The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-20
RAII. ROADS.
CLARK TELLS PLANS
He Informs the Public as to Future
Operations in the South
west.
Has Purchased, Not Leased the
Southern Lines Of the Oregon
Short Line.

! New York, April Ex-senator w. A.
Clark of Montana last night said, relative
to the newly organized San Pedro, Los
Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad company.
'The transaction has been described rs
a lease On the contrary / and my asso-
ciates have purchased all of the lines of
the Oregon Short Line company south of
Salt Lake City, and will construct about
400 miles of road from CalenteS, Utah,
southWesterly thru Cajon Pass to River
side. from which point the road will soon
be completed to Los Angeles.
THE San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt
Lake Railroad company is authorized to
issue $5O.000, 900 bonds and has 100000
capital stock. 1t has purchased the Ore
gon Short Line system south from Salt
Lake to Calientes. embracing $40 miles of
road. and in addition to the main line, has
taken over several shorter lines. Most
important is the bennington cutoff. ex-
tending from Salt Lake City to Leaning
ton. Utah. This cut off was recently con-
structed and is only III miles long, be-
sides having the advantage of lower
grades. ......
s'West from Calientes 1 have already
had forty miles of grading completed. The
road will so thru the Meadow valley, the
dry channel of an old water course which
constitutes the only available route. At
Cajon we meet a grade Of 1O6 feet, but
aside from this the maximum grade is but
70 feet. The cost will average $4,000 a
mile.
1.-THE portion of the Oregon Short Line
system which we have purchased will be
relaid with seventy five pound rails and
the equipment will be the very best. From
San Pedro to Los Angeles and Riverside
the road now has the best passenger
equipment which will be extended, to the
entire system. In southern California.
tributary to this line, $4,000 car loads of
fruit were raised last year. and there are
existing orchards which. in less than five
years. will have an annual output OF $4,000
car loads. The new line will swiftly move
train loads from that section into a cooler
altitude. an important desideratum in
handling such ,perishable shipments.
From Salt Lake City to Los Angeles.
by this new route, is 500 miles, which we
intend to cover with limited trains in
twenty four hours
.'At present traffic from Salt Lake City
can reach Los Angeles only by way OF
Sacramento, distance OF about l'3o9
miles
'.At San Pedro the United States gov
ernment is building a breakwater to cost
SO, 900 900. and Wilmington bay is being
deepened by dredging. SO that it will form
a fine harbor Near Riverside we are con-
structing across the Santa Anna river q
great concrete bridge, with spans Of ~
feet each and an extreme height of :"
feet .,.
1--WE have made arrangements with the
Oregon Short Line company for join
use of their terminals for period of nine
ty-nine years. Tributary to the new roae
are vast deposits of iron and other min
nerals that only await development :, :,
mo bonds have been issued on the Lo
Angeles road so far completed. and SIS.
OO0 900 of the s50.O000 900 bonded debt VII
be;held in reserve in tho company's treas
ury to be applied to the construction o
branch lines.
eve expect to have the thru line full.
completed within two years. *
with me there are interested. amoni
others, Senator Kearns and w. S. McCor
mick of Salt Lake City. r. {. kerens an
the Bris brothers of st. Louis. and m
brother, J. Ress Clark Of Los Angeles