The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-13
Seven Devils Line Will Probably Be
Extended.
MANAGER SHELBY HERE
PUSHING WORK ON THE NEW
LINE.
Will Open Up An Empire, Says MI.
Sheloy-Branch to Be Built to
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Fish of the
Illinois Central In the City-on
a Pleasure Trip.

P. P. Shelby. general manager Of the
Pacific & Idaho Northern, the road
building from Weiser into the Seven
Devils country, was i'll Salt Lake yes
terdav.
Everything is progressing nicely,
said he. 1.-The construction equipment
has been received and we can now lay
a mile of track a day. Five miles of
track is already laid and the grading
is being rushed. A great many men
are being brought in from the coast and
there is every reason to believe that the
102 miles of road will be completed in
the time scheduled"
Mr.. Shelby is enthusiastic over the
possibilities Of that section. I'VE have
an empire there" he said. 1T is the
best unoccupied railroad country in the
United States. There are great num-
bers of copper and gold mines, and the
agricultural opportunities are the best
in the world"
This road, as has been stated in The
Herald before, is being built to develop
the lumber and mining interests of Mr..
Hall, who has a bond on seventy of the
best copper properties in the. Seven
Devils. Mr.. Hall intends to utilize the
timber along the line. He is president
of the Export Lumber company, whose
head offices are at % Broadway. New
York. This company is the biggest
concern of the kino If the world. Mr..
Hall has been operating with the great
lumber merchants, Mr. Whitney and
ex-Secretary Alger in Michigan, but he
is now looking Tor another field and it
is rumored that he will build a branch
to the right from the present road,
about eighty miles up into the Buffalo
Hump country, where there are inn
menSe quantities of timber as well as
rich gold.and copper mines.
When asked about this branch, Mr..
Shelby said: while no surveys have
been made nor any definite action
taken, it is almost certain that our
company will puild into the Buffalo
Hump district. 1t is quite sure that
this will be done if the country justi-
les such move"
When asked if thew would be likely
to go through to Butte, Mr.. Shelby
stated that the matter was entirely too
indefinite for any statement as to that.
Mr.. Hall, president and principal own
er of the road, will be here from New
York in few days to look over the
situation, when some definite steps will
be taken
stated that it is practically decided that
a branch seventeen miles long will be
built from Salubria to Ruthberg and
that a number of other branches are in
contemplation.
When asked about the possibilities of
the country for home-seekers, Mr..
Shelby said that there is not a better
place for such a purpose in the world.
The valley is eighty miles long and
ten miles wide, and there is an abund-
ance of water. The climate is good and !
all kinds of fruit and crops can be |
raised. 1t is near the railroad and only |
about l per cent of the land has been I
taken up. Mr.. Shelby thinks that it is |
the coming country. 1T is an ideal |
place for men who are willing to work, >
said he, but it is no place for sharp |
ers." There is plenty Of work in the |
mines and on the railroad and excel /
lent opportunities for home-seekers.
Mr.. Shelby is down on business with |
the Oregon Short Line. which company |
is furnishing twenty miles of rails. The |
rest of the steel comes from Bessemer,
Colo.