Arizona republican., 1899-03-31

| in progress anywhere else in the Unit ed States, and thoughtful consideration Of these conditions ought to convince the most critical that the work done during that year for the benefit of the 1 territory, under the leadership of Mir Frank M. Murphy, required great tact and energy and that the results ob- tained at that time can be attributed only to him and his associates, who had such faith in the country and people that they were able to overcome the greatest obstacles
 The Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix railway is Arizonas own road; it's stock and securities without exception, were originally taken and are mostly now held by men, who if not residents of the territory. have large interests in Arizona and are desirous of promoting it's advancement in every way pos sible
 The conception of the s. F. P. 6 P. railway, familiarly known as the north and south road, is due to the late Jo- seph Reynolds (better known as ''Dia- mond Joe" Reynolds), MesSrs. F. M. Murphy, MT. D. B. Robinson, now pres ident of the St. Louis and San Fran cisco railroad, and a few other pro gressive citizens.
 In the early sos the Prescott and Ari- zona Central railroad was in operation between Soligman, on the Atlantic and Pacific, and Prescott. The gentlemen just referred to saw that the welfare and advancement of Arizona demanded it's extension into the mining districts of the mountains to the south and on to the Salt. River valley, and the own CTS of the P. 6 A. c. were asked to ex- tend their own line, but fer reasons best known to themselves they could not be induced to do so. They were then solicited to sell or lease their road, or in some way arrange with the $. F. F. 6 P. company so that it's eX- tension might be accomplished, but no agreement could be arrived at All ne gotiations failing the S. F. P 6 P. com pany decided to build it's own road from Ash Fork to Phoenix, beginning the work in 1891 and continuing it as before mentioned in rhis article
 The north and south road, as many of our readers know, in some points fraverseS a rough and mountainous country while in others miles and miles of unwatered lands are crossed. That the cost of constructing railway line over such a country, and under condi- tiOns already mentioned, must have been many times that of ether rail roads along great valleys and across broad prairies of the east is easy to be understood, and for the same reasons it is plain that the cost of maintaining and operating such a line must greatly exceed that of other roads with which it may be compared!
 The north and south road is notably an Arizona institution: built for the benefit of Arizona and her people, and operated to give the greatest benefit to Arizona people commensurate with it's own prosperity. Tt enables the pro ducer of the Salt River valley to dis pose of his surplus, which just now goes as far as California for market; it adds tOi the revenue of the lumber man of the San Francisco mountains by giving him the benefit of. a market at the mines and mills of the great mining camps of the central and the agricultural districts of the south. The wonderful development of the mining industry for the past few years is due entirely to the increasedFIsailroad ia cilities which have reduced the cost of machinery to the lowest possible figure, the cost of fuel to a minimum, and which reduces the cost of haul on ores to the smelters of Colorado to a figure that is surprising to the miners them selves.
 The development of mining in the
 
 other mountains of central Arizona is but well begun, and it must and will continue until the product equals that of the older states. The mileage of the s. F. P. 6 P. and branches must be in- creased until development has reached it's limit
 The Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix railway line takes rank among the scenic roads of the west To the pleas ure seeker and tourist many marvel ous scenes of beauty and interest are to be noticed in few hours occupied by a side-ride from Ash Fork to Phoe- nix. A few of the points of interest that may be drawn to the attention of the reader are: The "Amphitheater.' twenty miles south of Ash Fork, where from a single point of vision a half dozen -aign bridges and the yet to be $" horseshoe" are to be seen hu Geds of feet below, enclosing the littf IJV'alley styled the "Amphitheatcr.' the rails of the horseshoe I TYthe Seats of the Multitude' in NOSblof limestone, terraces hundreds of feSt in height. Next comes the Point o6Rocks, where the road traverses for a few miles a region wholly covered by granite bOulders, points and col lImns of granite extending to great hS1Soh anu III oIOH COAIuSOQ lar way that one might say that nature had no architect here; that it's origin was not one of design but the result of chaos beyond imagination; while the practical "Hassaya.mpar'' would say that it is first-class Apache h. 1ian fighting ground.
 South of Prescott the road climbs the slopes of the Sierra Prieta mountains, ard looking southward. in the fore ground is seen an irregular mountain :alled the Sleeping Lion," and beyond he ow-capped peaks of Mount Union md the Bradshaws are plainly visible, and to the north and east are seen in he foreground the Valley of the Rocks, Lonesome and Chino valleys. Still beyond, seventy miles away, in full nlnaI, .d iSti cnnr,