Arizona republican., 1891-03-08
A MATTER OF JUSTICE Refatation of a Slanderous
 Attack. Difficulties of a Frontier
 Railroad. Helping Its Community by Cheap Transportation and in Adding to the COunty's Income.
Special Dispatch to THR REPUBLICAN,

opeClAl DispdlCn to hk nhrVbLiSAN.
 CLIFTON, Ariz., March 7.--In the Ari- zona Daily Gazette of February 26 the following was published as an editorial; |; David Coughs statement before the special committee on the freight bill last evening was one of the most astounding disclosures of rascality ever given publicity in this country. It showed a system of robbery practiced by the Arizona & New Mexico railroad without parallel in this country, and proved to the committee that the bill prohibiting continuance of such rob bery is public necessity. Wetrust the committee will discard their railroad bias sufficient length of time to give MT. Coughs statements the credit they are entitled to-"
 The article having created quite a stir through the force of the terms ''rascahty and robbery" connected with the management of the Arizona X New Mexico railway, the Associated Press correspondent went to the company's office and there found John sherman, general superintendent of the road. Asking him it he had read the Gazette's s comments on Coughs statements, he laughingly replied Yes"
 In answer to a question as to what he thought of it, he said: ''The merited praise extended to Mr. Cough, of Graham county, for his recognized smelting ability, has apparently over balanced him and his efforts at law making have been somewhat of a fasco. He was sent to Phoenix by the people of Graham to watch their interests, but, from the remarks of some of his former supporters, it is evident how they con- slider he has failed. l am not aware ot the nature of the statement made by Mir. Cough, nor the source of his infor- nation, but it is almost useless to dis cuss the subject when it is evident he is animated only by personal animus. The Clifton people are aware of the obliga- tions under which his employers, the Copper King Mining Company, have been for months at the time and still are to this road and to a Arizona Cop per Company, and much surprise is felt at the Gasstte'S paragraph here."
 He continued: "I would like to lay the following before the committee and the public:
 First. The road was built to assist in keeping alive the mining interests around Clifton. A railroad coming into purely mining district takes the chances that 1t must depend on the life of the mines to get back the money in vested therefore should have the benefit of higher rates.
 Second. Ninety per cent of the freights carried by us are for the Detroit and Arizona Copper Companies. Pre- vious to the building of this road they had to pay l1a cents per pound and now 1a cent per pound and less.
 Third. It is not transcontinental, but branch road, so we have 10 long hauls, which are the mainstay of so many roads.
 Fourth. The road was very expensive to build, and was built without a cent of assistance from the Territories it runs through, and with money borrowed at a high rate of interest abroad.
 Fifth. The total annual tonnage only averages twenty-two thousand to twenty five thousand tons.
 Sixth. It must provide $S0,000 an nually to meet the interest on it's debt, and has to provide for sinking fund to redeem the debt.
 "Sevemtb. The losses from washouts during the last few months amount to from $S0,0OO to $90,0 ,00O.
 Eighth. It puts life into this section and benefits the Territory's exchequers by increasing the value of property along its route and creating business.
 Ninth. It and the Arizona Copper Company, who built the road, pay one- third of the taxes of Graham county.
 "Tentb. When the copper market was low, in 1884 and again in 1889, it sh ared the losses of the copper. companies by granting them a scale of freight rates based on the ruling price of copper in New York. It cannot be doubted if these companies had had to pay the for mer excessive wagon freights they would have been compelled to close their mines and Clifton and Morencia would have ceased to exist.
 Eleventh. The profits of the road in 1889 and 1890, after paying interest on it's indebtedness, were $73,739.75 and $64, ,7s4.l3, sufficient to pay about 324 per cent on the investment. -a ,-
 "In the face of the above facts and figures l cannot see where we earned such character for 'rascality and rob bery' as the Gasette thought fit to charge us with. This charge, admit, was grounded upon statement made by Mir. Cough, which, of course, it could but accept as reliable, but the Gazette should remember there are always two sides to every story"
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 LOCAL BREVITIES.