Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-06-30
ROUTE TO TAP
RICH PART OF STATE

Pacific coast, where ii has heavy hold
ings In real estate and water frontage
at San Diego. Cal, is simply confirm
atory Of the report published In the
Times six months ago. For many
months it has been known that the
Rock Island had its eyes set on an
independent outlet 10 The Pacific, II
has heavy smelling interests at San
Diego, and the intention of the road
is to establish smelling plant there
that will be second to none in the
world, from which supplies for the Gri.
ental countries shah he shipped on
It's own ocean-going steamers.
The proposed new line according to
the report wired from New York TO-
day. contemplates passing directly
through the most heavily mineralized
section of Colorado, through section
underlined with lneXhaustihle beds OF
coking coal. through valleys of the
richest agricultural and cattle raising
possibilities.
For years the Rock Island has been
working out this problem. Seventeen
years ago a route was surveyed which
contemplates line continued from
Memphis. Tenn, through Arkansas on
TO Taos Pass in the northern part of
Mex Mexico. thence northwesterly
through the lower part of The San Luis
valley. one of the richest valleys in
Colorado and the world thence TO
Durango richest in precious metals
and surprising the world In the vol
ume of richness of its coal beds,
thence westerly to and through the
Montezuma valley, skirting the Ute
reservation, accounted the richest ag'
ricultural lands In Colorado. Passing
thence from the state line is to drop
down in a southwesterly direction
through the state of Utah.
The proposed new route from Colo
RADIO Springs would simply cut out
part of the old survey of 1887, as ap-
piled to New Mexico and begin by con-
Meeting with the Rock Islands pres
ent line at Colorado Springs. Thence
it is proposed to build over and under
the mountains In "A southwesterly di-
rection to the northwest corner of Gus
ter county along the fertile Wet
Mountain valley to the base of the
Sangre de Cristo range, where tuu-
mel will be driven to avoid costly and
heavy pulls over steep grades Pass.
ing the Sangre de Cristo range the
route lies in the direction OF Alamosa
with It's large sheep and cattle raising
resources. From the latter place the
route differs in no respect from the
OF
Montezuma county will be cut through
with its rich agricultural and stock
raising resources. The Ute reserya-
ton viii be skirted by the newly pro.
posed line so closely as to tap it for
its varied products.
Durango Center.
Durango seems TO be the pivotal
point of the new survey. Durango is
perhaps, surrounded by the most va
ried prolific mineral resources of any
section in the state Frank Gutter
man. manager of the smelling trust,
has said that ii Durango were given
proper railroad facilities 1t would nm
doubtedly become the center of the
smelling interests of the country With
ample railroad facilities, he said, Du.
range would eclipse any other city in
the world in the number and magni-
tude of It's operations in smelling ores
and coking coal. And this Is another
natural advantage that Durango en-.
joys. Pennsylvania experts in coal
have visited this section, and say that
here is located the largest single vein
of coal ever discovered in the world
This Is known as Perrin's peak vein.
All that is required to make it the
greatest producer in the world is rail.
road facilities and an introduction. The
surface OF the earth is simply big with
coal veins, veins of the finest quality
of coking coal
We're Durango on the line of a trans.
continental system instead of a mar
row guage of tortuous windings and
heavy grades a city would take the
place of what might now be called a
provincial hamlet by way of compar,
ison.
What mas surprised local railroad
men is the fact that the initiatory of
this proposed extension, as given out
in New York, covers section of Col.
orado that presents some of the most
different feats of railroad engineering
in the entire state. 1t is suggested
that now the Panama canal has be
come certainty in the near future,
railroad companies have determined
that their only salvation lies in easy
grades and cheap hauls
After Easy Grades.
The roads with the easiest grades
will be the strongest competitor for
al kinds of business. Aud all surveys
are being made with this main idea
predominant. But. 1t is urged hero
are sources of wealth that some ROAD
will have to take advantage of some
time in the future, and the road which
takes the bun by the horns first will
shut all others out foreyermore. That
seems to be the view of the case taken
by the Rock Island directors in New
York, according to the .alegraphed re
port. The scheme may not prove 10
be SO wild as 1t first appears when II
IS considered that the Durango fields
ire hundreds of miles nearer san
Diego than are those of the Blrming |
,am. Ala, iron and coal fields. and the |
Inference in the cost may be moro |