Bisbee daily review., 1907-04-28

south to connect with its main coast line now under construction from Guaymas to Guadalajara. But in that time the contractor has done enough to convince the small number of skep tics who are ever present that the railroad means business; that If Il was ever playing a game of bluh the time when that game is effective has passed. few miles south of Naco Zari they are actually Working-grad ing. blasting, cutting and filling. They have begun a railroad proposition that in every way is worthy of the master mind of the Southern Pacific system, Anybody can build line of railroad over a flat country, but it takes a wizard and a man of nerve to tackle tine mountains and canyons such as the builders to the south will encounter before they are through with their task. It is a characteristic Hartman problem and when it is solved it will furnish just such story as the record Of Hartman as rail road builder in the west has given the world. The great obstacles which na- ture has put in the way of human en- deavur will have been reduced to naught before the determination and ability of Hartman and his able lieu tenants and another milestone in the march Of human progress will have have been attained
 Doing Preparatory Work.
 Just at present the work that is be- ing done by the Southern Pacific con tractors near Nacozari Is largely of a preliminary nature. They are working in a canyon some fifteen miles long, and ninety mules and as many labo- CTS constitute force too insignificant to seriously attack the problems which nature has imposed on the railroad builders. The force now in Nacozari canyon is simply blazing the trail and preparing the way for an army of la horers and herds of mules that within a month will be in the canyon Dyna- mite by the ton is to be used in the reduction of the precipitous cliffs and as fast as the obstacles can be over come the grade will be made ready and within few years at the most line of steel rails will connect Doug Jas to the south with the great centers of the neighboring republic.
 As the most favored point for begin ming operations on the Guaymas exten- sion in northern Sonora the Southern Pacific officials selected Old Nacozari. It is five or six miles south of the present town of Nacozari. Here be fore the days of American activity in that section was the town of Nacozari. Browning one of its hills is the rem pants of the old improvised smelters many similar to which are still to be seen in isolated parts of the repub- lie. At another hill nearby is tun- or 41o Hrn fTnlfRd the adobe smelter came from De low and encroaching on the bed of the canyon is the old slag dump. A few houses are still maintained at the old town which suffice to keep extant the individuality of the place, for to the native Mexican it is still Nacozari and the town known to Americans by that name is called by them Placeritas.
 First Shots Fired.
 The first cut along the side of the canyon made by the contractors is inst this side Of the old city. Here last Friday a shot was fired that made a great yawning hole in the side of the cliff. Drills are at work and the debris is being hauled away. Further down the canyon other cuts have been made. So far, oE account of the lack of men, mules and material in sufii- cient numbers and quantity only the soft spots have been touched. When the. working force has been recruited to the desired number the grading will be done irrespective of the charac- ter of the country.
 Just why the Southern Pacific de- cided to begin work five miles away from the town of NacoZari is matter which is not plain to everyone. It may not be to anyone save those within the inner circle. Between Naco- zari and Old Nacozari the canyon Is comparatively wide but at Old Naco- zari where the work begins it becomes narrow and renders railroad building all the more difficult. It may be that this is why the initial wok has been started away from the town. Then, again. the s. P may be awaiting devei- opments from the direction of the Pheips-Dodge people that would be vital to their plans in the city of Naco- zari. With these undetermined it would be manifestly the safe thing to begin work at the safe place, and that is outside the city proper.
 Typical Construction Camp.
 The railroad camp lies along the canyon just beyond Old Nacozari It has every appearance of the regular construction camp. Tents are up and cots and bedding are scattered about inc ground. There is the improvised coooking quarters and long mess ta- bies for the men A tent houses the commissary where the Mexicans ge; their supplies, and the blacksmith has his tent also. 4 large corral has been buiH that will accommodate far greater number of mules than the ninety the contractor has at present Grading machines. dump carts and wagons, steam driiiers and other para phernalia of the railroad construction camp are scattered about the camp
 While the contractor awaits the com ing of a sufficient force of men to ef fectIvely begin work mechanics al ready or the payroll are kept more than busy in getting the material al ready on hand in shape for the gruell ing campaign that is coming on A squad of brush men are following the survey clearing 1t of mesquite and what other vegetable growth they find along the route indicated by the sur vsying corps that will interfere vitk tre graders. The survey is being croes sectioned by the engfneeFirs