The herald., 1897-03-25
THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC ROAD
WILL GET AN OUTLET INTO
MEXICO
The Santa Fe Will Gain a Route
to the Coast Under Its
Own Control
Associated Press special Wire.

great railroad deal, the accomplishment
of which is near at hand, implies a
revolution in transcontinental relations
and the opening of the west coast trade
of Mexico to California in general and
to San Francisco in particular
The parties to the arrangement are
the Southern Pacific company and the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, ani
the deal contemplated is the exchange
in ownership of two long and important
| stretches of road.
| The project is one of the biggest yet
| conceived in transportation and in
wolves advantages of the most substan-
| tial kind to the two corporations as well
| as benefit to the commercial interests
of California at large.
The scheme includes the exchange,
pure and simple, of the Mojave division
| of the Southern Pacific, from Mojave to
the Needles, TO the New Mexico and
Arizona railroad and the Sonora rail-
| road, at present owned and operated by
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe.
| BY this means the last named road will
| be able, by its Atlantic and Pacific and
| Southern California railroad, to run its
| cars direct over its own tracks into San
Diego and Los Angeles. and will be In
| position to make connections, when ths
opportune moment arises, with the San
Francisco and San Joaquin Valley rail-
way which is now rapidly building
south from Fresno toward Bakersfield.
On the other hand, the Southern Pa
cific will make connection at Benson,
Arizona, with the New Mexico and Ari-
zona railroad to Nogales, and from that
point with the Sonora railway to the
city of Guaymas.
The termination of negotiations now
pending is being anxiously awaited.
The negotiations are for the transfer of
the line between Mojave and the Needles
for the piece of track between Ben
son. Arizona, and the town of Guaymas,
on the Gulf of California, and have
been in progress for some time, and it IS
stated on excellent authority that the
big deal will be consummated in the
near future.
The precise terms of the transfer of
the two big railroad properties is a mat
ter that has not been made public as yet
for the reason that the details have no7
all been agreed upon. There is a differ
ence in the mileage of the two lines in
favor of the Sonora railway, and the
Sonora railway has an equipment of its
own, while the line across the Mojave
desert is being operated by the Atlantic
and Pacific with Atlantic and Pacific
rolling stock. According to Vice Presi-
dent C. F. Crocker of the Southern Pa
cifc company, the two lines are being
considered in the negotiations just as
they stand. The proposition as it now
stands is to exchange the Mojave lire,
which is owned by the Southern Pacific
but operated by the Atlantic and Pa
cific under lease and contract of pur-
chase, for the Sonora railway and that
portion of the, line in Arizona between
Nogales and Benson, which is separately
incorporated under the name of the New
Mexico and Arizona railway The time
is rapidly approaching when the bonds
OF the Mojave line will mature and, be-
fore that time arrives, a settlement must
be reached by the two companies.
The exchange of the property in Ari-
zona and New Mexico in payment for
feasible and availabl means of effecting
a settlement Negotiations to that end
were accordingly undertaken by the ax-
ecutive heads of the Santa Fe and
Southern PPacific companies, and have
now about reached a satisfactory con-
clusion.
DEATH TO POOLING.
CHICAGO. March 24-Every western
freight pool and combination having
headquarters in Chicago is apparently
in a condition approaching dissolution
as o result of the decision of the federal
supreme courts declaring all such pools
in violation of the Sherman antitrust
law.
The Atchison, Topeka ard Santa re
has served notice Of withdrawal from all
freight organizations of which il has
been a member Other roads are also
said to have already forwarded notices
Of withdrawal Chairman Morrison Of
the interstate commerce commission has
rendered an opinion that the Transmits
souri, freight case applies to passengers
as we'll as freight associations of every
character.
40 q iui ltNA result OIL tile supreme
court decision in the Transmissouri
Freight association case the entire Bur-
ington system today gave formal notice
of withdrawal from both the Western
Freight and the Western Passenger as
sociations. Notices Of withdrawal from
all the subordinate bureaus of these two
associations were also given. 1t is re-
garded as almost certain that this action
on the part of the Burlington road, COM
ing after the withdrawal yesterday of
the Santa Fe system. will be followed
at once by nearly all the western roads.
The Rock Island and the Milwaukee and
st, Paul roads are expected to withdraw
before night. This, of course, means the
disruption Of associations, but will not
necessarily result in a demoralizati ton
of rates. In fact, the Burlington has ap-
pointed Chairman Caldwell of the West
e1n Passenger association to handle its
mileage ticke IS and to issue clergymen's
permits. which is regarded al first step
toward reorganization of the Western
Passenger association, although neces-
sarily on different lines.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, March 24.-The
result of the supreme courts traffic de-
cision was shown today. when a number
of local firms disregarded the branch
office of the Western freight association