Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1895-03-01
WITH A RUSH.
The S. r. P. & P. Stole a
March
Through and Beyond the
City Limits.
About Time Cards and Freight
Rates.
Probability of the Early Extension
OF the Line Through
to Tucson.

The Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix
railroad has reached Phoenix and gone
beyond. A gentleman of a facetious
turn of mind said if it hadn't been for !
a couple of big cottonwood trees stand
ing near the stockyards the railroad
would not have been here; there's no
telling where it would have been, but
the ties and the ends OF the two last
rails were thrown plump against those
trees and there it is anchored fast to
Phoenix.
Every record but one in tracklaying
was broken yesterday morning and
that record was made by the Central
Pacific when it laid ten miles IN
single day in a race with parallel
crew on the Union Pacific to gain pos
session OF certain grant of land be-
tween Salt Lake and Promontory. But
the Central Pacific had made special
preparation and had extraordinary IA
cilities for its task and beside, the track
was not 80 we'll and so carefully laid.
Altogether it is claimed that the Santa
Fe, Prescott & Phoenix crew yesterday
broke the worlds record for straight,
swift and honest tracklaying.
When Phoenix went to bed the night
before the end of the track was at
Fifth avenue. There were no more ties
in sight, but it was thought that
enough might be rustled up to finish
the track to First avenue where every
body understood the festivities were to
be concluded
Mike Rice of the Gazette, had organ
| lied an ovation for the tracklayers and
the city council and brass band had
promised to aid, comfort and abet him.
| The intention was to meet the crew
somewhere between Fifth and First
avenues.
When the first man in Phoenix got
awake the track was proceeding toward
the eastern limits at break neck speed.
The ovation party was gotten together
and advised to charter special on the
M. & P. for Tempe ard head the track
laying crew off there. sgs
There was rumor that the Santa Fe,
Prescott & p 9nix people were trying
to evade an injunction and the way
they were moving looked like it.
The following conversation actually
took place: Mr.. Jones-You never
laying track; they headed off the coun-
ell this time.
Mr.. Smith-Does the city want to
stop them?
Mr.. Jones-Of course it does. They
haven't any franchise east OF First
avenue and l just saw Mayor Monihon
going down on street car hi bent.
Mr.. Smith-Well he'll never catch
'em on a street car at the rate they
crossed Second street.
As matter of fact Mayor Monihon
did not want to interfere with the pro-
ceedings. but he did want them to stop
long enough to be ovated.
Prof. Netherton, who happened to be
out for an early ride on his bicycle
said that he could easily ride slow
enough to keep pace with the laying Of
the track.
The ovation party finally caught up
) the band played a tune, Mike Rice
distributed half thousand cigars, but
/ all the time the work proceeded.
The track was thrown firmly but un
tremendously across the street Cal
track on Sixth street and on until il
had passed the eastern city limits anc
lay solldly against those two cotton
, woods near Smiths mills. The SAINTS
Fe, Prescott & Phoenix was wisely
through the city and all dangerous com
plications were past. When three
fourths of the citizens along the route
got up they were in state of surprise
They had heard, neither the ringing o
the rails, the driving of the spikes, the
putting of the engine, the hiss of the
escaping steam or the clangor of tht
locomotive bell, but there the railroad
8 was as if by magic.
1t may be said that the honor of driv
f ing the last spike was awarded Mrs. E
4 M. Mills.