Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-09-11

-N ~+-AAfHN As' TUT tue INllElllNIlN . snai unless sits. 1t is sm9ke tY4ma tAe ,f4s eOnsin.
 THE CALIFORNIA BEE LINE.r A New Road Iron San Diego to @ Junction with
 tho A. T S. ?. and Sonora Railway in
 Arizora-
 Now that we have one railroad assured, we may She more hopefully speak of sn- other which is among the probabilities of the near future. We regard it as the best possible route eastward from this harbor. And We commend this subject to the carefui study of our citizens, not only because of its merits, but because they may be called upon to say what ''aid and comfort they can afford to ex- tend tO the inauguration of active oper- atlOns on this road In other words, what action would they take to secure it within, say, the next three ycars2
 THE ROUTE.
 X glance at the map of the United States will show any one that the short est possible route across the continent from the waters of the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean Is nearly straight line from Galveston to San Diego. It would run part of the way on Mexican terri tory, crossing the Colorado near its mouth. Formerly Americans could not build railroads in Mexico; now they are preparing to "cridir1n" that country .lth steel rails. Two roads, being con st-uctel by Boston capital, are already u-der way-0ue from the Git of Mex leo to Fl PasO. and tsa other iu Sonora. rom Guaymas to meet the 4. T. F $. r. road, probably in the Santa Cruz valley. ir Arizona When the rOal called the Arizona Southern is built )ls it will be il yCari from Tucson scuthWari Go the sonora line, and the Gu1yu as road com p.eted t3 that point. anC the Atchis0H, Topeka and santa Fc is finished from Benson to meet these two roads, there VIII then be @ tlree-cornered junction at or near CalabG-as in Arizona. Now, a road from that junction point to San Diego would, with the connections which IL would make over the \. T. q $. F. Co Fl PGso, complete the shortest line across the continent, with termini in the United States. It would be the "bee line The road would also 0e the most direct from the Pacific to all the south ern country of Arizona and New Mex leo and all the northern part Of old Mex ico.
 THE BELT ROAD.
 By its connection here at San Diego 1sit wdld tii 5e T composed of the sections ,f road: The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe from Albuquerque to the Santa Cruz Valley; the new road (called, per hans, the Sonora California;; the Cali 'Ornia Southern, and the Atlantic and Pacific, back to Albuquerque. This new road would practically complete a corral around New Mexico and Arizona, and secure all the business Of Sonora and Lower California, besides getting large share of the Pacific Coast business .- ITS IMPORTANCE
 IT. ,pxId seem that the enterprising ,,e,, who oTS advancing the Atchison Topeka and Sa1E.ir F F. the Sonora, the Central and the - aiiiorni4 ai 'l Southern to completion, cannot fs-.t'l1. VI li! to leave this closing section of the bC' line unbuilt or to be built by other par ties. As it now stands the Sonora ani Mexican Central roads, as well as the California Southern, will be entirely de- pendent on the Southern Pacific road the two former for all business from the west and the latter for all business from the east south of Albuquerque. By the building of this new road, all three of the roads named, and the Atchison, To- ueka and Santa Fe tO some extent, be- come entirely independent of the South ern Pacific for both western and eastern fr, Ina fIRrrVaI feom such a road will become apparent upon the slightest study of the situation and We do not think that the f8r-seeing capitalists of the east, who have already invested so liberally, will fan to protect and increase the value Of theIr invest ment.
 HOW IT LOOKS TO Us.
 But we set out to speak of the Bee Line and not simply of belt line. We will now show how it appears to us. Suppose the road bui' 't to the Santa Cruz valley and the junction made with the Atchinsau. Topeka and santa te road at Calabasas. There we have connections already made with the whole country east of us. The second best I.rbor on the Pacific coast is brought i've hundred miles nearer the Atlantic uort- thau San Francisco can ever be; and the shortest line between Atlantic and Pacific tide water k completed For. before this road could be built It gun to-day, rail connection at IT Fa7o vfth Galveston and New Orleans, and tle whole southwest. will be made. Hence. this Bee Line would be made when this lnk in the cham was supplied. Bot. while a sound argument may be made on the ground of protection tO -he roads already made, by securing nde- pendeuce for them. 1t IS not rhe best reason we can offer. The road would be
 A GOOD INVESTMENT
 Tn itself. The nature and requirements of the country through which 1t would pass:the probability of alarge agrlcultur- al product: the certainty of great mineral developments; and the large area of con- tributing territory, suggests an idea Of the immense business which the road would find ready at hand or would create. For the first hundred miles from San Diego the line would pass through fine valley lands Of great producing cap acity. On either slde of the road For that distance there would also be many contributing valleys. In the next hun dred miles the road would cross a large and very valuable belt of timber, as well as rich placer and quartz mining dis tricts, around and north of San Rafael Thence 1t would reach and cross exten- sive bottom lands on the Colorado river. In this section are thousands of acres of the most productive land in the world, by the aid of water, which can be easily run upon it from the Colorado. The section in Sonora would also com maud much of the business of the Gulf of California, and all of the traffic of the grelt mining and graz ing territory between the Colorado and Santa Cruz rivers. The terri ! tory through which tue road would TUT ! is well known to be capable of sustain ! ing a large population, and, taken as . ! whole. is capable of becoming the bes : section of country for local business be | tween the Rio Graude snd tEe Pacific ! No great engineering difficulties presen ! themselves and the road can be bull
 without unusual expense.
 THE PROBABILITIES.
 We are glad to learn that correspond ence has been opened with the Mexican
 government in reference to concession
 for this road, and are especially please
 that there Is every probability that liberal concession will be granted tn