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Show FROM OGDEN TO THE NORTHWEST. The Salt Lake Tribune, in advocating- a cut-off from Farming-ton Farming-ton to the edge of Great Salt Lake, where the trestle of the Ogden-Lucin Ogden-Lucin cut-off enters that body of water, says : "The interesting- survey made by the Oregon Short Line for the new road leaving the Southern Pacific at Saline on the Lucin cut-off and running northwesterly to Burley and the further extension exten-sion of the line from Buhl to a point on the present main line in Oregon would completely change the local situation. The present distances by the Oregon Short Line from Salt Lake City are, to Portland, 902 miles; to Spokane, 322 miles; to Seattle, 1,087 miles. Ey the new cut-offs these distances would be reduced by from 125 to 150 miles and it would at once place the ports and seaside resorts of the Pacific northwest on an equality as to running time of trains and distance with San Francisco and L03 Angeles and this would also have its influence upon general trade conditions. The distance could also be still further decreased should a similar line to the Lucin cut-off be constructed from the Farmington shore direct to Saline. "The water of the lake is receding and thi3 is the dryest summer sum-mer for some years so for another cycle the scientists say, the lake railways are assuredly safe and the success of the Lucin line might be cause for a short additional road, especially when so great a result re-sult is manifest. The situation is most interesting and when the necessity of keeping abreast of the times in the Pacific northwest i3 considered there is every reason for the building of such a line and no argument against it." The Saline-to-Burley cut-off must be built because it saves to the Oregon Short Line many miles of travel from Ogden to the Northwest, but why the Harriman road should make a cut-off from Farmington to conect with this Saline route is a puzzle which is not explained in the Salt Lake paper. The freight traffic originating in Salt Lake for the Northwest would not pay interest on a single mile of extra track and the passenger trafic would be but slightly benefited, if at all, by the proposed Farmington road across the salt marshes and quagmires to connection with Saline. If the Harriman roads have money to throw at the gulls on the swamp lands bordering the lake west of Farmington, then the road may be built, but if there is a demand from within for a careful investment in-vestment of Harriman funds, then the Farmington cut-off will remain re-main but a wild dream. |
