Arizona republican., 1899-03-23
TRANS=CONTINENTAL
"A Prediction Thai phOenix
 Will Have One.
The PeopIe of San Diego County CaI., want 10 Be Annexed to to Hrizona-r1ufuaI Advantages of inc Arrangement.


 hope of a railroad connection with
 Phoenix on a tranScontinental railway.
 He predicts that the road will be under
 construction within three years. MN.
 Jennings is not an enthusiast like eX-
 Mayor Carlson of the Bay city, who
 undertook six years ago to build
 road mile at time, as rapidly as
 the money could be raised, for that
 purpose and actually began work on
 the enterprise. That road. has been
 built about thirty miles in this direc-
 tion It has about reached its eastern
 terminus unless reorganization comes
 MT. Jennings is a very conservative gentleman and bases his belief in an- other transcontinental line on various
 grounds. Che is the new steamship line between San Diego and the Orient,
 which is proving to be much more of an enterprise than its promoters imagined it would be. The original facilities were quickly found to be in adequate and though two new vessels have been added the docks are cuntin- ually piled high with merchandise for the far east. The importance of the new Pacific Nine alone is strongly at
 tractive cf a new railroad
 Another reason why MT. Jennings be- lieves railroad will be built is that it
 will be a natural result of capital to find an outlet. The country is over run with money seeking investment. Large leans are being made in San Diego at seven, six and even five per cent on good security. At the time of the former railroad agitation there money was worth eighteen per cent. Ut is a matter of finacial history" said MT. Jennigs, that whenever money is plentiful and all other av enues of investment are cGcgged relief is found in railroad construction. 1 do not know of any ether route so in viting as the route to San Diego from the term mus of one of the great lines near the eastern slope of the Rocky mountains. Here is another thing to be considered. There has never been a line since the first railroad was built when one could be built 50 cheaply as now A five per cent railroad bond can be f1oated very easily now. 4 couple of years ago a seven per cent bond was negotiated with difficulty. | That margin of two per cent may be the difference between a paying and a non-paying road. A road which barely runs even or slightly behind under a six or seven per cent indebtedness may declare a dividend under a five per cent indebtedness. The case of the Atchiscn is an illustration. The road i became involved and underwent reor- | ganization Its debt was refunded at a lower rate and the Atchisons head | rose above water Good times came along and the line is paying along it's whole length.
 ''I do not knew what road will be | come the next transcontinental line. would naturally expect the Rock | Island to be. Our people are HOW en- gagged in correspondence with the Rock Island folks and they say that | the situation is hopeful and constantly | growing brighter"
 MT. Jennings introduced another sub ject of special interest to Arlzonians. Said he: If it were left to the vote of the people of San Diego and San Diego county there would be an overwheln- ing vote in favor of annexation to Ari- zcna We have talked it over and we believe that such an arrangement would result in the early making of the state of Arizona. The objection on account of lack of wealth and popula- tion would be removed. The edvan- tage would be mutual to both sections. We are 500 miles from the capital and have nothing in common with north ern California. North of the Te- differ from the south. Our interests are different, if not directly opposed. No effort, of course, has been made on our part to secure anJleXatiOn. While it IS not impractical we regard it as at present impracticab,e. There are too many probable obstacles. We do not know even if the people Of Arizona favor it. California almost would not and then there is inc consent of the general government : ,O be obtaineds'
 This annexation subject is not quite new. It was talked about in San Diego six years ago, but then Arizona l vas to be annexed. San Diego county ( md the whole territory was to become { he state of San Diego.
 MT. Jennings says the conditions of ' lis town are more hopeful than they I lave ever been since the boom of a CIV years ago. Things grew brighter : Il spite of the depressing drou;h. We lave become in a large measure inde- I pendent of the drouth," said MT. Jen rings, but the late rain is hardly less z