The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-01
RAILROAD SURVEY
IN SOUTHERN UTAH
Right of Way Located Via Con-
fluenCe of Colorado and
Virgin Rivers.
MANY FORMER PROJECTS
ROUTE TO MEXICO VIA SALT
LAKE WOULD GET BUSINESS.
MANY FORMER PROJECTS
Especial to The Herald-Republican J

Modena, Oct. sl.-Reports have
reached Modena during the past two
weeks that a corps of railroad survey
ors have been busy for some months
around the junction of the Colorado and
Virgin river.
The first report, made by prospectors
who reached here from that region, was
TO the effect that the surveyors were
at work on the east side of the river
and that evidently line from Chloride,
AriZ., had been run to a point on the
Colorado river, formerly known as DO
nellis Ferry" Later reports state that
the engineers have crossed the river and
are working on the west side, north
ward from Rioville, the latter point be
ing on the east side of the Virgin river
in the delta formed by the Colorado.
The opinion prevails that the line is
being run by the Santa Fe, with a view
Of reaching the rich mineral deposits
of Cedar basin, twenty-five miles north
of Rioville, and with possibly an ex-
! tension of fifteen miles southwark to
Black canyon, where great bodies of
magnetic ore and excellent indications
of copper are known to be.
This brings to mind railroad project
that was preached in 1899, when the
Santa Fe completed its branch from
hlIlS IldI 10 GnlOTluSg ATlZs
The Utah & Pacific, that portion of
the present Salt Lake Route from Mil
ford to the Nevada state line, had been
completed to MOdena when the Santa
Fe proposed that the Utah
build to the Colorado river and to a
connection with them at RiOville.
A. W. McCune, ST., at that time presi-
dent of the Utah & Pacific, was not ia
vorably disposed toward the project,
although the proposed line was strongly
advocated by the late r. c. Lund, ST.,
of ST. George, a director of the road,
and by Joseph A. West, at that time
chief engineer in charge of construction.
The line was never built. It is claimed
that the Utah & Pacific declined to
bear any portion of the cost of bridg-
ing the Colorado river. The distance
from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles via
Modena and Kingman over the Santa
Fe is almost the same as that of the
Salt Lake Route.
Something was said at the time
about the possibility of swinging the
tourist travel to the City of Mexico,
through Salt Lake City, which I'm the
face of present rumors, and since Salt
Lake City has the shortest route to Los
Angeles, assumes more importance than
ever.
extolied the possibilities of the southern
region from a local traffic standpoint
the fruits and other products of the
Dixie country that await rail Transport
tation, as well as the mineral wealth
and grand scenery Astounding on the
west side of the Colorado river.
Tourist agents know the value of
new route to established tourist points,
and when a Swing route" can be had,
the travel over such a route becomes
tremendous.
Therefore, a railroad constructed from
Modena TO a Santa Fe connection would
induce a great portion of the travel for
Mexican points that now travels over
more southern lines through Salt Lake
City with a swing through Los Angeles,
going or coming, as the traveller might
elect
Railroad mileage in this connection
is interesting. The present mileage
from Salt Lake City to the City of Mex
leo, via the Salt Lake Route and Los
Angeles, the Southern Pacific, FL Paso,
Tex. and Mexican railroads. is 2,S17
miles. The Modena line via the Santa
Fe. Chloride, Kingman. Ell Paso and
Mexican lines would be a distance of
only 2,507 miles. To accomplish this,
approximately 215 miles of new road
to Chloride.
A combination route. in event of such
line being built from Modena, would
be made as follows: MOdena to PhOe-
nix, Ariz., via Chloride and Ash Fork,
over the Santa Fe, 90e miles. Thence
over the Southern Pacific from Phoenix,
via MaricOpa and FL Paso and connec-
tiOns to the City of Mexico, 1865 miles,
making a route 1854 miles in length.
Should the Santa Fe build what has
been mentioned as the Silver City cut
off from Phoenix, a route from Salt
Lake City via Modena and Chloride.
Lake City, via Modena and Chloride,
lished not exceeding 2.4O0 miles in
length. With the immense mining de-
velopments in the various mining dis
tricts of Mexico, a heavy freight traffic
and splendid business in mining sup
plies could be worked up from Salt
Lake City.
Much mention has been made lately
regarding an extension of the Rio
Grande from Marysvale. Utah, to the
Grand Canyon of the Colorado. This
road ran preliminary surveys five years
ago to Iron Mountain, Utah. and in fact
the extension projected at that time was
cross-sectioned as far as Cedar City,
Utah
The unwillingness of the Colorado
Fuel & Iron company to exploit their
holdings on Iron mountain is said to
have caused the project to be dropped.
During the activities Of the oil boom
in the Virgin oil fields several years
ago, railroad from Lund was pro-
NOTED, known as the Southern Utah."
which has been laying dormant until
quite recently, and is now reported as
having a lOosening Of the joints and
taking a fresh survey of the situation
1t is patent, however, that the stand
ard railroads must be looked to for any
thing like a substantial development
of the southern country. With the splen-
did and diversified crop record of
Washington county, and the opening to
entry under the Smoot enlarged home
stead act, Of the wide acres of tillable
desert lands in Iron county, railroad
construction southwark to the Colorado
river cannot he indefinitely DELAYED