Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-23
The situation in Idaho.

n seems 10 De pretty EeutIdllg az
cepted as fact that some railroad VIII
bulId into the great Lost River copper
district commencing the work this
year. says the POcatello Tribune. IL Is
known that the Short Line company
has surveyors IN that section now and
that they have surveyed at least two
lines. one from Dubois 20 Arco and
another from q point between Minidoka
and Wapi 20 Arco. Some other COM
rany. presumably the Burlington, which
4 now building down along the east
side OF the National park. has also sew
eral surveying parties In the same he!d.
Mr. ]. NJ. Ingersol is IN hopes that
ba Short Line will build the pro-
poged line 20 Arco from Pocatello, Il
4 the same proposition that Col y. j.
sharp OF Challls worked on several
years ago. but which he was compelled
10 drop then because the railroads were
not building at all those years. The
plan Is. however, a perfectly feasible
one and one that would mean not only
much TO pOcatellO but which would
mean the practical control OF the rail-
road business In Idaho 10 the company
taking &c up. His plan is 10 make the
branch from POCatello 20 Lost River
the beginning Of great system that
would open up the rich mineral districts
Of central Idaho,
Mr. Ingersol has been investigating
tie practlcabillty Of the proposed route
recently and he Is satisfied that II
would not only be a great thing for the
State but that any road undertaking It
would find Il Of greatest benefit TO
themeslyes. The line from Pocatello
% Arco and thence up the Lost River
20 Houston. would be almost an air line
The Snake can be crossed. he says he is
assured by Mr.. S. j. Rich Of Blackf0ot
by a single span bridge right In the
midst OF the country lying under the
American Falls canal This country Is
rapidly settling up now and would pro-
vide business for the new line.
The line from PocatellO would also
have an advantage over a line from
either Mindoka or Dubois. as Il would
make the haul for all supplies for the
Lost River, Custer and salmon coun-
tries. which VIII naturally come from
the east and necessarily by way Of
P0cateno, forty or fifty miles shorter
than u II went around This item
clone would more than pay the extra
expense OF bridging the Snake, es-
peCally since that river can be brldged
50 cheaply and at a point where the
line would pick up very considerable
business. and one that would grow
right along, TOO.
The distance from Pocatello TO Arco
on Lost River is about seventy miles.
From Arco the line would follow Lost
River 90 Houston and on TO Dickey
from where Ii would cross the divide 70
the Salmon river. striking the latter
about clayton The distance from Arc0
90 Clayton by an air line Is about 10
miles and the route is said TO be not
only practicable but a comparatively
easy one.
From Clayton the road would follow
he Salmon river 70 Salmon City, a
distance Of some sixty miles. This line,
N built only this distance, would open
up the richest and least developed
mineral belt IN the United States, but
Mr lngers0l's idea is that IL should not
stop here, but should follow the Salmon
river clear through Central Idaho 70 us
Junction with the Snake and then fol-
low tho Snake 70 Lewiston. The route,
he SAYS he Is assured. on the highest
engineering authority, IL entirely prac-
tloabla
This route would not only open the
enormous mineral belt OF central Idaho
but would tap the immense timber belts
along the Salmon. II would also be
within easy reach Of the Buffalo Hump
and Florence mining districts and the
rlch Ncz PIERCE and Camas Prairie
farming districts
But Mr.. Ingersols proposition does
= rot stop here. He sees stu further
'tds that demand and would grandly
repay railroad extension. From Clay
ton be proposes a line toward the west,
following the Salmon TO Bonanza and
ne Stanley Basin country, where u
would cross the SawtO0th mountains
70 The head waters OF the Big Smoky
and follow IL to the Boise and along that
river 10 Boise city This would prac-
ueally parallel the route Of the pro-
posed Idaho Midland.
Another plan Of Mr.. Ingersols would
oe 70 cross the Sawtooth range about
stanley Basin 80 as 10 strike the head
waters OF the payette river and then
tnouow that river 10 It's junction with the
snake at Payette. This would open
UP The great timber belt on the Pay
Central Idaho offers almost unpar-
tle'ei Inducements for railroad building
any there is no doubt that Pocatello
me proper starting point for such
system as that outlined by Mr. lnger-
sol 7, IL the most direct route, az
toca,eio must always be the gateway
70 The central Idaho country The
company that gets in there first viii
oi course, have the advantage and viii
always be first Mr.. Ingersol believes
,,,at the Union Pacific and short
ldne WIN al once see the advantages OF
sleh an addition 10 their system and
sH abandon the idea OF n little branch
10 List River with terminus at any
..lnlenient point and VIII begin 70 plan
~ lines 20 develop the great central
laaho country
such a system Of railroads ne that
'uposed would do for Idaho what the
cSylFer & Rio Grande has done for
Colorado.