The herald., 1897-08-30
IT NEEDS ONLY A GOOD START

ioV LILIES III length, the IOdu Wouiu coiu-
plete a grand north and south trunk line
extending from San Pedro on the Pa
cific coast to Dunmore on the Canadian
Pacific system. This new continuous
line would be little less than 100 miles
in length and would cross the following
east and west transcontinental lines:
The Southern Pacific, the Santa Fe, the
Rio Grande Western, the Union Pacific.
the Oregon Short Line, the Northern
Pacific, the Great Northern and the
Canadian Pacific.
The proposed line would thus traverse
the states of California, Nevada, Utah,
greater portion of the route would lie in
a valley or trough between two lofty
mountain ranges-the Sierra Nevadas
and their northern extension, the Cas-
cades, on the west, and the Rocky
mountains on the east, with natural
and continuous down grade towards the
ocean in the neighborhood of Los Am
geles. This extensive north and south
|
ly, 1.-The Great Inter Montane Route"
If we draw an imaginary line around
the territory tributary to Los Angeles
embracing Southern California, South
ern Nevada, Arizona and Northern
Mexico, we shall include an area of
about 100000 square miles and popula-
ton OF about 400 000 A similar line en-
closing the territory tributary to Salt
Lake City will embrace all of Utah and
large portions of Nevada Idaho, Mon
tana, Wyoming and Colorado, with
like population of 100000
At present these two business and
financial centers, Los Angeles and Salt
Lake City, are 1921 miles apart by rail.
via Sacramento. The nearest outlet for
Salt Lake is over the high Sierras to
San Francisco on the west, or over the
lofty Rocky mountain passes to Kan
sas City on the east. By completing the
link from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City,
the latter will be but $50 miles distant,
and, mountain barriers of consequence
to overcome.
In a word, the two magnificent busi-
ness territories surrounding Los Ange-
les and Salt Lake City, respectively,
would be brought into practical con-
tact, their interests would become close
ly united and the thrifty people of Great
Salt Lake valley and the rich mining
region to the north would become the
customers of Los Angeles merchants
and Southern California orchardists, in
stead of enriching with their profitable
patronage transmontane communities,
far separated by typographical barriers
But the construction of the Salt Lake
railway would secure results for Los
Angeles more far-reaching than that of
bringing these two business sections into
close relations with each other Salt
Lake City now receives the traffic of
five eastern trunk lines, as follows:
Union Pacific, from Chicago via Omaha,
Cheyenne and, Ogden, 14S7 miles; Rock
Island, from Chicago via St. Joseph and
Colorado Spring, I'LL miles; Burlington.
Colorado Springs, 1715 miles; Santa Fe,
from Chicago via Kansas City and
Pueblo, 1920 miles; Missouri Pacific.
from st. Louis via Kansas City and
Pueblo, 1547 miles.
The business of the Union Pacific en-
| ters Salt Lake City from Ogden over the
| Oregon Short Line The four other
| roads use the Rio Grande Western from
Grand Junction to Salt Lake, S2s miles,
Of the five roads mentioned, the Santa
Fe has a direct route to Los Angeles,
leaving four eastern trunk lines which
would compete for Los Angeles traffic by
way of Salt Lake if our citizens should
be wise enough to encourage the con-
struction of road to that point.
The Burlington system, which con-
trolls 1866 miles of railway, perceives the
urgent need of third and independent
line from Denver to Salt Lake 1t has
a short road from Denver westward
forty-eight miles to Lyons. A prac-
tical, more direct and shorter route than
either Of the others has been SURVEYED
through a comparatively low pass in
the Rocky mountains, thence along the
White river, entering Salt Lake valley
without making the long detour either
to the north or south, by which the other
roads reach that important center. IT
Is reported that extensive rights of way
have been purchased on that route in
volving upwards Of 81, ,000, 900 of expen-
diture. 1t would shorten the distance
from Denver by rail some 200 miles.
making the through distance from Chi
cago to Salt Lake about 1900 miles. and
to Los Angeles 2160, against 2265 via the
Santa Fe.
We have now considered two factors
highly favorable to Los Angeles, in case
the Salt Lake railway should be con-
structed, namely, bringing the popula-
tions of two large and prosperous terri
tories into close relations, and securing
a third transcontinental railway anxious
to compete for our business, and to ad-
vertise our climate and products to the
rest of the world There is third factor
of no less Importance than the others.
The proposed road would pass through
the richest untouched mineral region in
the country. In Southwestern Utah are