor does the
conclusion based upon it fade into
insignificance" Nor was it a state
ment either misleading" or "mische-
vious." The only trouble in the mat
ter was the News was just little too
censorious and top-lofty in its criti-
cism of a remark that our reporter
had every justification for making.
Meantime we want to see the Utah
and California railway run its main
line via St George. We have hailed
the advent of the road chiefly for what
it would do in the way of development
for southern Utah. and we hope that
no reasonable effort viii be neglected
by our Dixey friends to secure its pas
sage through ST George.