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Show Unprecedented Freight Traffic Big Feature of Railroad Development Immense Expenditures for Extensions and New Equipment Announced by All Roads in State for Coming Year. UNPRECEDENTED freight traffic ami the construction of the Deep Creek railroad stand out prominently as the 'eatures of railroad activities in Utah during tho calendar year just elosiu';. -Next, but equally important to the intermountain region, was tlie reorganisation of the Western Pacific railroad, with tho prospects pros-pects of extensive improvements and the construction of feeder lines. In the uncertainties incident to the European war, the almost prohibitive cost of materials and the struggle to care for thd abnormal freight, movement move-ment tho const -union of blanch lines was practically ignored by the trunk lines of the intcrmountaiu section. The much-talked-of Uinta extension, which seemed a certainly within tho year at this time a year ago, is still talked of, but no decisive action in connection with its construction has been taken as yet. Bright Prospects. Both the Union Pacific, through ihe Sait Lake Route, and the Denver & Rio Grande have kept surveving parties in the field practically all "the year. The Rio Grande has gone so far as to file on rights of way in certain sections, but not a tie has been laid or a spike driven. The prospects, however, seem equally as bright as a year ago for the construction of an extension into the rich Uinta country. One and perhaps two lines may be "built within the next twelve months. The construction pf the Deep Creek line, although talked of for years, came rather as a surprise. True, the line is not yet completed, but the work is being pushed vigorously with a view to having the road in operation De-tween De-tween Wendover and Gold Hill w-ithin the next sixty days. For lack of m'aterials and shortage of labor, improvement work on the various' vari-ous' roads also has been delayed to a considerable extent. .Tnst what is contemplated con-templated for the coming year has not been announced by all the companies, but, if the announcement made by the Salt Lake Route a few days ago may be taken as a criterion, the improvement improve-ment work planned for 1917 will assume gigantic proportions. To Spend 5,500.000. For improvements only, r.ot inrhHiini: maintenance n ork such as niiiy come under that jurisdiction, the Sn It Lake Route plans to pxpnui Murine the vear 1917 approximately .5..mo,u0n. Xo inconsiderable portion of this will he spent in Utah and a iaree share, approximately ap-proximately $1,800,000, will be used io supply hpw equipment to care :"or the fast-growing needs of the company." Both the" Denver & Rio Grande and the Western Pacific have been rather active in providing rrnv equipment during the past year. The I'nioii Pacific Pa-cific also has invested quite heavily in new equipment, which will see some service on the Salt Lake Route and the Oregon iShort Line, as affiliated lines of the L'nion Pacific system. The budgets of roads other than the-Salt the-Salt Lake Route have not vet been made public, and probablv will not be for several months. t is understood, however, that the various lines operating operat-ing within the state plan expenditures for 1917 proportionate to those already authorized by the Salt Lake Route. Many Traffic Troubles. In puzzling over the demands incident inci-dent to the enormous freight movement traffic officials of the western railroads were thankful for a respite in the movement move-ment of passenger traffic. The tourist travel was not what was expected during dur-ing the year because of abnormal conditions. con-ditions. "First the cold weather late in ! the spring kept the eastern touriets at I home. On the heels of the cold weather ! came the threat of war with Mexico and : the order for the militia of various states to move to the Rio Grande for border duty. Before this agitation had I subsided there came a threat of a nation-wide railroad strike, which sent I what few tourists had ventured out ; scurrying homeward. But at that the majority of the western west-ern railroads received no inconsiderable amount of revenue from passenger traffic. traf-fic. 'The rates which featured the exposition ex-position travel were not granted last season and therefore, though fewer passengers pas-sengers were handled, the proportionate revenue was considerably greater and more remunerative. Lost Two Officials. During the past year Salt Lake and Utah lost, in a way, two of its most popular officials. E. E. Calvin, vice 8 resident and general manager of the regon Short Line, was elevated to the presidency of the Union Pacific and moved to Omaha. J. H. Manderfield, assistant general freight and passenger1 agent of the Salt LakeV Route, tendered his resignation early in November to become general manager of the Salt i Lake Union Stock Yards company. Although both men moved from the immediate field of railroad activities as concerns Utah, still thev are connected with institutions whose foremost thought is the development of Salt Lake City and the state. But as a result of the loss the city and the state also made a gain. H. . Piatt came up from the Southern Pacific Pa-cific at Los Angeles to fill the vacancy created hy the elevation of Mr. Calvin, and Wilfiam Warner came from the Chicago ofiiee of the Salt Lake Route to step into the shoes of Mr. Mander-field. Mander-field. Both men have big .iobs cut out for them, but their activities so far indicate that the people of Salt Lake and Utah will have no cause for regrets re-grets other than the loss of old and time-tried friends in immediate railroad activities. 