Bisbee daily review., 1902-09-23
THE PHOENIX
 AND EASTERN
FRANK MURPHY SAYS CONTRACTS
 WILL BE LET IMMEDIATELY
Right of Way Committee Finishes It's Work Around Phoenix.-The Road
 Will Connect Benson and Phoenix.

The Phoenix and Eastern railroad is certainty. What is still better. its immediate construction is a certainty This was settled at a conference in the ordinary of the Hotel Adams yesterday morning between President F. NJ. Mur- phy and the right of way committee and a large numhe~ of business men, Murphy announced that bids would be invited at once for the construction of the first twenty-five miles of the line and that there would be no delay in beginning construction after the letting Of the contract. This announcement was based on the assurance which had just been given him that the right of way committee would hurry to com pletion the work of getting deeds in es- crow and would lose no time in com pleting the work of pledging the money necessary to pay for the deeds.
 MT. w. D. Fulwiler presided at the meeting. and upon taking the chair stated that the melting was held for the purpose of conferring with MT. Murphy, advising him of what had been done. and assuring him that the people of the valley were prepared to carry out the pledges made last spring that the money to pay for the right of way through the valley would be forth coming from popular subscriptions Mir Fulwiler then stated that the work of obtaining subscriptions had dragged somewhat on account of so many peo- pie being away during the hot weather. but a total of some sS.500 had been pledged. and he had no doubt the re- mainder would be forthcoming.
 Mir. Murphy stated that he was ready. as he had been ready through out the summer. to let the contracts for construction as soon as the right Of way was assured: and what the rail- road company desired was 70 see the deeds for various tracts placed in a bank at the earliest possible moment He urged haste. for the reason that mo- body could ? ecdiCt the future of the money market with certainty. He di- rected attent on TO the high rate for call money now prevailing in the east and suggested hat there might arise 2 strin ngeucy which would make # necessary To defer the railroad project: the road would cost several millions and as tha matters stood at present he was il shane 10 go ahead and it was highly desirable hat contracts he let and that all details be settled while the financial skvs were bright He said he 7id TO ask for ue~eonaI and legally binding ple5ee7 of those nres- ent, but would be content with their ,)rmal assurance that deeds for the en- Ere route through the valley would be ,egoiated for and placed n escrow a Snce. and that the promises made him At the mass meeting last spring would be promptly carried out He stated that if had been intimated. he had heard that he was looking for an ex- cuse to throw up the project. and he added. with 9 smile. that the proper way to settle that point was to "calr' him was for the valley to do as it had agreed He then added with much earnestness that the matter of the railroad rested entirely with the peo- .Ge hereAthey could have it, and to Obtain 1t they had merely to provide Ahe right of way while he was in position to build the line.
 E After a general exchange of views and remarks by Mayor Talbot, B. Hey man, James Bark. l.. H. Chalmers and NIT. Richardson and other gntlemen was offered by MT. Chalmers and unan- imously dopted:
 Be it resolved That it is the sense of this meeting that the right of way committee be instructed to go ahead and get the right of way deeds in es- crow. in accordance with their own plans. and that it is the further sense of this meeting that every memeber of this meeting will join the right of way committee with his earnest support fhn fc raised to pay for the right of way, and the deeds are in escrow"
 If was after the passage of this reso- lution that MT. Murphy announced that Mir. Drake's chief engineer of the pro- to invite bids for construction of the first twenty-five miles.
 Just how long it will be before dirt Is flying on the Phoenix and Eastern depends only on the length of tir required to let the contracts and get men and teams on the ground. Mir. Drake stated yesterday afternoon that he thought construction would be un- der way within twenty days.
 An incidenta, feature of the netting of much interest was the discussion of the proposed wagon bridge in connec- lion with the railroad bridge. As ex- pIained heretofore, and as Mir. Murphy repeated at the meeting. except as to it's eenra1 interest in the welfare of Phoenix and the valley. the railroad compAf1y was indifferent as to whether <fz wagon bridge was made part of the lructure across the Salt river. It was ssential. however. to know what the eople here desired. for a combined
 dlroad and wagon bridge would call
 Ir different plans and specifications,
 Id # would take year or year and
 half to obtain the structural steel.
 ,e exact cost of the wagon bridge
 ,uld be made known, and the county
 ,uId be required to take care of that
 chnr1Id If dova1on that an art