The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-21
IS SALTAIR ROAD
UNDER OPTION
Circumstances Lend Color to
Persistent Report of Deal
With Hartman.

II has been persistently rumored for
some days that the Hartman interests
have been bargaining for the purchase of
the Salt Lake & Los Angeles railroad,
commonly known as the Saltair road. and
also for the purchase of the holdings of
the Saitair Beach company, both of which
properties are owned by the same inter-
ests. Efforts TO verify these rumors dur
ing the last several days have not been
successful, but various persons inter-
viewed have indicated that there were
many things which seemed to support the
truth of the report.
When. in connection with the announced
plans of the s. L. & l.. A, management
some months ago to electrify the road TO
the lake resort, A II. Babcock, electrical
engineer for the Southern Pacific and
consulting electrical engineer for the
other Hartman lines in the west, came
to this city and made thorough inspec-
lion Of the Saltair road, the probability
IF the sale of the road to the Hartman
Interests was discussed The discussion
was again revived when Mr.. BabcOck
made a second trip and more complete
inspection of the road, and when, recent
J., the Saltair people took steps before
the Salt Lake City council to get new
franchise rights, II was suggested that
representatives of the Hartman proper
tics were taking an extraordinary inter-
st in assisting the Saltair road man
agemgnt TO secure valuable rights in the
ont hat steps were being taken TO mako
arrangements for using the car barns of
the Utah Light & Railway company for
shelteTing the cars of the Salt Lake K
Los Angeles road when that road shall
have been electrified.
SAYS OPTION Is HELD.
Yesterday railroad official, whose Of
flee is in salt Lake, stated that he had
reliable information that the Hartman
people had an option on the Salt Lake &
lot Angeles W would
be closed when the latter road had Sc
cured the franchise rights row petitioned
for. He said the information was given
TO him by an eastern man who claimed
TO be familiar with the details. and who
had spoken of the matter at first in the
belief that the pending deal was well
known here.
This man stated TO the local railroad
representative, so the latter said that
practically all the plans for the electrifi-
cation of the Saltair road had been made,
that it had been decided to begin the
liberalization work as soon as the COM
ing resort season was over, and that it
had been decided TO adopt direct curren Mt
system of loo volts The Salt Lake
street cars use a system of 600 volts D G.
The fasteners name was not mentioned,
but he was said TO be connected with 4
railway supply firm.
Joseph Nelson. president Of the s. l. &
L A. railroad, and treasurer OF the Salt
air Beach company. was seen yesterday
by reporter for The Herald. He was
asked if there were any late develop
ments in the plans for electrifying the
road, and he stated that the arrangements
were at d standstiii. that it had been de-
cided to electrify the road, but that the
work could not be commenced until after
the summer season at Saltair had closed
lie was then asked regarding the Tumor
that the Hartman interests had an OPP
ton on the road and resort property
NELSON DENIES IT.
There is absolutely no truth in it,, ne
replied promptly and fOrcibly. The road
is not for sale; it has not been offered
for sale and il will not be sold. / want
TO say emphatcally that the sale of the
road 10 the Hartman people or TO anyone