Arizona citizen., 1879-07-05
Some Sense and Nonsense.

Some Sense and Nonsense.
 An article appeared lately in a San Francisco paper called The Merchant. It predicts a revival of river and ocean transportation under the new constitu- tion. It says the New Mexico and Arizona trade and traffic naturally be- long to San Francisco, and that it is now time that active steps be taken to se- cure said trade, and then goes on to say as follows:
 San Francisco has two routes to Ari- zona-One by the Southern Pacific to Yuma, 7J0 miles; the other, from the end of our wharves by coast steamers to San Diego, thence by direct route by land, 192 miles to Yuma. The total distance by this route to Yuma is 642 miles, being l03 miles shorter than the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Teha- chipi pass will always be a barrier against the commerce of San Francis co on account of the heavy grades, and no company can afford to take freight over 750 miles of Southern Pacific IldllLOdAA lU I AAAAlA lOA AN-o AAAtAAl fTOt per ton over the San Diego route.
 Freight can be landed by coast steamer at San Diego for s per ton, and thence 192 mikes by rail for $3, making a total freight of S6 per ton, a saving of $24 per ton over the South ern Pacific, and less time. The in- terest of San Francisco is to force the immediate building of the short line east from San Diego We have no' time to lose. There will be 50000 population in that section in a shOT time, and we must see that we are able to handle it as cheap as Eastern roads can. Some have supposed that Tom Scott would build that route, but it is now conceded by all that he' and his company are dead, and will never build to the Pacific.
 For the sake of many good and de- serving people in San Diego and for other reasons, We would like to see San Francisco force the immediate building of the short line" from San Diego to Yuma, but the idea that a line over that route would have any less barriers against the commerce of San Francisco on account of heavy grades" than the Tehachipi line, is a fallacious one. The writer evidently never was over the proposed route; and the idea that San Francisco will ever force the immediate building of. any railroad other than a street one, is preposterous. Sacramento men have. built with slight exceptions, the rail roads of California, and the same men alone are building in Arizona. Won der if the writer referred to ever thought of the comparatively small value the San Diego and Yuma short line would be as a competing one to Arizona, unless "the short line" were made a long one 10 reach far into Ari- zOna?
 The Utah Southern, or Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe may give Ari- zona competing lines. As to San Fran cisco ever securing much of the New Mexico trade, 1t is out of the question and she will do quite well if she can get, for she has not got it now, the larger share of the Arizona mercantile trade. Most goods consumed in Ari- zona today are not bought in San Francisco. We wish the San Fran cisco merchants could or would secure the bulk of the trade of both Arizona and New Mexico, but before they can, they will have to revise prices on many lines of goods as well as terms of payment.
 As decided compliment to the in- dustrial progress and mineral develop ment in Arizona, it may be said in truth that our merchants and freight CTS care little or nothing for govern ment trade, whereas a few years ago, there was the strongest efforts made to secure it. They are doing a good business without any government patronage and they greatly prefer the new lines of trade. The old slendars put forth by high officers and mean civilians that without the government business would be nothing in Arizona, have been overcome and not repeated. It is good to call up this matter on July f, 1879, when the great bulk of business done in Arizona is with citi- Bens, and our merchants care little for any other.