Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-17
THROUGH RAIL
TO STAR VALLEY.
Glowing Account Of a Prosperous
Community in a NeighbOr-
ing State.
ALTON IS FORGING AHEAD.
y News Correspondent Gets Into the
Country After Much Trlbulation
On the Road.
Special Correspondeneo.

| Special Correspondence.
Alton, Wyo.. May l3--Just now you
can't get into star valley even by
changing GERS, but It won't be long be-
fore you can. Located parallel with
and ever a mountain 40 miles east o.
Bear Lake, In Ulntah county, Wyo.. II
Is now reached In four ways from sta
lions ON the oregon Short Line. The
Snake river touches the northern end
of the Tower valley" and is the most
easily accessible for connecting
branch 10 that system. Preliminary
surveys up the south fork OF the Snake
have already been made and 1t cannot
be long before this wealth producing
valley win be a close feeder OF the main
line.
The writer left Logan last Monday
by rail for flying trip 70 Alton and
Bedford, connecting at Montpelier with
the Alton stage For 10 years he has
made annual trips, but the road over
the mountain 10 Farview was never
so bad. Snow drifts from three to fit
teen feet deep We're fast melting away,
and the stage driver loaded with pas
sengers and the United states mall had
TO make schedule time, Tlpovers,
hreakdowns, snowdrifts mIdholes ann
swollen streams for so miles kept the
party In alertncss mingled with mud
and fear. Finally near Thom6a'
Fork the regular spring wagon
had to be abandoned for
ID ..rff
spring seats Attached to this rig, were
four horses with Jack" Merrill, the
proprietor of the stage, as drlyer. and
for nearly thirty miles down Grow
creek 10 Alton, he kept his steeds on
the keen run, changing horses at Half
way, over all sorts Of roads, up hill
and especially down, until his seven
passengers were churned almost 10
pulp, and were eager to alight at AZ
ton for rest and refreshments. II have
been going over these mountains for the
past IL years" said one Of the passen-
gers, lat all times OF the year, but new
or saw the roads like this before" Wo-
men and children contemplating visit
10 star valley. should not attempt the
journey until about June /.
In this connection Is seems to a
stranger, that little united effort on
llt part Oh AliN DlAA witty DNblitt NOhAN
so improve the road that trip over II
at any season would be pleasant for
light rigs and enable freighters to haul
twice as much as they can now. II
proper officials Of the stake and wards
would call for volunteers 10 furnish 30
teams and about 100 men, 20
spend about week on the
roads from "Glveout' to Fair
view, the investment would bring
quicker tnd larger returns than any
thlng they could do this season. As
soon as the rush OF putting In crops
Is over, the people would gladly re-
spond. All that is needed Is for lead
er to lead out and the thing VIII be ac-
complshed.
The future Of Star valley and I'm
twin. Salt River valley, Is full Of pro-
mise. There are about 5000 inhabitants
IN eight or nine towns and on ranches,
with abundant pure water cattle
ranges and timber and land enough for
a population ten times as large. The
three cTeameries distribute $4,000 to
$1,000 month among the people and
manufacture a splendid article of but
ter which finds ready sale In Utah,
Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. The
people We're paid from 20 to % cents
for butter fat during 1903 and pros
poets for 1904 are just as good. Add
to this the much greater revenue from
beef cattle and It can readily be seen
how prosperity Is so apparent on every
hand The people are vigorous and
hospitable and so healthy that the To-
cal doctor wants to sell out and move to
some place where his services VIII be
I'm greater demand. The climate IL en-
thuslastc too. OF course II Is colder
than ATTITUDES further south, but the
air is pure and dry and even women
and children take little notice of the
ice and snow because they become
acclmatod and are so much stronger
than those of warmer climes Said n
Fairview resident, I'VE had the mildest
winter IN our history; It was not cold
enough 10 put up Ice, and II we get
any ice this summer we will have TO
import It."
Alton Is assuming metropolitan airs.
Already strung with telephone wires,
her mayor Hon, A. V. Call, and City
Councllmen Lowe, Burton and Gard
ener, are figuring on a water system
that win supply the people with pure
spring water few hundred feet above
the city A large central school Is the
most imposing building, but n S25, O00
stake house Is I'm course Of erection,
Good streets good water, good order
are especial features of the place and
It won't be long before enterprising
capital win add an electric lighting
plant, abundant power for which Is
available a few rods above the city.
Falrview Auburn, Grover Bedford,
Thayne, Smoot, and other towns are all
progressive. Bishop J, y. Thatcher, Jr.,
of Bedford is engaged In merchandising
and creamery. Hon. w w. Burton and
Sons and Thomas Roberts of Alton.
ditto Arthur Roberts Is postmaster
and merchant combined, President
Geo. Osmond is the patient father OF
the people, member OF the state sem
ate, and shows his faith in Star valley
by planting an orchard of over 200
trees, some OF which are already bear
ing
Mayor A. " Call conducts n hotel
which Is neat, and quiet and n great
improvement on those kept at Mont
peler and many other older and larger
towns.
TO those Of our older renters who
have no land, star Valley offers oppor-
tunitles rarely equalled anywhere I'm
the country Young men Just starting
I'm life will find here II land of promise
and a field FOR actl 'lty and conquest
open now, but which VIII not always be
open to them. Yes. "Change cars for
star Valley" H. II. MARTINEAU.
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