El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-10-29

Traet.-The Mining Country Will
Reap Much OF the Benefit. Chief
Engineer Smith Now On His Way
To Mexico To Complete Arrange
ments.
WIshiu the next two months. proba-
bly, within the next two weeks, the
Sierra Madre railway will begin TO
construct a narrow gauge road which
will extend from Cssas Graudes, the
present terminus of the main lioe, in
to the tim Der and mining region, q dis
sance of from sixty TO eighty miles.
Tnis statement was made this NOR n
ing by j. Fswson SmiLn, the railway
company . chief engineer, apd may be
relied upon as absolutely correct.
Chief Engineer Smith came in on to-
days Santa Fe train direct from New
ton with "A. Fostt r ii gyms, toe pres
ident OF the company, and other
stock holders. 1t was decided by them
to tap the rich mineral ana tim Der
lands Immediately with BARROW
gauge rsils az. The reason . narrow
gauge was selected for the bew road
vas on account Of the roughness OF the
country to be traversed by the line
ana the many narrow detiles in the
The new railway wIIl take u west
ward dtrec loo from Ca>as Grandes for
. short distance and will follow the
course of the PIedres Verdes river into
the noun tains. IL will run westward
only eight or ten miles and then veer
north~ ard for some distance; thence
10 will run west again and tinally swing
round toward the south. Altogether
the new branch line will be about
eighty miles in length from Casas
Grspdes to the terminus.
Clief Engineer Sm tn was seen a.
the Arlington hotel this morning
few mioutes after his arrival. He has
been absent from the city since last
summer. Part of his time was spent
In California aud portion in Salt
Lake City, where private affairs de-
msnded his attention.
BE was summoned to New York by
she Stockholders OF The railway about
two weeks ago and remained in that
city week, when the praclicability OF
building the branch railway Was thor
oughly discussed. He expects TO leave
tomorrow for the City OF Mexico to ar
range the necessary formaities before
commencing TO stake out the route for
the narrow gauge.
There Is strong suspicion that the
maia. lima Of sthe road Is about to be
V4eChNOA W hAO tO@'Nf Od1 Oh WIS sun
ieos Engineer Smith declined TO talk.
claiming that defnita arrangements
had not yet been made for ex lending
the main line aud he was MT In u posi-
ton TO talk about the matter until it
had been finally settled.
THE terminus of the new branch
line, said he, has not yet beenselest-
ed. Its location will depeud largely
upon the route and subsequent de velop-
ments. Our object is TO reach the tim
Der country.
II think the building of the line
may be regarded as an absolute Ger
tsiuty. The commencement OF actual
work will depend upon the length of
time IL takes me TO transact my bust
ness with the Mexican officials in the
City OF Mexico aud the arrangement Of
q few preli min aries here.
AT fartnest / do not think the COM
mencement OF the work will be post
pousd longer than January !, 1899, and
IL may begin within u few weeks.
THE present railway TO Ca-as Gran |
des has not been paying expenses
Our profits depend entirely upon the |
future development Of the country and |
it Is our intention to develop it. It il |
with this Intention that the branch
line has been projected"
The return of Chief Engineer Smith
to this vicinity Is certain to briog |
about renewed activity In his depart
ment.