The Arizona sentinel., 1904-07-27
RAILROAD IMPROVEMENTS.
Southern Pacific to Ex= pend S47, zoe at
 Yuma.
New 20=Stail Round House and 8 4G-80 Machine Shop to
 De Built.

In anticipation of increased railroad traffic as result of the great develop ment of the southwest, and especially of the Colorado valley, on account Of government irrigation. the Southern Pacific company, recognizing the in- creasing importance of Yuma as cen tral distributing point, proposes to get ready for handling its end of the boom. From railroad point of view Yuma is to be placed almost if not quite on the same plane with Tucson.
 Information furnished by Mr. R. O. Crofton, foreman of the round house, is to the effect that the Southern Pacific company has set aside 47,0G0 for the erection of new 20-stall round house with 40x60 annex machine shop. Rail- road men of keen foresight predict a bright future for Yuma as a railroad center, and realizing it's importance are giving better facilities for handling the traffic at this point. The machine shop will be equipped with all the latest improved machinery; this will naturally double the force now re- quired to operate it at the present time, as all repair work will be done on -engines running between here and Gila Bend and Indio, which was formerly done at the Tucson shops and Los Angeles shops. Tbe present round house is entirely too small and is in- adequate to handle the business it now has, and will be torn down in about two weeks and work commenced on the new building.
 Another improvement which will be made is the enlargement of the turn table, which has long been inadequate. It will be made five feet longer, so as to accommodate the large locomotives now in use, and will be operated by compressed air.
 Yuma has always been an important division point to the Southern Pacific company, though not appearing to be such from the Compapy;s advertising literature. Now that circumstances are pushing the old town to the fore, it is hoped the company will give little more space to the Queen city of the Colorado in it's elaborate and beautifully printed folders, and use some half-tones that will show up Q little more of the town than the Col orado river bridge and penitentiary hill. These features are very useful in their way, and the splendid steel bridge especially looks very nice in picture, but the fact that 1t spans the nOblest stream ia arid America is really of very great importance, and ought to receive some attention in the com pany's literature and 10 doubt will henceforth. The company being one of the great benefciaries of the Col orado's never failing waters can well afford to couple Yuma and the great
  Of it's pamphlets, in 8 eulUgy of literary merit that will do d vast amount of good. It is not intended here to con- vey the impression that the Southern Pacific company has purpose}y sighted the town; far from it. Yuma wOHld be small potatoes today bat for the great railroad It is perhaps, true also that those who have profted by it's coming have not been as grateful as they ought to have been.
 At any rate it is 6 pleasure to chron- icle the company's increasing traffic, and to know that tiIe enlarging of their facilities here for handling the same, will result in adding materially to the business as well as to the population of the town.