The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-07-13
ACURIogRLRa4AfE}I.R.oAD
n IS ONLY 40 MILES LONG AND HAS
IS SHARP ouRVEs.

This Road IL the Csookedest 0ns In
the Unitsd States, and 0ne Of Its
Turns IL SaiA to Ne the shortest
Railroad Curve In the World.
"This IL the crookedest railroad In
Amesiky."
The train on the 26 miles Of narrow
gauge road from Jerome Junction, A. T.,
to the mining camp Of Jerome was Just
entering the hills from the plain and was
beginning to creak and groan as 1t round
ed the short curves when q passenger
leaned forward from his seat and pro-
jected this remark into the ear Of re-
porter for The Star.
There are IS curves, one of them 45
degrees and "a Of them 40 degrees on
this road" the voice continued, land
they are nearly all on 3 pr cent grades.
It's the crookedest railroad In Ameriky."
The speaker seemed to. get considera.
Bile satisfaction out Of this statement and
repeated II several times. The reporter
did not offer any dissenting opinion, for
there was no room for argument. This
road from the Santa Fe system up to
Jerome, where W. A. Clark's great Verde
copper mine Is situated, is indeed mar
vel In its construction and the difficulties
1t overcomes.
Leaving the Junction on the plain, II
runs direct on comparatively level ground
to the hills. 1t apparently runs against a
mountain and ends at the foot, but does
not, for when the foot Of the hill 10
reached the track lodges in at the mouth
Of narrow gulch and commences its
climb to the summit, on the other side Of
which lies Jerome.
In building this road no attempt was
made to follow other than the grades
provided by nature. The bed Of the road
is cut out of the side of the hill. Just
enough dirt il cut away to fll out the
grade to q sufficient width. There Is not
a single cut on the entire line except on
the very summit, where q rocky ledge 10
parted to allow Of the passage Of the
track.
The engine, which ID built for mountain
climbing, only takes nine cars in Its
wake, some Of these being empty and
all Of them freight except the rear car.
which 10 short combination passenger
and baggage coach. The train crew has
little time for loa6ns, for the brakes
must be closely guarded. The conductor
evidently looks upon passengers a. un-
necessary freight and ticket taking as q
bore. for bis work Is that of handling 4
heavy freight train upon steep grades
and that 10 not conducive to sociability
or good nature.
The putting Of the engine and the jolt
Ina - ir tha <alla tkn atr ~
the beginning Of the climb up the hill.
The train hugs the bill down below the
ridges and creeps up sulch but to turn
around at the head and come down on
the opposite side but few hundred feet
from the track gained few minutes be-
fore at the cost Of 20 much labor.
The head Of each gulch IL crossed upon
a wooden trestle. From the car window
as the train goes up, the track on the
other side seems to run parallel to the
one the train IL on and but few yards
away. OF sudden an engine comes into
view going in the opposite direction to
the passenger coach. It needs look out
Of the window to convince the passenger
that this engine ID the one pulling his
train, for 1t 10, and the middle cars In
the train are on one Of the wooden tres.
ties which cross the heads Of these
gulches.
One Of these Is 45 degree curve,
claimed to be the shortest railroad curve
in the world, and whether this is true or
not II does not seem possible that Z
curve could be any sharper and the cars
not tip over as the engine pulled them
around 1t. The train only creeps around
this curve. The engine puffs, snorts and
grunts. Its wheels slip ON the rails and
1t barely moves. The cars nearly touch
each other at the corners. The wheels
groan and shrek as the fanges rub the
rails. The whole train protests against
such treatment with all the voice it has
and the engine seems about to pull the
cars of the track In Its effort to get them
around the curve.
The train crew makes this trip twice
day, but no matter how long they have
been on the road they look strained and
anxious each day until this curve is safe
ly passed. When the last car Is over the
trestle, everything relaxes. The engine
rattles and pufs in a sort Of care free
manner and the freishts bump along as
though they did not mind any more.
OF sudden the summit 10 reached. A
short curve takes the track through cut
on the apex. The train again swings
around the point of the mountain and be-
gins to slide down hill. The panorama
spread before the eye at this point is ire
mendous. Far In the distance rise tho
sun covered peaks Of the San Francisco
mountains, over $4,000 feet high. In
the foreground is the valley of the Rio
Verde. Miles and miles to the bottom Of
this valley 1t seems to be. The hills are
barren. the valleys are barren, not 4
an inferno burned out and left to soil
tude.
Not for long, however. for straight
ahead Of the train hangs blue haze, the
smoke and fumes from the roasting cop.
per. The train keeps high above it all.
Far down the hillside are the long rows
Of roasting heaps, yellow In their crests
and each one adding It's quota to the
haze and sulphur In the air. This IL the
real living inferno. Figures Of men far
down the hillside look like ants as they
move about. Everything is In miniature
at this great distance and In the tele-
scopic atmosphere OF Arizona. The scene
Is fascinating, and It 10 with regret the
passenger feels the train come to stand
still with a vicious jolt, and the great
stacks and buildings Of the Verde smelter
remind him he has reached bis journeys
end.
To come 10 miles a. the crow flies the
railroad has been built 20. It cost near.
ly 100000 and 10 kept busy all the time
feeding it's valuable freight to the Santa
Fe system. The road Itself was daring
venture. The engineering Is unique, the
construction 10 like that of no other road
In the country, and it's sole occupation 10
handling the business which brings the
greatest cash income derived from sin
gle property to any one man In the Unit.
ed States.-Kansas City Star.
An Agreeable Cure.
Doctor-Well, my fine little fellow, you
have got quite well again. was sure
that the pills left you would cure you.
How did you take them-ip water or In