Amador ledger., 1904-04-29
WANT RAILROAD TO THE TIM
BER BELT.

The people living in the eastern
section of the county are keenly
alive to the necessity of securing
cheap and rapid transportation of
their products by means of railroad
communication. The proposition of
two independent lines-one from
lone to the mining belt, and the
other from the mining belt to the
timber regions not SO popular as
a continuous line from the Southern
Pacific depot clear through to the
lumber resources of the mountains
under one management. A resident
of the upper country sends US the
following, which may be taken as a
fair index of the sentiment of that
portion of the county:
Editor LEDGER see by your paper
that there are two railroad PROPOSE
tions before the people, [ think one
would be plenty. Why not have the
promoters of both projects get together,
pool their capital and energies, and
build with the single idea of develop
ing the resources of the entire county.
think the best way to do is to call a
mass meeting, and find out what is
needed, and thereby secure the earnest
cooperation of the people of the coun-
ty generally. Get the whole people
interested and the thing would move
A railroad is the thing above all others
that we need. AS for a road running
to Jackson and Sutter Creek and no
further, it might be convenience in
the way OF passenger traffic, but would
not meet the situation from develop
ment standpoint. There would be
nothing to haul but outside freight and
passengers, and that would not develop
the county. What is wanted is a rail-
road to the woods, and the higher up
the terminus is located the better the
road would pay.
There can be no question that the
double-headed railroad proposition
has its disadvantages. One line to
the eastern timber region would GER
tainly be more conducive to the in
terests of the county than two sep
arate lines. 1t could be handled at
less expense to the owners, and con-
sequently without exacting such a
heavy tariff from the patrons. ANA
dor county is to be built up by fos-
tering industries within her borders
by what she ships out, and not by
what she imports from the outside.
The bringing of oil from the southern
fields, and lumber from the Oregon
forests constitute a tax upon. our
people, except of course from the
solitary standard of saving there
by effected in operating the quartz
mines. Apart from this, these i'm
ports are a disadvantage to our peo-
pie. 1t would be far better to have
the mines run with Amador county
fuel and home made lumber and logs.
The export trade is what builds up
a country. A couple of short-line
railroads-each exacting a heavy
toll for hauling-might prove ser
ious handicap to our development;
especially if one were made an cleo
trio broad-gauge, and the other a
narrow gauge steam road. With
the same gauge and the same motive
power, there would probably be a
consolidation in the course of time,
but radical difference in the two
systems would make the prospect of
consolidation extremely remote. No
one having the interests of the coun-
ty at heart would seek to discourage
any sincere movement to provide
railroad facilities for any portion of
Amador county, Silk for the benefit
of all concerned, we would like to
see the men behind these two schemes
unite, to secure the cooperation of
the whole people along the proposed
route to carry the railroad clear up
into the mountains.