, 1922-02-02
THE Craig Empirc)

THE Craig Empire)
After years of inactivity in the
matter of a branch railroad to Craig
from the Union Pacific. the city of
Rawlins is now waking to the i'm
ilcnse ~sourc which would be de-
veloped by a branch railroad.
Probably the fact hat the build
in of the Moffat tunnel under the
Continental divide now seems more
likely than at any previous time has
served to spur the Union Pacific
Boosters to action. Rawlins is just
beginning to realige the Importance
of this territory.
Efforts to get the Union Pacific to
build a branch line have always bee
fruitlcss. 1t is authoritatively stated
that the Union Pacific has never
made a survey between Wamsutter
and Craig. as has been repeatedly
stated. In fact. the Union Pacific is
not in a position to openly finance n
encourage the building of such a line.
Denver and its long struggle to Sc
cure u transcontincntal railroad Is
the crux Of the whole matter. The
Union Pacific has never secured its
Just proportion of freight traffic from
t'tllNft- ! leN NV 49, -
conciliatc Denver shippers.
Union Pacific officials know that
the Moffat road is "DenvPr's Own
an ~csDecial pet Of its business men.
manufacturers and bankers. Denver
capital has Deer invested in the Mof-
fat road.
Nnat. then, would Denver ship
peAs do if the Union Pacific were to
build into the Moffat road territory.
taking. as it would. the greater share
Of the Moffat's business. Right
away the Union Pacific would be
blacklisted in Denver. and would lose
what traffic it now gets.
II seems hopeless. then. to believe
tina the Union Pacific will. of its
own accord. build a branch to tan the
Moffat territory. AS has often been
stated, we must build our own
Dozens OF conservative financiers and
business men have become convinced
that the 1O0-mile branch between
Craig and the Union Pacific could be
hnilt by the efforts and capital OF
the country which the road would
develop.
Rawlins. at last, is beginning to
see her opportunity. II the branch
should start from Rawlins. this city
would reap immediate and lasting
benefit. 1t would at once become a
real railroad center and a d%istribut-
ing point for a large productive ter
ritOry.
The Rawlins Board of Trade is
taking up the matter of a branch line
to Craig in a practical way. If Raw
Inns is able to grasp its opportunity
and the great possibilities which
ercl, n lira u-on1H oman n Ia HkplV
hat a definite plan will be worked
out.
That the Wyoming city is at least
beginning to think Of its emporium
fly Is proved by the following clip
pings from The Rawlins Republican:
One Of the richest districts in the
world in the way OF natural resources
is said to be embraced within that
scope OF the country covered by the
southern parts OF Carbon and Sweet
water counties. Wyoming. and the
major parts OF Moffat. Routt and
Jackson counties. Colorado. This
strip of earth is approximately 100
miles in width and 200 miles In
length. containing over fourteen
million acres Of land: an empire vir-
tually without rail connection with
the markets OF the world. I>rge
areas are very rich in soil fertility
and being settled up more rapidly
the past few years than my other
part of the West. Perennial springs.
creeks and rivers of pure water are
we'll distributed. The surrounding
foothills afford good range for stock
and the mountains are covered with
splendid timber and ribboned with
precious mineral deposits, including
anthracite and bituminous coal.
Many farming settlements have been
developed. towns and villages built.
mining and numbering established to
such an extent as to warrant trans
portation facilities for an immense
tonnage.
Rawlins offers its best services in
this matter for the good OF all con-
cerned. We will ultimately secure
the building OF the branch line
whether the Moffat tunnel Is built or
not. And when the branch is built
1t will secure 80 per cent OF the ton
mage because Of the shorter line. less
grades and connection with the most
wonderful railroad in the United
States-a road that serves the East
and serves the West and serve Den
Yer too. Wake up. Denver! Wake
un before you have burned all YOU
bridges
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING
npS yrfA,uyRNxNK MINDS