The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-17
HILLS RAILROAD PREDICTIONS,


At a chamber of commerce banquet
IN Tacoma, on November L, James j,
Hill, president Of the Northern Pacific
and Of the Great Northern, is reported
as declaring that In his opinion after the
st. Paul coast line is completed no other
trans-contineutal railroad will be built
for many years He said, further, that
the entire country is now well occu-
pied by railroads, and if any new ones
were built, they could not earn enough
to Justify their construction. High
land prices and enormous cost of ter
minals, together with present low rail
road rates, arc factors that auv new
lines cannot harmonic into profitable
business. Adequate terminals in New
York and Chicago would bankrupt any
new eastern trunk line. and the same
conditions would obtain in lesser de
gree from Chicago vest
lie added that the present trans.co
tinental lines must occupy themselves
with building branches and feeders
throughout the West to properly dc celvp
dHd serve Unelr territory.
In this talk Mr.. Hill appears to be
oblivious of the fact that the Chicago
and Northwestern is following I'D the
st Paul construction as rapidly as pos
sible, with view to having northwest
line terminal of its own. And he also
ignores the Denver and Northwestern
(the Moffat road) now under construc-
ton between Denver and Salt Lake.
This latter will undoubtedly be n trans
continental line in some form. Two
claims have been made with respect TO
Its extension, the chief one being that
the line will strike northwestward from
this city through the Snake river coun-
try and follow the Columbia down to
Portland, with probable branch TO
Seattle. This was the scheme outlined
from which the road took its name. the
Denver and Northwestern. Another
route, however, Is open to this Moffat
road from this city, which is a line bear
ing southwest from this city through or
near the great camps of Ely. Tonopah,
Goldheld, thence onward through the
Mono Pass, which is the lowest pass in
the Sierras, thence down the San
Joaquin valley and through Stockton to
the coast.
The Chicago and Northwestern ap-
pears to be sure Of construction 10 the
northwest coast, and will also come
here; so will the Chicago, Milwaukee
and St Paul; so will the Burlington and
the Rock Island. And when they come
here, perhaps even before, the two lines
indicated Will necessarily be built; one
from this city to the northwest coast.
and one on direct line to San Fran.
cisco leading south of west from here.
1t is quite possible. as Mr.. Hill saws.
that the region in which he is imme-
diately interested is not likely to see
another transcontinental line for long
time to come, especially after the Chi.
cago and Northwestern constructs it's
line. He admits that the st. Paul line
is coming, as indeed he could hardly
avoid doing since the construction of
that line is so we'll advanced. But he
is too conservative as to railway con-
struction in the regions south of the
ociI WHICH Is under MS control. 1t is
as certain as anything in the future can
be, that the lines above mentioned must
all build to Salt Lake. They must do
this whether any more lines are built
from this city westward or not, because
by so building they get here two great
advantages; first, they get haul of a
thousand miles more than they now
have upon their own trackape, and hav-
ing their own lines here they get a
choice from this city westward of four
lines at present and six lines eventually.
the four lines being the Southern Pa
cifc and Western Pacific lines to San
Francisco, the "Salt Lake Routep TO
Los Angeles, and the Oregon Short Line
to Portland. The prospective lines are
the direct line through the great Nevada
mining camps, and over Mono Pass TO
San Francisco and the direct line from
here TO the northwest coast, as contem.
plated by the Denver and Northwestern
programme.
Mr.. Hill enjoys great prestige by rea-
son of his mighty accomplishments in
developing the north and northwest
country. He has great acumen in gen.
eral financial, transportation, and com.
mercial affairs. Almost alone he fore.