The record-union., 1897-03-25
4 Direct Route From San Francisco to
Guaymas.
The Southern Pacific and the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe Parties
to the Deal, Which COntemplates
the Exchange of Ownership OF
Two Long and Important Stretches
of the Road.

SAN FRANCISCO, March PA
great railroad DEAL the accomplishment
of which is near at hand, implies rev.
olution in tranScontinental relations and
the opening of the west coast trade of
Mexico to California in general, and to
San Francisco in particular. The par
ties to the arrangement are the South
ern Pacific Company and the Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe, and the deal con-
templated is the exchange in ownership
of two long and important stretches of
road.
BY its cOnSummatlon the southern
Pacific will enter into possession of a
direct route to the City of GuaymaS, on
the Gulf of California, while the great
Eastern organization will be able TO
reach the Pacific seaboard over line
wholly independent of the Southern
Pacific and owned wholly by itself
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 IN
volved as well as benefit to the COM
mercial interests of California at large.
The scheme includes the exchange,
pure and simple, of the Mojave division
of the Southern Pacific from MoJaVe 10
the Needles for the New Mexico and
Arizona railroad and the Sonora rail-
road. at present owned and operated by
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
f3y this means the last named road
will be able by its Atlantic and Pacihc
and Southern California Railway TO run
it's cars direct over its own tracks into
San Diego and Los Angeles, and Will De
in a position to make connections, when
The opportune moment arrives, with the
San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley
Railroad, 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 by the Sonora railway 20 the
city of GuaymaS.
The negotiations for the transfer OF
the line between Mojave and the Nee
dies for the piece of track between Ben
son, Ariz.. and the town of Guaymas,
on the Gulf of California, have been in
progress for some time. and it is stated
on excellent authority that The big deal
will be consummated in the near fu-
ture.
The precise terms of the transfer of
the two big railroad properties is a
matter that has not been made public
as yet for the reason that the details
have not all been agreed upon. There
is a difference in the mileage of the
two lines in favor of the Sonora Rail-
way, and the Sonora Railway has an
equipment of it's own, while the line
across the Mojave desert is being oper-
ated by the Atlantic and Pacific, with
Atlantic and Pacific rolling stock.
According to e-President c. F.
Crocker of the Southern Pacific Com
pany, the two lines are being consider
ed in the negotiations just as they
stand. The proposition, as it now
stands, is to exchange the Mojave line,
which is owned by the Southern Pa
cific, but operated by the Atlantic and
Pacific. under a lease and contract of
purchase, for the Sonora Railway and
that portion of the line in Arizona
between Nogales and Benson which is
separately incorporated under Tie name
OF the New Mexico and Arizona Rail-
way. The time is rapidly approaching
when the bonds of the Mojave line will
mature. and before that time arrives
a settlement must be reached by the
two companies
The exchange of the property in
Arizona and New Mexico in payment
for the Mojave line was selected as the
only feasible and available means of eff
fecting a settlement Negotiations to
that end were accordingly undertaken
by the executive heads of the Santa
Fe and Southern Pacific Companies
and have now about reached a salts
factory conclusion.