The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-09

orado with 10000 square miles has lit
tie over 5000 miles of railroad. To com
pare Pacific coast states with New YORK
or Pennsylvania or even Ohio would mean
little but California. for example, can use
at least as much transportation as state
like North Carolina, and California ana
her sister states want this Il transportation
The extent 10 which west and east use
their carriers is shown in the fact tina:
the average freight receipts per mile IN
the two territories are almost the same.
while on the Pacific coast the railroads
transport 2oOO more people per mile OF
railroad than do the Atlantic coast state
''The far western states have been get
ting new railroads at the rate OF less
than 900 miles year. They could use
more. Their position is not like that OF
the eastern states"
Under the question as 10 what has been
and is being done 10 develop the lines OF
railroad and what of the country through
which they go and its future the pamphlet
says:
New Shops at Omaha.
AS an aid to economy. the Union Pa
cific IS now completing at Omaha. new
car shops involving az expenditure OF
about 100000. These snope employ ABOUT
l. 500 men. with an annual payroll OF %
100000 These are the first railroad shops
IN the country TO be built and operated as
featuring plant.
From the union station in Omaha the
Onion Pacific is now building four-track
line to Summit four miles from the center
of Omaha In order to avoid a circultous
route from Summit the so-called Lane
cutoff is being built for about ten miles;
eliminating some nine miles OF tne olu
line. The work Is of a most heroic char-
acter. g. so. 900 yards of excavation being
required II will materially reduce the
grades entering and going out or Omaha.
and will make a great difference in the
economy of handling transcontinental
traffic.
Progress in Utah.
After crossing the main ridge of the
Rockies in approaching Ogden, the Union
Pacific traverses the Wasatch mountains.
The summit here is at Aspen Ridge,
where the company has built tunnel D
500 feet long. 1t is lined throughout with
timber and concrete, and Is one of the
most perfect pieces of work of its kind
on the continent. over the Wasatch range
there is no greater grade than forty-three
feet to the mile and no curve heavier than
degrees 80 minutes. The line next goes
through the so-calIed Echo canyon and
later through the Weber canyon. 1t Is
necessary here to cross mountain streams
very frequently, but at every one OF these
crossings new steel bridges have recently
been installed and the track is now as
safe from washouts and other similar diff
ficulties as it is possible to make it.
Oregon Short Line.
THE Oregon Short Line has been de-
veloped TO a very high state of physical
perfection, and has also become a great
revenue producer. When this part of the
system was segregated from the Union
Pacific in 1897. the most sanguine predicted
that the Oregon Short Line would earn
81, 600 600 gross, annually. Facts proved.
however. that the company earned $780,
600 the first year of its segregation ending
June 30. 1907 the gross earnings were
nearly sl7,000OO0.
Idaho's Remarkable Progress.
LAS an example of what the sugar
factories mean to the territories in which
they are located, the one at Sugar City,
in which about 100000 have been invest
ed. taps a cultivated area of about 5000
acres. Approximately twenty tons OF beets
are produced per acre For these the
farmer obtains from the company about
81. 30 per ton. the actual cost of production
to the farmer being approximately $50 per
acre. This indicates one of the many
sources of. extraordinary wealth which are
developing all over the western country.
Some further indication of the growth
of the territory tributary to Salt Lake
City may be gathered from the fact that
in the year 1904 the Oregon Short Line
! loaded 1857 cars OF live stock in the state
of Idaho. whereas, in 1906. it loaded II So;
cars In the year 1906 the company also
! loaded 51S cars of deciduous fruits from
western idaho This state is shipping
prunes to London. Five hundred cars OF
tomatoes were loaded on the Oregon Short
Line last fall. In the bottom lands OF
the Snake river. four miles from rail-
road. is a fruit farm which has taken
prizes for fine fruit at eXpOSitiOns all over
the world and where. hidden away be-
tween great. precipitous walls inclosing
this stream. there were some 20.0o0 fruit
trees. all of them creating wealth for their
owner as well as the railroad.
I'm fact, Idaho has grown from a desert
a few years ago, to productive and pros
porous state today. Town lots in a small
place like Idaho Falls are selling for $50
a front foot. Land which two years ago
might have been had for So an acre today
brings SO easily. Evidences of irrigation
are everywhere. Some 2Sa corporations
have been organized TO develop irrigation
in this state. representing an investment
of more than s2o0oo,000.
Growth of Salt Lake City.
with so much going on, nearby. Salt
Lake City is, of course. growing tremend-
ously. 1t is believed by many careful OBJ
servers that owing to the enormous and
rapidly increasing development of Utah.
Idaho Nevada and other surrounding ter
ritories. the city of Salt Lake will, within
few years, become the most important
city between the Mississippi river and the
Pacific coast To accompany this devel-
opment. the Hartman lines are now
spending about 81 so0. 600 in Salt Lake City
The company is to build about twenty-five
miles of siding here, as well freight
house some coo feet long. A passenger
station to cost $4,000 is also being erected
A Projected Branch Line.
n new branch line is proposed from
Sugar City on the Yellowstone Park
branch. TO a place called Victor just be-
low the South Fork river. The country
is very rich In coal lands. being in the
foothills of the Teton mountain range
This line would be about fifty miles Ions
I oxtx- 1nh