, 1899-12-05
RAILROAD NEWS
REMOVAL OF OREGON SHORT
OFFICES FROM SALT
LAKE DISCUSSED.
Union Pacific and Central Pacific Con-
template Extensive improvements
at Ogden-Steam Shovels for Grad
ing in Wyoming-Big Railroad Tie
Contract in Minnesota.

Ogden, Dec. 3.-The Southern Pacifit
is rapidly getting ready for the survey
of its new route across Great Salt lake
The water barrels across the deserr
from Lucin TO the western shore of the
lake have been put in place for the con.
Venience of the surveying party, and in
other ways the work is progressing
The steam launches have been convey
ed to the edge of the lake and will be
in active work at once.
A gentleman who is connected with
the Southern Pacific said yesterday
that he believed the entire work would
be completed within the next twelve
to eighteen months. and the benefits
derived therefrOm to the operating de-
partment would be almost incalculable
Said he: When the eastern portions
of transCOntinental routes spend thou
sands of dollars in cutting off a mile or
two of distance and hundreds of thou,
sands in avoiding grades, it is just as
essential that the western portions of
these lines also shorten the distance
between the east and west as much as
possible. In this instance. not only
will one of the worst grades known in
railroading be done away with, but the
actual distance lessened nearly fifty
miles, and the grade over the new road
will be almost nothing.
In addition to these advantages
there will be opened by an opportunity
for another paying venture either by
the railway company or by a company
closely associated with hat company,
and that is the building of a resort at
the point of Promontory, on the east
side. The beach there is fine, there is
plenty of fresh water in the land of the
finest quality, and besides there can
be opened to the west of the resort one
of the finest natural parks in the entire
west. The place is admirably located
for an immense game preserve, and to
the north for many miles there are
splendid hunting grounds. A health
and amusement resort established at
that point would soon become world
famous, and would attract thousands
upon thousands of visitors. There
would in all probability be a double or
possibly a triple track built across to
or third track to be for excursion bust
ness exclusively. The reason I say pos-
sibly the third track, is because 1t is
probable that a double track will be
built from Ogden as far west as Wells
to accommodate the very heavy traffic
which will undoubtedly grow repidly
with the growth of Il Oriental trade
and the rapid settlement of the inter-
mountain country. I understand that
these things have all been taken into
consideration by the officials of the
Southern Pacific while considering the
ACCESSIBILITY of making the cutoff"
These statements have been talked
over by Ogden people as possibilities,
but never before has so much of an ex-
pleSsiOh coHle iloIh railway soulCes'
AS a matter of course, Southern Pacific
officials deny having any information
upon these matters, and probably moth
ing definite will be known until such
time as the company or a company gets
ready to begin work.
The traffic through Ogden the past
year, both freight and passenger, has
been much heavier than ever known
before in the history of Ogden, and the
figures at the end of the year will be
astounding.