0. S. L. Spent 2,000,000. Despite adverse circumstances, in so far as material and labor were concerned, con-cerned, the Oregon Short. Line expended approximately $2,000,000 in improvement improve-ment work in the intermountain region during the year 1910. Approximately a million and a half was spent in the replacing of wooden bridges with structures struc-tures of a more permanent nature and the relaying of portions of the tra-k with heavier steel. New passing tracks and team tracks at vaiious points along tlie line represented an expenditure of approximately $2:,000 more. The remainder re-mainder of the amount was spent in in stalling automatic block signals and improvements im-provements to the round house and the North Temple street viaduct at Salt Lake City. The Denver & Rio Grande concentrated concen-trated its activities in development chiefly in the expenditure of a million and a half for new equipment and $7o,0i)0 for the construction of a new freight yard in south Salt Lake. Heavy expenditures for double track work and for the new line over Soldier 's Summit Sum-mit in recent years have placed the road among the best in the country iu so far as physical conditions are concerned. con-cerned. With Ihe exception of the stretch of a little less than forty mile? between Mid vale and Provo the Denver & Rio Grande is now operating double track between Salt Lake City and Helper. Segregation an Aid. The segregation of the Denver & Rio Grande and the Western Pacific and the policies of the new management of the former line have done much to keep it in the front rank of western railroads rail-roads during the past year. Reports of the company indicate that its financial standing was never better and its earnings earn-ings never so great. Plans for the coming year have riot vet .been censored, or, in other words, nave not yet had the stamp, of approval ap-proval placed upon them by the board of directors. It is understood, however, how-ever, that chief among the big things to be considered is the erection of a $200,000 freight, station, jointly with the Western Pacific, at Salt Lake City. The expenditures of the Salt Lake Route in Utah during the past year have been largely confined to maintenance mainten-ance and operation. Some improvements improve-ments of a minor nature were made, but the figures were comparatively low with reference to general improvement work. What it lacked in the year gone by, however, is to be more than made up for in 1917, according to a reeent announcement of General Manager H. C. Js'utt. - Will Spend $5,445,000. Work of an improvement nature already al-ready authorized by the Salt Lake Route for the coming year amounts to approximately $5,44u,UU0. It is planned to replace some 20u miles pf lighter i ail with ninety-pound steel at a cost of el,r)00.00l) and to spend $5u,0l0 i'ur additional ballast. About $2-j,0U0 will .bo spent at Las Vegas in improving the water system of the compauy, ami the expenditure of $3t'U,MU0 has been authorized for the installation 01 23U miles of automatic block signals between be-tween Salt Lake and Ly uridyl and Box and Modena. The bridge improvements planned for the year call for an additional expense of $120,000. Chief among the new bridge work contemplated are the erection erec-tion of a steel bridge in the Clover Valley Val-ley wash and a large concrete arch spanning span-ning the Sevier river south of Lynndyl. Pur miscellaneous improvements an expenditure of $160,000 has been authorized. author-ized. Additions to the "mechanical department de-partment represent the largest single amount to be spent during the coming vear. and reaches the enormous figure of $1,800,000. Included in the new equipment to be ordered are six heavy-type heavy-type locomotives, 750 self-dumping gondola gon-dola cars and six cabooses. Building Branch Line. The construction of the branch line from Pico to Santa Ana, a distance of twenty -four miles, also will be begun this year, and when completed will represent rep-resent an expenditure of $1,400,000. The divorce of the Denver fc Rio Grande and the Western Pacific appears to have been mutually profitable, it resulted re-sulted in the reorganization of the latter lat-ter company, thereby eliminating the receivership re-ceivership "which had hung as a cloud to development work along the