The Grit-advocate., 1907-10-11
MORE FIGHT
MORE ROADS
THE BIG ROAD BUILDERS ARE
MAKING RUN FOR RoUTT.
HARTMAN WANTS IN
DAVID MOFFAT MAY HAVE SOME
STRONG COMPETITION.

The present activity OF surveying
parties in Routt county, supposed TO
represent the Union Pacific railroad,
has started the report in this city that
Hartman has begun his customary
game TO force concessions from indie
pendent roads and there is consider
able speculation as to whether Harri'
man will build INTO that territory Or
not. The local reports say that Harri-
man IS trying to buy the Laramie.
Hahn's Peak & Pacific and that the
surveys now being made for another
road into Routt county are for the
purpose of forcing the owners Of the
first named road to sell at Harriman's
own figures.
Surveys are now being made for a
line from Wamsutter, on the Union
Pacific. down to Steamboat Springs
and Craig. These surveyors are in
the employ of the Union Pacific, ac-
cording to very reliable information.
The route of this road is considerably
to the west of the Laramie, Hahn's
Peak & Pacific and goes directly to
the richest section of northwestern
Colorado The surveying parties are
stretched along the entire route and
from the activity displayed IL % evil
dent that quick work is being de-
manded
A Valuable Feeder.
The Laramie, Hahns Peak & Pacific
has been finished for about thirty
miles and the road is now in opera
ton from Laramie to Centennial 1t
is owned by Boston capitalists, of
whom Isaac Van Horn is the head.
hi l,,a Il
feeder for the Union Pacific, even on
the short distance completed. The
owners announce that the line is to
be extended into North park at once
and that it will be completed for IA
distance of 100 miles within eighteen
months. 1t is known that Hartman
opposed the building of the road from
the start on the ground that he con
sidered it Union Pacific territory and
that if he wanted any railroad into
that section the Union Pacific would
build it.
The Boston promoters did not feel
that way about it and continued the
work of construction in spite of the
Hartman opposition.
The Union Pacific was in position
where it had to take any business of
fered 1t by the new road and with that
knowledge the promoters began deliv
ering business to the Union Pacific at
Laramie. 1t Is said that Hartman at
this time made an offer to the Van
Horn crowd to purchase the road and
that they declined to sell except at
a good profit. Van Horn had tried to
get HERMAN 20 construct the road
previous to the work being undertaken
by the Boston crowd and Hartman
refused.
The Bluff Failed.
Now that the road is actually being
built it is said that Hartman has
changed his mind and that the Boston
people have done the same thing.
A few weeks ago the Laramie,
Hahn's Peak q Pacific people an
nounced that plans had been com
pleted for financing the road for an
other seventy miles in the North park
country and also to Steamboat Springs
in ROutt county. The success follow
Ing the first fight, in which Hartman
failed to block the construction of the
road has demonstrated to the Union
Pacific that the Boston people mean
business 1t is said the announce
ment Of the proposed extension of the
road again brought the matter to the
front, and that an effort was made by
the Union Pacific to again purchase
the road, with the threat that if the
Boston people did not sell Hartman
would build competing line into the
same territory. According to the re-
ports, the bluff failed to work, and
Hartman has put the surveyors into
can be assisted by threattnng to
Hahns Peak & Pacific people he
meant business.
More Rival Roads.
Hartman has several objects that
can be assisted by threatening to
build into Routt county. Aside from
the construction of the Laramie.
Hahn's Peak & Pacific another road
is being constructed from Walcott, on
the Union Pacific, to Grand Encamp.
ment, and is completed to within
few miles of the last named place
The name of this road is the Sara,
toga & Grand Encampment, and the
promoters announced few weeks ago
when in Denver that this road was
also to be constructed farther into
Colorado. This road is owned prin-
cipally in London. Another route is
being surveyed from the Denver and
Rio Grande to Craig by independent
parties, who are planning to build an
electric road. Renewed activity has
also been shown by the Moffat road,
which Hartman has always opposed.
by Mr.. Moffat'S deal with the Utah
people. All of these things make it a
good thing for Hartman to try his
usual policy of soaring them out by
threatening to build into the territory
himself.