Weekly Arizona citizen., 1880-12-04
FL PASO
The Black Cavalry of Commerce " Advancing on the Rio Grande-in- creased Activity or the AtchisOn Railroad Company Notes from Travellers.

MT. W. Nj. Griffith, of the pioneer stage firm of Kerens G Griffith, re- turned home on Tuesday from q somewhat extended trip trough New Mexico to Fl Paso. He took the stages of the National Mail and Transporta- tion Company at Lordsburg, his route to Fl Paso being by way of Silver City, Fort Cummings and Mesilla, a total distance of 21j miles. Mir Grif- filth states that Mir. O. R. Smythe Superintendent of the stage company, left few days ago to look up She stations and prepare for the immediate opening of a direct line from some poin on the Southern Pacific-prob- ably Florida Point or Membres Sta tion-to Fl Paso This will reduce the stage travel to about one hundred miles. The company is also about to open a stage line from Florida Point to meet the advancing branch of the Atchison road which has been started fro n near Fort Thorn to meet the So- nora Railroad building from Quay mas.
 Mr. Griffith travelled part of the way with ex.Goyemor Anthony and the Chief Engineer of the Atchison road, and from them learned that steel rails are now arriving at the end of the road in large quantities, euab- ling the company Co once more re- sume rapid progress Of construction. The Atchison road is now graded to a point nearly one hundred miles south of San Marcial lnear Fort Craigl, and the rails have been laid to a point 90 or 60 miles from that station. Near Fort Thorn the Sonora road branches from the main line, and that portion between the latter and the point of crossing at Florida Poiat will consti- tute the connecting link for overland travel. The Florida Point junction will be made first, the intervening distance now being less than hun dred miles. The distance on the main line to Fl Paso yet 10 be built is some thing. more. On the 2ith inst. the Atchison road commenced at Fl PasO to grade up the river to meet the main line, and a few days later Southern Pacific grading party arrived ai Franklin (across the Rio ande from Fl Paso) 10 commence the heavy grad ing there.
 Regarding Fl Paso, MT. Grilliths states that there are as yet few Amer Icans arriving in the town. Frank lin has about three or four hundred people, most of them waiting for the {" boom which it is believed will come with the railroads, and the daily arrivals are considerable As Co the future of the town, Nr. crihiths says it has few resources save the business which the railroads will create. There is no mining in the vicinity, aud the agricultural resources on the Ameri- can side do not amount to much. Real estate at Franklin is very high. and the Atchison people are negotiating for forty acres of land between the town and the river. Should they fail to make tine purchase they will be forced to move the place Of junction further down the river, which wonld, of course, kill the new town. A good lodging-housc IS at present the only business opportunity open, that branch not being oyerdonc like the others; but there are no buildings Co be had, and putting one up would be a matter Of considerable risk and eX- pense.