Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-11-18

railway system at this point is sure
to make Tucson the greatest CONNER
cial city in Arizona. if not the principal
one between San Antonio. Tex. and
/ Los Angeles, Cal The people of this
/ city are beginning 10 realize their
I grand opportunities on this line and
| propose to carry out the proposed rail-
way project along the same lines used
| by the people of California in the con-
] struction of their Valley road. There
/ is a natural grade after leaving the
! Santa Cruz up the BabocOmari val
/ ley to the summit. This point is the
highest between Tucson and the gulf
and is 6S 40 miles from Tucson. Here
/ the proposed road passes into Mexican
| territory. From this summit to the
| gulf a splendid grade is found. in fact,
[ the country is almost level the entire
distance. The whole distance between
/ Tucson and the gulf is a few hun
/ bred yards less than 200 miles. as has
/ been ascertained by competent sur
veyors.
The average cost of the projecte /
railroad will approximate S15.OO) per
mile. At points along the line some
cutting and filling will be necessary.
none however, of any magnitude, and
the heaviest will be necessary in
passing through the gulf range in or
der to get down to sea level.
Following the certain pacification of
the Filipinos. our immense trade with
the Philippines. the Hawaiian group,
not to mention the greatly increased
trade with Japan and China, is ahso-
lutely certain. and this trade can
easily be diverted this way by the
building of the proposed road from
here to the gulf A glance at a map
will at once demonstrate the material
advantage to shippers doing business
with our islands and other oriental
countries in reaching a railroad termi-
nal at some point on the gulf coast
above Cape San Lucas. The course fol-
lowed by vessels from the Philippines
and the Hawaiian group would be al
most due east. and sailing vesse's
could take advantage of the ocean
current which flows from the Philip
pines to within 500 miles of Cape San
Lucas. These currents greatly facili-
tate the latter class in their outbound
voyages.
The foregoing facts should demon
strate to the people of this territory,
and TO the people of Tucson in partic-
ular the urgent necessity of acting
promptly and effectively in putting
through the proposed railroad to the
gulf.
Politically very little is said here at
present. but a consensus of what has
and is being said. is to the effect that
a clean delegation should be sent u
the next presidential convention which
shall meet to renominate Mr.. Nc
kinley. The delegation must be COM
posed of clean republicans. men not
wearing the collar of any man, but
shall be such republicans as Will re-
fleet honor upon the party and the peo
pie. One thing is certain. however. no
man will be permitted to swing the
territorial convention into selecting a
delegation in his particular political in
terests and simply to crafty his per
sOnal ambitions and to satisfy his
spleen and spite against this or that
one in the party. And the individual
seeking to secure a delegation favor
able to himself regardless of party
success and clean republicans. is
simply wasting his time by doing 81.
PIMA.