road for several vears. According to all reports, the road, is now iu a healthy financial condition, and plans to take a prominent part in the upbuilding of the state of Utah and the 'Country west which it serves. In the reorganization C. M. Levey, general manager of the road in its earlier ear-lier days and a receiver when it was numbered among the down and out, was made president. The selection appears to have been popular throughout western west-ern railroad and business circles, as traffic has shown a very encouraging increase and many improvements talked of in the past are fast shaping themselves them-selves into realities. New Equipment. The Western Pacific, like almost ail other roads in the country, placed orders or-ders for new equipment last year amounting to more than a million dollars, dol-lars, and the indications are that other orders will be placed during the coming year. Construction of a branch line from Paxtou in the Peather River canyon can-yon to the properties of the Eagle Copper Cop-per company already has begun. The new Hue will be about twenty-five miles long, and will be the initial means of bringing to Utah smelters thousands of tons of copper and other metals, the movement of which has been prohibited heretofore for lack of transportation facilities. The most important of the new lines projected, in so far as Utah is concerned, con-cerned, is the one from Grants to Tooele. Construction work will be started soon after the first of the year, according to information available. Th line will be sixteen miles long and will give the Western Pacific a "direct claim for a share of the business to and from the plant of the Internatnoial Smelting company at Tooele. Many feeder lines are contemplated bevond" the Sierras, principally to tap fertile little valleys and to connect present pres-ent stations on the road with more important im-portant towns and producing centers uow being served by other roads. And last, but among the most important im-portant to Utah, comes the Deep Creek line, the baby in intermountain railroad circles. For many years there had been more ur less talk of a railroad into Deeyi Creek. The Western Pacific considered the construction of the line for several vears. but was always a little low in the pocketbook and finally declined with thanks. Tt remained for Utah citizens and Utnli c a pi Till to construct the mueh-needrd mueh-needrd railroad. Captain Duncan Mac-Y'n-hie and his associates, learning that the Western Pacific was powerless to act, raised the half million necessary lor the construction of the line aimost before anyone in the state knew what was going on, and bejiau the work with a rush. The road will connect with the Western West-ern Pacific at Wendover, and run almost al-most due south for a distance of forty-three forty-three miles to Gold Hill, in tbelifcart of the famous Clifton mining district. Besides the Clifton district, it wilt serve the equally famous Perber mining district and hundreds of thousands ot acres of agricultural lands. ( oust ruction ruc-tion work on the road was begun about sixty days ago, and with favorable weather conditions it is expected that the line will be in operation over its entire length within the next sixty days. J The vast metal deposits in the Deep1 Creek and Toand mountains represent j fabulous wealth which has lain for ceu- I turies practically . untouched for want of transportation facilities. Besides the mineral wealth, the agricultural possibilities possi-bilities are among the most promising in the state. Extensive experiments : and investigations were conducted by the late Professor L. A. Merrill and indicate that at least 100,000 acres, besides be-sides those now in cultivation, may be tilled with profit. Doing Much Advertising. It would be decidedly unfair to discuss dis-cuss the activities of the railroads of the intermountain country without making some specific mention of what each is doing toward the development of the region through the medium of publicity and advertising. In this con-neetionit con-neetionit can scarcely be said that one road is doing proportionately more than another. To all Salt Lake City is one of the most effective features in advertising. adver-tising. 'As one of tho leading tourist centers of America, it is featured in every folder and in almost every bit of publicity issued. The Southern Pacific, which does not enter this city over its own rails, neglects neg-lects no opportunity to call attention of travelers to the attractions of Salt Lake and features the city in all folders fold-ers and advertising pertaining to the central route. And, by the way, it is an important factor in the development of the city of Ogden, as there it maintains main-tains one of its principal shops east of the Pacific coast. The Western Pacific within the past few months has set the pace in featuring featur-ing Salt Lake City. Failing to get other lines to join in the arrangement, the Western Pacific took it upon itself to authorize after