Arizona weekly citizen., 1884-06-28
WEEKLY CITIZEN.
SATURDAY, JUNE 2s. 1884
ONLY A QUESTION.

The opportunities that Tucson has let pass to add to its commercial import snce are sadly numerous. A retrospect i've glance in this direction exhibits a startling and regretful apathy. The world about us has been moving stead lily forward without pausing to knock at our doors and drop into our coilers tribute to our venerable but respectable supremacy. We have too long assumed 8 dignity and indifference that our de- precisted patrimony has not warranted, and when circumstances arouse us from our dolce far nlente existence, the reai1- zatIon of the cold, matter-of-fact sltuG- ton must rudely jostle into Us some activity. We sI;h when We realize that the railroad to Guaymas might have been built to Tucson instead Of Benson by a little united effort on the part of our people. We stupidly watch our ear loads of ore departing to scenes Of en- ergy and enterprise for reduction; we wonder why our streets are not crowded with busy teams and heavily loaded ye- hicles, while We note that private en- terprise has chosen to construct better highways from smaller depots of supply. We see our cherished schemes of new railway connections vanish into the maelstrom of oblivion, with 10 friendly hand Cutstretched to recall them. We have been building too many air castles while the very foundations of our adobe municipal empire have beem crumbling to Impalpable dust. And why: Our people are altogether too enterprisIng. There are too many men of ge- nius-too many leaders. They are too harmonious and too seIf-sLcrifcing to achieve great ends. They can unite . in the prosecution of no great enterprise because iu their love one for the otEer, they each refuse to accept individual trusts and strive to heap such houors and incident emoluments upon 9 loved neighbor or companIon.
 Through such a state of affairs, we may-nRy, wILL-lose the railroad that must connect the new bonanza camp with the trarsc0ntinental line through southern Arizona. Itis strongly hintet, and the hint Is fast crystalizing into a fact, that the outlet Of tliis rich camp will be Maricopa. And what are We going to do about ii?
 As will be seen by an article in our local columns, little wagon road from Picacho station to the north, across the San Pedro, is already diTcrting much valuable trade. This is but a small instance of the fading glory Of o1r city; others can be seen upon all sides.
 And what gre we going 10 do about itf
 There is still time ample time to retrieve the errors of the past, and make our city hum with lusy iTe and activity. Let there be no division of public sentiment upon matters of public good. Who cares if Jones or Brown should make Q million dollars in creating an enterprise for the public good, if the general public is benefited ten times that sum? We must bring commerce to our doors and manUfac- tories must be constructed. We want a railroad up the Santa Cruz to CalGbasas, and one to the Quijotoas. We must see that the railroad southward from the Atlantic and Pacific road, that is to pass through Prescott and tap Phenix, is not continued up the San Pedro to a connection east of Us, but that it comes to Tucson. We want a road to Globe also, either narrow or broad gauge. Should this latter reach the San Pedro river in time to intersect the road south ward from Prescott, it may defect that road to Tucson, particularly if our con- nection with Ca!abasas be made.
 All these things are requisite for our permanent prosperity, and they car be obtained only by hard and expensive work and the most complete unity Of action.
 What are we gying to do about it?
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