The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-11
Startling Developments in the
Railroad Situation.
Some Things That the Hot-Air Correspondents
Have Overlooked.

scheme that viii eclipse anything here !
tofOne dreamed of, only for the fact !
that its publication at this time might
initiate to the detriment of the pro- |
moteEs and defeat some Of the plans |
that are now under contemplation 1 !
could not talk on the subject at pres |
ent, only on the express condition that
none of the details shall be made pub
lie.
"On these conditions, I can say that
a gigantic syndicate is new perfecting
plans for building a longitudinal rail- |
road which viii come as near connect
ing the two poles of the earth as ground
can be found to build il upon. The
plan in short is to build or control by
one syndicate a II 'irOad from the
mouth of McKenzie river in the frozen
north to Terra del FuegO. on the eX-
treme southern point of South America.
Salt Lake viii be the headquarters of
the road. and large part of the capi-
tai for the enterprise, which is esti
mated at S356. 600, 100000. viii be taken
by Utah people.
The plans have not only been fully
discussed aud decided upon, but the
factors tc bring about the completion
of the system arc now DIT work. 1t is
the intention to buy up as much prop
erty as possible for the connecting
lines, SO to avoid new construction.
The stock Of the Mexican Central road
IS now being bought up whenever any
can De found for sale at a reasonable
price. This viii bring the line TO the
bor5or of the United States on the
south Part of connecting line can
probably b controlled in Arizona and
By bUiiding a short strip of road con-
nection can be made with the Sanpete
Valley road to a point further north
and a connection can then be construct
ed 10 Connect with the East Waterloo
Street railway line, which gives
first class right of way through Salt
Lake, TO Hot Springs, where connection
VIII be made with the Salt Lake q
Ogden railroad 20 the Lagoon.
Here, you see, viii be a first class
line from the City Of Mexico to the La
COON. North of the Lagoon. consider
able construction VIII be necessary,
but the money is already pledged and
two surve ying parties are now at work
between ogden and the Canada border
The survey as now completed cOntem-
plates crossing the Canadian Pacific
at Medicine Hat, thence northwest to
the mouth Of Mckenzie river, keeping
on the east side Of the TucOn, with
branch extension to Dawson City and
Cane Nome.
The southern extension of the road
from the City of Mexico is now under
a separate organization, which VIII
work out the details on the south, with
the understanding that the two roads
ment as soon as both sections are COM
pleted thus making the longest rail-
road in the world, under one manage
ment.'
''What advantage do I claim for such
a SYSTEM
THE advantages are manifold IN
the first place too little consideration
has heretofore been given to lOngitud-
inaI railroad. The great arteries OF
trade have in the past been running on
east and west lines, until there IS not
much margin left on these lines for in
| vestment. Capital is now seeking in
| VestmentS that VIII yield dividends
with absolute certainty and there can
/ be no question as to the profit of such
| system as we propose. Large rail-
roads across the continent from east
| to west are subject to blockade across
/ the continent during the winter
months, which would delay traffic and
curtail the earnings. Such a pOssibll-
| ity is out of the question, with such
road as we propose. If the north end
| of the this system should be snow
/ bound, the southern extension would
/ be earning enormous dividends, haul
/ ing bananas and other produce, under
/ a tropical sun, and when winter set
! in at the south, the northern division
! of the road would be loaded with tim
/ Der and gold from the rich belts of the
north thus inSuring- permanent diVi-
mineral products of the north, with the
grain and tropical fruits of the south,
added to incidental traffic which would
| certainly come from lateral connecting
! lines. the business of the road would be
most productive. SOundings have been
| recently made in Bering sea. presum-
/ ably with the intention of building a
/ bridge across that short space, and
should that ever be done, the traffic of
J Russia and Asia would find an outlet
1 to this country over our system.
NO, there IS no doubt about the
finances for this enterprise. While
am not at liberty to give out too many
| details, I can say that Mr.. Joel D.
/ Rockefeller has spoken for $3.50 worth
! of stock, and thinks if turpentine adj
! vances he might take 800 more. Part
! Of the rails for the road have already
! been purchased.
! mo, J. Pierpont Morgan and Andrew
! Carnegie have no interest whatever
! in the enterprise The funds, outside
| of what is already pledged in this state,
Will come from Europe"