Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-04-19
RAILROAD SCHEMING.
The Santa Fe Railroad Said to Be Behind
the Roswell-E Paso Project.

The railroad from Roswell to Ell Paso
to be built between the Guadalupe and
the Sacramento mountains, is an as.
sured fact, and may be built this year
yet. But what is not so certain Is the
identity of the company which will
build the railroad. The Choctaw road,
the Rock Island and several other rail-
roads have been mentioned. Now comes
statement from apparently well-in-
formed sources which sounds very plau-
company that is behind the scheme to
build railroad from Roswell to Ell
Paso. This may seem surprising at first
when it is considered that the Santa Fe
railroad company now has an outlet at
Ell Paso but the new route would short
en- the distance from Chicago and St
Louis to FL Paso and Mexico by 35(
miles, and this makes the project seem
less unreasonable. The Santa Fe now
controls it's own track as far as Anna
rillo, which is the northern terminus OF
the Pecos Valley railroad.
The survey for the new railroad Is
not only in progress, but the conductor
of the construction train has been en-
gagged. The route will be east of the
Sacramento mountains. and when it Is
considered that a large part of this
route is through on-productive coun-
try, 1t seems certain that the Pecos
Valley railroad would have no incentive
to build the line as an Independent en-
terprise. 1t is also known that the San
ia Fe has assisted the Pecos Valley,
and has perhaps some interest in it,;
that other lines recognize the saving in
the proposed route, and that some of
these same lines could reach Amarillo
over a comparatively small mileage of
the Choctaw road. 1t is reasonable to
suppose, therefore, that persons inter-
ested will recognize that the Santa Fe
railroad company is the mover in the
extension of the Pecos Valley railroad.
There Is another fact upon which en-
phasis is laid in this connection. Phelps.
Dodge & Co., of New York. the owners
of some very rich copper mines, have
started to build line from Naco, Ariz.,
to Nacosary, Mex, where one of the
richest properties Of the firm is situated.
Negotiations are now in progress be-
tween Phelps, Dodge & Co. and the off,
GERS of one or two lines that enter FL
Paso. One of these lines is the Sierra
Madre railroad. If the big copper firm
build the line which they have started
they will be willing to turn over theil
franchise and subscribe to the bonds Of
the road as well. Now, If the Sierra Ma.
Dire were to conclude to make such 6
deal, that line would have to build OF
down to the Pacific coast. A prominen
engineer has examined the territor!
between Casas Grandes and the rout
Of the Phelps Dodge road, and says it i
feasible and not excessively expensive
With that piece of work undertaken tn
Sierra Madre would be an exceedingl!
desirable piece Of property for some bil
/ lluuh IllC tIdk ACuoy Has CiSIo oAS'
into Ell Paso. General Manager Ram
sey, of the Sierra Madre line, is now II
st. Louis on his way home from New
York, where he was in conference will
the principal stockholders of the rail
road and with representatives o
Phelps, Dodge & Co.
| But no matter who builds the roa'
from Roswell to Ell Paso, it will be
great boon to the southeastern part o
New Mexico, and especially to the re
gion between the Guadalupe and tn
Sacramento mountains, which Is nov
unproductive, but which will be devel
oped and made productive II railroa'
were to pass through it.