Williams news., 1906-04-21
ANOTHER RAILROAD
Southern Pacific May Build to
 the Grand Canyon

Recently there has been consid- erable talk of railroad building from some point on the Southern Pacific in Arizona, to the coal fields in southwestern Colorado For time it was stated that the proposed new line would be built from Cliff ton northward and cross the Santa Fe at or near Gallup. While sur veys have undoubtedly been made over that route, the question as to whether the track will be laid there has not been definitely settled.
 In fact, later developments would tend to show that instead of cross ing the Santa Fe in New Mexico the crossing will be made in central northern Arizona. There are many reasons why it would be more profitable for the promoters and builders of the road to take the latter action than the former.
 In the first place, the Santa Fe is now the only trans-continental line which makes direct connection with the Grand Canyon. It has been said that in the near future the new road belonging to Senator Clark the Salt Lake-will build down from some point on it's line and make feature of tourist travel to the Canyon from the north side. When this shall have been done it will mean that two of the three great trans-continental lines will have daily access to the Canyon. the greatest of all scenic points. and that it will then behoove the only remaining line-the Southern Paciic-to make an attempt to reach the same place.
 In addition to the incentive the tourist business to the Canyon may be to this line, there are other vital reasons. Among them we might state, the desire to reach the Colo rado coal fields, from which to de- rive the coal for use in the mines of the southern portion of the terri tory.
 At the present time the Southern Pacific has a line completed as far north as Globe. Did that line ex- tend on up to the great Roosevelt or Tonto Basin dam. near the scenic Montezuma We'll and Castle, the Natural Bridge, up the Verde to Jerome, one of the largest copper camps in the world, thence to Will jams. the gateway to the Grand Canyon, connecting here with the Santa Fe's line, over which tralfic arrangements could be made, thence along the Canyon up into Colorado. 1t would make scenic route second to none in the world.
 Aside from the benefits and at fractions to be derived from the tourist traffic. such line would open up rich agricultural section and place the farmers of the Verde valley in connection with a market for their produce. Then, again, it would place the mining industries When it is remembered that there are three or four trains a day run from the junction to Jerome it will be realized how much freight is handled, and what saving broad gauge road direct to the great cop per camp would be.
 of the southern portion of the ter litory in connection with the great timber belt of the north. Here at Williams is now practically com pleted the largest lumber plant in the entire southwest, and it is to the interests of the southern part of the territory to have a direct line into the largest unbroken belt of , pine timber in the United States. This lumber company owns a right of way for railroad over the re- serve from Williams to Jerome, and surveys have shown that line to that point is feasible; in fact log ging road has been operated for