Arizona citizen., 1878-07-19
RAILROAD PRoGREss.
Two Roads Pushing oH Toward Our Eastern Border Grading Down the Rio Grande.

We are patiently waii'ng for cooler weather, when we confidently expect the Southern Pacific Railroad tn begin vigorous operations un the extension of their road up the Gila, and if the company display their usual energy in the work of construction. ihe Iermi. nus of their road will be within eight hours easy drive frnm Florence by the coming spring. Our immediate relief and benefit will be derived from this road, and it will be sufficient cause for jubilee when we know that the men are actually at work along the Gila.
 It woulI seem that we might be cnn:ent for time with advantages se- cured by the construction of road to the Pacific Coast. But no, it is not human t0 be content, especially when there is a fair prospect of obtaining greater advantages ard more abundant prosperity. Some of the eastern rail. road magnaies have finally awakened to fair appreciation of the immense and important trade of the vast Ter riiories of New Mexico and Arizona, and also the de,irabiiiiy of contrnIlng that trade The two southern roads which have been extending their lines so lazilly during the last three or four years are now pushing their rnads with that speed which can only be SC cured by an abundant capital and bitter strife.
 Of this strife an eastern exchange says:
 The railroad excitement has chang ed its base from Denver to point in the south and has now taken the shape of legitimate fight for supremacy in the control of the trade of New Mexi- co between the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and the Denver and Rio Grande, leaving nothing to Denver ex- cept a natural interest in the change of local management and the discus sion of lhe good or evil results which are likely to ensue from MT. Gould's recent coup d'etat.
 We have already indicated the course taken by the Santa Fe south. ward. It is only necessary 10 say that the company is working away with all it's might and main and that the prospect k that the lOcom ntIve Of the broad guage will be screaming through the bowels of Ratun mountain before snow flies. La Junta, in the ea,t1 Tn part nf southern Colorado. will be the point st which the branch rad will leave what is now the main stem, whence il will take its way in almost diIect suuthwt sieTn line ln Trinidad The work of grading has heen going fn ward rapidly and about four miles of track, according 10 information just received by the Tribune, has been laid. There afe scores of men at work. and the company is aiming 10 rail fifty miles of track by the middle Jf July. 1 This is done with the purpose of ob taining business from Ihe south, and 1 will be he first stroke at the Rio Grande. IL is stated that when this portion of Ihe line is com, letrd wa | gon freight line will be rur "n be tween the terminus and Trinidad. and ! thus the through business which ! comes through Trinidad and that nrIr mating at that point, will br turned from ihe Denver and Rio Grande and | the cnmbined Gould lines. This much | prngress has been made since the last report.
 A pool of 5000. .OOO has been rai.ed | for the extension of ihe Rio Grsnde ! and il is coming forward nicely. 10 the fulfillmrnt of ifs portion of the cnntracI. Having reached Alamnsa | on the western side uf the Rio Grande | river, work was never stopped. but large force uf men were immediately | put to work, and ColeneI Dodge told | a rep0rier yesterday that ihe track had | been graded f ten miles down the river. The energy displayed in this move Is an earnest that the road means to push rapidly down the Rio Grsnde Mir. Dodge is again our authority fnr the statement thaI the Denver and Rio Grande will be in Santa Fe. or, if i, does not gn to Santa Fe, at least as far from Denver as Santa Fe, by the 1st of January. 1879.
 This indicates that the construction [ will be rapid; indeed, it must neces. ssrify be almost mile per day, includ ing grading, tieing, railing and bridge building. The route will be almost the same as that laid out by MessIs. Barlow and SandersOn, which will be used by line of stages for the tirst time on the lst of July. The line keeps within the valley of the Rio Grande, but does not follow the stream closely. It will run through the Tierra Amarillo country and very closo { Ojo Calienie, the already famous though heretofore almost inaccessible , hot springs of Northern New Mexico. ! The road will doubtless strike the Rio Grande and the muu,h of the Riu | Chsms, and ii may be that town will be built there. The only indication of a city there now is few adobe houses,