The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1910-01-15

ing an active part in the railroad sit
uation and representing as 1t does the
entire business community, is exer-
ing it's best efforts towards induc-
ing the San Pedro Los Angeles &
Salt Lake railroad to build via Pi-
oche and over Bristol Pass, its main
line between Salt Lake and Los An
geles There appears at this time to
he no doubt but that the Mead
ow valley canyon below Caliente will
be abandoned. A strongly worded
and convincing letter has been ad-
dressed to the executive officers Of
the railroad. Copies have been mailed
to President w. A. Clark; First vice
President w. n. Bancroft; Second
vice President J. Ross Clark; Gen.
ersl Manager r. E. Wells and others
In authority.
At tie last regular meeting Of the
Commercial club committee was
named and consisting of James W..
Abbott, Or. w. w. Stockham, Or. T.
o. Cuckworth end John r. Cook, with
yj:c President G. A. Thompon,
chairman, 70 take up the matter of
inviting the rs.;Irsao to come Pioche-
ward with its main line, at the same
time presenting unansWerable rea-
sons why the road should be built
along the old survey over Bristol
Pass. The burden of the work fell
to Mr.. Abbott, who deserves much
crcsdit for the very vaiuabie assist-
ance that he has rendered the eon1mit
tee. The letter is herewith presented
In full; .I-l-
t.:s* ~-~s''''.
To the Officers, Directors and Man
agement of the S. p l.. A. & S. L..
r. r.
Gentlemen:-
Again, now for the fourth time, your
l'ne has been visited by most dis
asterous flood Today for distance
of practically $50 miles of the
main line and the Phoebe branch
not wheel is turning. Your thriv-
ing railroad town of Caliente has
been virtually destroyed, while par
alysis in the Phoebe district is inn
minent.
The lessons of 1906-1907 (two) and
1910 have taught that no character
of construction within the limits of
jnstifiable expenditure will insure a
railroad line built through Glover Val
ley and the Meadow Valley Canyon.
What happened twice in 1907 and the
awful cataclysm of the opening days
of this sad new year will happen
again along that route as surely as
the earth's periodic journey around
the sun shall annually bring back win
ter.
The men who determined the loca-
tion of the Salt Lake line did not rea
ize what is now clear to all of u.s.
The topographic and climatic con-
ditions pertaining along the route
of your railroad have no counterpart
elsewhere In the United States. In
those Ney AGA is peculiar. Of all the
waters falilng upon the Ill 900 square
miles Of this great state, but small
fraction Of one pei cent finds out
let to the sea. Through the bed of
the little insignificant Virgin river,
during most of the year, a feeble
current trickles towards the Pacific
ocean there are no others. Nearly
all the time the moisture precipitated
upon the earth is absorbed by vegeta-
ton, evaporates into the atmosphere
or sinks beneath the surface and
feeds subterranean streams. The
great channels which rivers cut in
othor states are in Nevada merely
dry, ragged chasms upon the mesas
which look like great crevasses
ECU ptured out by the Almighty in an
carrier time. That they have no
function in the present is the infer
ence from their dry, sandy bottoms.
FLOOD GATES OPEN.
But some winters the intense cold of