El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-20
RAILROAD BUILDING ON
WEST COAST o FMEXICO-

RAEILROAD BUILDING ON
WEST COAST o FMEXICO-
The Phelps-Dodge People are Pushing
their Road Southwark, and there are
Number of other Projects Binder
Way that Will Materialize Sooner or
Later.
1t seems that railroad building has
shifted its base from Ell Paso to the
Sierra Madre mountains and the west
coast of Mexico.
Persons who are interested in that
section of Mexico and who have recent
ly made trips through the country state
that several lines are to reach the Pa
cific coast this year and a number of
mineral lines to the great mining dis
tricts are to be built as soon as ma
teria1 can be had.
1t is now learned that the Phelps-
Dodge company proposes building to
the coast as fast as the material can
be had and several surveying paEties
are now in the field working with all
possible haste to reach tide water. The
company's concession in the republic
calls for the construction Of only 50
miles each year until the cosst Is
reached but since the company has ac-
quired many valuable pieces of mining
property in the Sierra Madre it has de-
termined to push the road through the
mountains to the coast 1t is under
stood that the road will reach tide wa
ter at or near Mazatlan. The read ie
now carrying trains into Mexico about
twenty miles below Douglass towards
Nacosari, and the grade has almost
reached the big smelter at that place
The surveying corps are now in the
mountains about the new smelter at
Placerita and the road is expected to
reach that place before the end of the
present year.
The Phelps-Dodge company is not
alone in reaching for the coast bust
ness, for it is now confidently believed
that the Orient company will extend
the Chihuahua and Pacific to the coast
at an early date. The line is now be-
ing located and building is expected to
begin within a few months at least.
The Sonora road is said to be maxi
ing arrangements to extend the "Burro
road" from Guaymas to Mazatlan by
following the coast.
Another story comes from Chihua-
hua that will be interesting in Ell
Paso when proved to be true, which is
not likely in the near future.
1t is said there that the Hearst es-
tate has induced the Chihuahua and
Pacific company to build its line from
Minaca north to tn eHearst ranch, and
possibly to connect with the Sierra
Madre road at or near Casas Grandes.
1t is said that the object OF this deaf
is to give the Stillwell road line to
FL Paso and the Sierra Madre road a
connection with the coast road to
MaZatlan. Along the line of this pro-
iC IF fho h0c
in Mexico. The richest mines in the
lie along the route besides
the best farm and ranch lands The
line has been surveyed in a manner
several times and it is said that the to-
of the country will admit OF
a good grade. The road will also reach
a fine timber country
General Manager Sheldon of the Chi
huahua and Pacific has been over the
line through the Hearst estate a num-
Der of times this winter and left Chi
huahua Thursday for another trip.
When asked about it he said he was
just going hunting. but the chihuahua
people think that if he makes many
more trips he will have slain all the
game in the country
How to reach Ell Paso has been a
question with the Stil1welI people for
some time and it is believed in Chi
huahua that a deal will be made by
which the company will reach this
city over the Sierra Madre road. The
officers of that road at this end say
they know nothing of it.
All the roads building in the west
at present are experiencing no end of
trouble in securing supplies and for
this reason some of the new projects
have been withheld from the press. Mr..
Buchanan, one of the contractors for
the PhelpS-Dodge company. states that
he never saw material and teams SO
scarce. There seems to be no trouble
in getting men. but teams are very
scarce and other material comes very
slow.
The richest part of Mexico. and from
a mineral standpoint. the richest in
the world. lies in the Sierra Madre
and it is believed that all
the roads touching this section are en-
deavoring to tap that country. The
big mining companies in the western
are offering every encourage
ment and many miles of road will like
" be built west of FL Paso this year