Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1903-11-18
EXCURSION TO
THE BRADSHAWS
Over the Prescott and
Eastern.
Three Coaches Filled With People
Taken to the End of Rail-
road Track.

. One of the finest and most success
full excursions that has ever been run
on the S. f. P. & P, or its branches,
was the excursion to the end of the
Prescott 4 Eastern railroad track yes
terday. About two weeks ago the
railroad people announced that they
would run an excursion to that point,
which is the station now known as
Saddle, at the summit of the Bradshaw
mountains, about 80 miles to the
southwest of Prescott, and yesterday
for an hour before the train started
there was a string of people coming
from all directions to take advantage
of the opportunity to see one of the
most wonderful pieces of engineering
and railroad building in the world,
and when the hour of nine O'Clock ar
rived there we're three coaches packed
so full of people that there was hardly
room to get through the isles of the
OdASs bhC anu Steps
were full, and men and boys were
even riding on the tender of the en-
CINE, it being estimated that there
we're nearly three hundred people on
board. On top of this there were sew
eral people Joined the excursion along
the way. The day was an ideal Arizo-
ma autumn day, warm and bright, and
there was a smile on the face of every
one on the train, while the thoughts
of the we'll filed lunch baskets under
the seats did not take away any of the
anticipated pleasures The trip as far
as Mayer is without any special inter
est as it is down Lonesome valley,
which for the most part is without
any Interesting sights, save for an oc-
casional hay or corn field, or for the
exceptions of fine view of the splen-
did camp of tho Iron King mine
which lays about a half mile to the
west of the track, and the Val Verde
smelter, which lays just to the east of
the track. After leaving Mayer, how
ever, the road enters a more noun
famous district and the road begins
to wind its way around the mountain
sides and across canyons revealing
some very pretty scenery. But the
grand scenery began when the ascent
of the mountain was commenced at
Middleton. The ascent is made from
Crazy basin to TIE summit, distance
of nearly 1000 feet, by means of five
switch backs, which by the way is
the greatest number of switch backs
on standard gauge railroad ar any
one place in the world. The first of
these switch backs is at Middleton
and while the distance from there to
Saddle would be scarcely two miles
as the crow flies, yet it takes between
six and seven miles of railroad track
to cover the distance. There is not
foot OF level track the entire distance
up the mountain side, and the average
grade is three feet of raise to the hun
bred while some of the distance the
raise reaches nearly four per cent. As
the train creeps carefully and slowly
up this wonderful grade one can look
back down the mountain side and as
sure himself that when a railroad can
be constructed and operated over
that place that the possibilities of
railroadiDg are unlimited. The scene
is one that can never be forgotten and
those who went on the excursion yes
terday will never regret the money
spent on that trip as long as they live.
One of the grsndest panoramas that
was ever spread out before the eye
was the scene just before the summit
was reached when one could look
out over the tops of the mountain
peaks, which had been left below,
and look over into the valleys for
miles and miles away, as far as the
eye could see.
Something of an idea of what it has
cost the railroad company to pene-
trate into the heart of the Bradshaws
may be gained when it is understood
that it has taken force of from 200
to 600 men over six months to con-
struet the road the last eight miles.
The cost Eper mile of such a road
runs a good ways up into the Eve
figures.
The work of extending the Prescott
i Eastern railroad from Mayer to
Crown King was begun over year ago
and has been pushed ahead as fast as
unlimited means and the force of men
that could be obtained could do it,and
at the present time the road is laid
and the train yesterday went to with
in five miles of Crown King and it is
estimated it will take till tbs first of
next March to have the road COM
pleted and in operation to its destina-
ton.