The weekly Arizona miner., 1878-03-15
nArIRoAr, PrrrrroSs.

Two petitions were circulated WedDesda,
 and received large number of signafbres
 but many, we certsinly think, must hav'
 signed them without due consideration O
 what the effect was to be.
 One represented that the R. R. bridgs
 was about to be removed fiom Yums. ane
 prayed the powers rhat he 10 so iegisiatsa a'
 to keep it in its place, and the other se forth the rather doubtful fact thai fiit
 building of the road on the 32d parallel
 was being of great benefit to the people oi
 Arizona, and praying for the granting oi
 the right of way On that parallel The pc
 titions came from the office of Wells, Fargo
 & Co.,, San Francisco, to the Agent of the
 Company here, with request that they be
 circulated for signatures; but because they
 were so circulated, does not appear to be a
 sufficient excuse for signing them, when il is remembered that the Southern Pacific
 Co. already have a charter and right of way
 through Arizona on the 35th parallel oi
 latitude, over better route for road, and
 through much more productive country than on the line prayed for.
 The main trunk line of the Southern Pa cific, as designated in their charter, runs directly from Mohave Station to the Nee dies on the Colorado, where it crosses the
 river and continues on East as near to tho 35th parallel of latitude as practicable, coming down Big Chino Valley for some distance, thence across the Mogoilons to Sunset Crossing on the Little Colorado: thence to Santa Fe, etc. And the branch from Mohave to Yuma was only bluff to head of the Texas Pacific, and was, in our opinion never serious., intended as trans Continental road. The privilege to build from Mohave to Yuma was granted by Cali fornia, which only had the right to allow them to approach the western bank of the Colorado. And the continuing of it on into the town ef Yuma, in Arizona, was an act of usurpation, or rather the passage of the road through the military Reservation at Fort Yuma, in California. was without ati- thority from the United States, and became usurpation even before 1t reached the river.
 Now, as the petition recites, '.it is rli- mOred that the bridge is about to be re III vcd, and many of our people say ny their signatures "don't remove it,s without even asking or being informed as to where rumor would have it removed to. Suppose for instance, that, finding the Arizona law granting the Company the right of way through the Territory on the 32d parallel to be unconstitutional and void, they are about to remove rhe bridge to the Needles and build the road where Congress author ized them to build it, and where it ought to be built, and that by the influence of these signatures, the authorities conclude 10 change their charter from the 35th to the 32d parallel; who in that case will be to blame when the trade of nearly all of our best mining Camps shall seek base of sup rlies on the Gila, instead of coming to Pres colt to trade, as they ever have done and desire to continue to do.
 We regard all attempts to discourage the building of a road which shall cross tie river at or near the Needles, as inim;cal to the interests of Eastern, Central, and North ern Arizona, and certainly encouragement to the 32d line can but be discouragement. 10 the building of road on the 35th by the same Company.
 One road is all they want through tic Territory. provided they can keepout others, l md no man in his senses, who knows any hing about the country, believes for & mo- nent that they would ever have left the ! main route and gone off to Yuma, had it | lot been to occupy the ground in advance If the Texas Pacific; and now that Congress eems about to decide that they have no fight in Arizona on any but the route via he Needles, it seems to us to be suicidal in I itizens and property owners in Central and I Northern Arizona 10 ask the authorities to | discriminate in favor of the route that is to f mt all of our throats