Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-19

California, that is, through connec-
tion with the Nevada Northern, the
Tonopah & Tidewater and the Ely &
Goldfield line, the construction of which
has been authorized. The Ely & Gold
field road would develop profitable bus
mess and doubtless justify the track
age, and with this necessary line the
Western Pacific could be offered an al
most direct route from Shafter, New,
to Southern California. In view OF the
avowed policy of the Denver & Rio
Grande and Western Pacific to main
tain a separate and distinct system
west of Denver and to compete for all
traffic originating east of there, 1t IS
asserted that a link such as would be
offered upon the completion of the Ely
& Goldfield road will prove especially
attractive to the Gould lines. 1t is
pointed out that II would be advan-
tageous not only to the Western Pa
cifc which would be afforded line
into Southern California, but to Smith,
as we'll as to the Guggenheims, who
own the Nevada Northern. Both the
latter roads would be benefited by sub
stantial through traffic. President Ed
ward T. Jeffery of the Denver & Rio
Grande is credited with the remark
that the Western Pacific would find the
suggested route a good one into South
ern California. and this is accepted as
an indication of the fact that the Of
ficers of the new Gould line themselves
have taken the initiative In an en-
deavor to effect a mutually satisfac-
tory traffic agreement with F. M.
Smith and the Guggenheims. In San
Francisco it is the belief that the
Western Pacific will be unable to effect
an agreement under which either the
Southern Pacific or Santa Fe will salts
factorily move its Southern California
business out of San Francisco. There
fore the perfection of a suitable route
fa fc rdpd nf the
first important considerations of the
traffic department OF the new road.
If an agreement is reached with Smith
and the "uggenheims the Western Pa
cific will route its southern freight and
passenger business from Shafter via
the Nevada Northern to Ely, thence
via the Ely and Goldfield to Goldfield,
thence via the Tonopah and Tidewater
to Ludlow. Cal, where connection may
be made with the Santa Fe to points
in the southern part of the state. The
Nevada Northern is Guggenheim
road, operating between Cobre. on the
Southern Pacific. and Ely. 1t crosses
the Western Pacific at Shafter, and,
tapping the rich copper belt in and
around Ely. 1t is utilized principally
for the transportation of ore to the
great Guggenheim smelter at Garfield,
Utah As a traffic agreement with
the Western Pacific would give the Ne
vada Northern the advantage of
through business in addition to aug
mented local traffic, II is believed the
Guggenheims will look with favor upon
any advances made by the Gould line.
The alternative would be to tie up
with the Southern Pacific. This is
thought to be out of the question, as
1t would in no way improve the Ne
vada Northern, but would leave 1t
relatively in the status of an ore road
which IL now is. With the advent of
the Ely and Goldfield. which, at pres
ent, is Smiths pet project a rich re-
gion would be opened to settlement and
development The resultant traffic, 1t
Is said would sustain the line; but,
Smith, il is said is known to have cast
his eyes upon a Western Pacific con-
nection. The Ely and Godfield will
tap a section which eventually will
produce low grade ore in enormous
quantities This, together with the
through traffic. which would result
from an agreement with the Gould
road, would make the Ely and Gold
field one of the most important divi-
sions of the Western Pacific. Smith
began the construction of the Tonopah
and Tidewater primarily to move the
borax from his mines in Southern
California. He built from Ludlow to
Gold Center, New. a point some miles
east of his largest property. At Gold
Center he met the Bullfrog and Gold
field road which was constructed by
Brock of Philadelphia and his as
sociates.
Seeing the advantage of controlling
the Bullfrog and Goldfeld. Smith