The Arizona champion., 1890-08-30
TIE FLAGSTAFF ROAD.
ID. NJ. RIORDAN TALKS WITH LOCAL
 BUSINESS MEN,
A Plain Statement of the Prospects for the Railroad, aud the Necessary Pre- linlinaries to its Construction.
Phoenix Republican.

A number of local business men met yesterday afternoon at the Commercial Hotel to confer with D. NJ. Riordan upon the steps necessary to secure for this valley the speedy advent of the Central Arizona rail road.
 Mir. Riordan talked very plainly in regard to the proposed road, lay ing bare every obstruction that would be met and not mincing the fact that its construction would be at great expense.
 ''Che amount of road yet to con struct," sad Mr. Riordan, lis TO miles of which distance seventy miles lie within the county of Mari copa, The cost will not be far from S4,000,000. Now, I am in a posi- tion to say this to the people of Salt River Valley: I am assured by those in the East, in whom I have perfect reliance, that if the people of this county will guarantee the building of the southern end of the line, say the 100 miles between here and Payson, and could assure the road the necessary traffic to pay the interest upon the cost of eonstruc- tion at six per cent, the portion of the road from Flagstaff to Payson would surely be built, and without unnecessary delay; and, no doubt, the money could be obtained for the portion between Phoenix and Pay son. But, of course, some such as surance must be had before invest ors in the East can oe induced to put money into railroads in Ari- Zona.
 1T am, on behalf of the lumber mills at Flagstaff, prepared to fur nish such a guarantee as far as Pay son from the other end of the road.
 ''The amount of traffic required to pay such interest from here would have to be sufficient to yield Sl50,- 900 net earnings, over all expenses, per year. Can your valley furnish that amount in freightsl
 eff such a guarantee can be made" continued Mir. Riordan, sI have no doubt but the arrangements for building the road will soon be under way.
 'The main difficulty in such a work as this is to plainly demon strate to capitalists that the enter prise will be a paying one. I have made frequent trips to the East dur ing the last few years in this behalf and believe that I now have mat ters in good shape"
 Much further discussion was had on the subject, the local gentlemen speaking of the amount of grain, hay and fruit that would be shipped from here north, to which would Ge added cattle and ores from the broad ranges and rich mines of the county. The in-freights would be large, all our lumber, certainly, and the hardware, wagons, beer, and all most all other eastern supplies now received over the more roundabout way of the Southern Pacific.
 To bear out their assertions, Messrs. Kemp, Ainsworth, Hine and Fowler handed Mir. Riordan a tabulated statement showing the de- velopment, valuation and products of Maricopa county. The larger portion of the products being avail able for export, MT. Riordan's close knowledge of the consumption of such products in Globe, Flagstaff and along the line of the northern railroad, will, of course, give him a good idea of the business this valley might give to his railroad.
 He leaves this morning for Flor euce, thence going to Globe and home.