The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1913-11-27
BELT LINE is TO
!, BE CONSTRUCTED

That the beet road' talked Of for
a long time at Idaho Falls is to be
built has been understood here for
some time, and in conversation with
railroad officials here few days ago,
as cited by the Tribune, they readily
! admitted that the matter was under
consideration, and inasmuch as most
of the head officials of the Hartman
system have made many trips Of in
spectiOn, and have consulted in Po-
catello over the plans for the extern
sion, the matter Of construction was
naturally figured but short time off.
Tho proposed beet road" will
skirt the foothills east of Idaho
Falls, and will penetrate the rich
farming district Of Fremont county,
probably connecting at the southern
end Of tho branch at Shelley or Black
foot Recently developments in the
matter Of promoting the electric line
at Idaho Falls doubtless furthered the
activities Of the Short Line, though it
!. 03 been understood for four or five
years that such feeder for the Short
Line would eventually be built
Advices from Salt Lake seem to
confirm the proposition, and the Her.
ald-Republican prints tho following
story regarding it:
Robert S. Lovett, chairman Of the
executive board of the Union Pacific,
has given orders to proceed with tho
building Of the Upper Snake Valley
Belt line railroad in Fremont and
Madison counties, Idaho. The piece
Of track is eighty miles long and will
cost $1,75OO,OO0 to construct The line
will eventually be extended into
Blackfoot on the south and a com.
plete circle of the valley will be made.
The right Of way is being bought and
the construction Of the line will
> gin as soon as the weather opens IL
the spring. 1t is planned to build az
1ar as the Lincoln spur. which
to the Idaho Falls sugar factory, b
fall.
For some time the building
this line, which will tap the greatest
grain-producing region of Idaho, has
been under consideration. On tho
east side of the valley there is a large
tact of dry farm land, which will be.
come productive when transportation
facilities have been provided, and on
the west side Of the valley is one Of
the biggest irrigation projects in
Idaho. The sugar beet industry, it is
expected, will be aided through fur
nishing transportation to the Idaho
Falls sugar factory.
"Mr. Lovett did not go over the
route Of the Upper Snake valley line
when through this state several
weeks ago. but took the figures Of
the engineers OF the Oregon Short
Line and placed his seal Of approval
on them. Right Of way men have
beon working secretly in the Fremont
county country for the last two weeks
buying land for the building Of the
railroad. Owing to fears on tho part
OF the railroad that the price of farm
ing land would go up with tho advent
of the right Of way men, the orde,
to build the line has not been an
nounced by the Oregon Short Line of.
ficials until this time. There has
been much speculation in Idaho Falls
and surrounding country for several
months as to what would be tho out
come of the request Of the farmers
and business men of that region for
the railroad.
The road Is a continuation Of the
Menan branch of the Oregon Short
Line, which runs from Idaho Falls to