Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-05-06


up the river from Ririe. so miles to
where Gray's Cor John Day's) river
empties into the south fork Of Snake
river. ana 20 miles UP the latter stream.
In this same canyon, according to a
report Of the United States forestry
department have on my desk. there Is
sS,090.000 feet Of timber, board mea-
sure, and 6.694,030 mining props and
many railroad ties. I have the detailed
report accompanied by blue print from
the forestry department covering the
timber. have been up this canyon 10
miles from where II flows into tho
Snake river. have not been up to the
coal beds. but have talked with several
people who have been up there. both
those who were interested in a COM
pany who furnished money to prospect
them, and the men who did the work,
and they say there is coal up there in
unlimited quantities. One party went
SO far as to say they were the largest
undeveloped coal deposits in the United
States. l am also informed that the
same coal outcrops in the Hoback can
yon. the next stream north of Gray's
river to empty into Snake river. These
deposits are a few miles over into
Wyoming. but their output will always
come out into Idaho on account Of the
water shed, streams and canyons run
ming this way.
A SHAME NOT TO NINE IT.
Il don't know how many million
pounds Of coal southern Idaho con-
sumes each year, but 1t must be enor-
nous. To have to haul this from
southern Utah or Wyoming when we
have it right here at our doors Is
shame. The grade from Ririe to these
coal beds in Gray,.s river canyon is be-
tween IL and Is feet to the mile, being
water grade the whole distance. One
engine could bring down all the cars
railroad company would care to hook
behind It. Carl Stradley, engineer for
the Short Line, surveyed a line from
Rigby (this was before the belt line and
Ririe was builD to Jackson's Hole
some years ago. In doing this the line
followed the same route to the above
coal beds until the mouth of Gray's
river where it empties into Snake river,
near the Wyoming line, then the line
to Jackson's Hole went north up
through the grand canyon, a very rug
ged and rough canyon this river has
made through high range of noun
tains. Mr.. Stradley pronounced the
route feasible. and stated the whole
line could be built for $4,000 per mile.
For about Is miles up the river
from Heise Springs it would go through
a rather narrow canyon, but after get
ting into Connant valley it would run
in open country through this, Swan and
Grand Va11avS which h,,t
little more than building through this
part Of the Snake river valley. There
are from 600 to 1000 families living in
Antelope, Connant Swan, Grand and
Star valleys, that this road would also
serve, with their vast agricultural and
stock raising industries. These val
leys are Of lower altitude than Bear
Lake valley and Teton basin by from
500 to 1000 feet hence you can see the
grade from the above mines to this
valley would be an easy one.
SHOULD URGE ROAD BUILDING.
Now. why not prevail upon the
Short Line to build their new line from
Ririe to the above coal beds, instead of
building more line In southern Titan.
and thereby serve the people of south
ern Idaho. If this was done coal could
be delivered here for at least 81 less
freight charges and the railroad haul
ing 1t would make more per ton in pro-
portion. This would in two or three
years save enough On coal shipments
into Idaho to pay for the cost of con-
struction, and the road would do a
great deal of business in other lines.
A road up the south fork from Ririe, in
the river canyon, would not be both
cred with drifting snow and could cas-
lily remain open all winter whereas
the line into the Teton basin is of such
nature that it will be blockaded with
snow every winter for 1t is in a series
of cuts and fills over rolling hills where
the snow always drifts, so the briggs
coal extension could not be depended
upon in winter time, whereas this pro-
posed line could, and the coal deposits
are vastly larger and of better quality
to say nothing of the timber which
could be made into lumber and brought
into eastern Idaho, where 1t is greatly
needed.
If the Short Line will not build this
piece Of road, the state should amend
its constitution to permit 1t to issue
bonds and build railroads as we'll as
good wagon roads, for such worthy and
necessary purposes as the above.
"Of course the Short Line wants the
long haul. and this is why they pro-
pose to build the southern Utah extern
sion instead of this 80 miles UP here
in Idaho, and thereby get more freight
charges. But these great public car
riers should be operated to the best