The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-30

The most important occurrence in
railroad circles for a number of wears
developed yesterday when an official
announcement was made by General
Traffic Manager s. ". Eccles. of the
Oregon Short Line, that the Ogden
gateway would be opened 10 all con-
meeting lines on June !.
OF IMMENSE IMPORTANCE.
The Importance of this move. which
ha. been a matter Of discussion within
and without railroad circles for so long
a time. car be easily appreciated. To
say nothing of the advantages which
will accrue to Salt Lake City in the
matte, Of freight facilities. an immense
amount of through passenger traffic
between Denver and the northwest can
be expected which viii Indirectly be1e-
III this city and the surrounding cOun-
try. In 1891. before the Ogden gate
Nay was closed. there was an inter
change Of passengers between the Short
Line and the Rio Grande Western
amoupting 10 1900, and as soon as the
gateway is opened again next week
through sieepeTS viii be run between
Denver and Portland over the Rio
GI,ande Western and its connections
and the Short Line and Oregon Rail
way & Navigation cocpany's road, and
AS the route is g most attractive and
popular one. g large amount of travel
Is confidently expected. IT is safe 10
assume that fully 80 per cent of the
through passengers between Denver
and the northwest viii stop at Salt
Lake City.
TALK WITH MR.. ECCLES.
General Traffic Manager Eccles made
the following interesting statement TO
a Herald reporter last night. giving
a history OF matters relating TO the Og-
den gateway and the causes which led
20 the latest action Of the Short Line
officials in removing the barrier which
has existed for several years past Mr..
Eccles said:
IN 1890, when c. s Mellen was gen
ersl traffic manager of the Union Pa
CIhc system, the policy of the com
pany was TO open every gateway and
take from every connection all the traf-
tic hey could secure. The result was
that Tor the years of 1880. 1891 and 1892
The road enjoyed the heaviest traffic in
its history During that period the gate !
way was opened at Cheyenne 10 The
Burlington, at Denver TO the Rock Is I
land and Santa Fe, at Pueblo to the I
Missouri Pacific. 2 Fort Worth TO the (
Southern Pacific, Texas Pacific and /
other roads, al Junction City to the Mis- /
souri,, Kansas x Texas. at Butte to the /
and a Ogden 10 the Rio Grande West |
ern and It's many connections. During I
, 1881 there was interchanged between /
the Snort Line and Rio Grande West (
ern over 1900 passengers.
after Mr.. Mellen left the road we I
decided to close all the gateways and in
this We We're. l now think. in error.
for recently The Union Pacific has re-
opened some of its gateways and now
IL connects again With the Missouri,
Kansas K Texas at Junction City, with
the Frisco line al Ellsworth. at Denver
with the Chicago. Rock Island & "a
citic and Mallory line, the Union Pacific
Denver & Cuff and Miss ri Pacific,
showing clearly that with the building
o. Anew lines. ghe change ii commercial
conditions and the general shifting OF
railroads and commerce. such chaEged
conditions must be met in a way that
VIII protect the large interests in
trusted to railroad officials. The Ore
gon Railway & Navigation company.
after il was separated from the Union
Pacific system, fou,sd il necessary 10
form new connections and il opened its
gateway at Spokane 10 the Great H
Northern. and at Waliula 10 the North
ern Pacific The result is thai the prop
erty is prosperous and we do not feel
any bad effects from such changes.
The Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf ard
the South Park systems in Colorado,
have had the same experience. They
seek new business from every road with
which they connect. ,
AN INDEPENDENT SYSTEM.
The Oregon Short Line has hereto
fore been a part Of that great system,
but recently became separated and is
now operated as an independent sys- !
TEN. 1t has more natural advantages
than any property west Of Chicago. It
has connection at Granger with the
nj. 80 /.
Pacific. Southern Pacific and Rio 9
Grande Western. at Butte with the I
Northern Pacific Great Northern. +
Butte, Anaconda & Pacific and Mon 7
tana Union. and at Huntington with :
the Oregon Railway & Navigation +
company. \
CAUSE FOR THE ACTION. c
AS before stated. the commercial !
conditions have so changed that with +
the Rio Grande Western, for instance I
with its various connections aggregat-
ing nearly 600 miles OF road--all- con- !,
trolling a vast amount OF business. d
which can be turned 10 the Short Line, +
our people have. after most careful de- h
liberation. decided to open the Ogden h
and secure TO il the support Of il
this great aggregation Of roads which V
have for long time been unable 10 r
give to the Short Line such traffic as F
they controlled. [
IT'S EFFECT.
The result viii. We believe. be most
beneficial to the Short Line and TO the
states through when il runs. II will n
bring 10 Utah and Idaho thousands of t
people who are seeking new homes. and S
in time provide magnificent and per- h
manent traffic for all the roads. incud- s.
ing the Union Pacific The relations of c
the Short Line TO the Union Pacific are a
Of the most cordial nature, and will I'M s.
doubtediy so continue in the future n
SHORT LINE POLICY. 4
The policy OF the Short Line will be b
to foster every enterprise along its O.