The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-20
RAILROAD NEWS.
Fight for Possession of Box
Canyon Now in Court.
Santa Fe Holds Possession Of
the Disputed Ground.
HEARING ON MAY Is.
Sympathy of People Is With the
Santa Fe.
Think the Southern Pacific Is
"DOg in the Manger".
HEARING ON MAY Is.

Phoenix, Ariz., April 2O.-The Phoenix
g. Eastern ostensibly building frctn
Phoenix to Boston, as an independent
line, but now alleged to be owned by
the Santa Fe system, suddenly chang
ed its survey from the south side G.
the ella river, from the Buttes, through
Kelvin and Dudleyville. to the north
side of the river, for the purpose, it is
claimed, of connecting with the man
line of the Santa Fe at Albuquerque,
and with the ultimate object of max
ing this the main line of the trans
continental system from Albuquerque
through Phoenix, to Bakersfield, Cal.
In the meantime the Southern Pa
cific divining the plan of the Santa Re,
and approaching the advantages OF the
Iessened grade offered by the Gila riv-
er route, plans to beat the Santa re
here and to run its main transcontl-
mental line from Silver City, Clifton or
some other convenient eastern cOnnee-
ton, to Solomonville, Florence and
Phoenix and thence to Sentinel, there
connecting with the present line of the
system.
So much is the rumor by which the
succeeding steps of the two companies
are explained.
At a. m. on March a. the South
ern Pacific, by n corporation known
as the Arizona Eastern, filed with the
OnlleQ states lallQ ONCE DIT 4uCSOAl a
map of definite location of route be-
tween Kelvin and Dudleyville, through
what is known as Box Canyon, SAID
to be the only available pass through
the mountains. This was Just two
hours in advance of the filing of a
map of definite location over practical
" the same route, conflicting in mary
places, by the Phoenix & Eastern, or
Santa Fe.
On March 16 the Arizona Eastern
at E'TnranRp condemn a
right of way over the contested route.
The suit will be contested by the Phoe-
nix & Eastern on the ground that the
route is already owned by that com
pany, by purchase from the same prI-
waite individuals who are named as de-
PENDANTS. The hearing has been set
for May 16.
On March % the Arizona Eastern
asked for an order of court enjoining
the Phoenix & Eastern from entering
upon the right of way claimed by
both, on the ground that a map of
definite location covering the route in
question had been filed by the Ari-
IONA Eastern two hours prior to that
filed by the Phoenix & Eastern. The
application was denied by Judge Doan
on the round that while the map had
been filed with the local land office
at Tucson it had not been approved
by the secretary of the interior and
that therefore the Arizona Eastern
was not in position to proceed against
the Phoenix & Eastern which COM
pany was actually in possession of the
disputed right of way.
The Arizona Eastern and Phoenix
& Eastern at once rushed all the men
and grading implements procurable to
the scene in the effort to block each
other and conflict between the two
forces has been daily threatened.
On March 80 there was a conflict
in which several employees of the Ari-
IONA Eastern, who were at that time
in the Tl7innrifxr c1i i,,s 4
and driven from the ground.
On April 4, the Santa Fe or Phoe-
nix & Eastern. asked Judge Doan at
SolOmonville, for a temporary ini1Inc-
ton against the Southern Pacific. or
Arizona Eastern. to prevent the latter
from grading over the right of way
claimed by the Phoenix & Eastern.
Judge Doan granted the temporary in
placed the Phoenix & Eastern under
$4,000 bonds.
The contestirg companies now have
approximately 1900 men each on the
scene of the contested right of way
length.
It appears that Notwithstanding the
efforts recently made by Epes Ran
doiph and associates to get control of
the pass. the Phoenix & Eastern peo-
pie, who are really the Santa Fe neo-
pie, have beat the Southern Pacific
at the game and now have control of
the pass.
The sympathy of the people in the move
is with the Santa Fe. This is said to be
due to the fact that. while the Southern
Pacific engineers have had their eye on
the pass for a number of years, they
have failed to make any use of it until
they found that some other company
wanted it. and since then they have been
making every effort to keep the Santa Fe
out of the field
The Santa F'e now appears to be in con
troll of the pass, and unless the court at
Florence, before which the case is now
pending. decides adversely to its interests.
1t viii hold the pass.
The report that serious trouble had oc-
Cured between the grading outfits of the
Two roads is not credited here among