Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-10-25
EXTENSION
How the Denver & Rio Grande Road
May Go South From San
ia Fe.
SEEK EXCLUSIVE TERRITORY
Will Some Day Go to White Oaks and
Ell Paso-Not Likely to Zap the
Oochiti - Other Railway
Mo+oo

A Denver & Rio Grande official was
asked whether the Denver & Rio
Grande Railway Company intends to
build southwark next year from Santa
Fe. The director was handed a map
With a suggested extension outlined up
on it, to start from Santa Fe, go to AL
buquerque and from there down the
Rio Grande valley to Ell Paso. The Off
cial said nothing of this route, but drew
another map. Using the Santa Fe ter
minus as a starting point, a line was
drawn direct to White Oaks, leaving
Albuquerque forty miles to the west,
and from White Oaks south along the
route of the Ell Paso. & Northeastern
road into Ell Paso. when the extension
to Ell Paso is made" he then said,
(which will come sooner or later, this,
| think, will be the route chosen" That
will enable US to tap the great mineral
district at White Oaks and the coal
fields and rich mining country to the
south, as we'll as reaching the portals
of Mexico at Ell Paso. If consolidation
is effected at White Oaks with the Ell
Paso & Northeastern that will leave us
only a comparatively short stretch of
track to build. If Albuquerque is
reached he continued, II think it will
be by a branch line only, running from
a point between Santa Fe and White
Oaks"
The official also said that in anticipa-
ton of the extension the branch from
Alamosa to Santa Fe will be made
standard gauge within a year or two.
When asked whether the Denver s.
Rio Grande will build a branch from
said: mo, any business W. bring to
Santa Fe we must divide with the San
ia Fe railroad"
"If we build a road into the Cochiti
district it will be down the Rio Grande
from White Rock canon, but 1 believe
the Santa Fe railroad will be ahead of
us, with a line from Thornton"
The official also spoke about the pro-
posed Santa Fe railroad branch line
from Las Vegas to Taos. He said:
THAT line will never be built further
than Mora. Taos lies on the other side
of the range, and there is a standing
agreement between the Denver & Rio
Grande railroad and the Santa Fe rail-
road that neither will cross the range in
that part Of the territory. A branch
line from Tres Piedras to Taos is, how
ever, a remote possibility.
AT present the San Luis valley, in
southern Colorado, through which the
Rio Grande railway passes, is shipping
many car loads of -four to southern New
Mexico and Ell Paso, and Denver is
making strenuous efforts to secur the
wholesale business with the southwest
and Mexico that now goes to Kansas
City and eastern points. SO considera-
Bile pressure is being brought to bear on
the Rio Grande company to build the
extension to White Oaks and Ell Paso.
This will give Colorado the advan-
tage of two railways to the southwest.
The Rio Grande Railway Company
realizes that if it ever expects to make
its present division to Santa Fe a pay
ing venture it must go farther, and
there is very little doubt that the ex-
tension will be made, and that at a no
distant day
President Purdy, of the Rock Island
railway, in an interview denied the ru-
NOR that his company intended to
reach into Mexico or to cross to the Pa
cific through New Mexico.
IF we a attend to the business Of
the growing region throu~h which our
lines now pass" he said, 1--WE will be
doing we'll enough for a number Of
yyaar &c fn onr,o"