The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-01-27

Utah Road That Runs into a
Mountain.
GARFIELD BEACH LINE
HISTORY OF A JOHN ". YOUNG
PROJECT.

For the past thirty days the air has
been fun or rumors bearing on the re-
cent moves of the engineering depart
ment OF the Oregon Short Line M
less than three surveying parties have
appeared in three different localities
and the latest report is that the com
pany viii, after broad-gauging the Gar
field branch, reach out to takS in the
towns o ToOele and GrantsviHe. Sur
veyors a. now at work in that locality.
That IL s the intention to broad
gauge the Terminus line was an
nOunced a couple Of months ago and
has been spoken of repeatedly since
that time, but according to one Of the
officials Of the road, the matter has
not yet been passed upon in New York.
There is little doubt, however, that the
work viii be ordered. 1t is expected
the recommendation Of General Man
ager Bancroft viii be approved in the
near future.
About the only advantage TO the
Short Line in extending over to TOOele
from the present line. a distance of two
miles separating the track and the
town, and building another eight miles
to reach Grantsville, would b. that the
Terminus branch would run some
where AZ present it bumps into a
mountain and stops.
Although it is not generally recOg-
nized as such, this little road is one
of the historic features of Utah. 1t was
conceived as a portion Of the Utan Cen
trail system by John w. Young. He lad
Glready built the Utah Central, which
was the original lire from ogden to
salt Lake, ami south, and the Jtan
Eastern, now the Rio GTande West
ern s Park City branch. With a deter
Tlination- TO spread in all directions.
a nsa -f-c
ern and the road was eventually built
% Terminus. Here is where il struck
the mountain. The idea was to tunnel
through the hill 200 feet and go on 10
Stockton. But just at this time, the
mines in that vicinity petered out.
Funds grew scarce. The road was up
against the all, and Grantsville and
TOOele were growing up some miles dis
tant. The principal point touched by
the line as it stood was Garfield beach,
and that is the case today But there
being no other road around there, the
business from Tooele county is safely
controlled by the company. The Utah
Western became the Utah & Nevada.
A few years ago it was absorbed by the
Short Line and is operated now as a
part OF that system. It has not been
kept W, but the officials have reached
the point where they must purchase
more narrow gauge rolling stock or
broaden the tracks, and with a large
quantity of second hand steel on hand,
heavy enough to suit all purposes, it is
hardly likely that any other decision
than to make it d standard gauge line
will be reached.
There has been no conclusion, the Of
hciais say, as to whether Garfield VIII
be opened next summer. The impress
sion prevails that the Short Line is
holding Off to see the outcome of the
san Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake
Company's deal with the Saltair people.
If this company should acquire the big
pavilion and then purchase a part of
the Short Line property, as they evil
IDENTIFY intend To Go. the probabilities
are that relations between the two COM
pauies would be friendly enough to
permit of a pool keeping Garfield
closed. Especially is this likely since
the lake has receded to an extent that
the Garfield pavilion is almost on dry
land