The herald., 1896-10-22
An INTERESTING REPORT
G. j. Griffith Returns From q
Trip in Utah
THE PROPOSED RAILROAD
The Journey to the East Reduced by
Four Hundred Miles

Four Hundred Miles
The Marvellous Wealth of Mineral Re-
sources in Iron County-The De-
velopment of the Coal Fields.
Mr.. ]. g. Griffith, who recently visit
ed Utah at the instance Of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers association,
in the interest of railway to Salt Lake
City, carefully examined the various
projects that are being mooted, includ-
ing Bishop Taylor's and George @. Can
mons and makes the following interest
ing report of his observations and inves-
legations:
VIM. H. knight, ESQ.,, Secretary Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Association
Dear Sir: In compliance with re-
quests Of members of the association,
inquired into the prospects of and the
present conditions surrounding the pro-
ject Of building railroad from Los
Angeles to Salt Lake City, while on
recent business tour in Utah, and have
investigated, somewhat extensively, the
resources and possibilities Of the state
of Utah and of the country interven-
ing between 1t and California that would
be tributary to such road.
am under obligations for much val
liable information and many kindly
courtesies to Mr. H. M Mccartney, G.
E., of Salt Lake City, Hon. George Q.
Cannon, United States Senator Frank
H. Cannon and A. G. Campbell, Esq,
Of Salt Lake City, Mr.. r. G. Lund of
| st. George, and Thomas Taylor, Esq,
Of Cedar City, all of whom have thor
ough understanding of the railroad
knowledge Of the country. and who ex-
erted themselves in affording me every
| facility for making intelligent and re-
liable investigation.
While much has been said and written
| about the great resources Of Southern
Utah and the benefit and profit of a
| railroad through 1t, I have not yet seen
| or heard any account that did full JUS
| tice to the subject, and 1 doubt that its
magnitude can be fully conceived with
| out personal examination such as I
| have made.
The Union Pacific Railroad company
| has now in operation line of railroad
from Ogden to Milford, a point in the
Escalante valley 221 miles south of Salt
Lake City and about 600 miles from Los
| Angeles. There Is also an extension Of
this line westward from Milford about
| sixteen miles to the mining town Of
Frisco, but this branch does not enter
| into consideration in the matter Of a
road to this city,
| The Utah and California Railway
| company is corporation which intends
| to build from the terminus of this Union
Pacific branch at Milford to Southern
California, and in pursuance Of that
object has surveyed and located a line
| to Los Angeles and has graded 145 miles
| 0f nf a 4 n
condition of financial matters caused
a cessation of work when that much was
| done, and the grading has suffered some
deterioration through neglect, but 1t is
estimated by Mr.. E. M. l.. LeProhon,
| C. E., that the first lis miles south of
Milford can be put in condition for re-
ceiving the rails at a cost of $4,000, the
| remaining thirty miles not having been
| looked over, but in all probability it
would not cost any more proportionate-
| ly. This company has a traffic arrange
| ment with the Union Pacific whereby
its business would be taken to all points
north and east upon delivery at Mil
ford. 1t has five years in which to COM
| plete and secure title to it's surveyed and
graded line. 1t has surveyed and To-
Gated branch lines up Coal creek can
yon, at Cedar City, and to Kannarra,
a point some 70 miles south of the Un-
ion Pacific terminus, at both of which
places there are valuable coal fields.
there being vein of coal eighteen feet
| wide at the latter point. 1t also owns
$40 acres at Iron Springs, about fifty
miles south of Milford, which controls
| the water there; some $4,000 acres of
| farming land in the Escalante valley,
south of Cedar City; extensive coal and
iron lands, and a ten-acre block in Salt
Lake City for depot purposes, etc., this
latter being conditional on the build
ing Of 100 miles of road within year.
one OF its most valuable properties is
a large area of manganese territory
there peing some twenty-six claims.
1t must not be supposed that all the
valuable parts of Utah are owned by
this company, for large as it's posses
sions are, they form but small por-
tion of the whole. This line, if built
would pass through the largest tract
In the United States yet untouched by
railroad, extending from Milford on
the north to the Atlantic and Pacific
on the south, and from the Carson and
colorado railroad on the west to the
SEWER valley branch of the Rio Grande
western en- the east. a territory 800 by
20 mlies IN area, rich in minerals of all
KINDS and pregnant with agricultura
possibilities, besides which there would
be tributary to 1t an immense area OF
country, estimated by Col. r. B. Stan
ton as follows: Utah, $4,000 square
miles; Southern Nevada, $4,000 square
Hiiles; southern California, 30 900 square
miles; Arizona, $4,000 square miles: to.
tai, 100000 square miles.
This territory is but little less in ares
than the whole of New England. New
York. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Della
ware, Maryland and Virginia combined
or nearly 13O, O,000,0 900 acres of land.
This proposed road, with it's connec
tions, would make through line from
San Deigo to Lethbridge on the Canada
Pacific railroad, 1740 miles in length, ant
would make the distance from eastern
points to Los Angeles some 400 mile
less than by any other route. 1t wouIt
cross and make connections with eigh
main trunk lines west of the Missouri
river, as follows: At Los Angeles will
the Southern Pacific; at Barstow will
the Atlantic and Pacific; at Provo witt
the Rio Grande Western; at Ogden will
the Central Pacific and the Union Pa
cific; at Helena with the Northern Pa