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<br />2!t4S <br /> <br />-17- <br /> <br />A BkIJ>F ffi~':;J>NTb1l TO THE UNION PACIFIC Ri,ILiiOJID CO. <br />by the Fort .;organ ChDlllber of Commerce <br /> <br />Hecently the Bureau of heclamation announced the selection of the site for the <br />I'Jarrows Dam 1-roject on the Oiouth rla tte iiiver at a point approximately 7 miles north- <br />west of the City of Fort ~iorgan. The Bureau is now drafting engineering plans for <br />conatruction of the Dam, and Vlork is expected to start on the actual construction in <br />the spring of 1949. <br /> <br />::lince the City of Fort lciorgan is very Dluch concerned with the development of <br />those factors which will reasonably assure sUFerior transportation facilities to the <br />City and to i.iorgan County as a v'hole, a special committee of the Fort Morgan Chamber <br />of Commerce and interested Morgan County individuals has been studying the numerous <br />problems stemming from a huge e~pansion program of this nature. One of the most <br />important of these vall be the necessary relocation of the Union Pacific Railroad <br />line to a point eithe~ north of its present roadbed, or south, which latter location <br />would place it south of the river, nearer the City of Fort lIiorgan and much more <br />accessible for shippine p\U'poses in and out of Fort Morgan. <br /> <br />The Bureau of Reclamation hes surveyed these two proposed routes and they are <br />believed to be similar in cost. On the face of the thing, then, it would seem that <br />the Union ?acific Railroad will probably choose the route whic~ will be of greatest <br />benefit, in the end, to the Railroad. Admittedly, the estimated cost of relocation <br />of the line, for which the Hailroad will be reimbursed by the Bureau of Reclamation, <br />represents only part of the accounting that must be made in determining the most <br />efficacious route. Such factors as the future maintenance of the road, the tax <br />schedule, and the probable income return fror.! the two locations are sure to have a <br />major bearing on the final decision. <br /> <br />The ~'ort Morgan Chamber of Conunerce would like to urge the adoption of the <br />proposed south route which would cross the river about a rrdle east of the City (travel- <br />ing westward), pass close to the northern boundar.f oS: t'r.e city and the Great Western <br />Oiugar Company factory, and proceed on westward through the productive irrigated lamld, <br />joining the present line at a point about 20 lniles west of Fort Morgan. The direct- <br />ors of the Chamber of Commerce and its membership do feel that the development of <br />Morgan County as an agricultural and distribution center for ~astern Colo~ado has been <br />such that the Union 1-acific Hailroad could well conside, tile expansion of its freight <br />and passenger facilities here. Although no accurate figures are available on the vol- <br />ume of farm products shipped from leiorgan County, tr.e ;;teady development of its irri- <br />gation facilities by ditch and pump irrigation (esl,ecially since the ['[organ County <br />Rural Blectrification program got under way several yeal'S ago) has made iorgan County <br />one of the foremost areas in farm production. Furthermore, by its location at the <br />crossroads of highways #6 and #34, it has become a thriving distribution center for <br />many types of home, farm and service supplies. <br /> <br />Here are some of the reasons why Fort 't,iorcan Vlould like the facilities of the <br />Union Yacific Railroad made more readily availablet <br /> <br />(1) li!erchmts and business finns could get much better service on freight (coa:J. <br />cement, etc.) shipped from Wyoming. It is not financially feasible to import these <br />products at present. The exchange handling charges in Denver push costs too high. <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />..w','t. <br /> <br />......:. ..'J <br /> <br />," <br /> <br />.', <br />