The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-03

and the gap between Park city and
Heber City closed up there viii be no
need of people going out of the state
of Utah in order to worship at The
shrine of Dame Nature in all her gran
deur
Columns have been filed with de
scriptions Of the various panoramas in
the way of pastoral scenes, cascades.
waterfalls, crags reaks and canyons
That are to be encountered along the
right OF ways of the different lines
throughout the Rockies. 1t remains for
the Scenic circle, however. TO embrace
all these attractions in its circumfer-
ence of some eighty-tive miles.
While in all pToba bility the fourteen
mile connecting link ia the circle viii
not be built this year. nevertheless il
IS only a matter of time before the
bridge-OVer viii be an accomplished
fact the matter having been under dis
eOSslon by the executive head in New
York in connection with other changes
and improvements in the trackage of
the Western. General Manager Dodge
made the announcement last fall that
the short gap would be filed in. In
the meantime anyone who is anxious
to enjoy a days outing and at the same
time see some of the sights that he
never dreamt of right at home, at his
very door, so to speak, can describe the
circle - a day via the Park City and
Provo branches, covering the fourteen
miles of road on a bicycle, arriving in
Heber in plenty of time 10 get a good
eid-fashioned lunch. topped off with the
genuine country cream and trimmings.
amid the perfume of spring flowers that
pervades the atmosphere at that high
altitude.
Up Parley's Canyon.
leaves at $50 in the morning the man
Of nerves and business troubles soon
forgets his trials and tribulations in
the refreshing babbling OF the brook
and the omniDresent whisper of the
quaker asp in the cool retreat of Par
ley's canyon. AS the train goes cough
ing and painting up the gorge under the
cool shade of the overtowering noun
tains that rear their cTests on either
hand one soon becomes aware that a
great Transformation has been wrought
during the past few months. Curves
have been Strengthened, grades reduced
and the entire line prepared for a
standard gauge track.
Some Big improvements
BY the time Barclay is reached there
are Stil more evidences of change and
reform to be encountered. Commenc-
ing AT Lambs canyon trestle there are
to be seen signs of activity among a
Neritable army of bridge carpenters,
graders and a pick and shovel brigade
which has been engaged on the big i'm
provements on the road for some
months past At this point nearly eight
miles of grading have been construct
ed IN addition 10 the tunnel at Altus,
which IS now practically completed
WIN the exception of the necessary de
taiied umberlng to finish the boring
prior 10 throwing it open to the regu-
lar traffic. The entire work on this new
track, which IS designed to obviate the
heavy grades on either side of the sum-
NIT, VIII probably be completed by the
end OF next month. by which time the
ROAD 10 Park city Will be broad gagged /
the entire thirty-three miles.
One can nave no conception of the
work that has been accomplished uDOn
the branch line unless he pays a visit
70 the SPOT and views il for himself
some IDEA OF the work that is under
way may be gathered from the fact
that, n addition to the ,2O0-foOt tunnel
which runs under the present narrow
gauge track, there are fifteen cuts
with like number Of extensive films
and i've trestles in course of construc-
ton. This big undertaking, of course.
has neceSsitated the employment of ,
number Of men and teams since the
work was first started last February. /
At the present time there are over 300
men working on the various grades
and one of the fOremen of the work is
responsible for the statement that
there have been in the neighbOrhood
OF 1000 men from first to last on the
payrOilS. While this number may seem
10 be oVereStimated, it must be borne
IN mind that the majority of the men
employed have been transients who
Fs4H cd
gone into town to spend their earnings. /
The grade TO lhe tunnel at no point
exceeds D per cent as compared to 6.25
per cent at the steepeSt portion of the
old line What this means in the mat
ter of haulage viii be understood when
II is stated that the regular freight
train 10 and from the Park invariably
utiitzes three engines to negotiate the
summit from either side. While the
new track is some two miles longer
than the present narrow gauge. at the
same time the extra distance is more
than compensated by the lesser wear
and tear and general expense inciden-
tai 20 the old order of procedure.
Scenic Features.
When the trains are running over the
new section of the line the scenic in
terest IN the Parley's canyon road will
BE enhanced to the extent that from
the highest portion of the track
four lines Of track upon diff
ferent elevations viii be visible be-
low to the passengers in the train that
has climbed the snakelike grade to the
top OF the divide at the elevation of
$3.50 feet, against that of 100, which
IS attained by the narrow gauge. Could
John w Young, the original promoter
OF the Park City road, better known as
the Utah Central see the prevailing
order of things on the ridge he would
rub his eyes in establishment in his
endeavor TO identify the pioneer Par
ley's canyon line.
Ride to Heber.
on arriving at Park Civ the man
intent on his hunt for scenery. does
not larry but proceeds to climb the
mountain that divides Summit from
Wasatch county If he has his wheel
along he walks for obvious reasons.
unless his steel steed is furnished with
brake he does likewise on the other
side.
Heber is only fourteen miles distant.
nesting way down in the valley at his
feet, superb ride down hill all the
way through the canyon. Down the
hill he back pedals, with one eve on
the road for the lurking boulder and
the other noting the sarvis bushes ont
IL bloom, the green foliage. multi
colored wild flowers and the festive
little chipmOnk chasing his mate in
the pure abandon of mis- animal spirits