, 1906-06-14
GIANTS IN
BIC RACE
MOFFAT AND UNION PACIFIC SAID
TO BE STRIVING AGAINST
EACH OTHER FOR
NEW TERRITORY.
Said to Be Planning to Build
From This City and Moffat Will
Try to Reach Territory First-ln-
terestins Story of Struggle From
the Railroad Reporter for the Dem
yer Times of Wednesday.

An exciting race between the Unior
Pacific and the Moffat roads to reach
Routt county is on, and the latter viii
at once throw an army of men into
the field to start work westward from
Gore canon. says the Denver Times,
This change of plans is due to the
announcement that the Union Pacific
was to build into the territory from
Laramie, Wyo.
Moffat road officials do not propose
to allow the Union Pacific to get into
Route county in advance of their line,
and extra efforts are now being made
to construct the former line into
Steamboat Springs and Hayden as rap
idly as possible. By July L 300 teams
will be working on the grade toward
Yampa from the west mouth of Gore
teams can be secured the grade work
will be pushed north to Steamboat
and thence west to Hayden and Craig.
Will Build Temporary Line.
That the objects of the Union Pacific
may be defeated David H. Moffat will
build the line on the western side of
the canon while his laborers are bat
Ting with the rocks in Gore canon, SO
that when the canon work is complet-
ed all that will be necessary to connect
Denver with the principal cities of
Routt county will be the construction
of the six miles of track through Gore
anon.
All of this sudden activity and
change of plans of the Moffat road
officials was brought about by the an
nouncement a few days ago in the
Times of the intentions of the Harri
people. Prominent Union Pacific
officials entered Routt county by stage
from Laramie, Wyo., and were known
to be in Craig and Hayden looking
the ground to determine what
route should be taken for a line from
Laramie into Routt county.
Decided Upon a Line.
The feasibility of the old Muddy pass
route, projected about fifteen years
ago, was talked over and it was practi-
cally decided that this line should be
built. Every precaution was taken by
these officials to keep the object of the
visit a secret, but the facts leaked out
and stirred the Moffat officials to &C
ton. The original intention of Moffat
was to reach Steamboat and Hayden in
a year or possibly longer. The work
in Gore canon was to be finished first
and then construction work was to be-
gin toward Yampa.
A Railroad BY Spring.
At this rate there was no possibility
that Routt county would be connected
with the outside world before fall of
next year and possibly not before Janu-
airy, 1908, unless some other road built
a line into that district. Now, how.
ever, the people of that section have
hOpSoF VI oSSihS ldlllOdu III luGlE
midst by next spring. Prominent Off
Gals of the Moffat road were in Yam
pa a few days ago, and before starting
back they visited Steamboat Springs
and Hayden, both cities in Routt coun-
ty. These officials are w. A. Deuel.,
general manager; H. A. Sumner, chief
"a A MApnIffI lnnotfn. -,
gineer, and William Crook of the firm
of Orman & Crook, which has the con-
tract for building the line.
Gore Canon a Big Job.
The distance to Yampa from the
west mouth of Gore canon is forty
miles and the distance through the can
on is six miles. Work on the Gore can
on section of the road has been pre-
crossing as rapidly as possible and the
officials did not intend to hasten con-
struction work on the other side to-
ward Routt county.
The rock work in Gore Inc is a big
job. Every effort will be put forward
to finish this work by Christmas so that
track laying can be completed by
spring. In the meantime the route will
be graded to Yampa and thence north
to Steamboat springs. Just as soon as
this grade work is completed tracklay-
ing will begin. Surveyors are cross,
sectioning and completing the perma.
nent survey in the neighborhood OF
Toponas and are working rapidly to,
ward Yampa.
Will Hasten the Work.
Quietly, and without announcing
their intentions, the Moffat road Off.
cials FASTENED to Routt county to start
the grade work west of Gore canon,
Had not the plans of the Union Pacific
been announced it is more than likely