Arizona republican., 1892-01-13
MAGNATES IN TOWN.
Southern Pacific Railroad officials
 Pay Visit to Phoenix.
QUIET TALK WITH MIR. CROCKER.
He Says Work Will Be Pushed on
 the Extension.
off Through Mexico on Mission of Mammoth Proportions to the
 Great Corporation.

A drawing, a dining and sleeping car in charge of several of the most trustworthy of the Southern Pacific railway employees, pulled into the depot shortly after the noon hour yesterday. The occupants of the palatial cars com prised many of the Southern Pacfc's principal officials, among them being c. F. Crocker. vice-president; J. A.. Fillmore, general superintendent; Wm. Hood, chief engineer; Arthur Brown and J. IT. Wallace, assistant engineers in maintainance of way, and j. S. Noble, superintendent of the Tucson Yuma di. vision.
 The distinguished visitors were met by Col. Masten, general manager Of the Maricopa X Phoenix railroad. A car riage ride was taken around the clty and some distance into the country, after which the party raturned to the depot and again boarded the train for Mexico.
 Previous to their departure MT. Crock CT accorded REPUBLICAN reportex an interview. The gentleman was profus in his compliments of Arizona and her delightful climate, and predicted a great future for Phoenix and Salt River valley. He said that the prejudices against Arizona in the east were being rapidly dispelled, and from what he could glean by observation and heresay there will be an immense immigration into the territory within the next twelve months.
 Upon the subject of railroads he also spoke freely. He consented to being quoted in saying that the extension of the Maricopa X Phoenix would be pushed with all possible speed. and he intimat- ed that the reports of the engineers at work on the survey between this city and Prescott were sufficiently satisfac- tory to the company.
 Mir. Crocker, while in Mexico, will consider project for the extension of the Mexican International from Torreon through to the state of Durango to the city of Durango. Not only will he look over the field for this extension, but ne will also consider the plan for the build ing of the line on from Durango to Mag altan on the Pacific coast. This plan, if carried out, will give the Southern Pacific a road running diagonally across Northern Mexico from northwest to southwest. Durango is the only i'm portant city in Mexico which as yet has no railroad communication with the outside world. There are typographical difficulties in the way of building road to Durango which have as yet prevented that city from becoming readily access able to tourists and commercial people. Col. Crocker says: "This is the most important project that we have had un- der consideration of late years. The distance from Torreon to Durango is l56 miles. which, with our other track, would give us over $50 miles of railroad in Mexican territory, for, with the short spur running from the Mexican Inter- national. we already have have about 300 miles of road in that country. The road from TorreOn 10 Durango will not be very expensive to construct, except in certain places where the country is rather rough. For the greater portion the surface is of q rolling nature. It is a rich country, there being some very good mines in it, while not little of the soil is cultivabie." After viewing the country en route Vice-Presdeni Crocker will go to the City of Mexico and also to Vera Cruze. Tn about one month he will be in New York, where he will meet c. r. Huntington and Leland Stanford, and will tell them what he has learned regarding the projected line. The Mexican government has offered liberal concessions for the building of the road, and MT. Crocker's trip to the City of Mexico will be partly connected with those concessions.