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Show HOME PROSPERITY. That tho large corporations arc awakening to the importance of Salt Lake City as a center of operations is shown by thc fact that the Oregon Shore Line recently added between five and six hundred miles of its railway system to the jurisdiction juris-diction of the headquarters in this city. In former times, Omaha was the headquarters of the Union Pacific and San Francisco of the Central Pacific. When both of these roads, with the Oregon Short Line, were merged under one management, the headquarters of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Pa-cific continued the same as before, and tho head- j quarters of the Oregon Short Line were established in Salt Lake City. It. was discovered, however, that, owing to the geographically central location of Salt Lake City, it was more convenient and less expensive expen-sive to operate the entire intermountain system from this point. The result was that all of . the Central Pacific as far west as Reno, Xev., and all of the Union Pacific as far east as Granger, Wyo., were placed under the control of the Oregon Short Line headquarters in this city. This necessitates the employment of a small army of officials and clerks and brings and keeps many thousand dollars monthly in the business channels of the city.. The location of the headquarters head-quarters in the imposing building at the head of Main street has made a great change in that section sec-tion and has had the effect of bringing other offices of-fices and business houses to tho neighborhood, which, in turn, still further increase tho business j activity there. j An army of men arc now at work grading and making ready for the new Short Line shops in Xorth Salt Lake. When completed these shops will employ several 'thousand men, who will naturally want homes in the vicinity. This will transform that somewhat neglected locality into a thriving residence section. It is difficult to calculate the benefits to a city which such improvements bring. The railroad employes spend many thousands of dollars each mouth for living expenses. This makes business for the storekeepers. The building of new residences gives employment to mechanics, who also patronize the storekeepers, and these, in furn, build homes, and so on. It seems certain that, no matter whether oil is S discovered in paying quantities in Xorth Salt Lake or not, that portion of the city is destined to make great strides forward within the next few years. Heretofore it, has been a common -saying that the business district, could not grow northward, for the reason that Brigham street marked the beginning begin-ning of the residence section, which could not be infringed upon. The growth to the north and west was not considered at all. Xow, 'however, under the stumulus of the building of the railroad shops, all of the upper business district will naturally be more active. The Oregon Short Line has also acquired ox-tensive ox-tensive ground contiguous to its present depot, for the purpose of erecting thereon a new depot. The promise is made that this will be the-finest depot m the west. It really looks as if the railroad meant business in this respect, for it has expended so far upwards of one hundred thousand dollars in the ! purchase of the ground, both directly and by condemnation con-demnation suits. The prices paid for the ground would make it a very poor investment at its present pres-ent rate of income and, as the railway is managed man-aged by shrewd and . capable business men, it is not to be. supposed that they intend allowing their investment to remain in its present unproductive eondit.on. The erection of a million dollar depot may therefore be counted upon as one of the practicable prac-ticable certainties of the nearfuture. South Temple Tem-ple street is already paved from "Main street to the depot and bids fair to become one of tSc principal prin-cipal thoroughfares of .the city. All of these enterprises on the part of the Oregon Ore-gon Short Line arc doubtless in its own interests. It does not claim to be a philanthropic organization, organiza-tion, and the public does not expect it to spend a - couple of million dollars merely to benefit the city. The able, men who are managing it have discovered discov-ered that Salt Lake City is a central and important import-ant point, and that it is rapidly becoming more so. Situated as it is, midway between Denver and San Francisco, it. offers unusual inducements to other largo corporations to establish headquarters here. It is reported that one of the largest life insurance companies in; the world contemplates the establishment estab-lishment of subrheadquarters in Salt Lake City, for the purpose of writing policies and paying death claims, thus saving the long lapse of time now made nofisarv by sending to Xcw York, Such a move will doubtless be followed by other life in surance companies, and this will mean thc employment em-ployment of hundreds of clerks and officials. |