Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-10-08
WHY MOAB WANTS
The RAILROAD.
Thriving Grand River City Puts
Forth Advantages as
Shipping Point.
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FRUIT AND STOCK COUNTRY.
Moab Should Become Distributing
Center for 10000 Square
Miles OF Territory.

AT present Moab, the thriving Grand
river city of southeastern Utah, is so
miles south of the Rio Grande rail-
road; and as the resources of the
gneighborhood, from mineral as well
as an agricultural standpoint, are ex-
cellent, every effort possible is being
made to have railroad extended from
the main line to Moab. The advan-
tagcs of such line and some of the
attractions of one of the proposed
routes are set forth In a recent issue of
the Grand Valley Times. which says
the most feasible route from the Rio
Grandc railroad to Moab appears to be
as follows:
Leave the Rio Grande at either Cisco
or Marrs. thence travel almost due
south to Dewey. cross the Grand river
at Dewey. thence proceed down the
south side OF Grande river to Moab,
taking III Richardson and Castlcton on
the way
The advantages OF this route are as
follows.
The railroad would leave from Cisco
on an elevation of 4,3I5 feet or from
Mars on an elevation of 1870 feet, as
against an elevation of over 800 feet
ut Thonipsons. Taking the elevation
of Moab at 1000 feet. this would mean
n very considerable dead lift" height
element In. favor. Of Cisco Mars route
to Moab.
This route will lie almost entirely
through land either cultivated or COM
ing under irrigation in the near future.
This would mean a great deal for the
railroad In freight retuTns--the Dolores
river farmers would have an outlet for
their produce, and the La Sal mining
district would also be served BY this
railroad.
A north south cutoff railroad has
been planned to extend from Farming
ton, N. NJ, to Routt county. Colo.
PORTION ut least OF this cutoff Is almost
sure to be built, sooner or later. mas
much as this cutoff line would have
to come out of Paradox valley and the
Dolores country on the south, and
would probably cross the Book Cliffs on
the north through the pass at Colorado
Utah state line, our proposed Cisco or
Marrs line would become part of the
cutoff system from Arizona to Wyo-
ming.
Following the Grand river the pro-
posed Cisco NIarrs route would have
the great advantage Of water supply
throughout its length.
The proposed route would have prac-
tica,ly water grade by following the
river Probably at no point would
there be over 2 per cent grade and
the average grade would probably be
less than n of 1 per cent.
The cattle and other live stock ship
ments from all the region south Of tho
Grand river would be greatly facilitat-
ed and the undesirable driving or the
cattle across the river would be saved
A DISTRIBUTING CENTER.
road from Cisco or Mars
10 Moab should make Moab the
distributing point for territory Of
practically ten thousand square
miles. The scenery along the route
would be unequaled by any river route
or the same length in the world-the
weird sandstone formations. the near
nv mountains and the river canyon
would be immense drawing cards for
the tourist Add to this the fishing IN
the river the hunting in the La sal
mountains, the Irrigation projects aud
the opportunities for developing Oh, Oh;
coal and mineral Industries, and y VIII s
readily be seen that the river route OF
fers many advantages not possessed BY
any other. y.