The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-02
BIG NEW RAILROAD
IS NOW ASSURED
WILL BE A STRONG RIVAL TO
THE UNION PACIFIC.
The Line will Run from Salt Lake
City to the Coast-senator Clark
Of Montana, Chief Promoter-A
Monopoly Will Be Broken and Vast
INLAND Riches will BE Developed.

BY Exclusive Wire from The Associated Press
Chicago, Oct. 1.-senator William A.
Clark, the many times millionaire of
Montana, improved "the shining hour"
yesterday by concentrating plans for
the building of the Los Angeles and
Salt Lake City railway. Senator Clark
has been staying at the Annex since
Thursday last, ostensibly to consult
with the Democratic national commit
tee, but he remained over yesterday
purposely to meet and consult with
certain Salt Lake City capitalists and
Los Angeles personages, who arrived
here Friday night. Another chief pro-
moter Is r. c. Kerens, of st. Louis,
who, as Republican national commit
teeman from Missouri, is just now a
permanent fixture at the Annex.
Senator Clark yesterday admitted the
truth of the story, but said that the
consultation had not determined upon
not yet in a state for publication.
The new Los Angeles and Salt lake
City railway absorbs the franchise and
property OF the Los Angeles Terminal
company. This provides for the en-
trance OF the new railway into the
southern California metropolis. The
Mormon church, which is the power
behind the throne in Salt Lake, has
practically promised a terminal site in
the Utah capital, and Pioneer square,
tract of ten acres in the center Of the
city, will be turned over to the rail-
way for its stations and freight depots.
Between the termini the whole un-
opened southwest will be spanned. The
Sierra Nevada will be pierced through
one of its southern passes and the
supremacy OF the Southern Pacific rail-
way, hitherto unchallenged on the Pa
cific coast. will be effectually broken.
at least in southern California. The
death OF Coils p. Huntington removed
the last obstacle to the success of the
Clark-Kerens syndicate.
Plan Vast Developments.
The construction will require $25 5,0oo,-
900 in expenditure. But not merely will
the trend Of commerce be changed in
new directions thereby, but the syndi-
cate has in it's eye a vast commercial
development. Southern Utah and east
ern Nevada contain coal and the best
iron ore, besides the precious metals.
The region will some day be the Penn
sylvania Of the West. Said r. c. Ker-
ems last night:
I'VE contemplate a second Illinois
steel works there. We mean to make
the iron and steel for the entire Pacific
west. Surveys have revealed the rich
ness of the country through which we
shall pass in the useful metals, and we
purpose to establish great smelters and
metal works."
Senator Clark has great mine hold
ings in the regions and last winter he
made journey through Utah and
Nevada especially to inspect them and
to estimate their possibilities.
The region is also one capable of
indefinite development agriculturally.
The Mormons are largely interested in
the proposed railway. and they are
most highly skilled in the art Of irri-
cation. 1t Is their people whom most
largely are expected to avail them
selves of the agricultural expansion the
railway will make possible, and what
they have done for northern and east
ern Utah they may be expected to do
for the new region.
California, however. will be most I'M
mediately affected. The monopoly of
the Southern Pacific will be at an end,
at least for Los Angeles. That city,
made the terminus of a great demi-
continental railway system, will more
than ever be assured of an immense
commercial future. Despite the fact
that its port of San Monica is but an
open roadstead, Los Angeles will be
bound to become the Pacific outlet for
the southwest, since San Diego. fine as
is it's harbor. is too far south, just
above the Mexfsan border. The federal
government, too is improving the arti-
fetal harbor at San Monica by great
works.