Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-23
NEW RAILROAD
TO RICH MINES
BoRAx COMPANY BUILDING A
BRANCH SYSTEM
General Manager Ryan Says Los An
geles VIII Reap Benefit From
Lines Now In Course Of
Construction

John Ryan, superintendent and gem
eral manager for the F. NJ Smith
Borax company, arrived In Los Angeles
yesterday from Ash Meadows and Dag
gett. While in the city Mr. Ryan called
upon Secretary Virgins at the chamber
Of commerce, conferred with r. II.
Heron, chairman of the transporta-
tion committee of the chamber and also
had an interview with ]. Ross Clark,
vice president of the Salt Lake Rail-
road company. The hurried visit of
Mr.. Ryan was primarily for the pur-
pose Of purchasing supplies for man
and beast and also to negotiate for the
purchase of machinery He left for
the borax camp last night.
THE Herald may state" said Mr..
Ryan in an interview, after he had
seen Mr.. Clark and Mr.. Heron, that
the f. M. Smith Borax company, which
is one of the wealthiest corporations in
the west. will soon have in operation
what will be known as the Tonopah
and Tidewater railroad, the survey for
which improvement that Is headed for
Bullfrog and Goldfield mining sections,
has already been completed for a dis
tance of 100 miles and still is being ex-
tended. The borax company has had
eighteen surveyors at work for six
months, all under the direction of G.
r. Rankin, chief engineer, of San Fran
cisco. The survey for the Tonopah
and Tidewater road begins att Soda
lake on the line of the Salt Lake road
and extends to the borax mines owned
by the F. M. Smith company. The line
will pass through Armagos canyon and
will be extended on to Goldfield and to
other points. possibly until 1t taps the
Santa F'e railroad.
II understand that 1t is the desire
Of the Smith company to enter into an
arrangement to connect with the Salt
Lake road at the Soda lake point. but
the managers of the enterprise will
probably confer with both the Santa
Fe and Salt Lake officials and secure
the best terms possible.
"The early completion of this new
ment greatly needed by the borax COM
pany, as the output of borax product
from the new mines ait Ash Meadows
aggregates 100 tons daily. The trans
portation of this enormous tonnage of
mineral daily Is no small undertaking.
The Smith company has been operating
borax mine at Daggett for twenty
years, and still has large interests at
that point, but the new mines are of
such richness that railroad facilities
are absolutely necessary to properly
develop the property.
"The new railroad will pierce the en-
tire mineral region, and will not fail
to rapidly develop the Goldfield section.
1t will not be difficult to build the line,
as the country is open or level on the
route surveyed for the road.
"The conditions now are very favor
able for prospectors and 1t is expected
that thousands of seekers after wealth
will come to Nevada during the pres
ent season. But the problem of exist
ence for man and beast in the sparsely
populated and wild sections of Ne
vada must be considered by the pros
pectors. 1t is difficult to secure sup
plies, and water Is scarce article.
Often we are forced to haul water a
distance of thirty miles. Everything
is expensive, but the climate is charm
ing, and the possibilities of striking 1t
rich cannot be exaggerated. 1 have not
visited the Goldfeld district, but /
hear glowing reports of rich discoveries.
During the past season Nevada has
had an unusually heavy fall of rain.
The rain came down in torrents and
tore great rents in the earth. 1t is
said that never before In the memory
of man has so much rain fallen In the
desert The mountain sides now are
thick with grass, due to the rain and
there will be plenty Of pasturage far
into the summer. l have lived in Ne
vada for thirty years, and while TO
many the privations undergone may be
unattractive, l like the life and have
always been in the best of health.
"The building of the new road into
the Goldfield district. if connection Is
made with the Salt Lake road, Will
be of great commercial benefit to Los
Angeles. The line will open an entire
new section and thousands of people
will hurry into the field to prospect
for gold. New towns will spring up
and general activity in business result.
Los Angeles Is the most convenient
point for supplies. and wholesalers and
business men generally will reap the
benefit of the new road"
-AuanApI DEnnDT