Daily Arizona silver belt., 1907-09-18
RANbO[PH
 IS PESS|MIST|C
Says stringency of the Money Market Will Prevent the Building of Con meeting Links, but Present Work Will Be Pushed to Completion.

Tt is all work with me now. with but little time for recreation, and cer. tainly none for politics. There is too much politics." said Colonel Epes Ran dolph, president ana general manager of several branch lines of the Southern Pacific in Arizona and Sonora, when seen yesterday by an Arizona Star rep resentative, at his office, where he was busy clearing up an accumulation of correspondence and data relative to af- fairs on the various lines over which he has control.
 Colonel Randolph, who is enjoying better health than has been his expert. enee in former years, has just returned from trip to California after an alb. senee of three weeks.
 During his stay on the coast he wis. ited San Francisco, where he met F.. II. Hartman, with whom he had several conferences upon railroad matters re- lating to conditions in Arizona and So nora. Financial questions and politics, the colonel said, did not enter into these conferences. It was wholly on railroad matters that the meeting was brought about and these being discussed fully. Mir. Hartman, who has much to com mand his attention in the east, saw no necessity at this time to extend his trip into Arizona.
 Financial conditions are such that 1t is practically impossible to secure large sums of money for contemplated extensions, so that all proposed work, which would involve large expenditures of capital, have been set aside until there is change for the better.
 "The outlook is not very promising, l am loath to say, and in fact, it is a condition that should not be exploited, for good and sufficient reasons.
 ''I prefer to take an optimistic view of things. It is much better for us all than to consider the opposite, much less to exploit such matters, which must have a depressing effect upon all It is surely much more satisfactory to look upon the bright side of life. In the end the results are more gratifying.
 "No, what work is in progress will not be suspended. We vii push things now under way as far as possible and all necessary repairs for the betterment of the various lines in Arizona will be looked after. There was much work laid out with reference to the Gila Val ley, Globe & Northern and the eonnec- tion eastward toward Phoenix, but this will not be undertaken in view of the present situation.
 ''With change for the better in monetary affairs, this work will be taken up, the colonel added.
 Continuing, Colonel Randolph said:
 "The Arizona X Colorado, from Naco to Durango, including the gap between Naeo and Pearce, is to be pushed on through as originally contemplated, but for the reasons above assigned, there will be no active movement in that di rection for the present.
 'Yes, the repair work on the Gila Valley road, which includes substan- tial bridge over the Gila river, will be attended to as expeditiously as it is possible to do so.
 Surveying and grading along the route from Del Rio, north of Cananea, will proceed right along toward No gales. The work will be pushed with vigor as the extension is necessary to the growing business and for more di- rect connection with Hermosillo and h.. IaNt .rt ..fl deep water connection, which is emi nently essential to the building of rail roads in Sonora.
 "The force at work on the extension south of Guaymas will be maintained and work will progress with the same energy that has marked the course of operations during the past year. This is a very important stretch of railroad and we are giving almost our attention to it.
 "In order," said the colonel, "to nave facilities at immediate command for doing work called for on the Can lnea road out of Naco, we are erecting ! roundhouse and repairing shops at that point. These have been much needed and we hope to have all equip nent there that is needed to meet re- Iuirements."
 Speaking of eopepr conditions, Col ,nel Randolph said they did not look 1t all encouraging and a further fall n prices seemed imminent He took he optimistic view, which is generally that if copper prices set .le down to fixed figure, say l7 or IS ,ents, that the production in Arizona would be maintained to the highest point and that the full complement of 'orees would be actively engaged at all he mines Such conditions, he sin ,erely hoped, would prevail as he, like III railroad men, realize that with gen ,ral activity in all producing mines, the could expect a large volume if traffic both ways.
 Everything depends," said Colonel Randolph, "upon the money market. That s all there is to it. v