The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-07-03
RAILROADS IN MEXICO
Extensions Proposed 10 Reach Va
liable Copper Mines.
Consul Kindrick Describes the Inn
provements Projected by the Rio
Line-ConI Hauled by Horses-VaI-
liable Grazing and Timber Lands.

The following report from United States
Consul Charles ". Kindrick. at Ciudad
Juarez. in reference to the projected rail-
way extensions in Mexico, has been re
cei,ed at the State Department:
General Manager John p. Ramsey, OF
the Rio Grande, Sierra Madre and Pacific
Railroad. recently made a horseback sur
vey OF a projected line Of road TO run from
Carrillitos to Frontera. a distance Of 100
miles. Mr. Ramsey found that, so far as
4 bird's-eye survey can be relied upon, the
line is feasible and would return a reas-
enable interest en- the investment from the
very beginning.
The Rio Grande. Sierra Madre. and Pa
cihc. which runs southwest in chihuahua
for 100 miles. was completed in 1897. 1t
was expected this road would be extended
20 the Gulf of California, with a terminus
at or near Topolobampo, a fine natural har-
Dor. II was found, however, after the road
had been constructed as far as Gasas
Grandes. the present terminus, that the
cost OF building the line across the Sierra
Madre Mountains would be so great az TO
render the project entirely impracticable.
As a result Of operating no farther than
Casas Grandes the Rio Grande, Sierra Ma
DIRE, and Pacific Railway has not paid in
terest on the investment. and only for lit
tie more than a year has il paid working
expenses. The enterprise was fathered
principally by the stockholders Of the Cor
rallitos Company. a New York corporation
possessing a well-stocEed cattle ranch Of
LOCO, OOU acres and several very good lead
and silver mines. The road placed the
CCrrallitOs mines and ranch in touch with
the markets. and the company expected TO
haul enough freight TO pay interest on the
railroad stock and bonds in addition TO
the cattle and ores carried from the Cor
rallitOs property. This was expected
whether or not the road was ultimately
extended 10 the Gulf Of California.
Realizing that the railroad as now Ope-
rated will not pay. the company is con-
sidering an extension westward in one Of
two directions possibly both.
The Copper Queen Company. of AT-
iona. has just completed a copper-smeIt-
ing plant at Nacosari, State OF Sonora.
about one hundred miles south Of Bis15e.
Ariz- Modern furnaces have been esJab-
Hshed at cost of more than 81 coo. 600.
IL is said to be one OF the finest and most
elaborate copper-smelting plants in the
world. IL is claimed the company has
$35, 100000 worth Of copper ore at Nacosai
blocked out. or in sight, as they express
it, A railroad line has been surveyed from
Bsbee TO NacOsari, and il is said the com
pany viii commence building at once At
present, coke and coal for the Nacosari
shelter is hauled from Bisbee TO Nacosari
in specially made freight wagons Three
Of these wagons are coupled together and
hold nearly two carloads Of freight They
are drawn by eighteen horses or mules
Coal costs this company more than IS
per ton laid down at Bisbee. Il offers 10
supply or guarantee six or more cars Of
freight per day between Frontera and
Ciudad Jaurez Gel PasO. Tex The com
pany would thus save several dollars per
ton on the coal it will use Coal laid down
in FL PasO is $3.50 TO s. per ton. 1t is
twice that at Bisbee; so it viii be readily
seen what a saving the copper company
could effect with railway connections at
E Paso via the Rio Grande, Sierra Madre
and Pacific Railroad and its proposed ex-
tension, especially when il is understood
that the copper smelter viii use 50 zoe or
$4,000 worth of coal and coke every day
in the year.
1T was figured that II the projected ex-
tension Of the Rio Grande, Sierra Madre
and Pacahc Railway would not cost more
than $500 600, il would prove a paying In
vestment from the first General Mana
ger Ramsey, who is an engineer as well as
a practical railroad man. came to the con-
clusion. after his horseback survey, that
the extension would not cost more. The
first seventy or eighty miles OF the extern
sion could be laid at less than $4,000 the
mile. For that distance there would be
few curves, practically no grading. and no
cuts 1t would cross a series of level cat
tie ranges. The line would then strike the
rugged mountains Of TIE Continental Di-
vide. Mr.. Ramsey, after several days
searching found that two tunnels and
long bridge. with a considerable number
Of cuts and flls-altogether about thirty