The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1924-01-18
Rich Southern Territory
Causes Railroad Rumors

"the road was built hundred miles
too long or hundred years to soon. "
1t was false prophecy, or rather
a mistaken one. He looked for the
immediate present and not into the
future
So ii might seem to. many that the
Copper Belt was built too long or
too soon; but the careful observer
believes different, and now two
short line roads are awakening to the
fact that one of the other must soon
make a move in self preservation.
Which will it be? VIII the Cop
per Belt extend a branch from some
point down by the highway bridge
which crosses the river at the mouth
of the river canyon; and swing over
into the heart of the Valley perhaps
even to the growing town of Well
ington, or will the Virginia and
Truckee extend its line from Minden
to the same adjective point?
At the present time the truck sys-
tens running to the south with head
quarters in Carson Valley, are bring
ing the greater portion of the freight
originating In the Southern section
to the Virginia and Truckee. The
reason has been that the Copper Belt
has not in any way attempted to Sc
cure this freight, and has kept its
hands off the trade in every way.
But now there seems to be an
awakening and the Copper Belt bond
holders are wondering why some
thing cannot be done to make their
holdings worth at least a small por-
ton of the amount paid for them.
Business men have been looking in
to the matter and have found that
with the expenditure of but few
thousands more, the line could be
made to pay. By swinging the term
inal from Hudson to some point near
Wellington, would cause Wellington
to be the terminus of the truck haul,
and the Southern freight could be
handled over the Copper Belt to Wa
buska and there transferred to the
Southern Pacific, cutting out forty
five miles of mountain hauling by
truck to reach the same objective
point.
Then enters Los Angeles into the
game. Those who have kept an eye
on the situation for the past few
years cannot help but realize that
Los Angeles is fast growing into an
empire within itself and is growing
and growing by leaps and bounds
Los Angeles was quick to realize the
watershed, and soon captured the
flowing streams of the mountain Sec
tions of the two counties and by a
great engineering feat carried the
cooling streams to quench the thirst
Of the citizens of Los Angeles, and
while they laid barren some of the
sandy lands of the mountain coun-
ties, they made the unwatered lands
of their own section to blossom with
the rose.
Not alone the waters of the noun
tain lands. but the very mountains
themselves with their rich mineral
contents, the saline millions of the
great Mono Lake, the timbers of the
wooded sections are coveted by the
Los Angeles wise men, and they are
reaching out.
short, shorth time, when the rails
of railroad will be reaching up
through the Owens Valley, up
through the Mammoth section, up
through the Mono section, to connect
with other rails. Where? With
whom? With the one who first COM
mands the section South. 1t is logic
al that 1t will be either the Virginia
and Truckee or the Copper Belt
This rumor may be only one OF the
tales Of early Spring that have been
told since the days of the first
locomotive and the wide. wide West;
but 1t is a tale worth watching
When the hour comes it will be
race to the swift, and perhaps We of
this section may awaken some morn