The herald., 1897-04-19

} | Western will build south and complet
the gap itself. Both interests are fur
lively watching each other, and tn
commencement of construction by on
road will undoubtedly be followed b,
like action on the part of the other 81
that If the unexpected" will only no
happen again this city can rest assured
of two lines to Salt Lake in the not fal
distant future.
The question will naturally be asked
IL there will be enough local business
for a road between this city and Sal
Lake to make 1t remunerative. The
line projected by the Vanderbilt inter-
ests will pass through Cedar City. and
there is no piece of road in the west
which would pay so well from local
traffic point of view.
The resources of the country through
which the road will pass are magnifi-
cent. The length of the line from Mil
ford to Barstow would be $50 miles and
would not cost over 100000 to build
and equip. BY Barstow is meant a
point somewhere in the neighborhood
| of that station on the Atlantic and Pa
cific. From there to Los Angeles the
cost would probably be $4,000 900 more,
making a grand total of S6.000,000 If
this road was bonded for $4,000, 900 at
per cent gold bonds, the fixed charges
J for taxes and interest on the bonds
, would not exceed s400, 900 a year. Now
| take glance at the resources of the
country, the development of which
would rapidly transform the line into
| a money maker.
Leaving Milford and coming south
| the immense iron fields are encountered.
which are miles long and miles wide
| and crop out in masses of nearly pure
| metal 1000 feet above the level of the sur
rounding country. Some of the ore runs
as high as so per cent pure iron and
neither Tennessee nor Ala bama have
greater or higher grade deposits of that
metal than those found in southwestern
Utah. 1t seems as if nature had intend
ed this country for great manufactur-
ing center, because Immediately ad
joining these iron fields are found vast
deposits of limestone and seams of coal.
Some day sufficient iron will be manu-
factured at this point to supply the en-
tire west, and there can be no doubt of
the amount of traffic its development
will bring to the road first entering that
territory.
Leaving the iron deposits and taking
a look at the coal fields which surround
Cedar City, it will be seen at once that
they from the first would be an immense
and most lucrative article of traffic. The
beds are conceded to be larger than any
where else in the west, and the coal can
be seen cropping out of the sides of the
canyons in veins from ten to eighteen
feet in thickness. This coal can be
!. Lao 5.zl Of &c mel
ton. Should the railroad handle this coal
exclusively, purchase it at S5 cents per
ton on the cars, and, hauling it to mar
ket, sell it at s4 per ton and credit the
profits to traffic, anyone can see that the
earnings of the road would be enormous.
They would earn $3.15 a day per ton and
500 tons hauled a day would amount to
S2520, or S756, 900 a year. 1t is safe to say
that the retail coal dealers of Los An
geles, San Diego, San Bernardino and
other cities in Southern California sell
$50, 900 tons of coal per year to consumers
at prices ranging from Sc to $40 per ton,
and if this product was put on the mar
ket they would sell from 500 to 1000 tons
per day at minimum price of S. per ton
for the best quality.
If the money the road would obtain
from coal alone would be applied to the
payment of interest and taxes, it would
pay per cent on over SIS, 900. From
these vast ore and coal deposits south 14O
miles the region of the Muddy is reached
and in that distance twenty-one settle
ments are already located, containing
a population of from 10000 to 1900 peo-
pie. This stretch of country contains
rich mines of the precious metals, good
stock ranges and some excellent farming
and fruit lands.
The valley of the Muddy in Lincoln
county, Nevada, will be traversed by
this line near the place where the old
wagon road to Salt Lake crosses the
river. This valley is long and narrow
and is settled by many ranchers, the land
on either side of the river being excel
lent for sheep and cattle ranges.
Fifty-five miles further south Las
Vegas valley is reached, which is of
large extent, with very fertile soil,
plenty of water, and having delightful
climate. This valley will shortly be
settled, and from its location will be-
come the fitting out place for the mining
districts along the Colorado river and in
the northern and northwestern part of
that section of the county
Good Springs is thirty miles south of
Las Vegas valley, and is one of the
grandest lead districts in the county,
containing many mines in process of de-
velopment. James Morgan of San Fran
cisco, the owner of one of the mines,
stated some time ago that when the
road reached that section he would be
in a position to ship ten carloads of ore
IL
period of two years This point would
also be a central place for Quitting min
ing parties and furnishing supplies
and command the entrance to the fer
tile Pahrump valley. from which large
amount of additional traffic would be
obtained.
Thirty-five miles nearer Los Angeles.
Resting Springs is reached, which is the
center for a gold, silver and lead mining
district, and would rapidly grow into all
important depot for the distribution OF
supplies to the surrounding country.
From this place to the neighborhood
of Barstow, on the Atlantic and Pacific
road, the projected line would pass
through a country rich in gold. silver,
copper and borax, the capabilities OF
which are only now becoming known.
The main supply depot for these towns
and others which would spring into ex-
istence upon the completion of this rail-
road wouId he Los Aroelec and the ad-