Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-04-03
PRESCOTT'S NEW ROAD.
Some Report of Trip Through Ari-
zOna Made by an Observant
Santa Fean.
, the Editor of the New Mexican.

To the Editor of the New Mexican.
Phoenix, A. T., Mch. 30.-Perhaps il
will interest you to receive few facts
concerning the new railroad just COM
pleted in Arizona, which opens up to the
Santa Fe system one of the most beauti-
full, rich and fruitful tracts of land to be
found anywhere. 1 can not begin to
describe the beauties seen on every hand.
Of the fertility of the land at Phoenix you
may have heard. In certain sense,
southern Arizona is like southern Cali
fornia, yet again it is 30 distinct from it
that it can not be compared with the
latter. The climate is somewhat differ
ent also, at present more tropical than
that of California. The stretch of land is
even better adapted to the cultivation of
citrous and deciduous fruits than in Cali
fornia. But it is curious fact that the
Chinese, coming from land having
somewhat similar climate, have taught
Arizona people that these fruits can he
grown successfully here. There is no
evil thing, as such at least regarded, out
of which good may not come! But leav-
ing the Garden city and its paradise of
palms, dates and figs, let US take a trip
on the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix rail
road.
What feat of engineering this railroad
is! Horseshoes without number, cuts
through solid rock, trestles and bridges
to astonish the beholder! The brush on
the hills, the pines, have just received the
tears from above and the morning sun
light kisses them away! One bridge is
ninety-two feet high and 600 feet long.
From l,100 feet elevation we reach, at the
summit, hight of 1000 feet. In some
respects this road is like that leading
from southern Mexico to the grand city
of the eagle and cactus land. And what
grand species If this mighty genus, the
cactus, car be seen! Gong down from
Prescott, week ago, I took ride part
of the time IN tho caboose of freight
train and the other time on the engine,
and these magnificent thorn-bearers pre-
sented themselves in all their glory. In
Skull valley breakfast is taken. The in
scriptiOn on the station is composed OF a
COW skull with the word valley affixed.
FROM here ranch follows ranch, hog farms,
ostrich farms, alfalfa fields, until on the
southwark trip Phoenix is reached. At
9:45 o'clock Prescott is reached, the great
mining center of Arizona, with its ener-
getic business men. I stop off at the
Office of my friend, Fredericks, former
citizen of the Island of Heligoland. Our
former postmaster and fellow-citizen,
Jacob Weltmer, with his accustomed
jovial smile, is here seen and greeted.
What a change the new road has made
on the prices of some articles can be seen
when one hears that eggs cost 20 cents a
dozen now, while before they cost so
cents; hay now instead of $50 ton sells
for $3.50. After day or two here the
part of that road which makes connection
at Ash Fork is used. There at Ash Fork
a beautiful Harvey eating house is being
built. The road track from Prescott to
the junction also presents some grand
sights. Altogether we have covered a
distance of 1877 miles, bearing the great
est contrasts and inducing the mind to
make comparison on comparison.
Whoever can afford the time and the
outlay will be we'll remunerated by seeing
thesnining country, the agricultural dis
tricts, the cities, the towns and deserts of
Arizona. G. A. NEEFF.
Items Of Interest by the wabash Man
Bulletin No. 3.-The baseball record