Semi-weekly herald., 1908-06-01

succeed unless by first making terms
with Wall street. When StilwelI built |
his great railway sonlhward from Kan |
sas City he secured his construction |
funds very largely from the sale of |
treasury stock to the mob. He did |
not solicit aid from Wall street or any
other group of industrial captains. The
Stiiwell achievement should be an in
spiration to others desiring the con-
sfruction of a railwa, 1t is q feasible
idea here in Duranea especially as
mechanical skill has succeeded in
building new style of railways at
probably one neeighth the cost of the
present railway systems in mountain
countries. II is an old idea with new
adaptations The suggestion may be
hailed as being quite as iridescent as
was the article | wrote in tenderfoot
that the time would soon come when
the waters OF Provo canyon would be
stored to supply electricity for the
mines OF Utah forty and fifty miles
away II did seem to have some of
the gorgeous hues Of a prismatic pro
motion; but It is long since an .estab-
lished system.
The Denver Post of April S. 1908,
contains an extensive illustrated arti-
Gle on the telpher railway system that
the United Telpherage company will
operate for the transportation of pas
sengers around the scenic cliffs of
Bear creek, near Morrison. The en-
terprise will be the first of the kind
to be established by this company in
Colorado. II is a relatively new adap-
tation OF an old idea, and 1t is a sys-
TEN that should be employed TO de
velop this region There are various
arrangements of the telpherage sys-
tenn; but as designed for common car
rier purposes It is usually a one-rail
system, the load being suspended from
the overhead rail and not resting over
the track as under the present railway
systems. The cars carry about two
tons and they may he switched by
| automatic contriyances, thus obviat-
ing the expense of train crews. 1t is
claimed that this system may be built
at cost of from $4,000 to $4,000 per
mile even IN mountain regions, as
grading and tunneling will not be nee
essary The picture of telpher rail-
way looks much like q picture of an
| elevated railway in the cities, except
that the cars are below the wheels
moving over the track. There are two
wheels to each car: and above the
rail there is trolly wire, although
| there is no inherent reason why a
| third rail principle might not he EN-
ployed as well as ii on elevated lines.
Instead of steel pillars being employed
TO sustain the rail, wood poles are
found amply sufficient. The system is
too well known in the industrial estab-
| lishments of the country to justify
explanation. By arranging a number
Of cars to follow separately in sue
cession, after the order of buckets in
mine tramway, the cost of trans
| portation between cities could be re
duced about 80 per cent and it is
claimed that If one-fourth of the line
were occupied with cars leach about
IA feet long by Az feet wide) the
| volume of coal transportable in day
would be equivalent to a pipe line -four
and one-half feet in diameter pumping
coal into the city at the rate of three
miles per hour in one steady stream
| It is calculated that these telpher cars
may move safely at the rate OF twelve
miles per hour. This idea is doubt
less old to many Durango people; but
much of our troubles in this world is
due not to our ignorance, but to oul
indifference TO things of which We
have knowledge. 1t is time fol
the people of Durango and this great
Southwestern empire to turn their bacl
on Wall street and its old water-logget
expensive railway systems, and con
slider what opportunities this new tel
pher common carrier system may pre-
sent as solution of our railway prob
lens.
4 The telpher system, at least In The
beginning of operations. might be EN-
ployed as feeders to the d. 4 r. G
and Santa Fe railway. Spur telphel
lines might be gradually extended tt
the remote farming sections and ever
! to the little mines in the highest alti
tudes. Questions of grade and curva
ture present little difficulty in the tel
pher system, which by a series Of
steel arms projecting from the wal
of precipice may be built arounC
and up the most lofty mountain will
but little greater cost than on leve
solid ground. The building of this
line from Durango to Gallup, N. NJ.
trayersing with switches n distance o
200 miles, at $4,000 per mile, would
cost about sl,00o.0O0. 1t would bring
Durango into connection with all oi
northern New Mexico and northern
Arizona, and with many other towns
| on the lines-connecting with the Santa
Fe system II would afford a ready
mark for your abundant agricultural
| products, and an outlet for coal II