The Florence tribune., 1901-09-07
RAILROAD NEWS. The Santa Fe Coming
 This Way, Engineers Now Running a Line from Florence
 to Benson.

V building in Southern Arzona and Sonora, Mexico, is something uupar- alleled, but the wonderful resources of the section would seem to fully war rant it. With the Phelps Dodge com Pany, the Southern Pacific md the Rock Island reaching out, it only re- mained for the Santa Fe to come in and claim it's share of the business.
 The TRIBUNE has kEown for some time that it was the intention of the Santa Fe people to take hand, having it's information from no less high an authority than Mir. F. NJ. Murphy, president of the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix railway.
 The presence of of Mir. Orton's corps of engineers in Florence, accompanied by Superintendent ". A. Drake, of the S. F., P. < P, fully confirms the report. The party arrived in town Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning connected with the Phoenix and Tucson survey made some six or seven years ago. From here the linz is being run east, along the south sids | of the Gila to Kelvin and Riverside, keeping us close to the river as possible When the survey reaches the mouth of the San Pedro it will pass up thai stream to Beason, taking in Dudleyvills i and Mammoth.
 On Sunday last Messrs. Drake and Orton took buck board. accompanies by Alex. Wolven us driver and guide aud went over the proposed route al far as Dudleyville, some fifty miles having desire to look at the lay o the land before locating. At Dudley vile Mr. Drake secured another con yeyance and driver and went on tt Benson, MT. Qrton returning to Flor enee. He expressed himself as greatly pleased with the route, it presenting absolutely DO engineering difficulties There will be some heavy rock worl along the river, but it will be mor' than compensated for by light grades
 In these days competent engineer figure quite as much on the running expenses of . railroad us the cost Q construction, aud hence neavy grade are avoided as far as possible. The. know to a nicety the never ceasing ex pense of lifting trains over mountain grade, and the disadvantage such road is placed under, where it require two engines 10 do the work of one in level country. Hence it is that tn Gila and San Pedro route is peculiarl. favorable. A train could be started a Benson, and it would almost run itsel to Florence, distance of about l5 miles.
 It is useless to dilate upon the grea advantages B railroad would give t this section. Every ton of hay an every ton Of ore would be worth iron two to five dollars more tban it Is now the hills would teem with chlorider and ore shippers; property wouI double up in value, and city wort while would spring right up in Flor ence where now there is only stagna  ton. More than all, it would almos insure the construction of the Sa Carlos dan by the government.
 On the assurance of Mir. Murphy th TRIBUNE has no hesitation in tellin it's readers that the road is a SUR THING. This is not survey to secur right of way, but is made solely fo the purpose of construction. In les time then twelve months trains will b running into Florence, which destined to become the greatest city i Arizona. Don't laugh, but paste tn prediction in your hat.