The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-19
SANTA FE MAY BUILD
into SALT LAKE CITY
Is Said to Have Perfected COali-
ton With MOffat Road;
Gould Must Act.

\ recent issue of the Goldfeld Trib
une contains sthe following interesting
news story concerning the building of
the Atchson, Topeka 6 Santa Fe rail.
road into this city:
Who would ever suspect that the time
would come when Goldficld would pose
as one Of the focal points on the coast ?
! Nevertheless. this may come to pass IL
| the reports from Wall street are correct.
me avenue OF approach is 10 be the pro-
posed Goldncld railroad. backed by
the santa Fe. which is said To have per-
fccted a coalition with the Moffat road
OUT or Denver for access 10 Salt Lake.
ana then on to tho coast, via Ely and
,pidteld. To person accustomed TO
INC beaten lines of travel this may seem
| somewhat Circuitous, but "A glance at the
! map VIII show the route is In almost a
ulrHCt Hno so FAR as the Typographical
conditions viii permit. The Moffat road
Is certainly the short line between Den
yer and the capital of Utah. the saving
In that one stretch OF territory being cs-
tmatcd at something like 300 miles. or
almost days travel. The west OF Salt
Lake the Santa Fc is 20 construct an
independent line Via Deep Creek instead
OF using the rails OF the Western Pacific
and the Nevada Northern, and by so
GONG gain an air line 10 the center Of
White Pine county. The mootcd line
between Goldficld aud Ely has always
been n subject OF skcpticism, since none
OF the critics could harmonizc the al
legged deal between the Gould and Santa
te systems, which are not on the best
OF terms. In the principal parts of the
west the roads are in direct competition.
and therefore II appeared at first blush
mat there could be no alignment of in
terests in Nevada.
The deal for the Moifat road dissipatcs
the cloud OF doubt that cnveloped the
transaction involving the construction OF
a new line. Moffat is a very rich man:
In fact, the richest man I'm Colorado, but
even he h"sitates about completing the
road that is his lifc's ambition at an eN
pensc OF several more millions Mr.
Moffat has had TO fight the combined
railroad interests of the United states in
financing his railroad over the Rockies,
and II is n matter OF common report that
through this opposition he and n few
personal friends had TO raise the entire
amount Of $4,000. 900 involved in the con-
structlon. Now the inside authorities say
that the Santa Fe viii finance the rest
OF the road from Steamboat Springs down
to Salt Lake ana VIII build west from
ina. 1nat point TO meet the eastern end of the
Tonopah and Tidewater. There is an
other good reason for Mr.. -. II. Moffat
not entering into any cntdnglng alliances
with the Goulds. Mir. Mofrat was presi-
road when IL passed out OF the hands OF
General Palmer. II. {. Dodge and other
Colorado capitalists, including Mr.. Moi-
tat and the first act Of the Incoming
was to OuSt the Denver
banker. who had spent the best years OF
his lie studying engineering problems and
V N'NNiAtH 'l'' lll'hS lpI dlt'lillS lli' Edlkt
OF the Scenic Route 10 the regular stan
dard OF the country. The task was of
a stupendous nature, and when II was
accomplished the president hated to see
the system pass Into the hands OF
strangers. MIR. Moffat has never forgot
ten the injustice OF an enforced retire
mcnt. and his short line to the west is
one OF the outward evidences of his re-
sentiment. This furnishes another good
reason for an alliance with the Santa Re.
as by the cooperation OF that company
hc can cut into the Income OF the Rio
Grande and Western Pacific while build
ing up his own line which is known Of
fiCially as the Denver. Northwestern &
Pacific The chief interest Tevolvcs
around the vital point that southern
Nevada Is To be the center OF railroad
construction this year. With the Western
Pacific eliminated from the Ely -Goldfeld
railroad. II means that Gould must
eventually seek another outlet TO south
ern California.