Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-15
All Surveys And Improvements
Along the Ulntah Road Are
For Standard Guage.
Is RIO GRANDE BEHIND MOVE?
G. q. Baxter Goes East In the Interest
or the Proposed Extensions
To BE Undertaken,
lspeclal 70 Inc oNews.'O

Vernal Jan. l5.-That Vernal Will
have a railroad within the next IL
months is one OF the probabilities of
this section Of the state.
From time to time there has been
rumors that the Uintah railway would
be extended TO this city. and over a
year ago the company purchased y
acres OF ground for Office buildings in
the business section, upon which there
was erected the past summer offices,
etc.
All OF this has led to the belief that
the company intended to come on IN
with the road sooner or later. 1t Is
well known fact to those on the inside
that the Uintah railway people are ann
bilious to hold the business of this
section OF the state, and Will do 1t II
possible as against the encroachments
Of the Denver Northwestern K Pacific,
better known as the MoIfat road. The
long period Of comparative inactivity
OF the latter road has had Il tendency
to lure the Uintah people into the be-
lief that the Moffat road would never
tap this section, but recent develop
ments seem 10 have aroused to the fact
that David Molfat is very much alive,
and very much In earnest
From perfectly reliable authority II Is
learned that the present sotourn OF c.
o. Baxter In the east Is In the interest
OF the proposed extensions of the Cin-
tab road, which every indication points
10 as being successful. The companys
surveys contemplate extensions both to
Vernal and up the Duchesne valley.
These surveys, which have been APP
proved. show a line running from Drag
on the present terminus of the road, to
q point on Green river, few miles
above Ouray, where bridge Will be
constructed near what Is known as the
Evans bottom,
After crossing the river there will be
one line run north. up what Is known
as the Big Wash to the Uintah gap al
most due west OF Vernal about five
miles. From there the line follows the
section lines through the Mill Ward
section OF the valley east to the north
side Of town, and on 10 the companys
ground. Another line goes west from
the crossing of Green river to Leland.
and from there on up the Duchesne to
Myton, and on up to Theodore, the
upper government townste on that
stream There has been ru1nors OF late
that the company is seriously contem-
plating even ~Olng as far as HeDer,
thus making through connections.
Whether this latter rumor has any
foundation or not. there ia no longer
any doubt that the company expects
to make the dirt fly at "A lively rate
the coming summer.
The company has recently made
survey over the Book Cliff range, this
side Of Mack for the purpose OF secur-
4,,. 81 - D
grades and sharp curves OF the present
route.
The company engineers have reported
that they have succeeded in securing
a line with grades that do not exceed
three and one-half per cent. over the
range This survey contemplates
tunnel Of at least 5000 feet in length
through the summit of the range.
Another straw which shows which
way the wind blows, is the fact that all
the surveys, and improvements along
the line are for standard guage In
stead OF the present narrow guage.
From Dragon TO Vernal and Fort Du-
chesne all freight Is moved by the COM
pany In wagons on contract. which has
been a losing venture, while the rail-
road line from Mack TO Dragon has
paid handsomely from the start, which
Iutt Has cpllNltlCru Tue Company VI
the necessity of extending the rail-
road all the way.
From Dragon the line will follow
down Evacuation creek to White riv-
er. This part of the line is the most
difficult of the whole extension, as the
country ls very rough, necessitating
the following down the wash the en-
tire distance 10 White river. In places
the wash is very crooked and some
heavy work will he encountered along
the way. but from White river on
there will BE- plain sailing with good
grades. Up the Duchesne valley Is an
ideal selection for railroad building,
and the work can be pushed rapidly.
1t is a pretty hard matter to con-
vince the people OF this section that
the Rio Grande interests are not be-
hind the Uintah Railway. The advent
of the Colorado Fuel and Iron company
into the mineral fields here Is taken TO
mean that they have satisfactory as
surauces that the transportation
question will not trouble them,
and the close alliance between
the two Is taken as meaning
that the Rio Grandc will be on the spot
10 handle the business when 1t de-