January 1, 1917, ten-day ten-day stopovers on all tnrough tickets sold over its lirte. In connection with the stopover privileges the passenger traffic department of the road has begun be-gun an extensive publicity campaign tor the metropolis oi the intermountain region. Gateway to Yellowstone. The Oregon Short Line lays great stress on the fact that Salt Lake City is the one natural gateway of importance impor-tance to Yellowstone national park, besides be-sides mentioning prominently its numerous nu-merous attractions. The Denver & Rio j Grande employs similar methods in its j campaign to draw tourists to the intermountain inter-mountain country. The Denver & Rio i Grande through judicious advertising lias earned the reputation throughout ihe tourist world as one of the leading scenic lines of the west. Within the past year it has begun an active campaign cam-paign to bring into favor the great natural bridges and the historic habitations habi-tations of the ancient Cliff Dwellers in southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado. The Salt Lake Route lias taken steps within the past twelve months to fe'a-tnre fe'a-tnre another of Utah's great natural and scenic attractions Little Zion valley. val-ley. The Salt Lake Route was the pioneer pio-neer in the movement, but it onlv needed need-ed someone to start it to bring all hands in. Every line traversing the intermountain inter-mountain region now is following the lead of the Salt Lake Route and is giving giv-ing Little Zion valley the publicity which it has so long been denied. Efforts Confined. The Western Pacific, as yet, is confining con-fining its efforts to tempting- tourist travel largely to Salt Lake City and to the famous fa-mous Feather River canyon. As the road grows stronger financially and opens up new branches and develops territory its publicity campaign undoubtedly will be enlarged. Of course. In connection with the city itself, all the railroads hold Great Salt lake-as one of the- features of the west and of the entire world. tab's great dead sea, the greatest in tlie world as well, has been featured so much by folder fold-er writers and by geographers and historians his-torians that it is thought of usually in the satne breath with tfaJt Lake City. All roads also are offering special inducements in-ducements to the homeseeker and t.re-assisting t.re-assisting in every possible way to aid him to attain success. The Denver & Rio Grande and the Oregon Short Line have experts go among the farmers, new settlers especially, and offer them aid and advice and in this connection they are receiving the hearty co-operation of the Utah Aericultural college. The Salt Lake Route has gone even further. In connection with the Union Pacific system lines, it has maintained throughout the year a building at the Panama-California International exposition exposi-tion at San Diego, in which the opportunities oppor-tunities and the products of the intermountain inter-mountain country have been exploited to the fullest extent. Had Special Exhibit. Besides this, the Salt Lake Route prepared pre-pared a special exhibit at the Utah State fair showing the products of the once arid section of southern Utah, By this, it is 'not meant that other sections traversed by the line were neglected. Ail sections were fully represented, but the products of the older sections were more or less familiar to the state fair visitors. Then the Salt Lake Route, with the co-operation of the Utah Agricultural college, col-lege, last year operated over its rails the larse&t and most complete demonstration train ever operated in America. The demonstration train is a sort of an annual an-nual institution with the Salt Lake Route and has accomplished untold good among the settlers of the newer districts. So profitable have been the experiments of the past that there is little question that the publicity and the help extended to settlers of former years will be continued con-tinued and enlarged upon in the future. S. P. Activities. The Southern Pacific has confined its activities in Utah during the year chiefly to maintenance work and to caring for an unprecedented freight trafne. The Southern Pacific system expended Immense Im-mense sums for new equipment, a portion por-tion of which saw service on the Salt Lake division. West of Ogden, the territory- it serves in Utah is largely in the nature of a desert and tlie development of the count has not called for exten-, exten-, slve railroad improvements. New equipment also was one of the chief sources of improvement expense on the Bingham &z Gar field railroad. Two new engines of the Mall type have been ordered, at a cost of $55,000 each, to be delivered during the coming summer. sum-mer. Some new cars were purchased to assist in caring for the enormous movement move-ment of ore between the Bingliam mines and the smelters. It is estimated that , the road will handle approximately i K.000,000 tons of ore from the mines to j the smelters during the year 1916. , |
