The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-05
RAILROAD NEWS.
Santa Fe Planning Extensions
in the Southwest.
Largs Land Grants in Arizona
and New Mexico.
TO BE DEVELOPED.
NanE Steel Bridges to Be Built
on Coast Lines.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

In President Z. P. RIpley's last an
nuaI report to the stockholders and d.
rectors OF the Santa F'e railroad the
keynote OF the report was the urgent
need of extension and development Of
the property by the construction or
branch line feeders and for the extern
sion of the main trunk line of the rail-
road.
It has been a matter of much spec
ulation what section of the country is
included in President Ripley's plans.
By looking at a railroad map OF the
United States it is easily seen that the
great southwest is the least cut UP
with railroad lines. The territory from
the Atlantic ocean west to the Rocky
mountains is already quite well served
with railways, and it would seem that
further extension and development
must be in what is known as the great
southwest
While much of the land in the south
west. in Arizona and New Mexico is at
the present time considered practically
valueIess no doubt the time will come
when it is utilized to good purpose ana
railroads tapping the country will IND
It profitable
It is known that when the Santa Fe
railroad was built west to the Pacific
coast it was the recipient OF eXtraor-
dinarily large land grants from con-
recently been transferred by deeds nleo
at Phoenix, Arizona, to a land ana I'M
migration company, and the work OF
development of the country will begin
at once.
No doubt this section of the country
will come in for a considerable snare OF
the money which will be raised at a
meeting Of the directors to be held in
Topeka this month for the purpose or
extension OF the railroad lines
The State Journal is in position TO
present the news today that for several
months the Santa F'e interests have
been quietly at work on the cOnstruc-
ton Of a rOadbed from Wickenburg,
Arizona, to a point west Of the Colorado
river, which win probably be Ehren-
berg.
several times that as soon as the road
way Is built to the Colorado river it
will be continued south to Yuma, and
from there to San Diego, traversing
In It's course one of the greatest un-
developed sections Of the southwest.
Three hundred men and 200 teams are
now throwing up this roadbed as fast
as they can, contracts recently being let
to the Grant Brothers Construction
company of Los Angeles for forty miles
of the bed
Already the Santa Fe has built forty
miles of the grade west Of Wicken-
burg, and the forty miles under con-
tract will almost take the road to the
Colorado. It is said that as soon as
the Grant Brothers complete their
work another contract will be let
that will take the road to the banks
Of the Colorado.
The new road is known as the Ari-
zona and California, and for nearly two
years surveying parties have been in
the field selecting the most feasible
route from Wickenburg to San Diego.
Those in authority have avoided pub
licity whenever possible.
Frank NJ. Murphy, president Of the
Santa Fe branch from Ash Fork to
Phoenix, is at the present time in
Washington. D. c., where he is assist
ing in the fight against the joint state
hood bill
President Murphy states that the
Arizona and California, line is part of a
new transcOntinenta1 system, which will
connect with the Santa Fe line at Dem
ing, New Mexico, and continue west
ward in Southern Arizona to Phoenix.
Wickenburg and then on to Yuma and
San Diego.