The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1919-03-07
LATEST MOVE FOR RAILROAD TO UINTAH BASIN

Assistance is asked by the lcgisla
iurc of Utah from the federal govern
uont for the construction of a rnil
road into the Uintah Basin. In thu
senate Tuesday afternoon senator i.
Will Knight introduced n Joint mem.
oral IN which AN appeal to congress
b. made. "To the President of the
United States aud To the senate and
House of Representative Of the Unit
I'd States la Congress Assembled. -
begins the memorial. "Your mem.
orinlisis, the senate and house of
representatives Of the state of Utah.
respectfully petition the assistance oi
congress aud the federal railroad nd.
ininistraiion IN securing the construc-
ton of a railroad into the Uintah
Rasin, which comprises lnrg, see.
ton OF the eastern part Of Utah. Tho
c0gntiUa of Uintah and Duehcsnc,
situated in this basin, contain the
largest undcyelopcd resources of the
state of Utah. and it, potential pos
,ibiliiicS are lying dormant awaiting
transportation tariliiio1 This basin
~ mon than hundred miles in
length and more than fifty miles ia
width with lands the fertility and
productivity of which are not exccllcL
m the slate, ycriinhlc common
wealth, capable of sustaining popu-
lnlion of sovcniy-fiyo thousand In
addition Ia the twenty-five thousand
now living there.
Rich Mines Await.
"This valley has alrondy been par
Tally developed IN anticipation OF "a
railroad, aud Ia this condition an
swered the call of the nation by the
rauiduction of prndigious war crops.
tn surrounded by mountains afford.
ing the best grazing lands for cattle
and sheep and covered with ih" finest
timber. It's oil shalc deposits are said
10 be the largest IN the world. ellison
tie, elaterite, ozokeriic, nsphaltum
md coal aro found IN large quantities,
ana these with other minerals are now
mined Ia some extent. but await a
railroad for full development The
waters of this basin. nov dcyelnpcd.
rrigate two hundred and twenty-five
thousand acres, NO part of which j.
ntens'' ely cultivated for want of
adequate transportation facilities Ia
outside markets. la addition % the
irrigation water nov used figures OF
the United States geological survey
show that four hundred thousand
aere-feet OF water annually run 10
waste from the Duchesne, the prinei-
al ssiN 81
piled 10 the additional irrigable land
available, would produce each year
four million dollars.
All Easily Irrigated.
Storage reservoir sites are avail.
gble for conserving all of this water.
Proposed projects by the reclamation
'irlcc viii irrigntr one hundred and
twenty-five thousand acres addition
40 to the area already under canals
md one hundred thousand hor-enowr-
can bc harucsscd from the streams m
hC basin The development of this
Ias.u, with the building of % railroad
and the proposed reclamation uro-
'nois, viii afford employment and
upporuuilies for farm and humpmak
ng for our returning soldiers, sailors
md marines, and our sons viii not
hen ho compelled 10 go 90 other
tates or foreign countries 90 earn q
livelihood The federal government
rs the only source 10 which We can
now look for assistance in construct.
Hg railroad into the uiutah Basin
sad we earnestly petition congress 10
take such action as may be necessar,
to assist MS IN securing proper, trans
'Ortallon facilities tu develop the vast
resources Of this rich section of ouI
slate
"Resolyed, That copies of this me
aorial be- engrossed and forwarded,
no each 10 the president of the Unit
"a States and members of the senate
nnd house representatives of the
United States, the director of the fed
eral railroad administration, aud 10
each of the senators and representa-
lives from Utah in congress, with a